A guy I know stopped in this morning and was wondering if I would be interested in some oak firewood. Thought this was my lucky day so I headed out this afternoon to do some cutting. Got a little surprise when I got there. He had topped a downed oak tree and left the bottom 20 feet of it. This thing is huge and all I could think was how big of a stack of wood that I would end up with IF I could cut and split it. Just this spring I purchased my ODW so I don't have an assortment of saws, actually only one A Husky 455 Rancher with a 20 inch bar. It has cut everything that I have thrown at it but I am afraid that it has met its match. I took a couple of pictures but I don't think that they are going to be a lot of help. You can see my tape in the picture but you can't read it so I will tell you what it measures. From the ground to the top it is just short of seven Feet, and at the thickest point farther back it is about 4 foot across. The Aspen tree guy did cut it in half so there are 2 ten foot sections. Is this thing just to big to mess with? Am I a lame brain to even consider this? Would anyone on this board even give this a second glance if all you had to throw at it is my 20 inch bar? If by chance there is someone as dumb as me that would try this how would you go about getting it cut up. I have a 35 ton Speeco splitter so splitting is not a problem if it could be cut down to manageable pieces. Would welcome any thought that anyone might have either for trying to saw it or you must have been dropped on your head when you were born.149.jpg149.jpg
To Big To Cut?
- Thread starter Dogsout
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dingeryote
Blueberry Baron
You can do it with a 20" bar on that 55, but it will be work.
Rip along the length at 12 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 3 o'clock, and from there buck, using wedges to take out the 1/4 chunks. You might have to plunge cut to free them now and then.
Just don't rip full length, as ya don't want a 7' 1/4 section falling out on your toes.
Slow going, but it can be done.
Perfect excuse to pick up a 372, or 395 though, cuz ya need one.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
Rip along the length at 12 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 3 o'clock, and from there buck, using wedges to take out the 1/4 chunks. You might have to plunge cut to free them now and then.
Just don't rip full length, as ya don't want a 7' 1/4 section falling out on your toes.
Slow going, but it can be done.
Perfect excuse to pick up a 372, or 395 though, cuz ya need one.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
Steve2910
ArboristSite Guru
Find somebody w/ a skid steer & a big saw, offer them a split. If I lived near you, I'd jump all over that deal.
Steve2910
ArboristSite Guru
Now that I've seen the pics & there's a three-legged octopus on the 7' end, I'd say go for it.
Iron man
ArboristSite Operative
Id give it a try with my 24in bar.The the worst that can happen is you find you cant do it but at least you tried.
Hedgerow
HACK
Dude, you got a 20 " bar, and a 48" log... If it's me? I do it... If you don't fancy yourself an extremely good Sawyer, you may not want to mess with it. It will take a TON of noodling! Forget the splitter for now... Concentrate on how you would get it cut up... If you can see how you would get it done, then by all means, go for it... If you can't, pass... Big logs are hard to deal with. A long bar, and a powerful saw is in order... This is where the 7900 or ported 372 comes into play. Those people who use them regularly know what I'm talking about... The big bar is priceless when you have to deal with this stuff. Question is, is it worth it for this one log??? CAD says yes!!! Common sense says no... Who the heck wants to listen to that though!!! :hmm3grin2orange:
I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. 20" bar will do it. Not as easily as something longer, but you'll get it.
Man, Go for it. It might take you a while. I tried one about seven feet accross a while back, It was full of metal so i gave up on the big trunk.Also we need a larger pic of your avatar.
zogger
Tree Freak
Don't fry your saw
Make sure the bar is clean and oiling well all the time. Watch those long cuts you will have to make with the bar buried. And I'd stop after each cut and let it cool off some while idling maybe. Perhaps richen the carb just an eeny? maybe the other guys will chime in on that..
The 455 is a medium sized homeowner saw, I guess an upgrade from the 55 rancher, which I have used a lot. As soon as the chain gets a bit dull, the saw and bar will heat up a lot, I mean it is noticable (I've cut a lot with it in 24-30 inch logs, got given a stack once and took my time cutting it all, several big dump truck loads) so carry several extra sharp loops with ya. Check the muff bolts and etc. It's really not designed for that size wood, but...doable if you are patient and don't push it real hard.
Heat kills saws, fullstop. That's what does it. Doesn't matter the reason, excess heat is not good mojo.
Believe it or nutz..and I am surely nutz..I cut up a whopper mambo oak branch with a little bitty teeny tiny red homie before, I chunked and noodled that thing for days in the evening...I just kept beavering away at it, chunk by chunk by chunk...the first year we were here, that was my first firewood I got, and that was the saw I owned, a tophandle to boot. Cut it close, whack it off the limb with an ax or stick a prybar in there, pop..lather, rinse repeat. The branch was laying half on the porch and in the yard, so that's what I cut... A much bigger branch from the same dang tree is what smashed our house last fall in the tornado....dang old red oak that size is some heavy stuff...
Make sure the bar is clean and oiling well all the time. Watch those long cuts you will have to make with the bar buried. And I'd stop after each cut and let it cool off some while idling maybe. Perhaps richen the carb just an eeny? maybe the other guys will chime in on that..
The 455 is a medium sized homeowner saw, I guess an upgrade from the 55 rancher, which I have used a lot. As soon as the chain gets a bit dull, the saw and bar will heat up a lot, I mean it is noticable (I've cut a lot with it in 24-30 inch logs, got given a stack once and took my time cutting it all, several big dump truck loads) so carry several extra sharp loops with ya. Check the muff bolts and etc. It's really not designed for that size wood, but...doable if you are patient and don't push it real hard.
Heat kills saws, fullstop. That's what does it. Doesn't matter the reason, excess heat is not good mojo.
Believe it or nutz..and I am surely nutz..I cut up a whopper mambo oak branch with a little bitty teeny tiny red homie before, I chunked and noodled that thing for days in the evening...I just kept beavering away at it, chunk by chunk by chunk...the first year we were here, that was my first firewood I got, and that was the saw I owned, a tophandle to boot. Cut it close, whack it off the limb with an ax or stick a prybar in there, pop..lather, rinse repeat. The branch was laying half on the porch and in the yard, so that's what I cut... A much bigger branch from the same dang tree is what smashed our house last fall in the tornado....dang old red oak that size is some heavy stuff...
You are taking a knife to a gunfight! Yes it can be done with a 20" bar but you can cut up smaller wood much faster with less time and effort and get the same result.
Rigwelder
ArboristSite Member
All i can say is heck yes!! I would be on that log like smell on a dairy barn!!!
Step one: go buy a new file you are gonna need it!!
Step two: Eat some wheaties and go hack on that thing for as long as you can stand it! then hack on it some more!!
Step three: Sit in your nice warm house this winter and think about how badass you are because you tamed that monster and can drink cold beer in the winter because your house is that nice and toasty!!!!
But that is just my thoughts on the matter!:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:
Step one: go buy a new file you are gonna need it!!
Step two: Eat some wheaties and go hack on that thing for as long as you can stand it! then hack on it some more!!
Step three: Sit in your nice warm house this winter and think about how badass you are because you tamed that monster and can drink cold beer in the winter because your house is that nice and toasty!!!!
But that is just my thoughts on the matter!:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:
I agree that it may be a little much for the old Husky but in case you didn't notice all of the small stuff has been carted away. I have had people offer me soft maple, mulberry, box elder and popular but never oak, would like to take advantage if at all possible. So far the consensus seems to be take a whack at it but understand the limitations of your saw. Never said I was professional that is why I came to the board for help and I appreciate all of the responses.
Hedgerow
HACK
This is true... But can you think of a better reason to buy a 24 or 28" bar??? Remember, 2 schools of thought here... Normal, and CAD sufferers... Which one do you subscribe to... Bwahahahaha!!!
Hedgerow
HACK
Good time for it... But you can't find the damn things!!! :msp_angry:
I can't explain this very well, but I shall try. You can cut out chunks. Bore in and cut chunks out. You will basically be whittling on it and it will take time. Have wedges ready and a nice, heavy axe. You will need the latter to thump the chunks out.
We had 3 guys standing with their hands in their pockets yelling JUICE while two of us were working on a Doug-fir punkin. I was the chopper. I don't know what yelling JUICE does.
Hmmm. Maybe an oak is too hard for this style of whittling?
We had 3 guys standing with their hands in their pockets yelling JUICE while two of us were working on a Doug-fir punkin. I was the chopper. I don't know what yelling JUICE does.
Hmmm. Maybe an oak is too hard for this style of whittling?
Here is what I would do
1 buy a big saw with 3 foot bar like 660.
2 find wood more suitable for my saw with 20" bar.
I cut wood like that with my 660 and 42"bar,even with the right saw it is work.
3 That is why we are here we love cutting firewood.
1 buy a big saw with 3 foot bar like 660.
2 find wood more suitable for my saw with 20" bar.
I cut wood like that with my 660 and 42"bar,even with the right saw it is work.
3 That is why we are here we love cutting firewood.
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