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Picking a new chainsaw?
- Thread starter SD51555
- Start date
My yard at the house is around half acre. about 5 years ago, decided to buy my first electric mower. Went with EGO. Bought a mower and a blower. I was so impressed, I got the combo weedeater/edger, and the chainsaw.
First electric chainsaw i've owned, and it works as good or better than the 5 different gas chainsaws I've used over the years. I always bought the cheapo gas ones, usually would get a few years out of them before they would start leaking or get hard to start. I've been very pleased with the electric ego one, and the other bonus is, my wife started helping with the yardwork again.
First electric chainsaw i've owned, and it works as good or better than the 5 different gas chainsaws I've used over the years. I always bought the cheapo gas ones, usually would get a few years out of them before they would start leaking or get hard to start. I've been very pleased with the electric ego one, and the other bonus is, my wife started helping with the yardwork again.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
He's one of my favorite channels. He's like a Bob Ross/Grant Woods/Chevy Chase kind of character all wrapped up into one.
I also like watching that In The Woodyard channel on youtube. These guys do a really good job of teaching about all things wood, saws, splitters, trees, logging, etc.
Seems like all the tools are about quality, usability, and cycle time. I caught a video on instagram where someone did cutting times on four different saws. They were all to cut through the same 12" thick log. Here's how they performed, and this isn't perfect, but you'll get the idea:
$300 saw: 27 seconds
$700 saw: 21 seconds
$1500 saw: 10 seconds
$3200 saw: 5 seconds
The In The Woodyard guy did the same thing education on wood splitters. He said the "ton" rating on a log splitter is absolutely useless. What matters is:
*Can it get through?
*How fast is the cycle time?
The rest matters, but those are the performance stats. I've seen some painfully slow bargain splitters.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
^^^ I own a painfully slow marginal splitter. Takes a lot of beer to get much split!
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
Those guys who do a lot of sawing are tough. Not bending over is nice but my grip strength has gotten pretty sad with too many years behind the keyboard - I get tired forearms and shoulders pretty quick holding the heavier saws. I bet with a lot more use that would get better..
SD51555
5 year old buck +
If I ever owned a splitter, I'd probably get a small and slow one too. I'd love one of those $4000 kinetic splitters, but I'd be done splitting wood for the year in 45 minutes.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
My parents own a decent splitter. I have told myself I need the exercise of splitting with a maul so I dont ever borrow it. What really happens is winter comes and I dont have any wood prepped so i make a call and have it delivered haha!
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
One of the happiest days of the past few years is when I bought a log splitter again.
Got a $1000 cheapie from tractor supply. Use about a cord a year at home to heat the pool, and a few camp fires. Help with firewood at camp too.
Aint no big winner, but will do the job for me. Added a filter to the return.
Got a $1000 cheapie from tractor supply. Use about a cord a year at home to heat the pool, and a few camp fires. Help with firewood at camp too.
Aint no big winner, but will do the job for me. Added a filter to the return.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
I’m almost lost a finger last weekend in that kind of splitter. We were finishing up my pile of recreational red pine, and I was grabbing pieces off the splitter so the other guy didn’t have to go the full cycle. That gap between the back of the wedge and the bolt that holds it on the rod got a piece of me.
I checked out the Stihl 462 today. I don’t know if I’ve got the bearings to work with that all day. Now leaning towards the 362. You wouldn’t think one pound is a big deal, but it feels like it.
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SD51555
5 year old buck +
(Be prepared for a severely over-thought post on the makings of a wood pile.)
If you’ve stuck this thread out this far, maybe u wanna see my rec red pine pile. This is actually about 3/4 red pine, 1/4 balsam fir, and a little bit of jack pine.
I ran the order of operations so it was all mixed together. That balsam fir makes a nice smelling fire, burns bright, fast, and makes great fire starter. I’ve had that soaked in rain an hour earlier, split it down to kindling, and it fired right up.
Ok, this is a spec design at stacking. I don’t think I’ll do it again, but here it is. I put some bracing under the pallets to hold up those 1x6 for ends as opposed to stacking. 4 corners cost me about $22. They were straining by the time I was done.
Then I stacked outer rows inside those 1x6 braced sides. I can get brand new pallets at work, as many as I can fit in the suburu. So I think I’m gonna opt for a bigger ground base and just make a no-stack pile, or stack smaller outer rows maybe just up a couple feet and then throw it high inside.
When I was done, I rearranged the last of the pieces to finish sculpting the crown and knocked down the pointy edges to get ready for covering and save on canvas wear.
Had a little trouble with the ends pushing out, but I corrected as I went.
Anyway, it’s done. I’m gonna put a good canvas on it before the snow flies, and just on top. No sides. This spot is full day sun, so I want it to keep airing out.
I also rake up all of my debris. I mow there, and that debris makes great mulch around the yard trees. Grass don’t go thru big shards of bark and slab pine. The pieces on the ground have nice flat sides. I’m gonna use those to hold down the canvas.
Those two trees in the background with red paint are dead bur oak. Those will also get made up for grilling wood too. If I can get my hands on a 120 lb grease keg, I’m gonna make charcoal out of the limb wood.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you’ve stuck this thread out this far, maybe u wanna see my rec red pine pile. This is actually about 3/4 red pine, 1/4 balsam fir, and a little bit of jack pine.
I ran the order of operations so it was all mixed together. That balsam fir makes a nice smelling fire, burns bright, fast, and makes great fire starter. I’ve had that soaked in rain an hour earlier, split it down to kindling, and it fired right up.
Ok, this is a spec design at stacking. I don’t think I’ll do it again, but here it is. I put some bracing under the pallets to hold up those 1x6 for ends as opposed to stacking. 4 corners cost me about $22. They were straining by the time I was done.
Then I stacked outer rows inside those 1x6 braced sides. I can get brand new pallets at work, as many as I can fit in the suburu. So I think I’m gonna opt for a bigger ground base and just make a no-stack pile, or stack smaller outer rows maybe just up a couple feet and then throw it high inside.
When I was done, I rearranged the last of the pieces to finish sculpting the crown and knocked down the pointy edges to get ready for covering and save on canvas wear.
Had a little trouble with the ends pushing out, but I corrected as I went.
Anyway, it’s done. I’m gonna put a good canvas on it before the snow flies, and just on top. No sides. This spot is full day sun, so I want it to keep airing out.
I also rake up all of my debris. I mow there, and that debris makes great mulch around the yard trees. Grass don’t go thru big shards of bark and slab pine. The pieces on the ground have nice flat sides. I’m gonna use those to hold down the canvas.
Those two trees in the background with red paint are dead bur oak. Those will also get made up for grilling wood too. If I can get my hands on a 120 lb grease keg, I’m gonna make charcoal out of the limb wood.
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Last edited:
SD51555
5 year old buck +
After deer season, I’ve got to haul out a bunch of ash. Not quite as much as that pine pile, but I am gonna make 2-3 years of grilling wood. I’ve got enough for two years already on the ground, but want to get a third year of fresh cut split and get it drying. Black ash seems to take two growing seasons to dry if I cut it live, and I split mine down to no more than about 3” thick.
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RGrizzzz
Administrator
Even the MS261 will be a big step up from your 250. It's 4.1HP vs your existing 3. It will take up to a 20" bar. The 362 will go to 25" but adds the weight. Can you borrow or rent one before you buy?
356
5 year old buck +
I am a fan of the Harbor Freight splitter, as it splits in both directions. I’ve had mine nine seasons. We heat with wood and it has never failed to impress.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I love my 261. Two things though, your moving up to a entry level professional saw. HP does cut, but keep in mind saw cut in 3D. The homeowner saws use a thinner bar and chisel width than what the 261 uses. IT take more hp and time to make bigger woodchips. However, the wider chisel does seem to jam up less than homeowner saw. There a lot of little things to chainsaw chains I took for granted until I learned about them. IF the 261 had a thinner homeower bar n chain, that thing would be lightning quick.
ANSI blades and non ansi blades are one thing. Stihl ansi blades are supposed to be safer with kickback, but cut a touch slower. I buy the non ansi ones. The stihl combination sharpener is awesome for sharpening chains.
One downside to the 261 vs homeowner saw. The thing is loud.
Someone mentioned electric chainsaws I have the milwauke m18 hatchet. Absolutely love the thing. Cleaning some downed branches on the trail. Ride as you go trail cleanup. A little trim here n there, or trimming down branches for the fire pit. They're awesome. Great for old apple tree cleanup on ladders too. The down side is your chainsaw will be started less. Which may make it less reliable. Half the time I just bring the hatchet to camp and leave the 261 at home. Unless it firewood weekend of course. Tons quieter than any gas saw too. PErfect for deer season when you need to cut few things on the trail or the shooting lanes.
SD,
Where you wearing gloves? I wear looser gloves that I can slip out of easily incase of a pinch. Those grey suede old school 70's work gloves. OTherwise, I usally wear a basic pait of mechanics gloves, the slip on ones and not the wrist strap.
ANSI blades and non ansi blades are one thing. Stihl ansi blades are supposed to be safer with kickback, but cut a touch slower. I buy the non ansi ones. The stihl combination sharpener is awesome for sharpening chains.
One downside to the 261 vs homeowner saw. The thing is loud.
Someone mentioned electric chainsaws I have the milwauke m18 hatchet. Absolutely love the thing. Cleaning some downed branches on the trail. Ride as you go trail cleanup. A little trim here n there, or trimming down branches for the fire pit. They're awesome. Great for old apple tree cleanup on ladders too. The down side is your chainsaw will be started less. Which may make it less reliable. Half the time I just bring the hatchet to camp and leave the 261 at home. Unless it firewood weekend of course. Tons quieter than any gas saw too. PErfect for deer season when you need to cut few things on the trail or the shooting lanes.
SD,
Where you wearing gloves? I wear looser gloves that I can slip out of easily incase of a pinch. Those grey suede old school 70's work gloves. OTherwise, I usally wear a basic pait of mechanics gloves, the slip on ones and not the wrist strap.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
I had on cheaper leather gloves. I was able to slide out before it got bad. I did get a little scrape out of it. Won’t be making that mistake again.
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SD51555
5 year old buck +
That’s great info on those saws. I’ll keep looking it over. I may not buy a new saw for this season. I’m half done making firewood already, and most of what I have to cut up is 9” thick and smaller.
I’m also in better shape now going into fall, so I’ll be leaner and stronger than last year. I had to learn to not eat the snacks and surplus lunch at the office. It’s all hog feed.
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Feelslikefar.
5 year old buck +
I had a 1977 vintage Stihl that I loved. Mostly because it got it out of the trash for free and it just ran and ran. It was broken and crudely repaired, had the wrong bar on it, but it could sit for years untouched and would start with just a couple pulls. That was until ethanol gas became a thing and did it in. I replaced or rebuilt the carb but it never worked right again. I finally let it go last winter. Someone's probably still using it somewhere.
I went back and forth all winter on what to buy, a Stihl or a Husky. After months of debate and switching sides multiple times, I bought an Echo CS-620P. lol So far I'm happy with it. I did have a screw up this summer and tweaked the bar and had to replace it. I'm regretting not getting a 28" bar when I did. Not that I'm cutting anything anywhere near big enough to need it. It's just that I'm tall, and despite the added weight, I find using the Echo and the 24" bar way less taxing on my body for limbing, than the lighter 18" Homelite. Even with the 24" I'm bending over way too far/much.
I went back and forth all winter on what to buy, a Stihl or a Husky. After months of debate and switching sides multiple times, I bought an Echo CS-620P. lol So far I'm happy with it. I did have a screw up this summer and tweaked the bar and had to replace it. I'm regretting not getting a 28" bar when I did. Not that I'm cutting anything anywhere near big enough to need it. It's just that I'm tall, and despite the added weight, I find using the Echo and the 24" bar way less taxing on my body for limbing, than the lighter 18" Homelite. Even with the 24" I'm bending over way too far/much.
