Thread: Chainsaw ???

Originally Posted by oneoldbanjo

Sorry: Someone reposted your quote in posting #25 and the original fellow said in #5 that $ 400 was his limit....your original statement was #3 prior to any limit being sent.

No problem.

Originally Posted by thombat4

A nice Husky455 Rancher would do you just fine!

I beg to differ, my 455 would run away wimpering from a oak that big.

I would get my buddy with his 440 to come over, or save the tree until my 372 arrives.

Originally Posted by MJR

I hope you have had some experience with large diameter trees and smaller bars before your craftsman’s saw. A 38” oak is a good size stick. It will challenge any mid size saw with a 20” bar. Is someone dropping the tree for you? Any of the saws mentioned will do fine once the tree is on the ground. I would be pulling the 385 of the CSM if it was me dropping the tree. Good luck and be careful.

I've ben wondering and asking about this as well!!!!
A 38" Oak is another world from dropping with the 16-18" Crapsman!!
But hey, everybody is more concerned about a saw than him killing himself, so what do I know?

I think back to 30+ years ago; I had a 041 Farm Boss with a 16" bar...I didn't know they made longer ones!Dropped thousands of Elms and Oaks that were 38" or better (sometimes WAY bigger)Takes longer, and you have to be limber, but it will work.I wouldn't want to have to do it again, and I like bringing out the long iron.

Honestly I would be pretty nervous dropping a 3 ft wide tree with either of my saws (not that it wouldn't be possible but cutting down a tree that big would not be something that I would look forward to doing with a 20'' bar) and unless you buy used you couldn't get anything close to a 268 or 630 for $400. I would recommend getting a quote to have someone drop it for you and spend the rest on a good used saw. Maybe you have good health insurance, but if not paying more money upfront could save you a lot of money and hardship...

Originally Posted by sawinredneck

I've ben wondering and asking about this as well!!!!
A 38" Oak is another world from dropping with the 16-18" Crapsman!!
But hey, everybody is more concerned about a saw than him killing himself, so what do I know?

Back Alongggggg time agooooo, they used to use axes and cross cut saws, I'm sure the crapsman as you call it would work, it just might not have any swagger to it

The tree he's talking about has fallen.

Originally Posted by gink595

Back Alongggggg time agooooo, they used to use axes and cross cut saws, I'm sure the crapsman as you call it would work, it just might not have any swagger to it

Originally Posted by Darl Bundren

The tree he's talking about has fallen.

This is what I was after!!!
As I said earlier, I hate to be a doubting Thomas, but that was a pretty big step.

I wouldnt be scared to tackle a down 36" oak with my ms310. get a good saw, but you dont sound like you need a ms361, ms880, or a 395xp. get safety gear and a bunch of chains.

Originally Posted by gixxer1237

Just to clear things up, i wasnt recommending a ms310 to drop a 36" oak. I read that the tree was already down.

Just a highjack here, but I see a lot of people recommending a $600 saw to rookie and every-so-often cutter. Thats like recommending a 50 cal sniper rifle to a once a year deer hunter. Not saying it doesnt do the job, but why?

You post a good question. I will try and give some reasonable answers.

1) Have you ever cut up a 36" Oak with an 18" bar? I haven't. I have cut one up with an MS390 and a 25" bar. Even that was laborous and tedious at best! I spent a LOT of time per round, then had to quarter them to get them to the splitter. Yes, it is doable but you will sure feel it in the am!!! My 046 and a 32" bar, I can cut them from one side, much easier!!

2)An Oak tree that size will have some branches that will be sticking up, and not in that good of a spot sometimes! The extra bar length can keep you more out of harms way, and certainly keep you having to make questionable cuts on one side and trying to finish it on the other. All while trying to keep it off you're head, legs, feet, arms etc.

3)Just because it's on the ground and you are "just bucking it up" doesn't mean it's going to be easy! There is a LOT of weight there and I doubt that it's all lying flat on the ground. We now reffer to the latter part of 2)

4) I personaly would rather work with an inexperianced person, wiling to learn with the right tool for the job. Rather than work with an inexperianced person trying to get by.

Just because they are on the ground doesn't make them "safe" by any means!! I'd much rather cut up 10-20" poles all day versus taking one 36" tree. I did a few 24-28" Oaks with an 18" bar. I did ONE 36" Oak with a 25" bar, I promptly bought the 046!!!! It's hard to explain until you cut a couple up. They are a beast all their own!!!

Get a Makita 6401, Best saw for the price. If you have a decent small engine shop in your town they will work on it. Parts are avaliable online and arive in a couple of days if you want to make repairs yourself. I cut about 10 - 15 cords a year and have had my 6401 for 2 years and had no problems with it. 2 weekends ago I was felling trees for a farmer that was putting a ditch through his woods and while changing the chain on my Dolmar 6800 w/ 28" bar I noticed the oil line had a slce in it ( first problem with the saw in over 10 years) so not wanting to burn up the bar, chain or clutch I pulled the bar off and put it on my 6401 the usually wears a 20" bar I was impressed with how the saw handled that size bar (skip chain) not as much torque as the 6800 but it got the job done. So to make a long story short the saw is very versitile and when needed it could handle a bar up to the task of bucking up your big oak and it is well within your price range, is a profesonal class saw not a mid range rated saw. I have run stihl saws and their saws are high quailty but I personally can not justify the cost for the amount of time I put on a saw in a year.

There's a Makita(Dolmar) 6401 with a larger 7900 top end in the for sale section of this site for $450. Hop on it if you don't mind forking over a few extra dollars.

I agree with all that sawinredneck, it just seems that he doesnt seem to be dropping and bucking up 30+" trees alot. It just seems like he could run a 310 or 260 and do just about everything he needs to do most of the time. Maybe then he should get a bigger saw later, or rent/borrow a saw for this paticular job. To much saw can be worse than to little, cause with to little you got to work harder, and most people wont do that.

My advice would be to look at all the recomendations on saws here, then find dealers close to you for the brands you want look at. Visit them and see who treats you the best, pick up the saws you are interested in and feel them out. I am not going to recommend any brand as most make excellent saws and if I did recommend one, i am sure someone would bash it. Save yourself alot of time and money ! DEAL WITH A DEALER THAT FIXES WHAT IT SELLS !

Originally Posted by cjnspecial

There's a Makita(Dolmar) 6401 with a larger 7900 top end in the for sale section of this site for $450. Hop on it if you don't mind forking over a few extra dollars.