Sometimes life lobs you a softball

[dwasifar]

I have an arborist friend who occasionally drops a load of logs in my driveway, free of charge. Nice of him, huh? So I don't complain if the wood is such that it takes a little extra effort to process. Last week he dropped off a bunch of ash and silver maple trunk sections between 14" to 18" diameter.

Only problem is that most of them were inconvenient lengths, ranging from about 20" to 24". Too long to split as they are; they won't fit in the fireplace. Not long enough to cut in half. So I cut parallel grooves in the ends before cutting them down to firewood length, so that instead of getting big wooden pucks I had firewood sized chunks. Inconveniently shaped, with the grain going sideways, but at least not wasting the wood.

I'm a homeowner, not a pro like a lot of you guys, and I did this all with my 16" Echo CS310. That little saw is a trouper but it took a lot longer than I wanted, and after the second tank of gas I said to myself, "I need a bigger saw."

Well, guess what woot.com offered me this morning?

I know some of you guys will probably have observed that it's not a Stihl or a Jonsered. If I could afford one of those I'd love to have one. But there are a lot of good reviews for this saw (and its Hitachi sibling) out there, and it looks like just the right size for next time I have logs this size to process. It seems like it occupies a sort of middle ground between consumer saw and pro saw. I think it should be just fine for the two or three cords I process in a year. And at least it's not a Poulan.

Can't wait for it to get here.

 

[cigmaker]

If it works for you then who cares what other people think. Congrats on the new saw that's always something to get excited about

 

[066blaster]

I have a few tree service buddies, they never even come close on the lengths, they specifically ask me how long I want them but every chunk is just the wrong size, (for selling) . My stove can handle 22 inch logs so from now on the longs and shorts go on a pile for my personal use.

 

[dwasifar]

Yeah. I can probably use up to about a 20" piece, if I push it, but it makes neat stacking problematic.

The pisser about this was that these have been sitting in my yard for a week, in nice late-fall weather, and I couldn't do a thing with them because I was recovering from some minor surgery on my leg. Doctor's orders, no heavy lifting. So finally yesterday I was able to do the cutting I described earlier, but no time to split them, and now they're under 18" of wet snow and it's going down to 7 degrees tonight. Eventually we'll get a cold clear day and I'll split them up, but I wish I could have gotten to them earlier.

 

[Ironworker]

That's a nice little saw for a good price.

 

[brenndatomu]

On the rare occasion that I get wood that is already cut to length (the wrong length) I cut it to the length that I want and then just bust up the cookie into chunk for the little stove in the fireplace to eat on a cool fall day. Is this more or less what you are doing?
Screw what anybody says about your saw, my house has been heated since 2008 with wood cut by 5 Craftsman saws that have cost me less than $300...total. My house is just as warm as my brothers place, and he has several $thousand in his Stihls...now, that said, he does have some bigger saws than I do

 

[dwasifar]

On the rare occasion that I get wood that is already cut to length (the wrong length) I cut it to the length that I want and then just bust up the cookie into chunk for the little stove in the fireplace to eat on a cool fall day. Is this more or less what you are doing?

Yep, except I do it in reverse order. Pre-cut the chunks before cutting the cookie. Stays put better.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

I have an arborist friend who occasionally drops a load of logs in my driveway, free of charge. Nice of him, huh? So I don't complain if the wood is such that it takes a little extra effort to process. Last week he dropped off a bunch of ash and silver maple trunk sections between 14" to 18" diameter.

Only problem is that most of them were inconvenient lengths, ranging from about 20" to 24". Too long to split as they are; they won't fit in the fireplace. Not long enough to cut in half. So I cut parallel grooves in the ends before cutting them down to firewood length, so that instead of getting big wooden pucks I had firewood sized chunks. Inconveniently shaped, with the grain going sideways, but at least not wasting the wood.

I'm a homeowner, not a pro like a lot of you guys, and I did this all with my 16" Echo CS310. That little saw is a trouper but it took a lot longer than I wanted, and after the second tank of gas I said to myself, "I need a bigger saw."

Well, guess what woot.com offered me this morning?

I know some of you guys will probably have observed that it's not a Stihl or a Jonsered. If I could afford one of those I'd love to have one. But there are a lot of good reviews for this saw (and its Hitachi sibling) out there, and it looks like just the right size for next time I have logs this size to process. It seems like it occupies a sort of middle ground between consumer saw and pro saw. I think it should be just fine for the two or three cords I process in a year. And at least it's not a Poulan.

Can't wait for it to get here.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Tanaka & Hitachi saws.
They are a commercial saw brand in Japan.
At one time I was trying to get a dealership set up with this company.
Sadly it's very difficult to do.

Great saws, well worth the money.

 

[dwasifar]

It's here! It's here it's here it's here. And a full five days before Woot said it'd arrive.

Unboxing and assembly:

Half day at work tomorrow, so I'll be home by afternoon to fire it up and maybe get some of those big logs processed. I have a feeling at least one of those needs noodling, don't you?

 

[blue924.9]

well post your results up here after you use it!!!

 

[Sagetown]

It's here! It's here it's here it's here. And a full five days before Woot said it'd arrive.

Unboxing and assembly:

Half day at work tomorrow, so I'll be home by afternoon to fire it up and maybe get some of those big logs processed. I have a feeling at least one of those needs noodling, don't you?

 

[dwasifar]

well post your results up here after you use it!!!

Well, okay.

In the first picture, that big stump at the lower left did need noodling; I knew my little splitter couldn't handle it. So I oiled and gassed up the new Tanaka, followed the complicated starting procedure on the sticker, and she fired right up. I cut halfway through that stump in approximately no time at all, with giant noodles flying everywhere. Turned off the saw at that point, tightened the chain, rolled the stump over and restarted the saw; quick one-pull start when warm. Cut the rest of the way quick and easy.

It feels a little nose-heavy when just holding it freehand, but when actually cutting it's really nice and well balanced. Vibration to my hands is minimal. Some reviewers complain that this saw is loud but I don't think it's especially noisy. One thing I don't like so much is that it won't sit flat when you lie it down on its left side to adjust the chain or take off the side panel. It rocks around. But I can live with that.

I like it. I think I'm safer with the bigger saw than I was when trying to make the little saw do big jobs.

 

[nk14zp]

I have an arborist friend who occasionally drops a load of logs in my driveway, free of charge. Nice of him, huh? So I don't complain if the wood is such that it takes a little extra effort to process. Last week he dropped off a bunch of ash and silver maple trunk sections between 14" to 18" diameter.

Only problem is that most of them were inconvenient lengths, ranging from about 20" to 24". Too long to split as they are; they won't fit in the fireplace. Not long enough to cut in half. So I cut parallel grooves in the ends before cutting them down to firewood length, so that instead of getting big wooden pucks I had firewood sized chunks. Inconveniently shaped, with the grain going sideways, but at least not wasting the wood.

I'm a homeowner, not a pro like a lot of you guys, and I did this all with my 16" Echo CS310. That little saw is a trouper but it took a lot longer than I wanted, and after the second tank of gas I said to myself, "I need a bigger saw."

Well, guess what woot.com offered me this morning?

I know some of you guys will probably have observed that it's not a Stihl or a Jonsered. If I could afford one of those I'd love to have one. But there are a lot of good reviews for this saw (and its Hitachi sibling) out there, and it looks like just the right size for next time I have logs this size to process. It seems like it occupies a sort of middle ground between consumer saw and pro saw. I think it should be just fine for the two or three cords I process in a year. And at least it's not a Poulan.

Can't wait for it to get here.

That's a lot better saw than a stihl.

 

[dwasifar]

That's a lot better saw than a stihl.

That makes me feel even better about my purchase. From hanging around here, I'd formed the impression that almost everyone regards Stihl as top of the heap. But you'd really choose this saw instead? Can you elaborate on why?

 

[nk14zp]

I hate stihls.

 

[blue924.9]

That makes me feel even better about my purchase. From hanging around here, I'd formed the impression that almost everyone regards Stihl as top of the heap. But you'd really choose this saw instead? Can you elaborate on why?

sure, because he is biased towards another brand of saw and decided to post for the heck of it. you are right most do regard stihl as top of the heap, huskavarna isnt far behind.

you tanka is close to stihls homeowner series chainsaws as far as build quality ect. its no professional saw but at the same time it is built better than the poulans and huskavarnas you buy at a big box store like northern tool ect. ( owned a tanka chainsaw briefly before i sold it for more than i paid for it and currently have a tanka weedeater)

 

[dwasifar]

sure, because he is biased towards another brand of saw and decided to post for the heck of it. you are right most do regard stihl as top of the heap, huskavarna isnt far behind.

Yeah, I found that out by reading a few of his other posts. But the question is still a good one; why doesn't he like Stihl?

you tanka is close to stihls homeowner series chainsaws as far as build quality ect. its no professional saw but at the same time it is built better than the poulans and huskavarnas you buy at a big box store like northern tool ect. ( owned a tanka chainsaw briefly before i sold it for more than i paid for it and currently have a tanka weedeater)

Out of curiosity I went to Stihl's website to see what the closest comparable saw would be. I looked at homeowner saws first, but apparently Stihl doesn't make a 50cc 20" homeowner saw; but in Farm & Ranch I found MS 271 that has roughly similar specs and runs around $420 with the 20" bar. I'm sure that's a better saw than the Tanaka, but there was never any chance that I'd be dropping four and a half bills on a saw, so I'm happy to get close to the ballpark for under $300.

How do the big box Husqvarnas differ from the dealer offerings?

 

[Sagetown]

Howdy dwasifar: Your new Tanaka is a beauty. Take care of it, and it'll last U a long time. A pro chain kept sharp makes all the difference in the world on a saws cutting performance.
As for the high $$PRICE tag on saws, other than the high quality parts, U gotta consider where they are made, and the cost of labor that goes into the build.
I have a 1990 Walmart Poulan, and I haven't seen another stock saw that size that runs better, or can out do it. I also have a fairly new version of it that is like a bad dream.

 

[flotek]

That makes me feel even better about my purchase. From hanging around here, I'd formed the impression that almost everyone regards Stihl as top of the heap. But you'd really choose this saw instead? Can you elaborate on why?

Husqvarna is top of the heap but you can't tell some of these stihl guys that . They'd rather a heavier slower saw that costs 20% more money . However from a durability stand point the stihl saws are generally good quality and well made though . .. To each his own . Tanaka saws have gotten good reviews on here in the past .my next favorite would be Dolmer ,who like husky ,makes a fast powerful saw for the money

 

[flotek]

Yeah, I found that out by reading a few of his other posts. But the question is still a good one; why doesn't he like Stihl?



Out of curiosity I went to Stihl's website to see what the closest comparable saw would be. I looked at homeowner saws first, but apparently Stihl doesn't make a 50cc 20" homeowner saw; but in Farm & Ranch I found MS 271 that has roughly similar specs and runs around $420 with the 20" bar. I'm sure that's a better saw than the Tanaka, but there was never any chance that I'd be dropping four and a half bills on a saw, so I'm happy to get close to the ballpark for under $300.

How do the big box Husqvarnas differ from the dealer offerings?

Some of the box store husky saws are excellent for the money many are even made in Sweden . The stihl equivalent your referring to would probably be the ms250 which is a decent little homeowner saw , it's slow and heavy but it's reliable and crafted well a lot of guys on a budget buy them for medium firewood duties