Bigger chainsaw, chain, technique?

[snakyjake]

The problem: It takes forever to cut trees (20-30"). I use the saw for storm cleanup.

Not sure if having a larger chainsaw would be a benefit?
Or the chain?
Or something I'm doing wrong?

Saw = Stihl 031 (49 cm3)
Chain = 72LGX060G

What could I change to get more benefit, and not take me days to cut up a tree.

Thanks.

 

[Frogfarmer]

That saw isn't going to pull much more than the 16 it's wearing with authority. For trees into the 30" range you need to look at a larger saw. I would look at saws in the 75cc class.

 

[Homelitexl903]

Are you sharpening your chain after every few tanks of gas? I had a brand new chain on my ms390 and after less than one tank it went from cutting fast to cutting real slow because I was in dirty wood and hit a piece of barbed wire imbedded in the bark.

 

[snakyjake]

Yeah, my chain dulls quickly, or I'm doing something else wrong. I was also wondering about a "skip chain", since my saw bogs down easily.

 

[lambs]

You might want to also check compression on the saw.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

An 031 is a heavy saw but not necessarily a powerful saw for it's size. You would probably get better performance for something like a 361, 362, or something like that.

 

[CR888]

Nothing more frustrating than trying to cut big wood with small saw and small wood with too big of a saw. I remember first walking into a saw dealership and seeing a whole wall of saws in many sizes from the one brand and thinking why the hell are their so many different saws and how the hell would you end up with the saw that best suited your needs. Fast forward many years and now I totally get it.

 

[wombler]

First thing you need: a well-sharpened chain. That means sharp edges on the top and side of the cutters, as well as properly set and rounded depth gauges (the little "knobs" in front of the cutters). I was amazed at how much better my first saw cut with a properly sharpened chain on it. Buy a brand-new loop of chain to get a feel for how well your saw *can* cut, before considering a bigger saw. You'll find that a sharp chain will also bog down less often than a blunt chain, as well as cutting quicker.

But yeah, for 30" logs, a short bar is always going to take longer to make the cut, because you've got to go through twice. A bigger bar needs a bigger saw, so I'd agree with Frogfarmer that something in the 70+cc area would probably do you better, if stuff that big is most of your workload. On the other hand, a bigger saw is thirstier and more tiring (because it's heavier to move and hold), so match the saw size to what you're going to *mostly* be cutting.

 

[Scablands]

Get a bigger saw. 30" trees with anything smaller than 70cc is not fun no matter how sharp or new your chain is.

As for the bigger saw burning gas faster, yes it does. It also cuts much faster, and I find my 76cc saw with a 28" light weight bar to be less fatiguing than my 55 cc with a 20" bar.

 

[7sleeper]

Sharp chain AND rakers set to the correct height has been mentioned as the primary culprit. After that I would begin thinking about something larger.

7

 

[scheffa]

Bigger saws might be thirsty but comparing fuel useage to ton of wood I think a 461 or 660 would fair quite well.
With the fatigue thing I find it less tiring to cut wood with my 660 with a 30" or 42" bar than a smaller saw, less bending over and cuts quicker so less time holding the saw, just my opinion and preference

 

[a. palmer jr.]

It's actually a pleasure to cut wood with a sharp chain, not so much when it gets dull. Thinking I have a few really good running saws but remembering they all have a new chain...

 

[Khntr85]

I don't know if you cut mostly hard or soft wood, but the ms362 or the ms461 would make you VERY happy.... I have both of these saws and love them both lol.... You could probably get away with the ms362, but if you will be cutting the bigger timber for years to come, the ms461 will be a good investment.....

But as the rest of these guys have said, take time to make sure your chain is sharp, saw is in good working condition, and learn how to properly sharpen a chain!!!

 

[Ted Jenkins]

One saw will never do it all. A small saw for small limbs and a larger saw for larger rounds. As mentioned before a 50cc can get through a 30" log, but will make the operator tired. I do not have an opinion as to whether it is dangerous to use a small saw to cut larger wood, but it is definitely hazardous to cut small material with a large saw. I have discovered so many people paying no attention to the rakers. The depth of them is very important and will cause so many issues if they are too shallow. Thanks

 

[deezlfan]

OP is also using full chisel chain. He might have better results with a semi-chisel, since they don't seem to dull as quickly.

Another factor not addressed yet is the storm damaged wood. It is often twisted by the wind or impact when it comes down. Dirt and debris can also complicate the situation. It's just going to work your saw harder.

 

[svk]

That saw is just not designed to cut 20-30" wood on an ongoing basis.

I would recommend a 70-90 CC saw.

FWIW I found a real nice used 85 cc saw for less than what most used 70 cc saws were going for. Very thankful to have it when larger trees need to be cut.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

All the wood I've cut in the last 3 weeks has been with my Echo 330T if that tells you anything..

 

[lone wolf]

That saw is just not designed to cut 20-30" wood on an ongoing basis.

I would recommend a 70-90 CC saw.

FWIW I found a real nice used 85 cc saw for less than what most used 70 cc saws were going for. Very thankful to have it when larger trees need to be cut.

Sounds right to me. He just has to figure out at what weight saw will be too heavy . Dolmar 7900 aint bad with a 28 weight wise.

 

[amberg]

Pretty nice 75 cc saw, I really like the way it cuts with a 24" bar.

 

[Rx7man]

I couldn't FATHOM trying to cut wood above 24" with a 50cc saw on a regular basis.. only if it were the odd tree and it didn't need to get bucked.

A porting job and/or a muffler mod would help you out a little, but you're just asking too much from that saw.

I agree with the others here.. you NEED a bigger saw in the arsenal... Perhaps an 064 would be a good saw for you.. I'm not a stihl fanboy, but I do like that saw, and it'll take a 30" bar and still be effective.. (mine is ported though and wears a 26" bar).. It's definitely an easier saw to lug around than the 394's, though it's 10cc displacement penalty does show in the really big stuff