Chain Saw Question

[RayH]

As I said earlier, your not used to the power of this saw. Your old Poulan was under powered, is its like mine. When it would bind a little, it would just stall. Your new saw has more power and doesnt stall when bound. The chain keeps going and leaves the bar. When you get used to the saw, it will be fine.

 

[RayH]

As I said earlier, your not used to the power of this saw. Your old Poulan was under powered, is its like mine. When it would bind a little, it would just stall. Your new saw has more power and doesnt stall when bound. The chain keeps going and leaves the bar. When you get used to the saw, it will be fine.

 

[Spiffy]

By coincidence, I noticed a post in another forum where a 180 owner had switched to a wider chain because the .043 was too easy to throw and consequently bend. I think the 2-5" stuff was the issue there moreso than 1-2" but am not positive.

Perhaps techinique is the real key, but the wider gage does seem to make sense.

I'd really like to see how a 230 with a .325 X .063 would handle your stuff, but perhaps the money is better put to use on a brush cutter for taking out the stuff that's binding your saw.

 

[Spiffy]

By coincidence, I noticed a post in another forum where a 180 owner had switched to a wider chain because the .043 was too easy to throw and consequently bend. I think the 2-5" stuff was the issue there moreso than 1-2" but am not positive.

Perhaps techinique is the real key, but the wider gage does seem to make sense.

I'd really like to see how a 230 with a .325 X .063 would handle your stuff, but perhaps the money is better put to use on a brush cutter for taking out the stuff that's binding your saw.

 

[Berniep]

<font color="blue">What did you pay for your echo trimmer setup with the saw blade? And where did you get it (if you don't mind my asking)? </font>

I don't mind at all but the problem is I can't really remember.
It was about two years ago, I think it was about 280$ for the trimmer and around 30$ for the brush blade setup. I got it from the local amish lawn mower dealer(you wouldn't think amish would be up on thier power equipment but they really know their stuff) Not cheap but the best trimmer I have ever used. I think its a 23cc model. I got a straight shaft because I don't have to bend over to get the right angle when trimming. And with the saw blade it puts the blade farther from my body. I have worked this trimmer to and beyond the point of abuse. I was going to buy an echo chainsaw but I got the husky for a birthday present and have been happy with it. A word of caution to anyone who tries this with a trimmer. Be absolutley sure there are no people or animals around when cutting. If the teeth grab the trimmer can kick around in about a 90 degree arc and it WILL drastically shorten anything in its path. The nieghbors dog snuck up on me one time and I came within an inch of giving him the nickname lucky.

 

[Berniep]

<font color="blue">What did you pay for your echo trimmer setup with the saw blade? And where did you get it (if you don't mind my asking)? </font>

I don't mind at all but the problem is I can't really remember.
It was about two years ago, I think it was about 280$ for the trimmer and around 30$ for the brush blade setup. I got it from the local amish lawn mower dealer(you wouldn't think amish would be up on thier power equipment but they really know their stuff) Not cheap but the best trimmer I have ever used. I think its a 23cc model. I got a straight shaft because I don't have to bend over to get the right angle when trimming. And with the saw blade it puts the blade farther from my body. I have worked this trimmer to and beyond the point of abuse. I was going to buy an echo chainsaw but I got the husky for a birthday present and have been happy with it. A word of caution to anyone who tries this with a trimmer. Be absolutley sure there are no people or animals around when cutting. If the teeth grab the trimmer can kick around in about a 90 degree arc and it WILL drastically shorten anything in its path. The nieghbors dog snuck up on me one time and I came within an inch of giving him the nickname lucky.

 

[proudestmonkey]

I'm replying to my own first post in this thread, to give an update.

After reading all the helpful suggestions here, listening to the dealer, and re-reading the entire saw manual, I went out today to take down some more buckthorn, using a new chain (same type) with my old bar. I cut trees on and off for about 5 hours. No bent chain links, no chain popping off the bar, did all that I asked it to do.

I think I'll chalk it up to new guy using a chain saw (or "user error"). The dealer's suggestion about cutting from the bottom of the bar right near the saw seemed to really help. I also avoided where I could "limbing" the small trees, using my hand-lopper instead wherever I could. I also tried to make two cuts from either side of the tree to avoid pinching.

All in all, I am satisfied that it was not the saw. It was me.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I have learned a ton about how to properly use my saw.

Two other worthy points about chain saws.

In another forum, a doctor posted a suggestion to use cutting chaps. I am glad I listened. They arrived yesterday. Today, I used them, and would have had a nasty cut on my left leg if the chaps hadn't stopped the blade. I was cutting a smallish (2") tree, it buckled on me and spit the saw back at me, grazing my leg. The chain got caught up in the kevlar fibers, and stopped. I immediately shut the saw off and then had to take the chaps off to untangle it from the saw. I figured that was a good sign that I had done enough sawing today.

Also, someone in this or another thread mentioned the importance of a helmut. I didn't have one, so I used my bike helmet instead. Good thing. I was taking down several large (40' tall) buckthorns today. They were in an area where they had grown around a large oak tree (trunk diameter of the oak is probably 3 to 4 feet and the branches spread over a good 80 to 100 feet. As I was taking one of the larger buckthorns down, I felled it in a direction of a fairly clear path. The problem was that it was supporting the weight of a dead oak branch 30 feet up. Without the buckthorn as a prop, that branch came down right at me. I saw it coming, but was not able to avoid it entirely--thunk, right onto my helmut. I was braced for it, so I think I'll just have a sore neck tomorrow, but if I had had my Kubota hat on, I would have a nasty bump, or even a concussion.

So, thanks to this forum, I do not have a scratch on me tonight (I also picked up a better pair of cutting gloves the other day, so no thorn scratches on my wrists--Stihl brand gloves, cause their orange).

 

[proudestmonkey]

I'm replying to my own first post in this thread, to give an update.

After reading all the helpful suggestions here, listening to the dealer, and re-reading the entire saw manual, I went out today to take down some more buckthorn, using a new chain (same type) with my old bar. I cut trees on and off for about 5 hours. No bent chain links, no chain popping off the bar, did all that I asked it to do.

I think I'll chalk it up to new guy using a chain saw (or "user error"). The dealer's suggestion about cutting from the bottom of the bar right near the saw seemed to really help. I also avoided where I could "limbing" the small trees, using my hand-lopper instead wherever I could. I also tried to make two cuts from either side of the tree to avoid pinching.

All in all, I am satisfied that it was not the saw. It was me.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I have learned a ton about how to properly use my saw.

Two other worthy points about chain saws.

In another forum, a doctor posted a suggestion to use cutting chaps. I am glad I listened. They arrived yesterday. Today, I used them, and would have had a nasty cut on my left leg if the chaps hadn't stopped the blade. I was cutting a smallish (2") tree, it buckled on me and spit the saw back at me, grazing my leg. The chain got caught up in the kevlar fibers, and stopped. I immediately shut the saw off and then had to take the chaps off to untangle it from the saw. I figured that was a good sign that I had done enough sawing today.

Also, someone in this or another thread mentioned the importance of a helmut. I didn't have one, so I used my bike helmet instead. Good thing. I was taking down several large (40' tall) buckthorns today. They were in an area where they had grown around a large oak tree (trunk diameter of the oak is probably 3 to 4 feet and the branches spread over a good 80 to 100 feet. As I was taking one of the larger buckthorns down, I felled it in a direction of a fairly clear path. The problem was that it was supporting the weight of a dead oak branch 30 feet up. Without the buckthorn as a prop, that branch came down right at me. I saw it coming, but was not able to avoid it entirely--thunk, right onto my helmut. I was braced for it, so I think I'll just have a sore neck tomorrow, but if I had had my Kubota hat on, I would have a nasty bump, or even a concussion.

So, thanks to this forum, I do not have a scratch on me tonight (I also picked up a better pair of cutting gloves the other day, so no thorn scratches on my wrists--Stihl brand gloves, cause their orange).

 

[MarkV]

Wow PM, you found out the value of chaps and a helmet much faster than most. Glad you had both of them on at the time. I know you don’t want to hear it but once those chaps are damaged they should be replaced.

MarkV

 

[MarkV]

Wow PM, you found out the value of chaps and a helmet much faster than most. Glad you had both of them on at the time. I know you don’t want to hear it but once those chaps are damaged they should be replaced.

MarkV