Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[JimR]

Yeah, but gas prices man

I bet that was his only trailer.

 

[JimR]

We were having a troll around in the fast water around the rocks

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when we saw this little fella sitting up on the point nearby. Pretty cool. Skinny little guy, it's harsh country. Only the crocodiles are fat up here.

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And the sharks of course.

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We did a heap of other stuff as well, the mudcrabbing

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The fire on the beach (it would have been 100 times the size if I had been involved in its construction)

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And of course the general lazing around as the scenery passed us by

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Amazing week.

Great photos

 

[chipper1]

But look at these guys!!!
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Philbert

Pretty sure that was taken here in michigan.
Many have no idea of the logging history here, and especially the softwood side of it, lot's of white pine were logged here in the past.

I bet that was his only trailer.

Good chance of it, and I'm sure whether it was or not he was still .

 

[MustangMike]

I was thinking must have been a heck of a horse team to move them!!!

 

[sean donato]

Well boys another scrounge less day for me. But I should have a tidy load of locust showing up tomorrow. As today is one of 2 days off before another 10 day work marathon, and my wife had off. We did our running around today. (Half rainy this morning.) Got a dozen peeps. Now I have to finish building the coop. (They will be in the house till they get a good bit bigger.) Tsc had them 50& off, so they were $2.00 each. Not sexed so dunno how many roosters we got in the mix. They didn't have any pine shaving there so I stopped at a closer place on the way home and grabbed a bale. Walked through their saw selection and they were fully loaded. (Had no pro saws 2 months ago.) Look what they had on the shelf! I almost walked out the door with it....
The salesman saw me and said it was the only one that they ordered that wasn't paid for already. They had 4 ms362, 2 ms400, one 500i and 661. Pretty sure the 661 was a non mtronic. Should have taken pics of that price tag, it was cheaper then the 500i, but not by much. There were various other saws there, for the little shop they are it was well stocked. (Same place I took my 562xp to get looked at.) They had a few husqy pro saws but nothing bigger then a 550xp. They didn't know when the next shipment from either company would arrive and the salesman told me the stihl shipment was a surprise with how much came in at once. It was nice ro see some new products on the shelf.

 

[GrizG]

This is the section of rail trail that was scoured due to clogged culverts... possibly clogged by beavers. It's hard to judge in the photo, but on the left side of the foreground it's about 3 feet deep. Not much of a subbase on this old rail line... the berm was mostly dirt and glacial deposits. The original ballast was salvaged when the tracks were removed. The gravel in the photo was newly installed about 2 years ago. Hope the working railroads do a better job of water management so it's cheaper to build trails on them in the future!

 

[sean donato]

Borrowed my cousin's tractor and chipper. Man what a thing! Gobbled up what I perceived as a massive brush pile in less than 2 hours by myself .
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Handy implements to have around. My cousin has a 6" model with a nice roller infeed.. don't know the make of it, I've ran it on my dad l245dt. Only has 20pto hp and it did fine eating whatever we stuck in it, although any thing 4" or larger got cut up for burn wood the few larger pieces that got sent through it did ok with, certainly something where more hp is better then less.

 

[svk]

Built a third shelf to match the second one. Was able to scrounge the sheeting but had to pay $9 per stud. That damn near kilt me lol.

 

[Sierra_rider]

Well boys another scrounge less day for me. But I should have a tidy load of locust showing up tomorrow. As today is one of 2 days off before another 10 day work marathon, and my wife had off. We did our running around today. (Half rainy this morning.) Got a dozen peeps. Now I have to finish building the coop. (They will be in the house till they get a good bit bigger.) Tsc had them 50& off, so they were $2.00 each. Not sexed so dunno how many roosters we got in the mix. They didn't have any pine shaving there so I stopped at a closer place on the way home and grabbed a bale. Walked through their saw selection and they were fully loaded. (Had no pro saws 2 months ago.) Look what they had on the shelf! I almost walked out the door with it....View attachment 1007218
The salesman saw me and said it was the only one that they ordered that wasn't paid for already. They had 4 ms362, 2 ms400, one 500i and 661. Pretty sure the 661 was a non mtronic. Should have taken pics of that price tag, it was cheaper then the 500i, but not by much. There were various other saws there, for the little shop they are it was well stocked. (Same place I took my 562xp to get looked at.) They had a few husqy pro saws but nothing bigger then a 550xp. They didn't know when the next shipment from either company would arrive and the salesman told me the stihl shipment was a surprise with how much came in at once. It was nice ro see some new products on the shelf.

I'm seriously liking my 500i. The purchase price was a hard pill to swallow, but now it's paid for itself and I'm glad to have it. I usually climb with my 400 when I need a rear handle, but I had to do a tree the other day that required climbing with a 32" bar. It was a hot day, and it was a big tree, so I was seriously broke-off by the time I got to chunking it down. Having a saw with the power/weight ratio of the 500i was a lifesaver.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I did the sawing on this Saturday at a campground our 4WD club maintains. Someone else added the arm rests on the ends. I bowed the bottom cut, but otherwise I’m happy with it.

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Nice! I cut one just like it in my back yard about twelve years ago! Great minds think alike! The only difference is I blocked up my foot rest. One of the flat sides is up so it can be used used a table too. I also bore carved cup holders in the foot rest. One close to each end and one in the middle. I brushed on one thick coat of linseed oil to help preserve it. Its finally starting to show some small signs of rot, but nothing even close to horrible. Considering we get a lot of rain. I can't complain for only having one brushing of Linseed oil and no maintenance. I'll be sure to post a pic next time I go home to check up on my property!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I'm seriously liking my 500i. The purchase price was a hard pill to swallow, but now it's paid for itself and I'm glad to have it. I usually climb with my 400 when I need a rear handle, but I had to do a tree the other day that required climbing with a 32" bar. It was a hot day, and it was a big tree, so I was seriously broke-off by the time I got to chunking it down. Having a saw with the power/weight ratio of the 500i was a lifesaver.

How would you compare the power of the 500 to the 661? I'm thinking about trying one out. Dose the 500 have the sack to pull the entire 32" bar burried in wood past the tip with no problem? Any info from any of you 500 guys would be much appreciated!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I did the sawing on this Saturday at a campground our 4WD club maintains. Someone else added the arm rests on the ends. I bowed the bottom cut, but otherwise I’m happy with it.

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Also, the bow will help it shed rain water! I actually like the slight bow in it bud!

 

[mountainguyed67]

the bow will help it shed rain water!

Someone else said that too. A straight line was scribed on it, but he missed several inches where the knot was. By the time I got past the void I was off, and a gradual correction made the bow. This is 9-1/2 miles in on a trail unsuitable for hauling, that’s why we build out of what’s already there.

 

[Cowboy254]

I went for a run this arvo to help shed a few cruise related kilos and came across a tree that had fallen across the road. Someone (probably the hydro scheme blokes) had cut the trunk section that was physically on the road into rounds and pushed them and various other bits into the gutter. Beauty, I thought, I'll grab that on the way out. 45 mins later, after my run, all the rounds were gone! You snooze, you lose as they say. Stihl I manhandled what would fit in the back of the ute in, along with an arm load of smaller branch bits that don't need to be cut or split. The tree was wet externally but had been dead standing so once C/S and a chance to dry off, I'll burn it straight away. I wish all my runs ended with free peppermint in the ute.

 

[ValleyForge]

How would you compare the power of the 500 to the 661? I'm thinking about trying one out. Dose the 500 have the sack to pull the entire 32" bar burried in wood past the tip with no problem? Any info from any of you 500 guys would be much appreciated!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

The 500i pulls a 36” buried in oak like a raped ape…you’ll never pick up,your boat anchors again…lol

 

[sean donato]

I'm seriously liking my 500i. The purchase price was a hard pill to swallow, but now it's paid for itself and I'm glad to have it. I usually climb with my 400 when I need a rear handle, but I had to do a tree the other day that required climbing with a 32" bar. It was a hot day, and it was a big tree, so I was seriously broke-off by the time I got to chunking it down. Having a saw with the power/weight ratio of the 500i was a lifesaver.

My issue is I basically don't climb anymore, and have a 390xp and a 395xp. The 390xp is my "big" felling saw and really it doesn't have a lot if time on it, as I prefer to do most the work with a smaller saw. (Ms400 now.) It's just hard to justify the cost vs how much I'd use it, especially when I have saws that will do the same work.

Someone else said that too. A straight line was scribed on it, but he missed several inches where the knot was. By the time I got past the void I was off, and a gradual correction made the bow. This is 9-1/2 miles in on a trail unsuitable for hauling, that’s why we build out of what’s already there.

It's called crown, ever road should have a crown or at least have taper to one side to allow for run off. It's one of the most overlooked things in stone roads. Every paved road has a crown or taper, for the same reasons. You don't want water to lay on the road surface, but have the ability to run off to the sides and let the berm, or ditch, or culvert deal with taking the water where you want it to go. Additionally stone roads typically benefit from binding agents, like lime or Portland cement. (This depends on road material make up.) Really firms them up amd makes maintenance much easier. We had a few public stone roads we took care of at the township that were in poor repair and took a lot of work each spring. Sat through this seminar about stone/gravel road maintenance. Was a real eye opener and once we realized if we spent the money upfront and did it right the cost per year went way down.

 

[Sierra_rider]

How would you compare the power of the 500 to the 661? I'm thinking about trying one out. Dose the 500 have the sack to pull the entire 32" bar burried in wood past the tip with no problem? Any info from any of you 500 guys would be much appreciated!

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

It's been awhile since I ran a 661, but I do have my ported 066 to compare it to. Even running an 8-pin, the 066 has more torque when you lean on it hard. However, if I keep the chain speed up on the 500i, it's not far behind the 066. It definitely will have zero issues pulling a buried 32" and will even run a 36" in softwoods just fine.

The FI is pretty cool on it, instant throttle response. Throw an aftermarket or modded muffler cover on it and it runs like a ported saw. The big selling point for me was the weight. I forget the numbers exactly, but it was within a few ounces of my 044...both with wrap handles, etc.

I know a lot of the contract fallers are starting to run them on the fires because of the weight and ability to pull a 36".

The only downsides to the 500i that I've found so far, are the suspension and the clutch cover. The stock cover is kinda lame and wood chips go everywhere...it isn't annoying enough for me to buy that expensive WCS billet cover though. I did do the upgraded suspension kit from WCS, the 500i feels like a wet noodle with a 32 or 36 until you throw the stiffer AV on it. After that, it's easily my favorite falling saw.

Some people complain about the fuel economy of it, but I don't really have an issue with it. A few of my ported saws are fuel pigs too, I think it's just the cost of making big power out of a smaller cylinder. I certainly don't think it's any worse than my ported 044/046 hybrid and still better than my 066.

Sorry for the long-winded response, just lots to say on the 500 lol.

 

[Sierra_rider]

My issue is I basically don't climb anymore, and have a 390xp and a 395xp. The 390xp is my "big" felling saw and really it doesn't have a lot if time on it, as I prefer to do most the work with a smaller saw. (Ms400 now.) It's just hard to justify the cost vs how much I'd use it, especially when I have saws that will do the same work.

It's called crown, ever road should have a crown or at least have taper to one side to allow for run off. It's one of the most overlooked things in stone roads. Every paved road has a crown or taper, for the same reasons. You don't want water to lay on the road surface, but have the ability to run off to the sides and let the berm, or ditch, or culvert deal with taking the water where you want it to go. Additionally stone roads typically benefit from binding agents, like lime or Portland cement. (This depends on road material make up.) Really firms them up amd makes maintenance much easier. We had a few public stone roads we took care of at the township that were in poor repair and took a lot of work each spring. Sat through this seminar about stone/gravel road maintenance. Was a real eye opener and once we realized if we spent the money upfront and did it right the cost per year went way down.

My climbing and falling isn't a full-time gig...at this point, it's pretty much a hobby that I get paid for. I use that mentality to buy saws that I wouldn't buy if I was actually trying to maximise profit. The 400 is probably the rear-handle I use the most, as it's so versatile. I've got the wrap kit on it, I climb with it, I fall with it, I even cut little crap that most people would grab a 50cc saw for. I do have a gen 1 Husky 550xp, but it's too unreliable to actually rely on.

I like those 3-series Huskies. I've run a 395 from time to time and I own a 372xt. The 372 used to be my "do-everything" saw. I ended up de-stratoeing it and doing a little work on the cylinder, it runs pretty good for only a 70cc saw. Between the 400 and 500, it's been semi-retired, my plan is to convert it to an OE saw with a 75cc W cylinder.

 

[sean donato]

My climbing and falling isn't a full-time gig...at this point, it's pretty much a hobby that I get paid for. I use that mentality to buy saws that I wouldn't buy if I was actually trying to maximise profit. The 400 is probably the rear-handle I use the most, as it's so versatile. I've got the wrap kit on it, I climb with it, I fall with it, I even cut little crap that most people would grab a 50cc saw for. I do have a gen 1 Husky 550xp, but it's too unreliable to actually rely on.

I like those 3-series Huskies. I've run a 395 from time to time and I own a 372xt. The 372 used to be my "do-everything" saw. I ended up de-stratoeing it and doing a little work on the cylinder, it runs pretty good for only a 70cc saw. Between the 400 and 500, it's been semi-retired, my plan is to convert it to an OE saw with a 75cc W cylinder.

I have a 365 sitting here with the same hallucinations lol. Sad part is it runs great how it is, so it's a back, back, back burner project.
I agree about the 400. It dies everything.

 

[Sierra_rider]

I have a 365 sitting here with the same hallucinations lol. Sad part is it runs great how it is, so it's a back, back, back burner project.
I agree about the 400. It dies everything.

I've been messing around with too many saws to be perfectly happy with the 372xt in its current form. It's a strong running saw, but my ported 044/046 hybrid makes even better power. In fact, the 044/046 would be my favorite saw if it didn't have crappy air filtration and AV that causes my carpal tunnel to flare up with extended cutting. The 500i fixed one of those issues, but still has suspect air filtration.

I figure if I can do a ported 375 top end, I should be able to get more power out of it than the 044/46, AV that matches the 500i, and air filtration that kills both. It might just be the perfect saw then.