Chainsaw sizing?

[SD51555]

I watch a lot of firewood guys and pro loggers on youtube. I can't help but notice everyone uses a bigger saw than me. It got me to wondering, how a person goes about picking a chainsaw size.

What I do on my place is about half brush cutting, stuff under 3" thick, and then some larger tree felling, but even those aren't ever much bigger than 14" DBH. I think I've always like my smaller Stihl MS250 because it's smaller and lighter. I can't help think it'd be silly for me to be swinging around a large saw for such small trees. Am I missing something here? Is there more fatigue with a smaller saw because there's a smaller power head?

 

[Catscratch]

Price. I picked mine's size because I justified affording it.

 

[Someday isle]

Great question. I actually just posted on my land tour that I’m doing lots of chainsaw work right now. I too have an MS 250 for my “Big saw” and a new model MS162 for my “little saw”. I agree that cost is a factor but in response to a question from Bill I also avoid cutting bigger trees by myself anyway. I don’t really have need for a bigger saw because I don’t cut things very big or beyond my comfort level. My brother manages the grounds for a local college with lots of woods and big trees on their property. They do a lot of cleanup work every year with big trees plus he cuts a lot of firewood. He uses bigger professional saws because they get worked a lot harder and more frequently than anything I’d do.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Bought an MS250 years ago. Still my go to saw for 90% of my cutting. Wish I had 18" instead of 16" bar for a little more reach without bending but that saw is light and does well with sharp chain.

My other saw is MS361 which is professional level saw with lots of power. Still pick up MS250 cause it's lighter and it works

 

[Bill]

Don’t know the numbers off hand but I’ve got a stihl 20 inch bar and 16 inch bar. I always go for the small saw first. The big one is a Harley and cuts fast but it’s a beast to hang on to. IMO no need for a saw with a bar bigger than what you’re cutting. I bought a 10 inch battery operated saw at harbor freight on the cheap for around the house. I kind of like it. I’m not going to hinge cut an acre with it but it’s easy to use on little stuff.

 

[Jerry-B-WI]

I have a Husky 350, not made anymore, with a 18 inch bar for cutting trees. It gets heavy after a while or maybe I'm just getting older. I use a Echo brush cutter with a 8 inch 8 tooth blade for brush. No bending over or throwing the chain off to cut brush.

 

[Foggy47]

I have a small Stihl saw for most work I do. I think mine is 1 MS180. I dont do much heavy cutting anymore.....and dont remember the model of the larger saw I have.....and have not used in several years. Getting old here....and wont do much saw work anymore.

But lately I been using an EGO Saw with the battery pack quite often. I like the quiet operation (no muffs needed) and instant on / off of an electric saw. Definitely a small job saw.....but I have cut nearly 1/2 cord of birch firewood with one charge of that battery. Kinda amazing when you think about it. I already had the battery from a leaf blower (love it) and a hedge trimmer that we use each fall to cut back our bushes and flowers. Well made products.....and once you have the batteries.....the bare "implements" come a bit cheaper.

 

[Tree Spud]

I have multiple Stihl saws one with 16" (MS180 I think) that is lightweight and I use for limbing trees once down. An 18" (Farm Boss) which has a larger powerhead that I use for cutting up logs and felling trees. I have since added a 25" size (MS462) for dropping of larger trees. I actually have about 5 saws and one extension pruner.

I found that with my 18" bar I was having to make 2 cuts on either side of some trees with larger bases. I am hoping the 25" sized bar will make larger diameter trees easier to deal with.

The powerhead needs to be matched with the chain length. You need enough power and torque to have a saw efficiently and safely cut through the wood. If the saw is underpowered, you struggle with cutting and probably wear the saw out. Note that some of the cheaper brands will use plastic versus metal gears.

For me, I pay attention to fatigue as that is when accidents happen. Keeping the chain sharp is real important.

For what you described SD, an 18" blade would cover your situation well. I like having at least 2 saws, a smaller one for smaller work where maneuverability is important, and a larger powered one for larger log cutting.

 

[TreeDaddy]

20 " farm boss and 14" arborist

The "fatigue"thing Spud posted warrants emphasis

A whole sub forum could be created about all things chainsaws( safety, protective gear, fuel,maintenance, chain sharpeners ,etc)

bill

 

[Telemark]

I prefer a big powerhead with a sharp chain. Nothing fatigues me faster than an underpowered saw and a dull chain. Carrying a heavy saw is not nearly as tiring as holding a chainsaw at an awkward angle and readjusting my cuts over and over. Smaller saws and dull chains tend to wander in larger trees. When I go out to cut trees, it's often a half day or a full day in the woods, and I usually have an ATV with me. For me the weight is not as important as the performance.

 

[Telemark]

As far as safety gear, the most dangerous thing for me is sawdust on my eyes. A helmet with ear muffs and a face cage makes a huge difference.

 

[T-Max]

I have multiple Stihl saws one with 16" (MS180 I think) that is lightweight and I use for limbing trees once down. An 18" (Farm Boss) which has a larger powerhead that I use for cutting up logs and felling trees. I have since added a 25" size (MS462) for dropping of larger trees. I actually have about 5 saws and one extension pruner.

I found that with my 18" bar I was having to make 2 cuts on either side of some trees with larger bases. I am hoping the 25" sized bar will make larger diameter trees easier to deal with.

The powerhead needs to be matched with the chain length. You need enough power and torque to have a saw efficiently and safely cut through the wood. If the saw is underpowered, you struggle with cutting and probably wear the saw out. Note that some of the cheaper brands will use plastic versus metal gears.

For me, I pay attention to fatigue as that is when accidents happen. Keeping the chain sharp is real important.

For what you described SD, an 18" blade would cover your situation well. I like having at least 2 saws, a smaller one for smaller work where maneuverability is important, and a larger powered one for larger log cutting.

I thought two saws were necessary so you can cut out the first saw when you pinch the blade?! I did that twice yesterday on some small limbs…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SD51555]

Good feedback fellas. I had a feeling I was properly sized for what I was working on, but I didn't know.

Another thing I wonder about it wedges. I can't say I ever used wedges properly when felling. I had a couple of them, and I used them until I destroyed them by beating on them. One year it seemed like all I did was use wedges to try to steer trees when felling. I eventually busted them to pieces by trying too hard to push things too much.

I haven't used them in a few years now, and I haven't had any problems without them, other than some trees end up having to go their own way first, and I clean them up later.

 

[Catscratch]

I used to use a wedge or two but haven't in a long time. I only needed them when I was younger and working harder/faster then I should have been. Now I take my time, look things over real good, then make cuts that let the tree fall where I want it. No need to push anymore.

 

[Tree Spud]

Good feedback fellas. I had a feeling I was properly sized for what I was working on, but I didn't know.

Another thing I wonder about it wedges. I can't say I ever used wedges properly when felling. I had a couple of them, and I used them until I destroyed them by beating on them. One year it seemed like all I did was use wedges to try to steer trees when felling. I eventually busted them to pieces by trying too hard to push things too much.

I haven't used them in a few years now, and I haven't had any problems without them, other than some trees end up having to go their own way first, and I clean them up later.

I use wedges quite a bit. I will use in rear cut to keep tree from back leaning and binding the saw. I will then use either a plastic wedge or the front cut wood wedge in the front cut on one side or another if I want to encourage a tree to go a certain direction as it starts to fall. Sometimes this helps to push the tree a bit to keep from hanging up in another tree.

I will tell you thou, that unless the tree has an obvious lean, and you know the upper large limbs won't counter weight the tree in a different direction, I spend a lot of time looking at a tree. I look for the main trunk and how straight it is. Sometimes they look to angle/lean one direction, and that will change the higher you go up. I look for where the most mass of large limbs are located and how tat can affect the drop. I also look for dead limbs or "widow" makers. Want to make sure a dead limb or hung up branch does not fall on you.

I have walked away from trees that I am just not confident in what they are going to do.

 

[356]

I have a 28” Echo that is a beast, but definitely is the right saw for certain jobs. Sometimes having enough power and blade is safer. My go-to saws are a Skill MS-250 with 18” and a no-name “amazon” $100 saw with a 22” blade (which works great, surprisingly). I use wedges periodically for those trees that must go in a certain direction.

I spend time branching and ensuring the ground around the tree is clear. Safety is a priority.

 

[SD51555]

Most of what I'm doing is getting clear cut anyway. If a tree has to go a certain way to keep from something bad happens, I don't try to move the tree's path, I clear everything else out of the way of where the tree wants to go. Sometimes that means I've got to do extra work to clean up those trees because they go places I didn't want them. That's where I learned you can cut a 10" DBH pople or aspen into 6-8 chunks and throw it on a pile.

 

[fishin coyote]

Like SD most of my cutting is on stuff less than 14” dbh. I run a MS271 with an 18” bar as my main saw, it’s better to have the extra power if needed. I also use a cheap Poulan wild thing 14” for small stuff

 

[Native Hunter]

95% of my cutting can be done with the little, light MS170. I have a 250 for any bigger jobs.

At one time I purchased one of the super light Stihl saws (don't recall the model) made for someone cutting with one hand up in a tree. It would work great for that purpose, but it isn't designed correctly for someone on the ground cutting with two hands. I ended up selling it, because my days of swinging in trees with a saw are over. I could still do it, but I'm wise enough not to.

Now that I use a 170 nearly all the time, the 250 feels like a weight lifting session when I do occasionally get it out.

 

[deepsleep]

I watch a lot of firewood guys and pro loggers on youtube. I can't help but notice everyone uses a bigger saw than me. It got me to wondering, how a person goes about picking a chainsaw size.

What I do on my place is about half brush cutting, stuff under 3" thick, and then some larger tree felling, but even those aren't ever much bigger than 14" DBH. I think I've always like my smaller Stihl MS250 because it's smaller and lighter. I can't help think it'd be silly for me to be swinging around a large saw for such small trees. Am I missing something here? Is there more fatigue with a smaller saw because there's a smaller power head?

There are a lot of variables that determine the answer to this question. When I bought my property, it had been high-graded over the years. It was mostly wooded with lots of 8-22” trees with little timber value. My early objective (being new to chainsaw work) was to mostly hinge and fell small trees with a ms200 rear handle with 14” bar. As I gained experience, I bought an MS261 with an 18” bar to tackle some bigger trees. The 261 will wear you out much faster than the 200, but cuts so much faster, I end up coming out ahead if I’m just felling a bunch of medium sized trees. This year, I decided to tackle some of the larger trees. I went back and forth on how much larger to go as I wanted to run a 25” bar. I ultimately settled on a 400 as it is the lightest saw will pull a 25” chain well (from the research I did). Long story short, the 400 is a nice step up from the 261. I ended up getting a 2nd one with a 20” bar and it screams. It’s more of a workout than the 261, but again, cuts much faster when you get into 16”+ trees. These are all pro saws. They are more expensive but for that, you get better power/weight ratio and longevity. In my case it is worth it because I have such a high volume of cutting to do. From what you describe, you don’t need a bigger saw. I’d have the lightest, strongest saw you can get that will handle 90% of what you cut.