Crap fuel huh!
What is the all time best chainsaw
- Thread starter donmakesallthefuelbegone
- Start date
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That's my guess.
Must be that they can run it a bit longer than a standard carb saw, then they get hot and damage the top. I'm just spouting off though, no real facts on the matter.
What I can speak to, is that ethanol fuel can cause major issues, where from phase separation(my guess at what's happening on the500i issues), or just from its corrosive nature. I run ethanol free only in my saws, I can grab one off the shelf that's been sitting for a yr and it will fire right up.
daniel chode rider
ArboristSite Lurker
I prefer the term BIG wood territory
I'd argue it's not the ethonal unless it's higher then 10% or has water in it, but water in fuel would(should) cause other symptoms as well. It also cools the combustion chamber so shouldn't be showing detonation issues. Interesting and unusual issue non the less.
Fixed it for you lol.
daniel chode rider
ArboristSite Lurker
No matter how soft it is a 25" bar can't cut down a big ole cedar with swell butt 5 feet across
And a 500i struggles to pull a 32" bar in locust. It's all relative to what you're cutting, as is the age old east vs west cost bar length debates. Simply put, you're soft wood allows you to use smaller powrheads with longer bars. This is not knocking the saws power/capability at all. It just needs kept in perspective given the scope of conversation.
Never cut a tree with a swell butt
.But I have cut a 50+" tree with a 24", or was it a stihl "25" lol.
Funny they both still measure the same length..Never cut a tree with a swell butt
But I have cut a 50+" tree with a 24", or was it a stihl "25" lol.
Yeah, but advertising lol.Funny they both still measure the same length..
I prefer a Beech with a nice Ash!Never cut a tree with a swell butt
But I have cut a 50+" tree with a 24", or was it a stihl "25" lol.
044 is a pretty good unit. 372xp in same vein. Pretty much pros and cons of various good models of other saws have been presented above. New,vs used, wear vs parts availability. Power to weight..
And as you mentioned, you being in Europe.
Hard to find a nice ash these days, they're all dead. I'm still dropping them now and again though.
Lots of ways to cut wide trees with shorter bar saws. Not production felling, but for arborists doing residential, clearing etc.. I'm sure that Don the OP isn't going to be tackling 5 foot across behemoths in his learning phases.
When I lived in the upper mid west I always heard about west coast softwoods being easier to cut. What I was not prepared for when I moved out here was just how easy. Even old growth high elevation douglas fir is extremely soft. Like cutting aspen or white pine in MI.
I was going to suggest this saw or equivalent Husky for over in Europe. My 026 taught me and when I felt like part of a job was above my head back in the late 90's early 2000's felling, my more experienced mates had no problems dropping up to 30 inch trees with the 18 inch bar I had on my 026. Yes it wasn't an everyday feller's saw, but the few bigguns it took down all got processed by that same 18 inch bar n chain.
Another key for the OP to watch out for no matter what saw he is using, is safety. The story about bore cutting because a tree was sitting on his bar from a too deep notch and no wedges is scary enough. First lesson always have PPE, a well thought out plan, clear escape route, wedges, axe, proper ropes, help, and consider all factors that might go wrong. Right down to a second saw ready, or tools to loosen a stuck bar and chain to remove power head to apply another bar and chain to finish the job or free your original bar etc.
Back to what could go wrong, I know 2 men who were at least 60-65 years old. One died, the other one almost could have. First one was a dad with son in man lift trimming limbs. Wind kicked up, situation got hairy and while the son escaped height issues like limb hitting him or falling out of the lift in the high winds, the dad groundman was crushed to death by falling limb. My 2nd friend nearly had his head torn off when he was processing a tree under tension and limbs released and required EMT actions to transport him to Trauma center in Baltimore by chopper.
In the western guys defense longer bars are advantageous because on steep ground there are times when you can only cut from one side.
How small were the holes?
I've seen detonation, also seen them "eat" something or crap from bearings going do that.
This I know. I was mostly addressing the OP and learning curve process. I know that my first tree I ever contended with was a Maple here in Northern Maryland. It was every bit of 36-40 inches across. I was a new homeowner and my neighbor had done tree work before. I got him to climb and to limb it, then drop smaller sections of the trunk till he left 8-10 foot of trunk. I had it planned that I'd hire a backhoe operator I knew to come dig it up roots and all, so having a bit out of the ground for him to push/ pull was beneficial. Also my neighbor lent me his climbing spikes and rope and taught me how to climb up and down a large trunk like that and not go too high. Great lessons learned.
PS. I got lucky on my backhoe man's quote too. Circa 1994, he said maybe 2-300, after digging, he said it went way easier than he expected so he said $60 would do and off he drove the mile or 2 back to his farm.
And they are mostly in softwoods.
We have everything from white pine to dead locust here. And seldom get trees as large as out west.
