The old chain saw ...

[rayinpenn]

When I bought it, probably 12 years ago, there were no cordless electric saws. The former owner had neglected the side of the house and it was a dense jungle of spiky veins, poison ivy and wild roses. At first she and I used a corded electric saw, residential grade agent orange, muscle and slash and burn to take back from the jungle. When the trees got to big I bought a gas chain saw. After a lot of sweat Finally it was clean.

So in all those 13 years the saw was used maybe three occasions. Well I had a couple of dead trees that needed to be felled. Not big mind you but substantial enough you couldn’t push them over. The saw, no surprise, was difficult to start in fact DS “cool hand” would pull the cord and I would hold it down. The saw was hard to pull and uncooperative. Well we managed to cut the trees down, limb them, cut them into manageable lengths and move them to the burn pile.. lastly I wanted to trim the stumps but the saw would have none of it. It ran for 20 seconds then quit. Again and again. No doubt a dirty carburetor. At that point I decided I am done with that saw.

There’s still a ‘leaner’ in the woods that needs to go, a bunch of trash trees and logs to be cut to burning size -so I ordered a 40 watt electric saw. 1100 reviews 4.5 stars out of 5.

Years ago I worked for a landscaper and tree guy.. I learned to have a healthy respect for felling trees and chainsaws. We were taking down a giant tree in Locus Valley and they tried to lower too big a piece. We all hung on until we couldn’t- the lose rope wrapped around one guy and in an instant he was hanging upside down 15 feet in the air. Some time later i learned my boss fell from a tree and broke his back.

The truth is gas chain saws scare me - I think they are an accident waiting to happen. Electric saws still have the chain but i feel less anxious using them. Thus the purchase.

Little by little the yard is getting there - the rain is slowing the process.

 

[Jerry1]

I got a little Ryobi 18v chainsaw. It uses the same battery as my other Ryobi equipment. It’s small but it will cut something like a two to three nice branch with no problem. I’m guessing if I took my time, I could probably cut a six to eight inch log but I don’t see having that need, so the saw is plenty for me. I like it a lot. Much easier that hand sawing. As you said though, just because it’s electric, doesn’t make it safe. At first, I was a bit complacent but then quickly realized that it will still kick back pretty firmly. I can take a hint and now I treat it with the respect it deserves. It is a very helpful tool though when needed.

 

[MRG]

I spent 10 years logging and working in sawmills. Be careful. Gas or electric they can kick. I remember a logger trimming the butts on veneer logs, a simple boring task, and the saw kicked, the chain ended up in his neck. If it wasn't for the quick response of a co-w*rker he would have bleed out in a minute.


ETA: I cut myself on the left thumb from a saw kicking. I was cutting 6x6 to length and guys were stacking them as they were cut. Saw kicked, I kept cutting, someone tapped my shoulder to tell me I was bleeding. I told them bs, until I looked down and immediately passed out.

 

[Bamaman]

The new lithium battery powered tools are quickly taking over the retail market. I'm using 40 volt hedge trimmer and weed eater, and I wear out before the charge wears down.

Go for it with the cordless chainsaw.

I also recently bought a new Echo gas powered chainsaw. I've still got too many trees at my lake house, and I'm tired of paying $1K to tree surgeons to take down trees. I too worked on a tree truck once--and never again.

 

[gstillson]

I cut down a 14" diameter tree with a EGO 56V electric chainsaw and then on the same battery charge trimmed it and cut it into about 40 pieces. Battery was still going but I was done (tired from loading the tree lol).

Now they just need rechargeable people.

 

[Stonewalker]

I spent 10 years logging and working in sawmills. Be careful. Gas or electric they can kick. I remember a logger trimming the butts on veneer logs, a simple boring task, and the saw kicked, the chain ended up in his neck. If it wasn't for the quick response of a co-w*rker he would have bleed out in a minute.


ETA: I cut myself on the left thumb from a saw kicking. I was cutting 6x6 to length and guys were stacking them as they were cut. Saw kicked, I kept cutting, someone tapped my shoulder to tell me I was bleeding. I told them bs, until I looked down and immediately passed out.

+1 Gas chain saws require a more maintenance, but my brother cut his leg using his electric chain saw. Just be careful.

Just as a side note, I love the manual tree saws with the large teeth. They can do limbs nicely.

 

[mountainsoft]

I cut down a 14" diameter tree with a EGO 56V electric chainsaw and then on the same battery charge trimmed it and cut it into about 40 pieces. Battery was still going but I was done (tired from loading the tree lol).

I have the EGO string trimmer and leaf blower. I've been very happy with them and have thought about getting the chainsaw too. It's nice to hear it can hold up to a bigger job like that. I don't use my Stihl gas saw that often, but when I do it's usually to cut down a tree or cut up a tree that has fallen over the winter.

I hate small gas engines. I spend more time fighting to get them started and keep running than I do actually working. It took me 10 minutes to get my tiller started the other day, then it kept dying on me every 2-3 minutes, despite numerous adjustments to try to keep it running. I always use fresh gas, add fuel stabilizer, and keep my equipment maintained well. They still never work when I need them. I hate them.

 

[mountainsoft]

I love the manual tree saws with the large teeth. They can do limbs nicely.

I have one of the little 16-foot fiberglass pole saws you can buy at any home center. It works well, but the reach is limited.

I splurged and bought an ATS pole saw that has five foot sections that click together. I can reach up about 30 feet with this one. I've used it a lot around our property, money well spent. It's made of aluminum, but once you get beyond four pole sections it gets very heavy and is difficult to lift and maneuver. I actually had a pole section bend on me from it's own weight, but ATS replaced it for free. On the upside, that weight helps hold the blade on the limb so cutting is easier.

Pole Saw | ATSS

 

[ckelly78z]

I've been cutting/burning about 5 cords a year for 25 years now with no incidents (some close calls). I have learned to set the saw down, when I get fatigued, and take breaks often. I have been using a Stihl MS310 with a 20" bar.

I was able to get a Poulan Pro for $20 a garage sale with thoughts of giving it to my future SIL to keep their house in a wood supply. He has enough inattention, that it scares me to show him how to operate...he's kind of careless, which is a recipe for accidents.

You have to give a chainsaw the full respect, and attention it deserves, and have some knowledge of how to care for it, and avoid the widowmakers.

 

[zinger1457]

A good and safer option for cutting or pruning anything 6" or less in diameter is a sawsall or reciprocating saw with a 9" pruning blade. Just got done pruning and taking down one tree in my yard last week using a sawsall and it was pretty quick work, not as fast as a chainsaw but certainly felt safe using it. They also make 12" pruning blades but haven't tried those yet, bigger than what I need.

 

[Sunset]

...
I was able to get a Poulan Pro for $20 a garage sale with thoughts of giving it to my future SIL to keep their house in a wood supply. He has enough inattention, that it scares me to show him how to operate...he's kind of careless, which is a recipe for accidents.

..

Same here, decades of using chainsaws, picked on up on clearance and was going to give to SIL, but after watching him, told DD that I would feel awful after he cut himself with it.

The super nice thing about battery operated chainsaws, is that you can hear the screaming of someone who suffers kickback it's a safety feature.

 

[Cobra9777]

I bought the Milwaukee 18V chainsaw with their 12.0Ah battery. This thing is a beast. I recently cut down a dead post oak that was 14-15" diameter and about 30' tall. I limbed it and cut the trunk into 24" sections. The battery still had more than half a charge. But I was completely pooped.

Now that I have the M18 12.0Ah battery, I'm starting to look at their other tools, which can be bought without the battery. I'm quite sure that is their marketing strategy.

I have a Stihl line trimmer and leaf blower. They get plenty of use and start easily. But I've always had trouble with gas-powered chainsaws because I only use it a couple times each year.

 

[Texas Proud]

I bought an plug in electric chain saw many years ago... used it off and on..


BUT, I now use a sawzall all the time.. I just do not have the need for the chain saw... heck, I cannot remember what I was cutting back then

 

[pacergal]

Chain saws scare the begeesus out of me, my brother almost cut his arm off when we were younger. Luckily, DSIL is an arborist, so we just call him!!

 

[rayinpenn]

The super nice thing about battery operated chainsaws, is that you can hear the screaming of someone who suffers kickback it's a safety feature.

Thanks just what i needed to read...

 

[aja8888]

In the late 1970's/early '80s, I heated our house with wood in CT. I had three chain saws and lots of woods behind our three acres.

Now I just have an electric Sawzall and only cut small trees and branches when needed. I figured 10 years of cutting 5 - 8 full (not face) cords of hardwoods per year without my flesh meeting a fast moving chain used up all the luck I had.

If we have a good sized tree to cut down, I call the tree guys.

 

[MRG]

Thanks just what i needed to read...

Don't worry you won't feel it. See post #3.

Even the guy who almost decapitated himself didn't know he was cut. For the few seconds he was conscious he told me he thought he was a puppet and someone cut his strings.

 

[kgtest]

When I bought it, probably 12 years ago, there were no cordless electric saws. The former owner had neglected the side of the house and it was a dense jungle of spiky veins, poison ivy and wild roses. At first she and I used a corded electric saw, residential grade agent orange, muscle and slash and burn to take back from the jungle. When the trees got to big I bought a gas chain saw. After a lot of sweat Finally it was clean.

So in all those 13 years the saw was used maybe three occasions. Well I had a couple of dead trees that needed to be felled. Not big mind you but substantial enough you couldn’t push them over. The saw, no surprise, was difficult to start in fact DS “cool hand” would pull the cord and I would hold it down. The saw was hard to pull and uncooperative. Well we managed to cut the trees down, limb them, cut them into manageable lengths and move them to the burn pile.. lastly I wanted to trim the stumps but the saw would have none of it. It ran for 20 seconds then quit. Again and again. No doubt a dirty carburetor. At that point I decided I am done with that saw.

There’s still a ‘leaner’ in the woods that needs to go, a bunch of trash trees and logs to be cut to burning size -so I ordered a 40 watt electric saw. 1100 reviews 4.5 stars out of 5.

Years ago I worked for a landscaper and tree guy.. I learned to have a healthy respect for felling trees and chainsaws. We were taking down a giant tree in Locus Valley and they tried to lower too big a piece. We all hung on until we couldn’t- the lose rope wrapped around one guy and in an instant he was hanging upside down 15 feet in the air. Some time later i learned my boss fell from a tree and broke his back.

The truth is gas chain saws scare me - I think they are an accident waiting to happen. Electric saws still have the chain but i feel less anxious using them. Thus the purchase.

Little by little the yard is getting there - the rain is slowing the process.

Took down a large cottonwood for DF the other day to open up his lake view. Took 3 guys, 2 half ton trucks, 4 or 5 chain saws, an axe, a hatchet, a substantial amount of rope, muscle and energy.

Towards the end, my role became "ensure the saw is gassed, lubed and running when the other saw dies out". To make that final cut to fell the tree took three chain saws worth of sharp chain.

 

[Walt34]

I bought the Milwaukee 18V chainsaw with their 12.0Ah battery. This thing is a beast.

From the reviews I've seen you're quite right. I've recently begun buying many of the Milwaukee battery powered tools as needed and like them a lot. If my circa 1979 Stihl chain saw ever gives it up that will be the replacement.

Whatever the power source, chain saws get a lot of respect and caution from me. I suspect my femur is softer than many hardwoods, and it wouldn't even slow down for the flesh.

 

[RAE]

Took down a large cottonwood for DF the other day to open up his lake view. Took 3 guys, 2 half ton trucks, 4 or 5 chain saws, an axe, a hatchet, a substantial amount of rope, muscle and energy.

Towards the end, my role became "ensure the saw is gassed, lubed and running when the other saw dies out". To make that final cut to fell the tree took three chain saws worth of sharp chain.

I've used gas chain saws for years.......used to heat my house with firewood, for quite a few years. I still cut firewood now, but smaller quantities, to heat our seasonal lake cottage. As others have said, you have to respect the tool, and quit well before you are getting fatigued. Also, felling larger trees is something I will not do anymore (used to do some of that). Too many things can go wrong......a large dead branch coming down unexpectedly can break your neck in an instant, for example. Not worth it, I will pay the money and have a tree guy cut down anything that is too big, or looks too dangerous.

 

[38Chevy454]

I just bought a new bigger chainsaw. A 55cc 20-inch bar Jonsered (same as/made by Husqvarna). Replaced a probably 3 year old Poulan Pro. The Poulan was becoming too much of a "pull-on" to get going and stay going. I agree, respect the tool. Chainsaws can do damage fast. But they are also the right tool for the job, when dealing with trees that are too big for small hand saws. I have heard good things on the battery powered ones, but i need something that can deal with 18-24 inch diam trees, hence the new powerful largish size purchase.

 

[Ronstar]

I had a Stihl 170 and 210. Sold my 170 as part of ongoing decluttering. It was the first item that went at our recent garage sale. Kept the 210.

 

[Texas Proud]

Funny that today the neighbor had a tree removed from their back yard... and all day long I heard the sounds of chainsaws...


In the end I thing there were 4 going at one time...


Loud irritating noise all day long...

 

[robnplunder]

The truth is gas chain saws scare me - I think they are an accident waiting to happen. Electric saws still have the chain but i feel less anxious using them. Thus the purchase.

That's why I'd never buy gas anything. I won't buy cordless either. I always forget to charge, and it gradually lose its capacity even if not used much.



Yesterday, I bought pole saw & chain saw combo (2 in 1) for $97 at Lowes. Home Depot and Walmart didn't have a combo one. They also only carried one brand - no choice unless I go to their websites. Today, I used it to cut down some branches I wanted to cut down for a long time. I also used chain saw part to trimmed some logs I picked up. DW wanted them to use as plant stands. Both parts worked wonderfully and I felt that I've got my money's worth in just one use. If I bought them separately, it'd cost $200 at HD, a little less at Walmart. Go, Lowes!

 

[ImThinkin2019]

I switched to ethanol-free gas for all of my small engines. Now they start easily and reliably. Used to use stabilizer and had never-ending troubles.

You can buy the ethanol free gas at big box stores for around $8/quart. Or buy Sunoco racing fuel for about $11/gallon from an auto parts store or a gas station that sells racing fuel.

Initially I did not like the price but after several trouble-free years I would not go back to gas with ethanol. My local small engine repair guy says ethanol keeps him in business.

I also drain carburetors if the engine will not be used for 6 months. This helps as well.