Chain Saw Advice

[SPIKER]

thankyou snofalls for the reply above:

I wasn't dirercting the post I made regarding sity slickers clear cutting at YOU but in general. what you orriginally proposed seemed to state that you were /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As part of my land-clearing activities I need to remove quite a few trees.

Lets estimate ~100 over the next 3 or 4 years.
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/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I suggested contacting a forester and someone with land management training yo set up a plan. I also gave info regarding how to safely go about etting done what you wished. around here farms are getting bought up left & right usually by a developer/realtor broken up into small lots and clear cut and virtually laid waste too.
anyhow I'll leave this post to go as it will.

Mark M

 

[daveh1]

Curly Dave, I've got a 16" Husqvarna that I love. I've never owned a Stihl but I have owned most of the others. I plan on sticking with the Huskys. A 350 Husqvarna would probably do most any thing you want. Also I think the Husky's seem to be easier getting parts or service. Just my .02 worth. Daveh1 Mitsubishi D-2050 and Honda Rancher /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif <font color="red"> </font>

 

[CurlyDave]

I wasn't dirercting the post I made regarding sity slickers clear cutting at YOU but in general. what you orriginally proposed seemed to state that you were...

Well, I don't know know how you do math in Ohio, but out here, even us city slickers can figure out that 100 trees taken out of 40 acres is 2.5 trees per acre. Even on my poor and rocky soil I have over 100 trees per acre.

around here farms are getting bought up left & right usually by a developer/realtor broken up into small lots and clear cut and virtually laid waste too.

Around here, trees are considered a crop and we know the difference between "sustainable harvest" and clear cutting.

I suggested contacting a forester and someone with land management training yo set up a plan.

Already done. And by someone who has actually seen (and walked) the property and understands local conditions in Josephine County, Oregon. Which happen to be significantly different from those in the next county over. Out here on the left coast, we have what are called "microclimates" where rainfall, soil types and average temperatures will vary dramatically over very short distances.

Just for everyone's information, the plan calls for thinning much of the forest. I didn't include this usage in the chain saw estimate since the forestry consultants seemd to be concerned with maximizing the potential for harvestable timber, even though the land is poorly suited for that.

I may well want to manage the land primarily for visual appeal and wildlife habitat, with harvestable timber a second or third place goal. However, I don't need to worry about cutting a a few dozen scrub oak, madrone, and manzanita (species I don't even think you have in Ohio) in the short term. Over the long term, trees are a slow growing crop, and I have years to design and implement the plan I really want.

I asked for advice on chain saws, and I estimated the useage I expected to give it. This is background information necessary to make a recommendation. It is not an invitation for unwanted, and just plain incorrect, advice on land management, especially when it is plain and obvious that 100 trees over the next few years is not going to come anywhere even close to "clear cutting" -- a concept you still don't seem to grasp, as evidenced in your latest post.

I appreciate your advice on the subject of chain saws. OTOH, when you add in some negative (and at a minimum, uninformed) comments on land and resource management, from the other side of the continent, most folks are not going to appreciate it.

I tell you what, you run your farm the way you want. I'll run mine the way I want.

 

[Cottonhawk]

CurlyDave,
I move out to the country in 2004 and never owned or used a chainsaw when I lived in the city. I now own several chainsaw...a Shindaiwa 488 with 20" bar, an Echo 14" trimming saw, couple of prunners. My newest addition is a Stihl MS361 with 24" bar. I would suggest that you at least check out Shindaiwa and Stihl. They are both wonderful chainsaws. As far as safety goes, I suggest that you use all the safety gears when you operate the saw.

 

[osprey]

<font color="blue"> When I grab a Stihl, I am in for a frustrating 10 minutes of cranking, fiddling with the choke, feathering the throttle, cussing and promising myself that I will no longer listen to the sales guys at my local farm store talk about the superiority of Stihl. </font>

A Stihl for the most part starts easy,I would say your Stihl product needs to go to the dealer and have a good tune up.

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

<font color="blue"> Personally, I am awful about small engine maintenance. I always think I will use it "one more time" in the fall, then forget about it and in the spring, the gas has been sitting in it all winter .... when I grab a Stihl, I am in for a frustrating 10 minutes of cranking, fiddling with the choke, feathering the throttle, cussing and promising myself that I will no longer listen to the sales guys at my local farm store talk about the superiority of Stihl. </font>

I think that if you put some fresh fuel and a new plug in your Stihl it would run very nicely.

I don't judge the "superiority" of a piece of power equipment by how much neglect it can tolerate, but rather by how it functions when given adequate/minimal maintenance.

On topic: I'd recommend a Stihl MS260 Pro with a 16" bar and .325 chain. This is one of the finest chain saws ever built and should last a lifetime and perform beautifully. I highly recommend the Stihl Rollamatic ES bar (solid, not laminated), and when that wears out, an Oregon PowerMatch. Also seriously consider using non-safety chain; if you keep a firm grip on your saw and use it sensibly, kickback is not likely to harm you.

You're right on target with your list of safety equipment; logging helmet with face screen, chaps, gloves optional, and I'd add a pair of safety glasses for those little bits of flying wood and dust that happen to get past the screen. Chainsaw-resistant boots would be a nice touch, but good heavy boots should be OK.

Check out the thread "Felling a split tree" for general tips on tree felling. In general, a notch cut that is around 1/4 the diameter of the tree and a hinge that is about 1/10 the diameter of the tree are good guidelines. The felling cut is made level to the ground, not down at an angle, and should be made just slightly higher than the "v" of the notch cut. Get yourself three 10" or 12" plastic wedges for persuading trees with mildly unfavorable leans, and resist the temptation to leave too thick a hinge when pulling a tree over. Ten percent is all you need in a healthy tree; more than that, and you can easily barber-chair the tree (have it split up the middle, with the hinge not coming into play).

Watch for widow-makers (branches that might fall/break off during felling/fall on you and kill you), always have an exit route planned out for when the tree starts to go, avoid getting a tree hung up in another, and if you're not sure of what you're doing, don't do it.

Respect the wind, and don't cut through your hinges. Good tip about having a spare bar and chain with you; if you pinch your bar, detach your saw from it and put on the spare bar and chain. Then free the bar by mechanical means, such as pulling on the tree with a good bull rope attached to your drawbar. A 150', 9/16" Samson Stable-braid bull rope from Sherrill arborist supply will serve you very, very well; they're around $120 I think. A $10, 12-oz. throwbag, also from Sherrill, will help you throw it up into the tree. Learn to tie a running bowline for the end of the rope that attaches to the tree, and a bowline on a bight for attaching the rope to a shackle on your drawbar.

Once the bar is unstuck, continue the felling cut until you've got your 10% hinge, and pull her over.

On your hilly terrain, pay extra careful attention to how the tree is going to behave when it lands. They can roll, bounce and kick quite a bit, and can easily harm you, your tractor or your saw when they land on uneven ground.

If you have any doubts that your tractor is heavy enough/has enough traction to control the tree, don't use it. The bullrope is good for about 12,000 lbs. and your tractor will go flying. (No, I do not know this from personal experience). /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Whatever you do, be careful. Trees are heavy and you can't fool physics. Take baby steps if you need to, build up your confidence, and then never get over-confident. Constantly respect and consider what can go wrong, and keep yourself out of trouble. Don't take chances. When you're about to take one, you'll know it. When that happens, stop, and make another plan.

Good luck,

John

 

[3RRL]

Hi John,

Great to see you post on this thread. I think we were all waiting for some "expert" advice from you. Hope this writing finds your health doing better.
Best Regards,

 

[billbill1]

Very well put John!!

 

[RFB]

John,

What is the difference between the "MS 260" and the "MS260 Pro"? On the Stihl comparison page under "Professional Chain Saws" they are both listed:

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/comparison.html

but I have not been able to determine the difference.

RFB

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

RFB -

The only differences that I know of for sure are that the 260 Pro has a decompression valve for easier starting, and an adjustable oiler (to regulate how much bar oil is used). Those are both very nice features to have, especially the decompression valve.

There's also a chance that some of the engine internals are different to give the Pro model added longevity, but I do not know that for a fact. I bet if you poked around on arborsitsite.com you might be able to find out more about that.

John