Congratulations Trains on being smart enough to go so well prepared to cut wood. I’ve been snooping through the local firewood collection area and I’m sure people only take 1 chain on their saw to cut firewood and they must go home when it’s blunt. I cut an easy trailer load last week and half of the wood was cut for me. People use a standard chain and put about 6 cuts halfway through a piece of box that has a pipe in it and their chain gets blunt. That’s when I come along with my Stihl tungsten chain and cut the rest of the way through to get nice dry wood for minimal work [emoji1305]
Yeah, have come across cuts that were black from being burnt with a beyond dull blunt chain, and wonder to myself why on earth didnt they at least bring a file.
Was out some years back now after the Pinery fires clearing some fence line, mate took me and his saw bench on the trailer, so I brought a few saws along too, they had lost all their firewood, along with a heap of other things, but still had their house, so we cleared, and cut up at least 10 tonnes of firewood that morning.
Some other chaps were there helping too, not a file or spare chain between them, I only had files to suit my chains, and didnt have one small enough for their saws.
As it turned out, I could have cut all day with a 14" bar as most trees were burn hollow, made for some interesting take downs at times, I have to admit, I did de ass the area like a 16 year old at times, no guarantees when you only have 1-2" of holding wood around the outside of a 22" piece.
Was surreal, there was nothing there, no ants, no flies, no lizards, absolutely nothing, the fire just cooked the whole lot.
Re being prepared, the owners of where we get wood initially made fun of me for bringing more than one saw, and spare parts, and thought chaps and helmet were not needed. Tho I do think they appreciated me bringing a knapsack, tho small, it might give me at least a chance to stop a spot fire if I deal with it quick enough. I would always rake away the tall grass before cutting anyway. And choose my times carefully too considering the conditions at the time.
Over time, they now both appreciate and respect that I am being careful with their property and taking steps to look after myself too, having spent a few days cutting down windblown trees together and helping them out with trees they are not sure how to bring down, also helps too.
I guess one of the more important things to bring is a first aid kit.
With chainsaws, its either a band aid, or ambulance, not much in between.
Have basic cut/ burn stuff, eye sticks to remove debrits in your eyes, and eye pad, scalpel, scissors, superglue, and some Israeli pressure bandages. Been working on putting one on my chaps suspenders so I have something on me, and not back at the ute beyond reach, but it keeps getting in the way, maybe strapping one to my helmet might be the go.
So far, I have only lost a chain tensioner screw out of one of my 009's and a bar nut from a 310.
Dont want to head out and then spend 2 min before you cant go further and have to come home again.
I dont have any tungsten chains yet, but see their value at times, we try and get to the wood before the ants do and fill it full of mud. I guess the tungsten wouldnt notice the mud like normal chains do. I do have a basic metal detector, and run that over trees down near the fence line just in case. One advantage of a farm being in a family for several generations, and knowing that trees were not planted with star droppers or posts etc, and not used as makeshift pens etc is good too. You poor tree guys would come across some doozys every damn day.
Well I better head out and finish off fixing a 180 that was siezed up, and a 024 that was in good condition till they tried to run it on years old stale fuel. Might be able to rescue and reuse the piston, then its chainsaw training for my eldest daughter some time next week as she is keen to start sawing, and is eyeing off the 024 as her own already
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