At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

I bought the $30 HF grinder and it works as well as $100+ grinders I have heard, I recommend buying this one.

Also if you use stihl oil it has stabilizer in it so you don't have to use stabil with it as there is already a stabilizer in it.

Also don't forget to file down your rakers every so often, if you don't know what this means or how to do it look at a youtube vid. I use to file rakers every 3-5x of hand fileing. I now hit it about every 2-3x of grinder sharpening. But the rakers is the shark fin thing between the cutters. It controls the depth the cutting tooth is allowed to go. If you file it to much you can get the saw pulling you around or if you put to much pressure on it and its to low you can bog up the saw, to tall and you will take forever to cut anything. I rather have them to low than to tall.

clemsonfor,
My 20" Poulan has been cutting very slowly, even right after I had a local shop sharpen it. I watched them sharpen it but they did not file down the rakers. I'll have to check the rakers and see if they need filing.
Obed

 

[dstig1]

Sharpening isn't "hard" but it all depends on how consistent you can be. The basic 3/8" pitch Stihl RSC chains require the file to be flat side to side (the direction you push it across the chain) and then the only angle you need to maintain is the cutting angle. It is hard to stay consistent in angle and pressure on both directions. You will find you apply more pressure to one direction vs the other, just naturally. Take the same number of strokes on each tooth, and watch the pressure you apply. Keep it flat, and go to it. A basic stump vise it worthwhile - it has 2 points that you pound into a stump to hold the bar. Cheap and easy and works in the field (even if the field is just right next to your firewood pile.

And yes, you need at least one spare chain.

 

[clemsonfor]

M7,
Great suggestions that I will definitely keep in mind. I don't think I will loan out the Stihl. I might loan out one of the Poulons. I have a 14" Poulan and a 20" Poulan. I don't need the 20" Poulan anymore and might get rid of it. I'll keep the 14" for small tasks. Having a lightweight saw for little stuff is very handy. There are some people that I would probably lend the 14" Poulan to. My FIL lent me his chainsaw when a big hickory tree blocked my driveway and I was in a real bind. I need to keep these things in mind.

However, the Stihl will not be a loaner.

Obed

A buddy in college would never lend his 044 out or let you use it with him right there, he would cut what you wanted. When I bought my saw and saw how fast you can trash a chain I now will NOT let anyone borrow my saw. In literally 2 seconds someone can trash a chain so bad that you wont handsharpen it out without some cussing.

 

[clemsonfor]

clemsonfor,
My 20" Poulan has been cutting very slowly, even right after I had a local shop sharpen it. I watched them sharpen it but they did not file down the rakers. I'll have to check the rakers and see if they need filing.
Obed

This is probly the problem, if its got sharp cutters and is only pulling small chips to big dust your rakers are to tall. You take a flat file and file flat across the top of them. There is a line in the chain usually showing you the lowest they should be but don't file to that the first time. Depending upon how sharp your file is one or 2 passes is all you need. I guarantee you this is your problem.

 

[dave1949]

I've found a dremel tool with a tiny grinding wheel handy for taking down rakers, don't over do it though. If you lower your rakers and the saw gets real grabby, you over did it.

Don't run your saw at high rpms with no load.

You might keep the 20 Poulan. Sometimes, due to operator malfeasance , you get your saw stuck/bound/pinched in a heavy trunk. A second saw can be useful to free the stuck saw. A set of plastic felling wedges are handy too.

Be safe!

 

[clemsonfor]

I've found a dremel tool with a tiny grinding wheel handy for taking down rakers, don't over do it though. If you lower your rakers and the saw gets real grabby, you over did it.

Don't run your saw at high rpms with no load.

You might keep the 20 Poulan. Sometimes, due to operator malfeasance , you get your saw stuck/bound/pinched in a heavy trunk. A second saw can be useful to free the stuck saw. A set of plastic felling wedges are handy too.

Be safe!

I would agree. If i did not cut with a buddy most of the time there would be more than one instance of a bar left in a semi cut tree while i went back tothe house. I now have wedges which would of eliminated the problem but back then i did not!! A second saw fixed that as i just recut the tree to fell it.

 

[dave1949]

I would agree. If i did not cut with a buddy most of the time there would be more than one instance of a bar left in a semi cut tree while i went back tothe house. I now have wedges which would of eliminated the problem but back then i did not!! A second saw fixed that as i just recut the tree to fell it.

It usually happens to me when cutting a tree in a stand were there is really no place for it to fall clear. I'll look at it and think, "now this looks like it could pinch the saw, better be careful." Then two minutes later, by some magic, I am looking at a pinched saw. :laughing:

 

[MotorSeven]

That's why I always take 3 saws to the woods:laughing:

 

[Obed]

My wife went back to the chainsaw store today. They had indeed forgotten to charge me for the chainsaw case on Saturday so my wife paid them for it today. She also bought a second chain.

chainsaw case $30
spare chain $31

I have read completely through the chainsaw manual. I didn't understand one part of the manual. Can you guys explain this part to me. The manual says:

During the break-in period: A factory new machine should not be run at high revs (full throttle off load) for the first three tank fillings. This avoids unnecessarily high loads during the break-in period.

What does full throttle off load mean?

 

[B7510HSD]

My wife went back to the chainsaw store today. They had indeed forgotten to charge me for the chainsaw case on Saturday so my wife paid them for it today. She also bought a second chain.

chainsaw case $30
spare chain $31

I have read completely through the chainsaw manual. I didn't understand one part of the manual. Can you guys explain this part to me. The manual says:

During the break-in period: A factory new machine should not be run at high revs (full throttle off load) for the first three tank fillings. This avoids unnecessarily high loads during the break-in period.

What does full throttle off load mean?

I think they are refering to full throttle not under a load as in not cutting....