PTO Gen, chainsaw, or ...

[snoboy]

I think you got yourself sidetracked after you answered your own question.

Problem: "I have about 20 acres with about 10 oaks with oak wilt I need to cutdown".

Solution: "Good gas chain saw maybe Stihl $350"

I would think that oak could retrieve $350 in some way.

snoboy

 

[bcarwell]

A big THANKS to all who responded. I'm glad I got over thinking this was too stupid a question to ask. I saw a great common sense wise consensus quickly forming which was a BIG help to me in clearing my foggy reasoning. I'm off to the store this weekend to buy a medium priced GAS chain saw. I STILL want a portable power supply some day. But it can wait.

Thanks again to all for your thoughtful advice and alternatives.

Bob

(And oh yes. I'm SURE, given the relative price tags, my WIFE thanks you).

 

[MrJimi]

Bob, A troybilt 5500 watt generator is a great one, it will do 220 volts at 30 amps and we bought ours at Lowes
Jim

 

[SPIKER]

I like all the responces so far, I would also buy a good poulan saw from any number of retailers, I have 2 of them both bought NEW and run like tops. I ahve the 18" wild thing from wally world and a 14" from kmart closing. paid 138 ad 46 respectivly, (should have bought both of those 14" saws for the clearance going out of buisness price that they had on them

anyhow also lots of places on net to buy these saws new and or recond. the great thing about reconditioned saws/tools is that they have been fixed, run & adjusted buy a factory rep who knows how to adjust the saws... I have several tools which were bought this way and generally I have less problems with the reconditioned toolas vs the new untested ones...

that being said I haven't touched the saws other than reg maintenance such as cleaning air cleaners & keeping the chains sharp, probalby 5 gal of fuel through the 18" saw 3 bars multi chains, and almost as much through the 14" which is 2 yrs newer. still same sprockets on them. keeping CORRECT tension on the saws will make sprocket life extended... most people run them too tight or too loose... read manuals make sure you do the stuff right. Factorys invest a lot in manuals and know what they are talking about. most people only refer to manuals as a last resort (myself included a lot of the time )

Mark M

 

[Glowplug]

I'm on 16 acres with a house and a barn with electricity and I just can't conceive of trying to use an electric chainsaw here. My vision of the electric chainsaw user is someone who lives on a third to half acre lot and needs to do some trimming work or sawing up of fallen limbs after a storm.

I previously had a Poulan Pro. It worked fine. I now have a Stihl 290. I love it more than anything.

 

[andrewj]

I would approach this question from another perspective: Everything you own is going to breakdown or need repairs eventually - right? Do you really want to burn up useful hours (and fuel) running your $20k tractor to power a $200 chainsaw? Every hour of duty cycle time on a tractor or generator is spent getting closer to a failure or breakdown of some kind.

If you do experience a breakdown when cutting up trees, would you rather have to repair (or replace) your $20k tractor; your $1200 generator; or a $200 chainsaw? At some labor rates and parts prices, you'd have been further ahead to buy the wood already cut; stacked; and delivered!

Buy a regular gas powered chainsaw; treat it right or abuse it.....replacing it or fixing it is still way cheaper than fixing the other equipment so you can run an electric chainsaw.

My 2 cents........

exactly, except buy two chainsaws so when one malfunctions, you have the other immediately accessible.

don't put hours on your tractor for this...
elec. chain saw on this size job will end up making you laugh at yourself for thinking it would actually work (ever really cut down trees at all? - I have to wonder about the safety of what you plan...you know felling timber is a jillion times more dangerous than running a tractor without rops?!!! seriously, if you don't know how to fell a tree, get some help at first.)

 

[bobkrack]

A big THANKS to all who responded. I'm glad I got over thinking this was too stupid a question to ask. I saw a great common sense wise consensus quickly forming which was a BIG help to me in clearing my foggy reasoning. I'm off to the store this weekend to buy a medium priced GAS chain saw. I STILL want a portable power supply some day. But it can wait.
Thanks again to all for your thoughtful advice and alternatives.
Bob
(And oh yes. I'm SURE, given the relative price tags, my WIFE thanks you).

Hi Bob,
I have seen much valuable advice here but I must say that your statement regarding the magnitude of planned work does NOT require a medium or large gas powered chainsaw.
I work for Sierra Pacific Industries in California, one of the largest timber/lumber handling companies in the USA and we use only electric chain saws in our "pole plant". The pole plant operator might make several hundred cuts each day through up to 18" timber.
The idea of a portable power source would be by the far the best >IF< you are extremely satisified with your electric saw, AND you have a use (or reasonably perceived use) or need for a portable power source.
The idea of an inverter is probably not a very good idea unless you are running it of a dedicated battery (and battery charging) system.
No offense intended to all the helpful contributors here!
Bob

 

[Rob-D]

First off, any electric chainsaw with the power to do work will be at least 3 hp.

One HP = 746 watts so an inverter will have to be capable of a surge of twice that. 6 x 746 = 4,476 watts so you would need a good inverter. Besides you will also need a tractor battery and alternator that bwill handle that load. At 12 volts you will need, figuring on 2,500 watts, over 200 amps. That's a lot to ask.

A 3PH generator will work and it is a handy thing to have. A good one will allow you to weld in the field.

The cheapest option is a low cost gas chain saw. A good electric chain saw will cost you 80 or 100 bucks, ok for quick jobs but not my choice for medium to heavy work.

 

[RonMar]

I have an 18" Poulan Wild Thing that I bought 5 years ago at Wal-Mart. It has processed many cord of wood(I heated exclusevly with wood up untill last feb, got a pellet stove now without missing a beat. I have had NO problems whatsoever. It has enough power to, with a sharp chain, easilly cut thru an 18" log(green Fir and Madrona) at a very respectable rate. I have used it so much, I have gone thru 3 bars and half a dozzen chains(cutting out stump root wads is pretty hard on chains requiring repeated sharpening). The saw starts easilly every time, idles reliably and has only required basic maintenance(clean and inspect plug, engine, filter). It is small enough to run it all day long without wearing yourself out. It is also small enough to work on limbs overhead. Mine has been an excellent value at it's $140 purchase price.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Running a tractor at PTO speed to run a PTO gen to power an electric chain saw sounds like a study in wasting energy. With each step you lose energy. Diesel fuel burns in diesel tractor, energy lost, then PTO gen converts the diesel back into electric power (cripes, now that is a loss of energy) then that electricity is converted back into work by an electric chain saw, another big drop in energy efficiency.

Get a very good gas powered chain saw and save yourself a ton of money in the process.
Bob