Cold Weather Cutting

[TreePointer]

I've been cutting firewood for the past 6 months and am hooked--big time! The weather is getting colder here in western PA, and there is still a lot of wood for me to cut (treetops from a small timber harvest). I understand the cold weather settings for my chainsaw, but I was wondering if there are any cold weather tips that you seasoned cutters might want to share.

Are there any temps that are too cold for a saw like mine (MS290)?
What about lighter weight bar oils?
Cold weather safety issues?
Other?

Thanks in advance for helping a newb! :newbie:

 

[superfire]

welcome to the pack

use winter weight bar oil. also be more care with your air filter maintenance schedule. sawz need to breath,cold air is thicker so beware. also take your time so you do not sweat yourself out, you do not want to get hypothermia. also if your bar has grease able tip. grease it every once in awhile. to make your chain last longer avoid cutting icy logs. if you can learn to cut right you will want a bigger saw then one more and the you have CAD

 

[slofr8]

I logged back in the '80s and we used to notice that the guys that would take their saws inside every night had more trouble. The constant freeze thaw cycle seemed to have an affect. I argued that the saws thawed out pretty good after using them for a while but the old guys said to leave them out at night. Also, our saws (Husky) had a hinged door on the wall between the motor and the carb. We would open it to let some heat into the carb. side. The air filter would get dirty a bit faster tho.
If your cold also includes snow, Put some duct tape on bottom half of the starter cover to keep snow from being suck in. The saw will get plenty of air for cooling with the remaining holes in that weather.
Good luck! Dan.

 

[slofr8]

Are there any temps that are too cold for a saw like mine (MS290)?

If you can stand it, the saw will.
I remember -20F hoping the skidder wouldn't start but if it did, off we went.
Dan.

 

[Wet1]

also be more care with your air filter maintenance schedule. sawz need to breath,cold air is thicker so beware.

Not true. Although, cold air is more dense with oxygen and cannot carry as much moisture. If anything, you need to be more careful with keeping the air filter clean during the warmer months (but it should always be clean anyway).

 

[stihl only]

The MS 290 has a winter/summer shutter between the air filter and the engine. If it is VERY cold when you may have problems with the carb icing, you can put it in winter mode.

Also, as suggested, winter bar oil but if this isn't an every day thing for you and the saw is stored inside, you may not need it. If you are cutting close to the house for two hours or so at a time, leave the standard weight oil where it's warm and the running saw will keep what's in the oil tank warm for most cold days in PA.

Really cold days, I'd be inside enjoying some of that hard work with an adult beverage of your choice!

 

[wdchuck]

Welcome to AS.

Refer to the owners manual for cold weather use.
Stihl makes a winter blend of bar oil, and if the price gets too high, then it will still flow nicely at 50/50 with standard bar oil.

If its too cold for the saw, put some extra wood on the fire, and read old threads in this forum.

 

[abohac]

Premium (multi-weight bar oil) heated handles

Use lighter oil and the next saw you buy consider heated handles. I've been cutting wood for 35 years and just got my first saw last year (395XPG) with heated handles. Thought it was a joke. I was wrong. You'll probably find your saws run better in cold weather (mine seem to).

 

[Austin1]

I really like to cut on cold day's because nobody is around just the stillness of the woods. I have never had a problem in very cold weather with my saw's the newer ones I have come with the winter summer shutter never moved the shutter to winter on them even in -30. But I had a problem with them last Jan on a warm -1c day it was snowing heavy and the air was moist that's when Carb icing will get you, my truck also protested a bit as well it's old with a carb on it. I flipped my new to me 7900 shutter over to winter mode and well it worked ran fine.
Best thing you can do for winter cutting is wear good boot's with caulks or boot chains slipping on ice even with a non running saw can be bad news.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Cutting wood in Winter is great when it is a want-to not a HAVE-to deal.

Dress in layers when working in the cold. When you start working and begin to sweat you can shed one or two layers and still work hard enough to keep the cold away from you. If you go out in a heavy coat and a t-shirt, when you shed the coat all you got is a soaked t-shirt. Not much there to turn back the cold.

You are burning calories at a faster rate take care not to become exhausted and take breaks as needed. Sometines you might tend to be more careless while working exhausted this is when most personal accidents happen.

Drink plenty of fluids. The cold dry air will dehydrate you from the inside out.

You are out there to enjoy your free time, not to kill yourself, don't overdo it.

 

[Austin1]

Cutting wood in Winter is great when it is a want-to not a HAVE-to deal.

Dress in layers when working in the cold. When you start working and begin to sweat you can shed one or two layers and still work hard enough to keep the cold away from you. If you go out in a heavy coat and a t-shirt, when you shed the coat all you got is a soaked t-shirt. Not much there to turn back the cold.

You are burning calories at a faster rate take care not to become exhausted and take breaks as needed. Sometines you might tend to be more careless while working exhausted this is when most personal accidents happen.

Drink plenty of fluids. The cold dry air will dehydrate you from the inside out.

You are out there to enjoy your free time, not to kill yourself, don't overdo it.

Very well said!! +1

 

[drmiller100]

like the man said, leave it in summer mode unless you have icing problems, which are normally from 28 degrees to 35 degrees F with 100 percent humidity (raining or snowing).

thinner bar oil perhaps.

the dude who says saws run leaner in the summer is smoking quality stuff. Cold weather means denser air, but better cooling.

Enjoy the extra horsepower.

frozen wood cuts differently then thawed wood. each species is a little different, but in general the wood acts harder

 

[TreePointer]

Wow, AS does not disappoint! :yourock:

For the cold weather, I'll be flipping the shutter and prefilter as the manual describes. I'm also going to check around for some lighter weight bar oil for the really cold days

Since temps have gotten below freezing at night, I've brought in my saw and bar oil. I first did this when I noticed the oil getting stringy in the cold (Husqvarna Premium and Tractor Supply Premium B&C oil).

Good idea about clothing layers. I've been thinking of hypothermia situations lately because Bear Grylls and Les Stroud keep reminding me.

Also, I missed the first half of a football game today to look at Jonsereds with heated handles, so maybe CAD is indeed setting in along with my well established rimfire addiction.

 

[wampum]

Tree,for years we mixed a little kerosene in the bar oil to thin it out. How ever 30 years ago the bars seemed to be made of better steel. They were tough to wear out,sprockets also seemed to last longer. I still use a couple of old Remington's that have their original bars with years of use and they keep going. On my new Huskies and Dolmars they wear out a lot quicker. Some of the reason is probably the speed,the old Remingtons ran about 8000 rpm and the new saws run between 11000 and 14000 rpms. Also the new saws have gear pumps compared to pressure pumps of old. Gear pumps push thicker oil but I still would not be scared to add a little 10 weight or kerosene for winter use,been doing it for years.

 

[savageactor7]

Besides all the good advice above when you actually start cutting shed your jacket and sweater, cut so you can feel the cold...that way you'll warm up without sweating. Sweating is bad.

Before I started wearing polypro tops I would constantly swap out Tshirts and hang the wet ones on branches to dry out. And if you do wear polypro don't wear cotton underwear underneath it...cause it won't work.

Stop and smell the roses. You have to be more deliberate when snow is on the ground, move carefully and take frequent breaks. Bring a lawn chair and a small radio so you can enjoy your breaks. You do not want to overwork yourself in the winter it's easier to get hurt that way that's why breaks are important.

Before you leave the house let someone know where you're going and expected return time.

 

[bore_pig]

If a tree has a couple inches of snow on top of it when its down, brush it off. The snow will dull your chain fast.

 

[StihltheOne]

Lesson learned here.... Be sure to start your saw at the shop before you go to the cutting area and find out that it is taking the day off. Even the best will at times be finiky starting cold, especially if you are not familiar with "its own" cold start routine