spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
I had this medium sized, (16" at the cut, 10" 25 ft up), that was ant infested. A woodpecker had been conducting a rouge felling operation over the last month, so I wanted to drop it before the wind decided to knock it over in a not too cool direction. So, I thought it would be fun to do the whole job just using the older saws I've been bringing back to life. Instead of the occasional cookie cut, let 'em work.
I did cheat in that I used my Jonsered 2156 to drop it so I would be sure to put it exactly where I wanted it.
The lightest of the old guard was a Homelite XL12 which was assigned the limbing duties. It is one of the older straight port muffler deals. 3 minutes of that nonsense and I went into the house for some ear plugs. It wasn't just loud, it actually hurt your ears. I imagined some kind of product meeting years ago at Homelite where some forward thinking individual says "Gee fellows, we've been selling this thing for quite a few years, isn't it about time we put a real muffler on it?"
"What?"
"I SAID, HOW 'BOUT WE PUT A MUFFLER ON THE XL12!!!"
I wonder how close the vote was.
Question: What's the first step for a muffler mod on an old XL12?
Answer: Go look for a muffler.
After the ear plugs it was fine, but I'm sure that sound carried for miles. Good thing I live in the woods, but letters of apology will be mailed out to neighbors tomorrow. With gloves on, the vibration was non intrusive. Power was fine in some of the bigger stuff, but it wasn't quick by any definition.
After most of the smaller stuff was cleaned up, it was time for the big boys to play. Stihl 041, Jonsered 920, and the surprise of the bunch, a Pro Mac 850. The Stihl was a bit smaller than the other 2, and therefore lacking in comparable power, but it was the saw you could run for the longest time without fatigue. In this size wood, you wouldn't be inclined to set it down to pick up either of the bigger saws. I only had a 16" bar for it, but that probably added to the comfort level. The Jonsered had the most power and the most speed, and wasn't really tested in this size wood. You could lean on it and the RPM's didn't even drop. Then there's that Mac. It was kind of loud, but a deeper sound and less shrill than the Homelite. It almost sounded angry. Would run past the Stihl and wasn't that far behind the 920. It didn't have spikes on it, but you could push straight down on it, and it just kept going. Like the 'Red, this size wood wasn't much of a challenge. The vibe system was easily as good as the other two. I guess I call it the surprise of the bunch because it was more contemporary than I expected. I think that for the most part, these saws were all out at about the same time, and the Mac was certainly competitive in it's day. I just wish I could lay it across the backsides of the suits who decided to abandon the real saw market to sell eager beavers.
While this was all fun, it's undeniable that the 2156 that spent the day sitting by the stump, would have been a far better choice for the whole job. You can easily appreaciate the improvements on the newer saws when you run the older ones. But you know what improvement I'd really like to see: A saw that drags it's own brush. That's what tired me out.
I did cheat in that I used my Jonsered 2156 to drop it so I would be sure to put it exactly where I wanted it.
The lightest of the old guard was a Homelite XL12 which was assigned the limbing duties. It is one of the older straight port muffler deals. 3 minutes of that nonsense and I went into the house for some ear plugs. It wasn't just loud, it actually hurt your ears. I imagined some kind of product meeting years ago at Homelite where some forward thinking individual says "Gee fellows, we've been selling this thing for quite a few years, isn't it about time we put a real muffler on it?"
"What?"
"I SAID, HOW 'BOUT WE PUT A MUFFLER ON THE XL12!!!"
I wonder how close the vote was.
Question: What's the first step for a muffler mod on an old XL12?
Answer: Go look for a muffler.
After the ear plugs it was fine, but I'm sure that sound carried for miles. Good thing I live in the woods, but letters of apology will be mailed out to neighbors tomorrow. With gloves on, the vibration was non intrusive. Power was fine in some of the bigger stuff, but it wasn't quick by any definition.
After most of the smaller stuff was cleaned up, it was time for the big boys to play. Stihl 041, Jonsered 920, and the surprise of the bunch, a Pro Mac 850. The Stihl was a bit smaller than the other 2, and therefore lacking in comparable power, but it was the saw you could run for the longest time without fatigue. In this size wood, you wouldn't be inclined to set it down to pick up either of the bigger saws. I only had a 16" bar for it, but that probably added to the comfort level. The Jonsered had the most power and the most speed, and wasn't really tested in this size wood. You could lean on it and the RPM's didn't even drop. Then there's that Mac. It was kind of loud, but a deeper sound and less shrill than the Homelite. It almost sounded angry. Would run past the Stihl and wasn't that far behind the 920. It didn't have spikes on it, but you could push straight down on it, and it just kept going. Like the 'Red, this size wood wasn't much of a challenge. The vibe system was easily as good as the other two. I guess I call it the surprise of the bunch because it was more contemporary than I expected. I think that for the most part, these saws were all out at about the same time, and the Mac was certainly competitive in it's day. I just wish I could lay it across the backsides of the suits who decided to abandon the real saw market to sell eager beavers.
While this was all fun, it's undeniable that the 2156 that spent the day sitting by the stump, would have been a far better choice for the whole job. You can easily appreaciate the improvements on the newer saws when you run the older ones. But you know what improvement I'd really like to see: A saw that drags it's own brush. That's what tired me out.
Best saws ever made, hands down. Just pull the trigger and let'er eat!
