Using a chainsaw isn't as easy as I thought.

[Reyn]

First let me say I have not ran a chainsaw much in my life. When I did it was a borrowed Poulan. I have some dead pine trees in my yard that have fallen or are close to it. 3-4 total and maybe 16 -18 inches in diameter for the biggest. I do not cut firewood but every once in a while but the saw can come in handy at work and helping family.

I decided to get online and research for my needs. I ended up with a Stihl MS250. It is a homeowner saw as you all know and at the most I figure I would put 2-4 tanks a year through it so pro models seemed overkill. Also,the dealer was close and outside of Lowes I couldn't find any dealers close for Husqvarna,Dolmar,Echo etc. I wanted somewhere that worked on the saws if I had problems.

I researched here and watched many videos including the Stihl instructional videos. I also bought a wedge after learning about them. I ran a tank through it yesterday getting started and I have to say it is harder than I thought it would be. The worst for me has been determining compression and stress points. It seems chain pinch is very easy to do. (for me anyway)

I have been watching videos determining different cuts for different situations but sometimes it still starts to catch. I have learned a lot but my hat goes off to those who do it for a living. I think my best bet is to practice as much as possible on small stuff. This site has been great for learning also.

 

[sawfun9]

Welcome aboard, but watch out for CAD. Congrats, that ms250 will serve you well for a long time.

 

[carym2a]

Welcome, you just go slow , keep the chain sharp, keep your eyes open, and listen , get the feel of it on small stuff first.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Read page 22 in your manual

 

[tommyus4]

I also started out with a ms250. Limbing some fallen trees with the same 4 to 5 tanks a year deal.

Now I have a ms362, a modified 346xp and I took a dremel and drill to my 250's muffler. Been to the dump looking for discards, read Craigslist, Ebay and these here classifieds, similar to one reading the sports pages. I go to sleep thinking about them. It's odd, to say the least.

4 or 5 tanks a year? LOL, good luck with that.

And welcome to the Chainsaw Zone, Hotel California, or whatever one calls it..

 

[TreePointer]

Reading tension/compression sometimes can be deceiving for even the most seasoned sawyer. Expect tension/compression to be part of every cut. Watch the kerf for opening or closing while you cut. Eventually you'll develop a good sense for when to stop your cut before compression even shows. Sometimes pushing your bar forward and back while cutting can give you a feel for when compression is starting.

Keep at least a one small plastic wedge with you at all times (in your pocket) to get out of a pinch. It's faster than unbolting your bar or getting a second saw to remove the stuck one. Even if you don't have an axe, maul, or sledge to pound the wedge, you can use any stick or rock in the area.

Keep up the good work!

 

[H 2 H]

Welcome to AS

If your saw has the safty chain on go get another chain get a couple of these

These will wake up that saw just a little

 

[dingeryote]

Keep doing what you are doing, and slow down a little to pay more attention to the sound of the saw, the feel of the saw, and the kerf itself.

Reading weight/compression comes with time and screwing things up. The trick is to only screw up slightly and learn, rather than screw up and bleed.

The little 250 is an impressive little snot once you get to flogging on it for half a dozen years and it refuses to die. LOL!!
Might not be the fastest out there, but it's only a tick behind it's Pro saw cousin the 260, so don't sell it short. It will do the same work, just a little slower. Keep the stupid filter clean and run good mix, and you'll pay hell trying to kill the thing with honest use.

Don't sweat all the fancy shmancy cuts at first. Concentrate on the basic stuff and learning the saw, while remaining aware of hazzards and the rest will come in time.

Are you pinching while felling or blocking/bucking and limbing?


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[MEATSAW]

It's refreshing to see a beginner with your mentality. You are on the right track! "A man needs to know his limitations." Just like any skill, running a chainsaw requires lot of time out there doing it. Start small, slow, and be safe. You'll be addicted in no time.

 

[marsingbob]

Don't feel bad. I have been hacking away for 45 years and I still get bars stuck. Sometimes enough to need another saw, occaisionally enough I have to lift the tree with a backhoe.
A couple of points. First wood differs a lot. Green is more trouble than dry wood. If leaves are on the wood it is heavier and a lot more problems come up. Second, when I get close to the point I expect a problem I cut with the outer part of the bar, and try to move it in an out a little to feel if it is starting to pinch. However, be careful and do not move it out to the point that kick back may be a problem, particularly if you are cutting on the bottom of the bar.
I am by no means a professional, and others on here will have better advice than I can offer. A final thought, however. When you start to get even a little tired, QUIT. The pro's can work tired, but us amateurs can't.

 

[Muffler Bearing]

New Saw Rep Inbound!!


Saw Safe!

 

[emr454]

And if you don't already have them, please get some chainsaw chaps and a helmet with faceshield. Chainsaw injuries are serious and not something you want to see/experience.

Eric

 

[zogger]

First let me say I have not ran a chainsaw much in my life. When I did it was a borrowed Poulan. I have some dead pine trees in my yard that have fallen or are close to it. 3-4 total and maybe 16 -18 inches in diameter for the biggest. I do not cut firewood but every once in a while but the saw can come in handy at work and helping family.

I decided to get online and research for my needs. I ended up with a Stihl MS250. It is a homeowner saw as you all know and at the most I figure I would put 2-4 tanks a year through it so pro models seemed overkill. Also,the dealer was close and outside of Lowes I couldn't find any dealers close for Husqvarna,Dolmar,Echo etc. I wanted somewhere that worked on the saws if I had problems.

I researched here and watched many videos including the Stihl instructional videos. I also bought a wedge after learning about them. I ran a tank through it yesterday getting started and I have to say it is harder than I thought it would be. The worst for me has been determining compression and stress points. It seems chain pinch is very easy to do. (for me anyway)

I have been watching videos determining different cuts for different situations but sometimes it still starts to catch. I have learned a lot but my hat goes off to those who do it for a living. I think my best bet is to practice as much as possible on small stuff. This site has been great for learning also.

Howdy, good for you!

Here is a bog simple way to deal with your downed trees and not get chain pinch. You'll need a sledge hammer or maul or suitable large striking object.

You must have some smaller blocks cut and loose by now. Take those (you can cut one end wedge shaped if you want, this helps) and hammer them in under the log exactly where you want to cut. Exactly. The goal is to add some lift there and relieve the pressure. Once in and under the log securely (big fun sledging them under, use the appropriate sized chunks, this will be a judgement call). You then can cut straight down at that spot, right smack dab down the middle, both sides will be pushed away from the cut, and it will cut clean, at least 99% or so of the time. You'll need enough lift, but if you start small and try it, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Rudolf73]

Welcome to the site. It's good to see that you have done some research already. Chainsaws are serious work tools and should be used accordingly.

Watching videos is also a good idea because you can learn a lot by seeing how someone else does it. However, treat the online 'youtube' videos with caution. There are a lot of cowboys out there making videos and some of there chainsaw techniques are far from safe. If you ever find yourself in a potentially dangerous predicament, ask the friendly folks on this site first. There is a lot of combined knowledge and experience on this site as you probably already know.

Happy sawing :cool2:

 

[andydodgegeek]

You will get better with time. Your definatley right about chainsawing not being as easy as it looks. I can remember back when I was young my dad ran a small tree service and I would help him alot. I dragged brush, hauled and stacked wood, cleaned saws, and all of the "hard work". I always wanted to run a saw so I wouldnt have to work so hard. HUH was I wrong in that thinking!!! Now I do all the sawing. NOT as easy as it looks. But I do enjoy it. Its hard work but it feels good.:smile2:

 

[KenJax Tree]

Don't feel bad. I have been hacking away for 45 years and I still get bars stuck. Sometimes enough to need another saw, occaisionally enough I have to lift the tree with a backhoe.
A couple of points. First wood differs a lot. Green is more trouble than dry wood. If leaves are on the wood it is heavier and a lot more problems come up. Second, when I get close to the point I expect a problem I cut with the outer part of the bar, and try to move it in an out a little to feel if it is starting to pinch. However, be careful and do not move it out to the point that kick back may be a problem, particularly if you are cutting on the bottom of the bar.
I am by no means a professional, and others on here will have better advice than I can offer. A final thought, however. When you start to get even a little tired, QUIT. The pro's can work tired, but us amateurs can't.[/

NOBODY not even a pro should run a saw when tired because you tend to rush and when you're fatigued thats when you get bit by a chain saw.

 

[boutselis]

I had a guy helping me with some pine removals. He was on clean up and after a few hours he was crying that i was making him do all the hard work.

I asked him if he ever ran a saw before; he said yes. I think he lied because he thought it was easy to do. He was trying to cut a felled trunk into movable pieces like I told him to do. He made 10 24" logs, got the saw pinched 3 times where the chain wouldn't move a bit and then needed a break because he was exhausted (it was very hot out) He then admitted he was wrong and went back to clean up.

Your right.

When you watch some one who knows what they are doing they always make it look easy and it never is until you know what your doing.

Its only easy when you know how.

 

[fearofpavement]

If someone on here claims they never pinch bars there are two possible reasons:
1. They never cut wood.
2. They're a liar.

With experience the frequency between bar pinches will become greater. Just keeping an eye on the kerf (the gap in the wood the saw made) will help as it will generally start to visibly close with enough warning for you to withdraw the bar. If you do get the saw stuck, do not reef on it trying to get it loose, release it by either jacking up the log, wedging, or in some cases cutting with another saw to take off the pressure. If you don't have a second saw (you will soon, lol) then either a handsaw or a second bar and chain for your single saw can get you out of the jam.

Go easy and learn as you go. It can be a rewarding pastime and can be done with a relative degree of safety. Do get some personal protective equipment (ppe) as suggested by a previous poster. It is cheap by any measure.

 

[C SAW 090]

Lean how to file properly, including the rakers. A sharp chain is very important to your saw,it should pull itself through the wood with out having to push at all. If filed properly! oregon makes a little filing guide book that has some good pointers. Good Luck fighting C.A.D

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Don't feel bad. I have been hacking away for 45 years and I still get bars stuck. Sometimes enough to need another saw, occaisionally enough I have to lift the tree with a backhoe.
A couple of points. First (buy a backhoe)wood differs a lot. Green is more trouble than dry wood. If leaves are on the wood it is heavier and a lot more problems come up. Second, when I get close to the point I expect a problem I cut with the outer part of the bar, and try to move it in an out a little to feel if it is starting to pinch. However, be careful and do not move it out to the point that kick back may be a problem, particularly if you are cutting on the bottom of the bar.
I am by no means a professional, and others on here will have better advice than I can offer. A final thought, however. When you start to get even a little tired, QUIT. The pro's can work tired, but us amateurs can't.

Fixed it for you! :hmm3grin2orange:

Great bunch of advice from the guys here!

I would highly suggest to cut with someone who's knows what they're doing. I've had guys help me (not that I know it all) that were clueless on how to use a saw. After a few pointers they were doing a nice job.

As to working tired for the pros .....I would tend to think that they are conditioned and are able to work longer without tiring. Accidents happen when we get tired.