To Cold
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treejunkie13
ArboristSite Operative
I can say that when I run my heated saw and it is real cold out, don't shut it down to long, it don't like to fire back up. Like the carb is hot and cools down to quick. Pain in the rear!
HolmenTree
ArboristSite Guru
After about 10 minutes of cutting heat transfers through the powerhead no matter how cold. In my golden years as a faller some days I had to cut 8 hrs a day in -40C,[-40C and -40F are the same]. Mind you at -40 I had almost the whole air intake area in the rewind housing covered up with duct tape, just a little narrow opening up near the starter handle to allow some cooling and air circulation. The Stihls usually always iced up in these conditions because not enough heat got back to the carb. because of their thermal insulating rubber intakes. The older Jonsereds and Huskys were excellent because good heat got to the carb through the cylinder/carb studs. 
treejunkie13
ArboristSite Operative
After about 10 minutes of cutting heat transfers through the powerhead no matter how cold. In my golden years as a faller some days I had to cut 8 hrs a day in -40C,[-40C and -40F are the same]. Mind you at -40 I had almost the whole air intake area in the rewind housing covered up with duct tape, just a little narrow opening up near the starter handle to allow some cooling and air circulation. The Stihls usually always iced up in these conditions because not enough heat got back to the carb. because of their thermal insulating rubber intakes. The older Jonsereds and Huskys were excellent because good heat got to the carb through the cylinder/carb studs.
can't go wrong with duct tape!
PB
Addicted to ArboristSite
SuperDuty335
ArboristSite Lurker
I
didn't know there was a -40...
didn't know there was a -40...
maplemeister
ArboristSite Operative
It has been near zero here for a few days in a row and I have been experiencing frozen chain brakes on both my saws after about 5 hrs of cutting in the woods. I don't usually cut at this time of year so don't know if this is normal or not and whether there is anything preventative I can do to avoid the situation. Problem is easily cured if I bring the saws into the heated house and let them thaw out a bit but that usually brings and end to the cutting for the day. Anyone else dealt with this issue before?
Maplemeister:
Maplemeister:
Spotted Owl
ArboristSite Guru
The coldest I have been in was -67. Spit freezes before it hits the ground. You keep your face covered cause it seems as if your nose is gonna freeze shut. Open your mouth and your teeth just ache. All you want exposed is your eyeballs and that is minimal at best when your goggles/glasses break. Will a saw work? Yup. Will I ever do that again. Only under life and death circumstances like we had going at the time. Road clearing for medic units.
It's a pain, but we kept the heads in the cab when not being used while working in nasty cold. If you run a good stretch besure to loosen that chain up too. Going from working saw temp even in that cold, to ambient temp that cold isn't good. There is a lot of expansion and contraction. Not suggestable, but we even gassed and oiled while the saws were running.
The only time your saw won't work out there is if it's to cold for you to be out there for the most part. Give that animal plenty of time to warm up slowly and don't put the coals to'er to soon. Use the smallest saw you think you can and have safely. It will work the saw and keep the temp up better. It will also be easier on your body, I'm sure you will have many layers on and still be cool, it's awfull easy to hurt your self under those conditions. Remember body mechanics.
Think safety also. Wood that cold can seem like it explodes when it hits the ground. Things break off far easier than normal. Look at your saw, look up, look at your saw, look up, etc. Lots of things are different when cutting and working in extreme cold.
Keep those shake up pocket warmers handy too. They will keep you warm and the will also heat your plug. Butane don't work to well that cold seems like, those fluid zippo types may work though never tried them.
Bottom lline your saw will work. It will work even when it's so cold that YOU shouldn't be out there running it.
Owl
It's a pain, but we kept the heads in the cab when not being used while working in nasty cold. If you run a good stretch besure to loosen that chain up too. Going from working saw temp even in that cold, to ambient temp that cold isn't good. There is a lot of expansion and contraction. Not suggestable, but we even gassed and oiled while the saws were running.
The only time your saw won't work out there is if it's to cold for you to be out there for the most part. Give that animal plenty of time to warm up slowly and don't put the coals to'er to soon. Use the smallest saw you think you can and have safely. It will work the saw and keep the temp up better. It will also be easier on your body, I'm sure you will have many layers on and still be cool, it's awfull easy to hurt your self under those conditions. Remember body mechanics.
Think safety also. Wood that cold can seem like it explodes when it hits the ground. Things break off far easier than normal. Look at your saw, look up, look at your saw, look up, etc. Lots of things are different when cutting and working in extreme cold.
Keep those shake up pocket warmers handy too. They will keep you warm and the will also heat your plug. Butane don't work to well that cold seems like, those fluid zippo types may work though never tried them.
Bottom lline your saw will work. It will work even when it's so cold that YOU shouldn't be out there running it.
Owl
Farmall Guy
ArboristSite Operative
And here I though my trip into the woods today with the temp around 3 degrees was getting on the cold side, -67 :jawdrop: I dont care if I ever see it that cold.
One question that I have is when the temp gets down to that balmy 0-15 degree range how long do you guys let a saw warm up? I've been doing a little cutting here lately and have let my saws idle for 7-10 min before I start working them, is this a safe warm up time or should I be waiting longer?
Havnt had any problem but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
One question that I have is when the temp gets down to that balmy 0-15 degree range how long do you guys let a saw warm up? I've been doing a little cutting here lately and have let my saws idle for 7-10 min before I start working them, is this a safe warm up time or should I be waiting longer?
Havnt had any problem but I'd rather be safe than sorry.
371groundie
ArboristSite Guru
all my saws started at negative 10F today, the tractor required a jumps start, and the log truck blew lots of white smoke, but everything ran.
just about went deaf from the snow creaking though. anything that moves makes the snow creak and moan, even just me walking. but i didnt hardly have to limb anthing. tree hits ground, limbs break off!
when i was at UMaine the temp hit negative 30 one night, and the windchill was negative 50! thankfully no one pulled a prank fire alarm so we would all have to stand out in the cold. it was a brisk walk from hancock to york for dinner!
just about went deaf from the snow creaking though. anything that moves makes the snow creak and moan, even just me walking. but i didnt hardly have to limb anthing. tree hits ground, limbs break off!
when i was at UMaine the temp hit negative 30 one night, and the windchill was negative 50! thankfully no one pulled a prank fire alarm so we would all have to stand out in the cold. it was a brisk walk from hancock to york for dinner!
ak4195
ArboristSite Operative
-20f R.O.W clearing is the coldest ive cut for any extended period.Your hingewood may freeze(well least around here)can make for quick "exit stage left".Saws will benefit from leaving in your truck in the morning,of course your using winter grade bar oil.
Loosen your chain a tad,dont flop your saw down in the snow,instant small glacier.My hands are my achilles,some people get by with cotton gloves,but I like insulated Refrigiwear gloves,the ones with the coated palms,have a back up pair too.I like to wear poly pro liners inside them as well,good also when its fueling time.
Carb freezing is probably the biggest pain that I can think of that you will run into,you know besides cold hands.Its winter time,you just cant expect to rock n roll like it was +65 f.
Winter operation certainly wont extend the life of any working engine,but they will take it.
ak
Loosen your chain a tad,dont flop your saw down in the snow,instant small glacier.My hands are my achilles,some people get by with cotton gloves,but I like insulated Refrigiwear gloves,the ones with the coated palms,have a back up pair too.I like to wear poly pro liners inside them as well,good also when its fueling time.
Carb freezing is probably the biggest pain that I can think of that you will run into,you know besides cold hands.Its winter time,you just cant expect to rock n roll like it was +65 f.
Winter operation certainly wont extend the life of any working engine,but they will take it.
ak
Spotted Owl
ArboristSite Guru
I don't care to see that kind of cold again either. We were over in some hole in Montana. We could work 30 min out and had to get back in the cab to warm for 15. The medics had the thermometer and were very iffy about us being out for to long. Heck they didn't even shut off the riggs cause the diesel would gel and then you couldn't get it started again. Thankfully temps around here get into singles or less only once or twice a year.
10 min is probably more than enough, but I don't think I would go less. Rap the trigger now and then while warming up. Blow out the exhaust now and then while running at idle and try to avoid breathing it to deep. Your throat and lungs are already being taxed and are raw from the cold. No need to make things worse. If you are dual ported we noticed that going back stock helped. That constriction does keep some heat in. If you don't have to don't shut it down.
Owl
slinger
ArboristSite Guru
Checkmate you win noway I can top that story...
Kudos for gettin out in that weather to help folks
When the temps were in the single digits, we put one saw in the pickup cab then it would start, then we'd put it running up against where the air goes in on another saw, get it going and on down the crew saws. Or we'd build a fire. Saw gas in or on a pitchy stump. But don't singe your eyebrows. And those saws were 1970s Mac somethings.
thejdman04
Addicted to ArboristSite
I agree with whats stated above. 10 min should be more than enough warm up time. I dont let mine warm up much at all in winter(I take them from the house, to the decently warm truck start them and give her heck. I dont go out if it is much below 0 actual air tem though.
Yup, to cold is right it was half a degree at 8:00 this morning.
HolmenTree
ArboristSite Guru
In -10 C or colder any snow sucked into the air filter while felling a tree will cause icing and if run long enough lean seizures problems, especially with todays high reving saws. Stihl has made a thermostat controlled carb heating system in their pro Artic saws for about 17 years now and it works very well. Automatically off in the summer and on in the winter. Never had a problem with my 066 Artic and its 17 years old. While logging in 1991 I field tested Stihl's very first prototype 044 Artic.
In extreme cold weather there is a cut off point for metal brittleness. In our logging operation we shut it down at -45 below, this is the limit for most metal to break easily. Skidder walking beam pins and planetarys would be the first to go.
In extreme cold weather there is a cut off point for metal brittleness. In our logging operation we shut it down at -45 below, this is the limit for most metal to break easily. Skidder walking beam pins and planetarys would be the first to go.
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