At Home In The Woods

[woodlandfarms]

Sorry everyone. I was mixing up my numbers. I was going on the stock number (390) and assuming it was a refrence to cc. I have a little Stihl 180 and my 32" is a 44. The 44 is just a bit too heavy for around the farm use with the 32" bar.

 

[Obed]

New Chainsaw!

Today I finally bought a new chainsaw. This morning I looked up the Stihl dealers in the area. I chose 2 that were each about 7 miles from here but located in opposite directions. I first went to the store that is on my way to work and would be the most convenient store for getting future service. When I got there, the sales person was a "kid". He didn't know a whole lot. I spoke to him long enough to be nice and then went to the other store that is less conveniently located. However, this store is in a small town in the adjacent county that is more rural than the first store. Conseqentially, this store had people in the store who knew about chainsaws and use them themselves.



I bought a Stihl MS 391 (64 cm engine) with a 20" bar. I bought a 6 pack of Stilh 2-cycle oil in order to get a 2 year saw warrantee instead of the 1 year warrantee. I also picked up a hand file kit.

The Stihl bar oil was $12 for a gallon so I picked up a gallon. It surprised me that the Stihl bar oil was cheaper than motor oil ($4/quart). I've been using motor oil to lube the chain on my Poulon. However, since the bar oil is cheaper and made for chainsaws, I'll use bar oil moving forward.

chainsaw	$550
chainsaw case	free???
bar oil	$13
2 cycle oil 6-pack	$11
3/8" sharpening set	$20
tax	$58
Total	$652

After looking at my bill, I did not appear to get charged for the $25 chainsaw case. I'll have to call them Monday and make sure that was not a mistake.

 

[dstig1]

That will serve you well for many years if you take care of it. Clean the gook out, keep it sharp, and clean the air filter regularly. Don't let it sit for months without starting it so the carb doesn't gook up. For bar oil, I recommend an actual bar oil as they add tackifiers to the mix which helps it stay on the chain/bar better and not just all fling off. But find the cheapest stuff you can. I go to Menards or Fleet Farm here and can often find it in the $6/gal range, if you watch for sales. Stihls oil is ridiculously priced here. Like $20+/gal

Learn how to file your chain, and give it a swipe or two every couple tankfuls and everything will be much happier. You can still take it in for sharpening to get it trued back up periodically as it is hard to maintain angles by hand, but even a little hand filing will save you a lot of money and grief when using it.

 

[clemsonfor]

your gonna love that saw obed. I have a ms390 which is the old version of that SAW. I have cut tons of firewood literally! Yea bar oil is ccheaper on sale you can get it for like $9 at TSC. That saw will run like a raped ape compared to the poulan!

 

[radioman]

very good choice of saw! by the way -- using regular motor oil- the stuff just flies off the bar and lets bar run a bit hotter.also it will run out quicker. the bar tip will just wear out and be loose after awhile. SO stay away from motor oil unless you are out of bar oil and need to cut another fuel tank worth and be done with it for the day.
You may want to watch those stihl you tube videos on sharpening . lots of good tips.

 

[dave1949]

Sorry everyone. I was mixing up my numbers. I was going on the stock number (390) and assuming it was a refrence to cc. I have a little Stihl 180 and my 32" is a 44. The 44 is just a bit too heavy for around the farm use with the 32" bar.

I was wondering if you had found some sort of wonder saw, weighs 2 lbs and runs a 24" bar -- if you did, I want one :laughing: Yeah, 32" is plenty of saw to handle I bet. I do everything I can with my little Stihl 019. It's good for stuff up to about 4", then it has kerf width issues. But what a joy for small limbing and trailside branch whacking, it's easy to one-hand it.

Congrats on your new saw Obed! That should do some serious cutting.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Buy More chains!!!! It is easier to swap a chain (although every pro on the group will disagree with me on this) than it is to file on site. Then file them sharp when you get home. One hit of the tip in the dirt will dull that chain. I think I have 6 chains for my 14 and 4 for my 32.

 

[RadarTech]

Buy More chains!!!! It is easier to swap a chain (although every pro on the group will disagree with me on this) than it is to file on site. Then file them sharp when you get home. One hit of the tip in the dirt will dull that chain. I think I have 6 chains for my 14 and 4 for my 32.

Yeah I second that... At least 2 spares....

 

[clemsonfor]

Buy More chains!!!! It is easier to swap a chain (although every pro on the group will disagree with me on this) than it is to file on site. Then file them sharp when you get home. One hit of the tip in the dirt will dull that chain. I think I have 6 chains for my 14 and 4 for my 32.

I agree and buy the HF chain grinder for $30. I use to but that thing shows you your inconsistencies, and will get them new sharp in less than 5 mins. You wont take off to much metal like the shops do unless you have trashed a tooth and have to grind it back. But I can literally cut about 2 truck loads of oak before I can tell the chin is getting dull. But I DONT cut dirt this will dull your saw in less than a second!! That and cutting wood with dirt all in the bark.

 

[mkane09]

New Chainsaw!

Today I finally bought a new chainsaw. This morning I looked up the Stihl dealers in the area. I chose 2 that were each about 7 miles from here but located in opposite directions. I first went to the store that is on my way to work and would be the most convenient store for getting future service. When I got there, the sales person was a "kid". He didn't know a whole lot. I spoke to him long enough to be nice and then went to the other store that is less conveniently located. However, this store is in a small town in the adjacent county that is more rural than the first store. Conseqentially, this store had people in the store who knew about chainsaws and use them themselves.

Obed, did you buy it at Deal's in Clinton? All those old fellers in there know their stuff. Several months ago they talked me into trying Sten oil in my 026. They said I'd gain 500 RPMs over Stihl oil, which is what I was using. So, I bought a tube and mixed a gallon and......couldn't believe it was the same saw. That's all I burn in it, the weed eater, and the leaf blower (all Stihls) now. It's got a fuel stabilizer mixed in and there is almost no smoke. You might want to give it a try. BTW, you can get 100% gasoline for all your small engines at Eddie Hair Firestone in Oak Ridge.

mkane09