Chain Saw Suggestions

[phrog]

I live on a very heavily wooded lot. For years I have used a small (12"?) electric chain saw called Limb & Trim to cut up small limbs, etc. Now I want to use a chain saw to cut some large logs into lumber (with a Lumber Maker as a guide). I don't think the Limb & Trim is up to the job. Does anyone have any suggestions about brands, etc. I'm kinda small and can't handle a BIG saw but think I can handle one larger than the Limb & Trim. I've heard of Stihl and Husqvarna. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
Richard
PS Do you need a special chain for cutting logs into lumber?

[Warren]

I'm pretty much a Stihl man but only because the local support is so good. With saws it's the after purchase support that drives my decision. I run saws 50-60+ hours a year on average. The best advice I can give is to speak to someone with local experience felling trees to find the best vendor in your area and what saw/bar/chain combo works best for what you wish to do.

Yes, you should use a ripping chain for milling lumber.

Good luck and be very safety conscious.

[leehljp]

I have a 16" Stihl and wish I had an 18" at the least. But if you want a smaller one, I would not get anything less than a 16". There are some 14" out there but again, I would go with the larger that you can handle.

Don't think of it as how much can it cut in accordance to bar size. Saws work better (from my experience) if it has at least 4 inch more bar than I need to for the average job. Of course you can cut an occasional larger tree or log but on average, what size will you need to cut, and how much? That determines the length of bar and power you need. Also, in my experience, the longer bars and chains last longer, jump off less, and get pinched less, if for no other reason, that the larger bars have more powerful engines to get the job done.

[twistsol]

If it says Poulan on it anywhere, RUN! A couple of years ago I finally dropped the cash on a Stihl MS290 with an 18" bar. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made. It starts every time and has plenty of power.

[cork58]

The bar will not matter but the chain is a 10 degree, watch the rackers really close. You will want a professional to do the sharpening, it is really hard to get it right. I have my own mill and sharpening system. If will not being allot of wood making then the direction your headed will work just fine. I use a Husqvarna 385xp for milling but a 51 for falling and limbing. The larger saw when set up in the mill is all the power I ever need. I also have a 20" bar and chain for the milling.

Good luck, making your own lumber is allot of fun, at least for me it is.

Oh, learn how to cure the lumber! It took me a couple of years to get it right but in Alaska we have a short summer so the traditional methods didn't work to well.

[JimD]

My first chain saw was a Wen electric. We lived in Pa then and had woods in the back and along the side of our lot. The trees were a little far from the power outlets and eventually I burned up the Wen on a long extension cord. It was not a great saw anyway - the chain oiling was so bad I kept a oil can handy.

The replacement was purchased about 20 years ago. It is a McCullough 14 inch. I don't think that brand is sold any more. A little saw like this is handy for cutting limbs off. It makes for more work when you have to cut up a tree trunk that is more than 14 inches in diameter but that is rare for me and the saw will do it (by going from both sides). A sharp chain makes a whole lot of difference. I routinely sharpen on the saw using a round file with guide. It takes me less time to sharpen my chain than to change it for a sharp one. When the saw spits out dust instead of shavings, it is time to sharpen. You should have to lift up on the saw to keep it from bogging down if the chain is sharp.

A little saw like mine is not so good for cutting up lumber, however. For that you probably need something a bit larger. I don't know how much capacity you lose for your attachment but that plus the widest boards you want to make should tell you the size of the chainsaw you need.

You mentioned you are not large. Even my 14 inch is much heavier than an electric. You should at least lift the saws you are thinking about in the store. Even better would be to use them before you buy. For brands, I will probably buy a Stihl if my McCullough ever dies. I also like Stihl or Husky bar oil (off-brand oil is to thin).

Jim

[conwaygolfer]

I did tree work for 35 years and I agree with those who recommend Stihl. I used to buy and use Homelite exclusively, but they started gearing them for the homeowner and the quality went downhill.

You won't go wrong with a Stihl. I still own a large Stihl mainly to help friends out. But I also ran across a Poulan about 5 years ago and bought it. I have no complaints with it. But the Stihl is the best.

Conwaygolfer

[Joe DeFazio]

PS Do you need a special chain for cutting logs into lumber?

I am not an expert and I don't have a milling setup, but I have helped others to use an Alaskan-type chain saw mill, so take my offering for the very limited amount it is worth:

Whenever I have seen it done or participated, a ripping blade was always used, which I was told makes it go faster (and might be easier on the saw?). Granberg and other chainsaw mill makers recommend or sell ripping blades, so you can check their websites for more details.

Again, FWIW....

Joe

[conscience]

Get a Stihl. You won't regret it. Their local support is usually top notch and they just outperform the others. Most professional landscapers use Stihl trimmers and blowers for a reason. They just make the small gas engine better than anyone else (in my opinion).

A chain saw blade is just like a hand saw blade, different teeth for different jobs. You could probably rent one first to see if you can handle it and some of the dealers will probably let you take it out back and make some test cuts. I've used several different brands, and the larger Stihl's handle better than the smaller saws from the cheaper brands do. Just make sure the chain is sharp. Whoever said let a pro do it was right.

[RMCWoodWorks]

I think Stihl and Huskvarna (more expensive) are the best, however ... if you want to do lumber, you need to look at the issue of mounting and control vs. handheld, i.e., sawmills ...

[phrog]

Many thanks to all those who responded. Your opinions and suggestions have all been useful. Thank you!

[Eric]

Here the local Ace Stores have Stihl chainsaws stocked, there's quite a few around so at least it's easy to get some supplies.

I've got an 039 with a 24" bar, a 044 with a 24" bar and a 490 with a 26" bar. Mostly do firewood and cutting Christmas trees with them. The longer bars make it easier so I don't have to do as much bending when cutting on the ground.

[phrog]

Ace? I would not have thought of them as being a Stihl dealer. Thanks.

[Eric]

Yeah, Ace just started doing it. They don't carry the full line of course, or at least the local store I've been doesn't. But I've got a couple Ace's on the way home from work and it's more convenient for me to stop by there to grab bar oil or whatever.

[mashtun]

Well besides Stihl and Husqvarna there is also Echo, which you can get at Home Depot. I have an Echo 370 wiht an 18" bar, and it works great with a good chain.

Big Orange I think also sells Makita, which I am told are now just a renamed Dlomar saw, and I am hearing a lot of good thinhgs about them on the web. If you want to try the Makita Home Depot rents them

A good place to get a rip chain is Baileys online. You can do a chat session, with one of their reps, give them your model and bar size, and they will tell you exactly what chain to get.

https://www.baileysonline.com/

John