Some pictures from Norway

[Esbjug]

Hello, sending some pictures from Norway. Spring is here, and its time for making firewood for a new season. I also mill on a Logosol M7, and this also gives a lot of firewood.

The hydraulic splitter is attached to a 1969 Volvo BM 400 tractor (47 hp). I also use this tractor with three different firewood prosessors. The Valmet 705 (90 hp) is used with a forest trailer and winch.

More to come later!

 

[SWE#Kipp]

Nice photos
Love that BM 400(Buster) !!!

 

[blis]

Nice pic's

it also seems that you have managed to pick the right saw too :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I always find it funny how you fellows over the water always have the short short bars on your saws.... :greenchainsaw:

Ian

 

[smokechase II]

Manhood

Is all of Scandinavia that confident in their maleness that they can run those short bars?

Don't you have some secret order where you can go through an initiation and get a real saw with real stuff on it that cuts?

Generally, at this point, it is customary for someone from Norway to put in some local scenery pictures and rub it in.

 

[Big Woody]

Don't know where Dokka is but have you heard of a place called VIK on the eastern coast I think. My ancestors came from there in 1882. They tied the kids up by rope on the boat so they wouldn't fall overboard on the voyage.

 

[Esbjug]

I always find it funny how you fellows over the water always have the short short bars on your saws.... :greenchainsaw:

Ian

I find it interesting how much time some Americans use thinking on bar size. The answer to this subject is quite simple: For cutting smaller trees, Europans think a smaller bar is needed. Much of the timber cut here, is taken down, limbed and cut by 6 or 8 WD prosessors. The timber manually felles by chainsaw is less and less every year, I now talk of Norway. I guess the same goes for Sweden and Finland.

One reason for smaller bars, is research done showing that accidents when limbing is reduced when the bar is shorter. I now talk of the timber found in the Nordic countries, and limbing with a long bar is not good in my head. I have tried 15", 16", 18" and 20" and has switched back to 13".

A also have a Husky 372XP, equipped with 18". A saw this size could easily go with larger bars with that, but why should I when I do my job very well with this saw/bar combination?

The saws sold here are almost all for the hobby - house owner - part time farmer segment. This means Husqvarna, Stihl and Jonsered with 40-50 ccm engine mostly. These have 13" bar as standard. Only very few saws larger than 50 ccm are sold. For pro use, I guess larger bars are sold with larger saws.

Most user have only one saw, and most user keep the original bar in the lifespan of the saw.

 

[Esbjug]

Don't know where Dokka is but have you heard of a place called VIK on the eastern coast I think. My ancestors came from there in 1882. They tied the kids up by rope on the boat so they wouldn't fall overboard on the voyage.

Yes, Vik is a small place at the west coast. I did not go there, but its a nice place at the famous western fjords of Norway. Its a place to vist for sure. You should find it on a goog map. Not in the main timber area of Norway, because it very steep land there.

Vik means bay !

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I mean no offense Esbjug, it's just an observation. That 346xp in the picture is commonly sold over here with a 16" bar, and I even have a 20" for mine. The 20" bar doesn't get used much, but I bought it for the rare instance that 16" wasn't quite long enough.

I was watching an instructional forestry video produced over there and the forester was using a very short bar even on bigger trees where a bit longer bar would have made felling easier. It was a good demonstration of using multiple sweeping cuts to fell a tree though. I couldn't understand what he was saying, so that may have been the whole point of the video.

Ian

 

[blis]

I mean no offense Esbjug, it's just an observation. That 346xp in the picture is commonly sold over here with a 16" bar, and I even have a 20" for mine. The 20" bar doesn't get used much, but I bought it for the rare instance that 16" wasn't quite long enough.

I was watching an instructional forestry video produced over there and the forester was using a very short bar even on bigger trees where a bit longer bar would have made felling easier. It was a good demonstration of using multiple sweeping cuts to fell a tree though. I couldn't understand what he was saying, so that may have been the whole point of the video.

Ian

generally over here in scandinavia 50cc saws are sold with 13" and 357xp/361 class saws come with 15" .... Another reason is that its faster to sharpen short chains and also they work better in deep snow (less change of cutting dirt/rocks when you can see the bar) and the third reason is that we dont need long "substitute" bars :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Esbjug]

I mean no offense Esbjug, it's just an observation. That 346xp in the picture is commonly sold over here with a 16" bar, and I even have a 20" for mine. The 20" bar doesn't get used much, but I bought it for the rare instance that 16" wasn't quite long enough.

I was watching an instructional forestry video produced over there and the forester was using a very short bar even on bigger trees where a bit longer bar would have made felling easier. It was a good demonstration of using multiple sweeping cuts to fell a tree though. I couldn't understand what he was saying, so that may have been the whole point of the video.

Ian

Ok, accepted Ian! My 346XP was bought from the US, and came with a 20" bar. The 455 Farmer came with a 18" bar (only used a few hours). Belive it or not, but a 346XP cost about $1100 here. To save bucks, those importing saws have to get whats included in the bundle.

Leaving most of the felling to large processors (see picture included from my own farm taken Sept. 2005), the firewood felling, limbing and cutting is much limited to root diameter less than 10" / 25 cm. The size of the firewood trees is of course different for the regions. When clearing lager areas by prosessors taking pine and spruce, the contractors often take down larger firewood trees if asked. The forwarders then bring these trees to the loading area for the trailers. The firewood can then be picked up there for firewood, if not sold with the timber.

Bar size is also a question of habit. What you are used to, is easy to pick for the next saw as well. For me, limbing is what takes most of the time in the forest. I think a smaller bar gives the best speed here. Bad limbing can/will reduce the value of the timber as the sawmills reduce the price if things are not 100%.


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[SawTroll]

...One reason for smaller bars, is research done showing that accidents when limbing is reduced when the bar is shorter. I now talk of the timber found in the Nordic countries, and limbing with a long bar is not good in my head. I have tried 15", 16", 18" and 20" and has switched back to 13". ...

I have more or less standardized on 15-16" bars for limbing, the seem like a "perfect compromize" (doesn't really exist of course).....

The favourite for limbing birch is the MS361, with 15", 36RSC, and 8x3/8.....

I will even try a 15" on the 339xp (for thinning and tops/small stuff), but believe a 13" will be preferable on that one - it doesn't feel "stubby" with it, as larger saws do.

 

[Esbjug]

I have more or less standardized on 15-16" bars for limbing, the seem like a "perfect compromize" (doesn't really exist of course).....

The favourite for limbing birch is the MS361, with 15", 36RSC, and 8x3/8.....

I will even try a 15" on the 339xp (for thinning and tops/small stuff), but believe a 13" will be preferable on that one - it doesn't feel "stubby" with it, as larger saws do.

I visited a dealer Saturday looking at a Stihl 361. Close to NOK 6500 for the std one, and NOK 7700 for the W version. For USD, divide by 6. Think this is the next one here (yes, I have been infected!). Did you get your Stihl locally or from the US? Think I go for the W version, because of the long winter here. I also think 15" would be nice for that saw.

Is a nice price from the US for this saw possible?

 

[SawTroll]

I visited a dealer Saturday looking at a Stihl 361. Close to NOK 6500 for the std one, and NOK 7700 for the W version. For USD, divide by 6. Think this is the next one here (yes, I have been infected!). Did you get your Stihl locally or from the US? Think I go for the W version, because of the long winter here. I also think 15" would be nice for that saw.

Is a nice price from the US for this saw possible?

That prices seem a bit high, should be more like 6000 and 7200NOK, they are real bargains here, but still a good bit cheaper in the US. In this case, I wouldn't try to get one from the US, did that with Witchys 5100SH just because they aren't availiable here, but the deal I got actually knocked off about 35% of the price of an ordinary 5000 here.

With freight and 25% sales tax, it will be just a tad cheaper to get a MS361 from the US.

Huskys and Dolmars are another story, much cheaper in the US......

 

[SawTroll]

Belive it or not, but a 346XP cost about $1100 here.

Actually, it is a bit more, even on "sale", and a lot more when not on "sale" (they usually are, though)......:help:

The 339xp was not "on sale" officially when I bought it, but the dealer sold it for the "sale" price from last year, even though it is a 2007 model (4995NOK).

I refused the 2006 model, that he had on display - not the same saw, really......

Btw, that splitter looks a lot like the one we have used on the "Gråtass" (MF) from the 1950s.....

There is a buzz saw for it also, but - chainsaws are much better for cutting, and more fun......:hmm3grin2orange:

It runs on petrol, diesels are a pain for that application.

 

[04ultra]

I refused the 2006 model, that he had on display - not the same saw, really......

What you mean is the 2006 model was better looking so you passed on it...The 2007 is one ugly saw.......



.

 

[Esbjug]

Btw, that splitter looks a lot like the one we have used on the "Gråtass" (MF) from the 1950s.....

The splitter is used on the larger firewood. Old style, but ok since it was made before CE marking and safety rules came (two hand operation / shields etc) made such equipment annoying to use. Ok speed too, after the Volvo BM Buster got a new hydraulic pump this winter.

5 - 6 tonnes of force "eats" all firweood thrown into it.

 

[SawTroll]

What you mean is the 2006 model was better looking so you passed on it...The 2007 is one ugly saw.......



.

They look about the same, but there are several changes - they seem to have found a much better carb, than the one on the older ones (and the MS200 ??).

The auto-decomp is gone, and will not be missed....:jawdrop:

Btw, The PS5100S don't need a decomp, it is pulling real easy, in an "air start" (can't start saws otherwise, due to the Artritis).

 

[SawTroll]

The splitter is used on the larger firewood. Old style, but ok since it was made before CE marking and safety rules came (two hand operation / shields etc) made such equipment annoying to use. Ok speed too, after the Volvo BM Buster got a new hydraulic pump this winter.

5 - 6 tonnes of force "eats" all firweood thrown into it.

Sounds good, about as ours, but I still prefere to split either with a Fiskars 2400, or with a saw (preferably MS361) - just for fun!

The 372xp isn't as good for that, but I never expected it to be, either - different construction, even though they both have inboard clutches....

 

[Esbjug]

Sounds good, about as ours, but I still prefere to split either with a Fiskars 2400, or with a saw (preferably MS361) - just for fun!
The

I make nearly 100 m3 each year, and prefer tractor help! If 1 cord is 3,7 m3, this is 27 cord a year. For you US people, is the conversion correct?