Need advice on a larger chainsaw for an older guy.
- Thread starter N80
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They wore you down... just like your chain.
dodge man
Super Star Member
I keep wanting to ask the OP if he thought about sharpening his chain but I hate to pile on. Oh wait, I just did.
I think like a lot of threads they tend to drift after a while. I think people are just sharing there sharpening ideas at this point.
I think like a lot of threads they tend to drift after a while. I think people are just sharing there sharpening ideas at this point.
Root Cause
Platinum Member
Yep, this is my fault. I want to apologize for that. I jumped the rail in hopes of helping the OP cut faster and it derailed into a direction not needed at all by recommending a new fangled, not needed, piece of crap sharpener that any real chain sawin', chain sharpenin' logger would not keep in his pocket much less confess to using it.
ning
Elite Member
Since we're off the rails already let me ask - are these Stihl sharpeners crap too?
I have a collection of chains that I usually use until they're blowing smoking sawdust (too late, I know) and every once in a while I take a few to town where the local stihl saw shop sharpens them for $5 each, but I wouldn't mind getting more mileage out of my chains and I've been thinking about getting a couple.
Egon
Epic Contributor
The OP is able to do stitches so I’m quite sure filing saw chains will be easily within his skill’s range.
kenmbz
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So N80, have you decided to go for a bigger saw?
I certainly have gotten dividends from doing so, but keep the 50 and 60cc for doing different jobs with different bar lengths. I use 18/20 on the 490 and 24" on the 620.
I have a pole saw with 10" blade for overhead and cleanup of fallen branches.
I find all three cover what I need quite well. Time for me is an issue, that's where the larger saw also helps.
I certainly have gotten dividends from doing so, but keep the 50 and 60cc for doing different jobs with different bar lengths. I use 18/20 on the 490 and 24" on the 620.
I have a pole saw with 10" blade for overhead and cleanup of fallen branches.
I find all three cover what I need quite well. Time for me is an issue, that's where the larger saw also helps.
Root Cause
Platinum Member
Yep, that's the crappy, plastic new-fangled sharpener that I love. Find a video and give yourself 5 minutes with it in your hands. It will sharpen the teeth and also set the cutter depth so you get a good shaving coming off of it. I keep a small vise on a bench and a marker to know where I started. When I see it getting a little dull, I will run this through about 4 passes/tooth on the next fill-up. It takes very little time. That keeps me from changing out the chain and making more adjustments to the bar. I guess others prefer doing them all as a project but I keep the same chain on until it's toast. just make sure you get the right one for your chain.
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Skeans1
Platinum Member
By doing that you’re missing a few huge things that will help the chain last longer one is removing the chain to clean bar rails and flip the bars so you’re rails wear evenly. I look at it differently then most of the guys here I’m falling for production so swapping a chain is faster then filing a chain.
dodge man
Super Star Member
Sharpening a chain is just one of those things you have to jump in and do.
Root Cause
Platinum Member
Good to know, thanks and I will do that more often.
If you are concerned about the physical effort it takes to cut wood keeping a sharp chain on is key. I ran across a real deal on e-bay for a box full of 16" Stihl semi-chisel chains a while back so I stopped doing more than a quick file before I changed to a new chain in the interest of saving time. After accumulating several dull chains I would run them by the dealer to get them sharpened, but the price went way up so I bought an Oregon bench sharpener to do the blades myself for about the price of what it would have cost to get the 8 or 10 chains done. I get sharp blades and by doing them myself I feel like I'm extending the life of the blades because I'm careful about how much I grind off.
As a friend once told me "If you want to impress the boys put a sharp chain on and let 'er eat."
As a friend once told me "If you want to impress the boys put a sharp chain on and let 'er eat."
anchorhd
New member
3639 005 0081 amazon has them also.
anchorhd
New member
Amazon has yellow stihl for the 20" bar
3639 005 0081
OP
N80
Super Member
Sort of.
We felled 3 pines today. The largest was about 20" at the base and almost 90 feet tall. The smallest was 16" at the base and around 65 feet tall.
My son in law felled all three. Just for the story all three fell exactly where we wanted them to using wedges. For the third one we also hooked a big come-along to it because it was likely to hang up in the top, which it did. The come-along got it through with very little effort.
He has a Stihl 460 with a full chisel chain (I think). It is not ported or modded or anything but he is thinking about it.
I used it for some of the bucking we did, which was not much since we were cutting the logs at 14' long.
I felt that the saw was quite heavy and he says the weight gets to him since that is his only saw and he uses it for everything. (He is a surveyor and they use 260s a lot cutting lines and he wants something that size for his own use as well.) However, the saw handled well and cut really well. It did not feel like it was too much for me.
So, now I have something to base things on. I think a saw about that size would be just right. A little lighter would be nice.
He used my saw for some limbing and bucking in the tops. Yesterday it was dead dull and I sharpened it well last night. I asked him if it felt sharp and he said it did and he is a stickler for sharpening.......all of which is to say that the perceived weakness in the saw is not because it is dull.
The difference between the two saws was very noticeable both in weight and performance.
I will continue to use my saw for now but if the demand and tree size continue at this level I will be shopping for a saw in the 460 range. All advice given here much appreciated......and I promise to keep my chains sharp.
As a side note, I used a log weight calculator to calculate the size of the largest 14' section and it was around 1300 pounds. We had to skid them out which was no big deal but when I went to put them in a pile I used the pallet forks on my bucket. My tractor is a Kubota L4400 4wd with the LA703 loader (rated at 1700 pounds at the pin). Well, with bucket forks the log sits just in front of the edge of the bucket and it felt like I was at the limit with tractor even with a 500 pound box blade on the back and filled rears. The hydraulics felt fine but the ag tires on the front (not ideal for this kind of work) were squishy and any inputs on the hydraulics had to be very smooth and slow. My saw mill can handle larger logs but I will have to be very careful with anything bigger.
airbiscuit
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I'll say it again, if you want the best performance at the lowest weight, get a good saw and have it woods ported. Here is a modded 50cc Echo that just ripe!
MAX-24-Dean
Veteran Member
I knew I was splitting wood wrong...?
airbiscuit
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It doesn't roll.
OP
N80
Super Member
Okay, I’ll bite. And I’m sure I’m opening a can of worms that I’ll probably regret, but if porting provides that sort of power to weight improvement why aren’t they that way from the factory.
Or maybe the better question is what is the downside?
I’m fairly familiar with the give and take of performance mods in cars. There is no free lunch. I’m assuming the same is true with chainsaws?
plowhog
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Just finished up with a 23" diamater oak LIMB. (not tree, lol) Used my Stihl 462 and made some slabs on the sawmill. The rest is firewood. Everything worked great-- but even with a powerful 462, going through hardwood (down for 1 year) required just a little patience on my end. Didn't want to get ahead of the saw.
I use a professional faller to bring down the largest trees on my property, or when falling in tricky situations. Here is what he uses, and suggested that I get:
I use a professional faller to bring down the largest trees on my property, or when falling in tricky situations. Here is what he uses, and suggested that I get:
