Chainsaws - All Things Related - Brands, uses, and stories

[krolik]

fun fact- most cuts on saw chaps (in wildland firefighting) are on the left leg, and above the knee. anyone want to make a guess as to why this is?

Squirrels?

[herm]

all possible, but the reason is that saws are "supposedly" designed to be operated with the right hand on the rear handle (trigger), and left hand on the front handle.

without going into why that is, or who says so....the result is that sawyers who have been cutting saw line for 12 hours or more have a tendency to rest the bar/chain across the left thigh as the get tired. thats why you see so many little nicks on the left thigh. its mostly just resting teeth nicking the chaps. sometimes, really tired (weak) and inexperienced sawyers will lay the saw on the chaps before the chain has come to rest...which is considered really poor form.

2nd fun fact - if you DO cut into your chaps, and wad the clutch up with Kevlar thread, you need to stop and clean it out, as the stuff will not be kind to the saw, even if you can get it spinning again.

[cokey]

Back from the dead.  Ok, finally bought a house here in the great country of Texas.  Now I need your wisdom to finish my manhoodlyness...  recommend a chain saw and push mower. 

[ducpainter]

Vack from dead.  Ok, finally bought a house here in the great country of Texas.  Now I need your wisdom to finish my manhoodlyness...  recommend a chain saw and push mower.  ðŸ˜'

Are you looking for a brand recommendation, or a how much saw do I need kinda thing?

[herm]

Vack from dead.  Ok, finally bought a house here in the great country of Texas.  Now I need your wisdom to finish my manhoodlyness...  recommend a chain saw and push mower.  ðŸ˜'

what will you be cutting with the saw? If mostly brush, then it's a toss up. But if you are going to be cutting anything thick, get a Stihl. I recommend the MS361 with a 16" bar.

[Monsterlover]

Agree on stihl. Very well made saws. Easy to use and maintain.

[herm]

And a Honda push mower. I've had the same one since 1996, and it WILL NOT DIE..

[ungeheuer]

what will you be cutting with the saw? If mostly brush, then it's a toss up. But if you are going to be cutting anything thick, get a Stihl. I recommend the MS361 with a 16" bar.

^ This.

For sure.

[ducpainter]

Stihl, Jonsereds, Husqvarna...

They'll all do what you need.

Stay away from the box store brands.

I'd recommend buying from a local guy that has a reputation for fixing what he sells.

[Speedbag]

Another vote for Stihl here.....

I've got a Stihl 009 (12" bar I think) that my grandpa bought back in the early '80s, still works like a champ for basic trimming. You'd want something bigger if you're going to be cutting firewood with any regularity.

[herm]

Stihl, Jonsereds, Husqvarna...

They'll all do what you need.

Stay away from the box store brands.

I'd recommend buying from a local guy that has a reputation for fixing what he sells.

Also, stay away from the Stihl Farm Boss, or any huski sold at a box store. They are simply NOT the same quality of saw as the ones from a dedicated dealer (see above)

[cokey]

Got ya.  Yeah,  I'll look around for a small shop.  Ask if anyone around during knows of one.  Some basic trimming, but there are some thick branches.  I think I need a permit for the whole tree.  There's one growing right next to ac unit.  Roots are under the concrete slab.  Yeah I was thinking of a simple Honda push mower. Big box stores OK for those?

[herm]

Got ya.  Yeah,  I'll look around for a small shop.  Ask if anyone around during knows of one.  Some basic trimming, but there are some thick branches.  I think I need a permit for the whole tree.  There's one growing right next to ac unit.  Roots are under the concrete slab.  Yeah I was thinking of a simple Honda push mower. Big box stores OK for those?

I bought mine at Home Depot in Colorado in 1996, and its pushing strong! I finally changed the oil last spring...

[herm]

I bought mine at Home Depot in Colorado in 1996, and its pushing strong! I finally changed the oil last spring...

to be fair, it was running a little rough the last few years. I changed the spark plug and air filter too..

[NAKID]

Yeah I was thinking of a simple Honda push mower. Big box stores OK for those?

I bought my push mower at HD (Yard Machines 20" with a 5HP Briggs & Stratton) two years ago. Only thing I've had to do is have the blade sharpened and drain the fuel tank when it got left out in the rain (but started right up with fresh gas).