Often before one builds, one must first take away……….
I need to remove both trees and a very large structure, and although a lot of the structure will be salvaged, I think a chainsaw will help fill in some needs on the lot and the structure where my wrecking bars, recip saw, and muscles fail me.
Anybody have any recommendations for or against any brands for a mid-size saw, keep in mind I do not plan on a 2nd career in forestry. Thanks.
Replies
Stihl or Huskvarna - I just commented to a buddy yesterday how glad I was I bought it (in 1998) I'm no forestry guy either, but I've watched friends struggle with homelites etc.
I paid $300 for a Stihl "farmboss" (029 I think). It started yesterday on the 3rd pull after 4 months of no use. They are still the same price at my local shop. A 20" bar handles everything I need. Since these are professional saws, they run at higher speeds & cut faster. There are smaller saws too, but I'll never regret spending the $$.
I know guys who have 20 year old Stihls & Huskys that have seen a lot of use and still run great.
As for the difference between - people will argue, but whichever your local shop sells and services is probably the best bet. Be safe!
Bought a Husky 15 or so years ago. Never ever let me down. Never been to the shop!! Keep it sharp and air filter clean is about it. New chain now and then and lube the bar.
Like Brian I have a Stihl 290 Farmboss. Bought it last year to replace a Stihl 08, that the saw shop guy said was around 40 yrs old.
We burn about 3-4 full cords of wood per winter.
I would be a little concerned for your safety. I have never used a chain saw for demolition work, other than a small electric one, one time. I also have used the electric one to cut up pallets in the shop, and I definately get enough practice sharpening after hitting lots of nails.
I never had formal training, but learned from friends who had grown up on a farm, another who had been a logger, and another who had burned 6 cords a year for 20 years.
Not trying to talk you out of it, just proceed with caution.
Bowz
Down here in southern Louisiana there's been a lot of experience with chainsaws cleaning up downed trees and other timber after the hurricanes. Pretty much the concensus among the professionals doing the work are: #1 Stihl; #2 Husky; #3 Echo. But, even the best of them don't work well unless the blades are kept sharp and sharpened correctly and the saw isn't kept oiled and fueled properly.
Chainsaws for Demolition! Woody, I had forgoten this story, until I read your line! I once knew this loud mouth, jerk, who wanted to remove a wall between the living room and dinning room. I had to work with this jerk about three times a week in short durations, thank God! One of his buddies, (he says) told him to use an electric Chain saw, and just cut the wall out in one section, and its a done deal!
On his first cut, he went through an electiral wire, he claims. Serviving that, he continued until he cut through a cold water pipe! I started to laugh, but knowing that the guy could go Neanderthal on me in a moment, I held back. But when he said that he had to call a plumber to shut-off his water, because he didn't know how, I had to leave, and after that, was never to be able to look this clown straight into the eye, without starting to laugh!
I am a firm believer, "Of what comes around, goes around!" ............Pop
We use the Stihl MS361 on the jobsite with very good success. Here is a pic of Matt using it to cut 14" I-joists
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Me using the same saw for cutting rafters
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and a little MS 260 that someone bought a few years ago and we found in the garage and got it tuned so we can cut beams. Its a nice light saw.
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Was wondering if you know of the manufacturer of the base attachment for the chainsaw you were using to gang cut with.
Big Foot Saw Adapters http://www.bigfoottools.com It's called the Headcutter. We had a new baseplate put on ours to make it work better. You don't want the bar or saw to lean and change the angle of the cut. That set that I'm cutting in the pic was 2x12's on a 12-12 and they came out just perfect. I was very happy with the way that those rafters turned out. I'll try and get some more pictures this week.
IMO Stihl's #1 followed by Husky..
But that said, you can get 2 Poulans for the price of 1 stihl.
I bought a Poulan for a disposable back up about 4 years ago while my husky was in the shop, and that Poulan 20" is still running strong.
I love my Huskqvarna but it rattles it self to death..... gotta check for loose chit on it every time you use it...right now I'm waiting on a new muffler bolt that disappeared during use.
I would recommend a 16" or 18" max bar length, especially if your doing demo work-- lot more control and the chain doesn't get loose as often....good luck
I wouldn't take a dozen poulans in exchange for my one Stihl! I still have my 011 that is close to 20 years old and I sold my 084 after about ten years of use. The 084 was overkill I could cut thru a frozen 24" oak log almost as fast as the saw could fall! The only reason I had the 084 was I was a dealer back then and they gave me a extreme discount at the factory training. Customers liked to check it out and wanted one until they saw the price.
That being said I would also say that you probably wouldn't go wrong with a husky or echo either. Having a great dealer that provides service and sharpening should be what seals the deal.
The last poulan that I worked on was a POS the oil pump was all plastic and had failed with less than a weekends worth of use.
Stihls are great, and you can get your money back out of them if you ever want to sell. I used to use them for work all the time. I prefer them to Husky's, but I think that's mostly a personal preference. I've got a friend who's a logger, and I think he's got 6 or 8 Jonesered saws, they must be pretty good too.
As for my own use, I've got a 40 year old Homelite XL-12, with a manual oiler and no chain brake. It still runs like a champ though.
If you want to save some money, some saw shops have used chainsaws, and ebay sometimes had deals.
zak
Edit: I think I remember the stihls ending in an even number being the better, pro models. an 026 or an 038 would be my saw of choice- around here, it's rare to find a tree that you can't handle with an 038 if you can cut from both sides, and they're nice light saws.
Edited 3/25/2006 4:09 pm by zak
I ran a wildland fire fighting crew for a number of years and we went through (wore out, rebuilt and wore out again) quite a few good saws over the years. By far the pro models from Stihl are the top choices. The farm boss saws lack some performance and comfort features, but are still a Stihl.
Many of the newer Stihl saws have been "dumbed" down and the carbs no longer allow as much adjustment. If you use the saw at a variety of elevations or the saw doesn't run well at your elevation this is not so good. An 038 out of the late 80's is a tough middle size saw that simply works when you want it to.
The top end Husky saws must be good since there are so many of them in use by professionals outside of firefighting, but many that I've been around have had problems starting.
Having said that, in your situation I'd pick up a 12 amp. Makita electric. It's cheaper, easier to run, easier to maintain, and can be used indoors much better than the gas models that belch 2-stroke exhaust.
Chainsaws and demo don't usually go together all that well since the sharpness of the chain is so critical to the speed of the cut and nails dull the chain so quickly. Nails and such also greatly increase the risk of chainsaw kickback. If I owned a chainsaw I'd still leave it behind when demo starts on a new project.
By buying the electric Makita you could use the money saved for a downpayment on a new orbital sawzall.
:-)
I have used stihl chainsaws for years with great results. A year or two ago I needed to do some quiet cutting and bought the makita electric. I must have had unreasonably high expectations because I was very disappointed.Probably my biggest issue was the clutch on the drive sprocket. I assume it is a safety feature to protect the motor or to keep it from kicking back. The good part is that it prevents you from putting enough load on the motor to cause it any stress, the bad part is I am continuously having to back off the cut to get the chain moving again.More than likely the problem is I am expecting an electric chainsaw to perform like a gas powered one. I like the concept of electric but it just didn't compare.Karl
You got a bad one. (Makita Electric) I have used several and they don't do what you describe. Make sure to use as heavy and short cord as you can and keep the chain sharp.
More than likely the problem is I am expecting an electric chainsaw to perform like a gas powered one.
That's interesting. A Stihl electric is much more expensive, but cuts like the dickens. Same for a Husky from a few years ago. They cut very well, but maybe the Makita isn't as beefy?
Both Sthil and Husky make electric chainsaws too!I have the Husky. Motor is in line with the blade (sidewinder style) well made, with all the features and construction of their gas ones.My Father has the Sthil and has put it to far more use than I have with mine. He is in his 80's and cuts all his firewood with it. 5 logging truck loads so far, of birch and pine up to 18" across. It's lighter than the Husky with the motor mounted across the saw.
Both Sthil and Husky make electric chainsaws too!
Good point. More expensive, but either are probably better if it's in the budget.
I bought a husky 257 with a 20" bar ten years ago and I consider that one of my best tool purchases. Its never given me a problem, always starts after months on the shelf. You cant ask for more than that
Another vote for Stihl, and an additional caution about using a chainsaw for demo work.
I believe there are several good uses for chainsaws in construction: gang-cutting, etc. but only on known clean wood. Demo work doesn't usually include wood known for sure to be clean.
Stihl does make an expensive line of saw chain called Rapid Duro (RD) they claim is "suitable for cutting dirty wood, treated wood or railroad ties", but that isn't the same as an errant nail, screw, wire, or pipe which would toast just about any chain and possibly you as well.
A chainsaw is simply not the right tool for demolition, and there are better, less expensive options out there- a Sawzall with the correct blade, for example.
Thanks to all for the opinions regarding Stihl, Husky, and Echo. It seems as though everyone (as well as dopes like me) has the same 1st two choices.
Also thanks to those of you who expressed safety concerns. The chainsaw is NOT my choice as primary tool on the demo. But the retired "Brilliant" engineer who built the workshop structure i need to demo used a lot of raw monster sized beams and boards he milled himself 4"x16", 10"x12", 8"x8" etc. I want to save this stuff but i also want to get it down in a reasonable amount of time. Since i need to take 2 trees down that abutt the structure i figured that the chainsaw in addition to my circ, sawzall, prybars and a couple of my friends backs wouldhelp speed things along.
If the damn thing didnt connect to my house I would have asked if anyone knew where to get a cheap gallon of gasoline because that would be the ideal demo method. And since there is no such thing as a cheap gallon of gas I didn't want to look like a total ####, just a half-####.
Thanks again.
I'll go against the crowd and put my echo as my first choice. My Stihl Farm Boss is very picky on gasoline and won't start if the gas has any ethenol or other additives in it. If it won't light off, I just put the gas in my little Echo and it will start on the first pull. I grab the little echo (12") and use it on any tree/limbs up to about 9". It is light enough to use with one hand.If you choose to go against the recommendations here and use the chainsaw for demolition, be sure and wear the helmet with the full face mask the chainsaw chaps or you are likely to end up missing a few body pieces you might want later...
I've had a Husqvarna 55 for about 12 years now. 18" bar.
No hesitation I'd buy another one if this one ever died.
I love my Stihl (.029), have had it for 25 years and only replaced a bar I bent. Maintain it like you would any good tool and respect it, a lot. For demo, buy a sawzall...the right tool for the right job. It's a shame to consider a chainsaw for demo unless you want to throw it away after.
bum
I too have a Stihl Farmboss. It's good for sawing 18" logs (fitted w/ 20" bar). Sometimes it's a little small - note that the next series up uses a different, wider tooth profile. Get both the summer and winter air filters.
If Shindaiwa is sold and serviced in your area it is "the best chainsaw on earth"
I have the same saw and only recently discovered it will accept 3/8 chain.......with a new matching bar of course......
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'Wer ist jetzt der Idiot?'
As everyone else said, keep to the Husky and Stihl's. In my area, I think the Stihls are over priced and they are much tougher to service, Husky is by far the most used in MA by tree co's.
One thing to pay attention to is the chain size. In the Husky line you need to go to the 359 or Rancher 55's or higher to use the larger chain size. The smaller saws are fine but the bigger chain will cut much faster.
Stihl - FarmBoss.
Well, as if it hasn't been said yet, you can't go wrong with either Husqvarna or Stihl. Right now I'm running three saws, two Huskies and one Stihl. Saw #1 is a Husky 51 with a 16 inch bar. It's going on 8 years old and has seen some heavy use and has never skipped a beat. Saw #2 is a Stihl 044 that I actually bought rather well-used a few years back, probably about 10 or 15 years old at this point. It needed some tuning up, but man that saw runs nice. I usually keep either a 20 or 24 inch bar on it but occasionally I've been known to run it with a 16 inch bar - great for smaller-scale drops and heavy limbing. Saw #3 is still breaking in. It's a Husky 455 with a 20 inch bar. So far I really like it and I haven't been able to fault anything about it. My all-around favorite part is that Husky FINALLY learned from Stihl that it's possible to side-mount the chain tensioner - no more trying to squeeze a screntch between the bar and the bucking spikes. Anyways, it's a mid-sized saw at around 56 cc - honestly feels like it displaces in the 60s - and cuts quite nicely.
As far as the demo idea, might work for you, might not. I've opened quite a few roofs and walls using chain saws. Mind you, the roofs and walls in question belonged to structures with some degree of fire progressing through them, but the idea remains the same. We usually used one of two saws, one being a Stihl 046 with a few add-ons for the fire service - most notably a carbide chain. It might be worth looking into, but for what it's worth, I'd stick with a reciprocating saw and a good demo blade.
Hi Woody,
The saw I love and still use ( its 12 years old) is a Homelite. I'm sure everyone will say that this is a bad choice and I'm not here recommending it, but it has served me well. The only recommendation I will suggest to you is for demolition work, you are probably better suited using a 16 inch bar. Longer bars can get you in trouble, especially if working in tight areas around co-workers.
Believe it or not but the 16 inch chainsaw was for many years, practically the only saw I used (other than a handsaw on occaision) when at my day job as an industrial carpenter inside a steel mill. The mill operated mostly on 3 phase electrical...110 was practically non-existent...so all rough framing/formwork was done via chainsaw work. After years of daily use, all of us on the gang got pretty adept at using one. Not only were we cutting 2x and 4x lumber with the saws, but we were also cutting plywood and other sheet goods as well.
In order for me to construct my new garage/workshop, I first had to demo the old existing structure. My chainsaw was invaluable to me ....I cut out the wall panels between the studs first, then cautiously started cutting out the studs and weakening others until the roof collapsed down on top of the remaining walls. Once on the ground, I again cut right through roof and all. Yeah, I went through a few blades on that one.
Chainsaws can very much be the "right tool" in the hands of an experienced person, and definately be the WRONG tool in the hands of someone else... even when both are trying to accomplish the same task. The old saying.."There is more than one way to do the same job" definately holds true....In my experience, the "right tool" for any job is the one that YOU feel most confident when using. Some people will use a jig saw while others don't hesitate in reaching for the circular saw!
IMHO, for cutting trees, longer bars are better, but for brush and house demo...using a 16 inch bar is much safer. One last note, try to be aware of nails when cutting, and always be on guard for kickback...it seldom happens , but when it does, its a bi_ ch!
Good luck.
Davo
You don't see Shindaiwa around as much as the others, but if you do, and the price is competitive, you'll have a tool every bit as good.
Bruce
Between the mountains and the desert ...
A lot of good advice in this thread.
I run five gallon of gas through a chainsaw a year. I wore out a Sthil 025. I bought a 40 cc Poulan Pro with an 18" bar to replace it at Sams. I'm happy with the PP. I've had it for a year. It's not as good a saw as the Sthil but then it was $119 and the Sthil was $350 eight years ago.