Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[motownbrowne]

Only energy and time can be wasted.

If man didn't expend energy to process this/a tree then nature would "process" it.

Most of what I've dealt with are stumps: left over from logging operations (not my doing). The stumps are below ground and in my area stuff underground can last forever (especially cedar!). With the exception of this cottonwood and a few other trees that I needed to cut to clear for fencing I don't go cutting trees (I wait for them to come down and they they're firewood).

I SAVE a lot of saplings (hand to hand combat to free them of blackberry vines), so please don't try to incriminate/judge me on how I manage my trees. Got that?

Completely fair, and well said. :thumbsup:

 

[94BULLITT]

I'm looking for a good reliable saw. A friend has an older MS-192C. Very impressive
what he does with this saw. Budget is not the primary concern.

Not familiar with the new saws and the effects from emissions standard changes.
I see talk of muffler mods, and retunes. Maybe someone can bring me up to speed.

I prefer Stihl saws. They have the best dealer network. The saws are reliable. There is also a good aftermarket parts support.

For a limb saw my top pick would be the MS241. It is a prograde saws with MTRONIC. Mtronic is a computer controlled carb. I have 2 mtronic saws and I love the way they run. If you get the MS241 be sure it has the 3/8 lopro chain on. Some dealers will put .325 chain on it, and it will cut slower with .325 chain. This saw will also work for cutting small firewood. If you don't mind a little larger saw the MS261 is a great saw for another $50.

Then my next choice would be an MS250. It is a homeowner grade saw but it still cuts great. They are about as fast as an 026/MS260.

If you are looking for something smaller the MS180 is a great little saw. I would get the dealer to put a 3/8 picco .050 chain bar on it. The 3/8 .043 they come with is not very durable. If you get an MS250 carb, Walbro WT215, and mod the muffler it will really wake up. You can find an MS170 or 180 on craiglist for $100-125 in mint condition. The 170 will cut like your buddies 192. The 180 will be a hair faster. The 170/180 works great for keeping trees trimmed.

They MS150, 193 and MS201 are also available with rear handles they are all extremely light but they are pricey.

Most Stihl dealers will give you a better price for cash money.

A muffler mod is just enlarging the factory muffler outlet or adding another outlet to let the saw breathe more. Retune is adjusting the carb. A retune is necessary are a muffler mod.

 

[ultrarunner]

What chain do you recommend for the MS 250?

I have two as my big saws... and the little ECHO limb saw that I use the most.

The two closest Stihl Dealers to me in California closed up shop.

My Stihl Dealer in Washington also sells the full Kubota line, Honda, etc.. nice shop and they always have some special around Father's day.

 

[94BULLITT]

What chain do you recommend for the MS 250?

I have two as my big saws... and the little ECHO limb saw that I use the most.

The two closest Stihl Dealers to me in California closed up shop.

My Stihl Dealer in Washington also sells the full Kubota line, Honda, etc.. nice shop and they always have some special around Father's day.

I assume your 250's have .325 chain? I like stihl chain because it stays sharp longer than other chains. If you are cutting clean wood and want something that cuts fast you Stihl RS is what you want. RS is a full chisel chain. If you are cutting dirty wood or want something that stays sharp longer RM is what you want. RM is semi chisel. If you want the safety versions of these chains add a 3 to the end, RS3 and RM3.

Here is a picture showing different cutter types. You can see how semi chisel has a rounded corner that will hold it edge longer at the cost of cutting slower.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

For tables I would think it would would dent and scratch very easily.

Don't tell all those ladies that bought the tables that, they absolutely LOVE them...

SR

 

[ultrarunner]

The chains I have been buying have the 3 after them...

Wood is clean but storm fall can pickup rocks from impact...

I had a brand new chain and was doing some clean up and hit a nail from an old no trespassing sign... I was not happy!

 

[John_Mc]

Exactly - Natures way of recycling minerals and nutrients. IMO wood left to rot is never a waste ! In fact we are depleting our precious forest soils largely because people think storm and logging debris are ugly and insist that it is all cleaned up and remove from the forest. Forest soil microbes and amphibians love a big old rotting log. They are an important component to a healthy forest ecology.

gg

Our practice when harvesting for firewood (or for sawlogs) is that anything under 3" diameter must be left in the woods to return nutrients to the soil. This is written into any logging contract on the two parcels I own, and is common practice (at least around here) for those interested in sustainable forest management.

Most of the nutrients are in the leaves and small branches - basically the surface of the tree, or close to the surface - so we are keeping the bulk of the nutrients in the forest this way.

We leave some "coarse woody debris" (large diameter wood) on the ground, as it provides good wildlife habitat. We also leave a few snags (standing dead trees) per acre, since that is also very good wildlife habitat. For obvious reasons, I'll clear the snags that are near trails or other areas commonly visited by humans.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Our practice when harvesting for firewood (or for sawlogs) is that anything under 3" diameter must be left in the woods to return nutrients to the soil. This is written into any logging contract on the two parcels I own, and is common practice (at least around here) for those interested in sustainable forest management.

Most of the nutrients are in the leaves and small branches - basically the surface of the tree, or close to the surface - so we are keeping the bulk of the nutrients in the forest this way.

We leave some "coarse woody debris" (large diameter wood) on the ground, as it provides good wildlife habitat. We also leave a few snags (standing dead trees) per acre, since that is also very good wildlife habitat. For obvious reasons, I'll clear the snags that are near trails or other areas commonly visited by humans.

That is good management John. We need more people to follow those kind of guide lines.

Some "new thinking in forest ecology" has modified that management guideline some what and calls for leaving of even more large woody debris in the form of a number of large to very large diameter logs on the ground to support necessary soil microbes and amphibians.

 

[vsteel]

I prefer Stihl saws. They have the best dealer network. The saws are reliable. There is also a good aftermarket parts support.

That is funny because I had the exact opposite experience. My buddy and I both bought new Stihl saws (029 and a 044) and they both had issues (stop running randomly and the other had an oiler that wouldn't work) and getting warranty work was a nightmare. The original shop wouldn't do anything, just kept saying that is how they are supposed to work and the one that quit running they would start it up and let it idle for 3 min and then say it seems fine. Other dealers wouldn't deal with anyone that wasn't a logger. We wound up going up the chain to the western regional manager and still he didn't fix them, the one with the bad oiler they said it uses less oil so use it that way. Turned up all of the way it burned up a bar in short order because it wasn't getting enough oil.

My Husky 372XP has been great, service has been great, dealers have been great. I have not touched a Stihl saw since.

 

[MossRoad]

I was perusing the interweb for cottonwood uses and found something pretty humorous...

Some guy said "Cottonwood is the 'Rodney Dangerfield' of wood."

:laughing:

I know it burns like paper, so I don't use of for firewood. Its not worth the effort to cut, stack and split it only to see it go POOF! in a couple hours in our wood burner, so whenever someone asks me if I'd like to remove one from their property, I respectfully decline. I usually just tell them the tree is too big for me to handle (which it usually is around here, anyway).

As for making lumber out of it, I have no experience with making lumber... from what I've read, though, cottonwood is not dense, has high shrinkage, low strength, low rot resistance and low heat value. The only wood with less heat value is Willow.
Wood - Combustion Heat Values

With that said, there's a bunch of people out there that say it make a beautiful wood when dried properly. I just don't know if I'd want softwood furniture. I'd think it would get dents easily and break easily.