Need advice on a larger chainsaw for an older guy.

[N80]

There’s also two kind of chisel, round is slow, vibrates more, and is more for dirty uses. Then there’s square chisel when I said I sharpen a new chain it’s to make the chain cut like they should with my expectations of how I need that chain to act in the wood I’m falling. Semi chisel is a much slower cutting chain it’s not as efficient of a cutter design it works really well in a harvester application because it can take more abuse since it doesn’t have a single working corner.

My new chain is the square chisel type. I’ll correct myself though. Today I was cutting the ragged ends off of a couple of large white oak logs so I could put Anchor Seal on them and I felt like the performance was better than I’m used to with my original semi chisel chains. It can be subjective I suppose.

 

[N80]

I use a Stihl MS 362 with 20 inch bar and Pole saw HT 131. I am 80 years old and I use them regularly on our tree farm. I try to not extend the pole saw too much but other than that I don't have any problems operating them

Wow! I hope I can still be doing that sort of thing when I’m 80. Heck, I’d be happy if I could do that sort of thing when I’m 70.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

As far as splitting goes -
I bought one of those 10 Ton Hydraulic Log Splitters from HF, my fireplace of use was in the walkout basement.View attachment 728229

Used it sort of like a Nordic Track to exercise my arms while watching TV.

I have one of those. It works really well. It's not necessarily faster than splitting with a maul, but it sure is easy!

 

[newbury]

I have one of those. It works really well. It's not necessarily faster than splitting with a maul, but it sure is easy!

For me it was a LOT faster. I was splitting inside our "rec room" in the basement. Kept hitting the basement ceiling with the maul

 

[ericm979]

Square ground (or filed) looks like this:

Round filed/ground looks like:

Chisel/semi chisel is the shape of the corner of the tooth where it bends from vertical to horizontal. Chisel has a sharp crease so the filed edge of the tooth is a point. Semi is rounded over. The corner of the tooth is what cuts. Both pics above are chisel.

This one is round ground semi chisel.

Theoretically you could square grind semi chisel chain. Square ground cuts even faster than full chisel round ground but wears faster too. Square ground semi chisel would kind of be a waste but it's possible. This article shows how to square file chain and shows the file that's used: How To File Square Chisel Chain

 

[N80]

Okay, so mine is round ground full chisel. Just an off-the-shelf chain. Nothing special and I haven’t sharpened it yet.

 

[Skeans1]

Okay, so mine is round ground full chisel. Just an off-the-shelf chain. Nothing special and I haven’t sharpened it yet.

Fresh off the grinder with a small gullet and the depth gauges dropped it’s not as aggressive as what I’d run normally it was a guy’s first set of square chains I setup for him.

 

[arrow]

Sqare cut tends to cut faster. They also seem to dull faster.
Sq cut is advantageous in softer wood.
If we were cutting a stand of pine or fir or spruce and such, I'd bring sq cut to the job.
Most of our work in deciduous forests dealt with hard woods here in the North east so most of the time I used semi-chisel or round ground chain

 

[Skeans1]

Sqare cut tends to cut faster. They also seem to dull faster.
Sq cut is advantageous in softer wood.
If we were cutting a stand of pine or fir or spruce and such, I'd bring sq cut to the job.
Most of our work in deciduous forests dealt with hard woods here in the North east so most of the time I used semi-chisel or round ground chain

I’ve sent quite a few chains back to the East coast to cut hardwoods I’ve never had a complaint about life with them. A square that doesn’t have a beak with the good angles will fast and not dull very quickly, the biggest issue is guys getting beak on the corner saying it dull fast. We use square in both hard as well as “soft” woods as I said above it comes down to how it’s setup for the application.

 

[m7040]

Wow! I hope I can still be doing that sort of thing when I’m 80. Heck, I’d be happy if I could do that sort of thing when I’m 70.

George

Working out with weights daily helps me to stay in shape as I get older. Only use a half an hour or so and it makes a big difference and helps not to get strains and injuries

 

[N80]

Wow! I hope I can still be doing that sort of thing when I’m 80. Heck, I’d be happy if I could do that sort of thing when I’m 70.

George

Working out with weights daily helps me to stay in shape as I get older. Only use a half an hour or so and it makes a big difference and helps not to get strains and injuries

I joined the YMCA recently and have been working out 3-4 times a week. Too early to feel anything but sore but I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would. Really hoping to recover a lot of strength lost to neglect.

Spent all day yesterday working on the sawmill so now I’m doubly sore!

 

[Rockbadchild]

My recommendation is having two saw, a big one for your Alaskan saw mill 75 to 100cc with a ripping chain and a other one 45 to 50cc or so for cutting trails and cutting wood ... what is wrong with your current chainsaw ? if you want a longer bar you can just buy a new bar and chain and swap it. Both 271 or 350 have around 50cc's if you like it keep that one for trails and cutting wood and buy a monster for you Alaskan saw mill, using a chainsaw as a saw mill is really hard on a chainsaw you are running it full blast for long period of time thats why i am recommending having two saw for two deferent purpose and it keep you from having to find the best of both worlds when in reality it will be too heavy for trail cutting or not powerful enough for the saw mill.

 

[N80]

My recommendation is having two saw, a big one for your Alaskan saw mill

I have a band saw mill. Do not need chainsaw for milling.

what is wrong with your current chainsaw

Chains is dull.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I have a band saw mill. Do not need chainsaw for milling.



Chains is dull.

ho sorry i miss understood that i thought you wanted a chainsaw for both trail cutting and milling,

for sharpening I have seen this puppy (see image and link below) and without disrespect its fooled proof perfect sharpen every time.

Oregon 410-120 Bench or Wall Mounted Saw Chain Grinder : Amazon.ca: Sports & Outdoors

Find products from Oregon at low prices. Shop online for barbecues, mowers, garden tools, generators, snow blowers and more at Amazon.ca

www.amazon.ca

 

[arrow]

I’ve sent quite a few chains back to the East coast to cut hardwoods I’ve never had a complaint about life with them. A square that doesn’t have a beak with the good angles will fast and not dull very quickly, the biggest issue is guys getting beak on the corner saying it dull fast. We use square in both hard as well as “soft” woods as I said above it comes down to how it’s setup for the application.

I think it has more to do with type of cutting than chain "set up".
Logging here in the east deals with differentiated types of cutting. Felling is one thing but
If you're bucking stems off a skidder, sq cut has no business in this application imo and experience.
Dirty logs have a more dulling effect on sq ground chain I have found.
Semi chisel more forgiving in this application.

 

[Skeans1]

I think it has more to do with type of cutting than chain "set up".
Logging here in the east deals with differentiated types of cutting. Felling is one thing but
If you're bucking stems off a skidder, sq cut has no business in this application imo and experience.
Dirty logs have a more dulling effect on sq ground chain I have found.
Semi chisel more forgiving in this application.

It’s not always just dropping timber out here, normally if you’re falling timber by hand you’re bucking as well nothing there is different. I think what’s different is how the saws are ran with the longer bars you’re much more aware of where the tip is vs ground.

 

[arrow]

I think what’s different is how the saws are ran with the longer bars you’re much more aware of where the tip is vs ground.

I dunno. Seldom were the 48*-54" bars used at my job. Perhaps for the occasional "wolf' tree" and mostly for downed timber with root balls attached. At any rate,
Enough of what us "timber doodlers" do.
For the op, it is my humble opinion that the semi chisel chain is more general appropriate for the average needs and differentiated cutting of the home owner...

 

[John_Mc]

Sqare cut tends to cut faster. They also seem to dull faster.
Sq cut is advantageous in softer wood.
If we were cutting a stand of pine or fir or spruce and such, I'd bring sq cut to the job.
Most of our work in deciduous forests dealt with hard woods here in the North east so most of the time I used semi-chisel or round ground chain

I’ve sent quite a few chains back to the East coast to cut hardwoods I’ve never had a complaint about life with them. A square that doesn’t have a beak with the good angles will fast and not dull very quickly, the biggest issue is guys getting beak on the corner saying it dull fast. We use square in both hard as well as “soft” woods as I said above it comes down to how it’s setup for the application.

I agree with Skeans. A properly sharpened square ground chain will last longer than a round ground full chisel chain, even in hardwoods. However, square ground is much more exacting as far as needing to get things set up just right. If they are off just a bit, they will dull quickly and much of their advantage is lost.

I've not used square ground a lot, but the pros here in VT that I know who do have good reason for using square ground. They cut a lot of hardwoods and would not be using it if it dulled more quickly. I hand file my full chisel chains with a round file. My vision is just not good enough to trust myself trying to free-hand file square chain.

 

[arrow]

I agree with Skeans. A properly sharpened square ground chain will last longer than a round ground full chisel chain. However, square ground is much more exacting as far as needing to get things set up just right. If they are off just a bit, they will dull quickly and much of their advantage is lost.

I've not used square ground a lot, but the pros here in VT that I know who do have good reason for using square ground. I hand file my full chisel chains with a round file. My vision is just not good enough to trust myself trying to free-hand file square chain.

Then I guess i was doing it all wrong.

 

[N80]

A properly sharpened square ground chain will last longer than a round ground full chisel chain. However, square ground is much more exacting as far as needing to get things set up just right.

I have no need for a more finicky chain regardless of its performance benefits. I'm a weekend warrior at best.

And in that regard, for the range of work I'll be doing (felling smaller trees, limbing, bucking, clean up of downed trees and stumps) even the off-the-shelf round ground full chisel is an experiment. My chain will invariably hit the ground from time to time. If it dulls too easily I'll go back to the homeowner semi-chisel chains.....which dull easily enough.

For now I'm using the 025 for limbing and close to the ground work. It has a 16" bar (I think I had said it was 18" before). I'll keep the semi-chisel chain on it. The MS271 will be mostly for bucking and some limbing. For now I like the round ground full chisel. We'll see how long it stays sharp and whether or not I can keep it out of the dirt.

For me, the only question that remains is will I eventually want/need a 60-70cc saw. My son-in-law isn't always going to be there when I want or need to drop a larger tree (for me large is 20+ inches and 80-100 feet). Yes, discretion is the better part of valor sometimes but that could be said about many of the things I'm still capable of doing. I'm not in a hurry and I'm not itching for a new toy at this point.