Chain Saw Advice

John_Mc · Mar 16, 2006

( And I'd just like to put in one more "pitch" for having at least 3 ten-inch or 12-inch plastic wedges in your arsenal. One for starting a neutral or slightly back-leaning tree on its way, and then two more to stack together and drive in if the first one hasn't done the trick. )

I'll second the recommendation for the felling wedges. And get the big ones... 10 or 12" long, as you mentioned, and about as wide as your chainsaw bar. Those little 5 or 6" by 2" wedges are worthless for felling trees (though I guess they're ok for freeing a saw that's stuck in already downed wood that you are bucking up)

I've never had much luck with stacking two plastic wedges. when I tap one in the stack, the other pops out. If I'm VERY carefull, I can get them both to stay in, but then it seems like they always pop when I'm getting ready for what I think is that "one last whack".

I carry two wedges. If I see a tree with significant back lean, I cut a wooden "wedge" as I cut the notch (make my first cut, then a second on eright near it to form my wedge, then make the rest of the notch). I hammer in my 1st plastic wedge, then slip the chunk of wood into the gap and put my next plastic wedge on top of that. Stacking the wood on plastic wedges doesn't seem to pop out the way plastic on plastic does. (For a severe back lean, when I've tapped in my second "plastic stacked on wood wedge", that loosens up my first plastic wedge. I pull it out and put it back in with another, thicker wooden wedge or two. You can tackle some pretty serious back lean this way, and you don't have to carry an armload of wedges, since you make them as needed).

CT Tree Guy - where did you learn your technique? Is it something you just picked up over the years? I had never touched a chain saw until 3 or 4 years ago. I have been playing catch up taking training/safety courses and trying to learn to do things safely, precisely, and with minimal damage to the surrounding trees. I envy the folks who grew up with it. They've usually got a whole lot bigger bag of tricks than I do.

John Mc

John_Mc · Mar 17, 2006

Curly Dave -

I think you'll be happy with the choice you made. Husqvarna make darn good saws. The 350 is a good reliable saw, light weight for its power. It's very similar to the Jonsered CS 2152c I bought recently.

One of the nice things about the 350 is that it's got very low vbration at the handles... so low compared to their other saws (and compared to Jonsered's), I almost wonder if there is a typo in the spec sheets I'm looking at. That's one of the features that not many people think about, but it makes a real difference in the fatigue level over the course of a day of sawing.

Good luck with it.

John Mc

CurlyDave · Mar 17, 2006

While I don't have a real comparison, I can tell you that the vibration at the handles is very low. I don't think that is a typo.

From reading the specs, the weight/power ratio seemed very good also.

It sure made short work of the scrub oaks I used it on.

John_Mc · Mar 17, 2006

( While I don't have a real comparison, I can tell you that the vibration at the handles is very low. I don't think that is a typo.
)

If that spec is correct, none of the other saws Husqvarna makes matches it. I thought my Jonsered saw was pretty good for low vibration (better than a lot I've tried), but none of the Jonsered saws match your 350's spec either. (Jonsered is owned by Husqvarna).

John Mc

NewToy · Mar 27, 2006

I recently pruchased an MS290 "Farm Boss" Stihl (last Year) and it as been the best saw I've ever owned.

John

rdbigfarmboy · Mar 27, 2006

Im fond of those cheap little poulans from Walmart. I have 2 a 3314 and 4218 poulans. Good cheap saws. Plastic wedges always come in handy as well as a sharpener mine came from Northern.
Just get into it a little at a time.

Highbeam · Mar 28, 2006

I am hard on saws and am also fond of the cheap walmart poulans. It is lightweight, 16" bar, and always starts easily. When accidentally run it over with a tractor, or bury it with a bulldozer for 2 weeks, or drop or it falls to the ground I do not worry about a 400$ saw being scratched. This is a woods saw and needs to be somewhat disposable.

If I was faced with relatively mild conditions like a stack of clean logs to make into firewood, I would appreciate the quality of an expensive saw. The poulan has certainly been dependable enough to hike 5 miles into the woods with.

I have my chains sharpened at a saw shop 3 at a time every few months. In the brush work I get stuck hitting the dirt more often than I would want to subject a good saw and the dirt does a job on chains.

trlong · Mar 31, 2006

CurlyDave,

Guess I've been busy and missed all of this great thread. Sorry to come in so late but from your post:

( I walked out with a 350e with 18" bar, a case, a helmet and an extra chain. )

Re: Egon's 1st reply....What about the CHAPS???

Please go back and get the chaps, if you haven't already. Hate to think of anyone here posting from a wheelchair, or not posting again...

As for the Husky, I don't think you could go wrong. Not "Pro" models, and Johnsered, and Stihl probably about equivalent but my 25 yr. old 18' bar Rancher still starts fine. The 16" Husky 136 my wife bought (used once and is now mine) is a much more agile saw for limbing out, once trees are down. I take them both out with me now, drop and block with the Rancher but limb out with the 136. Maybe I'm just getting old and my arms aren't what they were.... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Honestly, tried to read most of this thread but DANG!, you really stirred this one up from flatlander issues to NIMBY, to brand preference.

Good luck with the new land, follow the obviously well informed advice, and go back and get the chaps.

Tom

CurlyDave · Mar 31, 2006

What about the CHAPS???

I had bought a pair at Lowes a few days before I went out to look for saws.

There were two slightly different kinds of Husqvarana chaps in stock -- the difference is that some were made in Canada and some were made in Mexico. Probably no real difference, but I made sure the ones I got were Canadian. Just because I think they cut down more trees in Canada than in Mexico.

Other than color is there a difference between the blue ones and the orange ones? The ones I got were blue.

Oh, and thanks for the safety concern. If I hadn't read a thread on TBN in the Saftey Forum, I wouldn't have even known that chaps existed.

I just used them again this morning and they are already getting respectably dirty -- nothing makes a guy feel more like a greenhorn than all new equipment.

DANG!, you really stirred this one up from flatlander issues to NIMBY, to brand preference.

All is well that ends well, and I certainly have no hard feelings at this point.

trlong · Mar 31, 2006

I should have made the connection from the Safety Forum thread that you had poured over the Husky chaps to find the Canadian made. Forgot you'd posted on "So, you don't wear chaps...". Glad you got 'em.

Regarding Canadian vs. China produced chaps; How do you find the "tek clips" on the Canadian chaps? My replacement pair are Chinese produced (all they had) and the clips are no where near the quality of those on my original (cut) pair.

Tom