firewood saw chains

[svk]

I had heard that the average homeowner saw has less than 10 hours use in its life.

Hal

Doesn't surprise me.

If someone doesn't burn wood for heat/only cuts for a cabin where a cord will last years/owns a saw only for yard cleanup think how little use it would get.

Even a guy who gets a semi of logs delivered doesn't put that many hours on a saw because there's no felling/limbing involved just buck every bolt into 5 or 6 pieces.

Then there's the shelf queen crowd. If someone wants to tie up capital on tools that are barely/never used that's their prerogative. If you enjoy fine tools, feel the need for a spare, or always want to have the exact right tool more power to you. If its purchased to stroke the ego or attempt to impress people around here then grow up.

 

[benp]

Doesn't surprise me.

If someone doesn't burn wood for heat/only cuts for a cabin where a cord will last years/owns a saw only for yard cleanup think how little use it would get.

Even a guy who gets a semi of logs delivered doesn't put that many hours on a saw because there's no felling/limbing involved just buck every bolt into 5 or 6 pieces.

Then there's the shelf queen crowd. If someone wants to tie up capital on tools that are barely/never used that's their prerogative. If you enjoy fine tools, feel the need for a spare, or always want to have the exact right tool more power to you. If its purchased to stroke the ego or attempt to impress people around here then grow up.

I agree with the not putting many hours on a saw with logs delivered.

If I'm out for 3 hours in the woodpile I cut for MAYBE 15 minutes, provided no noodling is needed.

Thats around 6 cuts, 3 times at 2 cuts per pile.

The rest is splitting and stacking.

ETA - I burn a lot of fuel in that 15 minutes though. LOL

 

[Whitespider]

Whitespider, why no love for the MS saws. I own a Stihl MS460, best saw I've ever used... the 460 is a no frills power house.

For the most part, before the "MS" series, Sthil saws, especially the (so-called) "pro" saws, were trending toward more power in lighter packages as technology advanced. And again, for the most part, the "MS" designation marks the beginning of more stringent EPA regulations (although the "safety police" had affected things before that). According to published specifications, the original 046 (1996-2001) weighed in at 14.3 pounds while producing 6.1 Hp, the MS 460 weighed in at 14.6 pounds while producing 6.0 Hp. Now, that may not seem like a big deal... but before the "MS" designation published specs ran pretty darn true, but after the "MS" those specs tended to cheat just a bit (and who can blame Stihl, the EPA regs had forced a heavier product producing less power). Still, taking the specs at face value (using Hp/lbs), the original 046 had a power-to-weight-ratio of .427, the MS 460 comes in at .411... I consider that a step backwards, not forwards.

Incidentally, even though the web site description says it weighs the same as the MS 460, the MS 461 owners manual says it weighs 14.8 pounds at 6.0 Hp... another step backwards as the power-to-weight-ratio then becomes .405.

And folks, I know some of y'all are gonna' try and tell me that .3 pounds and .1 Hp don't mean sour owl squat. I say bu!!$h!t. Anytime you increase weight while reducing power it means something, it means a friggin' lot... and it sure-in-he!! ain't moving forward.
*

 

[Wolfcsm]

Yeah?? Well... I'm wonderin' what that says??
Is that because the "average" homeowner doesn't use it much?? (I know, that is the implication... but...)
Or is that because the "average" homeowner saw only lasts that long before replacement is necessary??

I mean... think about it... a statement such as that really doesn't tell us anything without the quantification... does it??
*

I agree. I The statistic does not tell the story. But having had a modern Mac and a Pulan before I bought my first Stihl, I would think it is valid both for the maount they are used and the quality of the lower cost "non pro" saws.

Hal

 

[svk]

I agree with the not putting many hours on a saw with logs delivered.

If I'm out for 3 hours in the woodpile I cut for MAYBE 15 minutes, provided no noodling is needed.

Thats around 6 cuts, 3 times at 2 cuts per pile.

The rest is splitting and stacking.

ETA - I burn a lot of fuel in that 15 minutes though. LOL

Shoot you can cut the whole darn pile with 5 cuts with that 394

 

[Chris-PA]

Is that because the "average" homeowner doesn't use it much?? (I know, that is the implication... but...)
Or is that because the "average" homeowner saw only lasts that long before replacement is necessary??

I have no doubt at all - I have a plastic 42cc Poulan/Craftsman from 1995 that runs great. Its original engine was destroyed by bad fuel/or poor mixture, but there's simply nothing wrong with it structurally, and no reason it won't last many more years. And several other very reliable Poulan homeowner saws too.

I haven't the slightest doubt I could buy any Poulan homeowner saw, and with no more than gets done with most pro saws (tuning, good chain and maybe a muffler mod) happily use it to cut my firewood for a dozen years. I would choose one with A/V because I won't use one without it, but those are common.

Homeowner saws mostly get destroyed by the same things that kill pro saws. Pro saws are likely stronger, but the main difference is just that the pro saws are more likely to be properly taken care of.

The main difference between pro and homeowner saws is the plastic case, and I see little evidence that the plastic cases fail structurally very often.

 

[Whitespider]

Life has a way of forcing you out of your comfort zone you will find.

Naw...
Only a fool would be forced from his comfort zone... the thinkin' man expands his as required.
*

 

[svk]

My 394 is the best balanced out of the bunch. It's heavy, but you don't really realize it when cutting until you grab another saw. It has been my go to saw.

Come out to my place in December. We can throw my 15" bar on it and pretend it's a lightsaber.

 

[Whitespider]

So then are you keeping your house?

Sometimes, rather than expansion of the comfort zone, the correct response is proactive fortification and virulent, merciless, unforgiving defense of it's borders. Coming out on top in a street fight requires a clear head, a calm nerve, a perspective focused directly on the objective, and the total lack of squeamishness... anything less leaves you laying bloody in the gutter. Your comfort zone is only what you make it... not what someone else perceives it to be.

You have enemies?? Good‼ That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

A man with no enemies is a man with no character.

Show me a man with no enemies and I will show you a man with no mission, no purpose, no passion, and no courage. Having a few enemies is evidence you are actually alive and not dreaming.

*

 

[Whitespider]

Better proactively fornificate your spell checker, Bra.
its borders (possessive form)

You are aware that "fornificate" is not a word??
Heck man, I can't even guess what you mean by that... fornificate?? What the he!! is that??
Seriously... you chastise my typo by using a word with no meaning??
LMFAO‼
*

 

[KenJax Tree]

I think your problem was more about punctuation and usage than spelling.

Look it up in a Tyrannosaurus.

Ummm..its a dickshinairie......i remember in school when you didn't know how to spell a word the teacher would say "look it up in the dictionary" ok now if i don't know how to spell it how the hell am i gonna look it up and find it?

 

[Whitespider]

When used suitably, vocabulary is a powerful asset while attempting to express meaning.
When used incongruously, it becomes a liability… a window to your motivations.
*

 

[Whitespider]

Heck man... I ain't a politician... watch your tongue
*

 

[esshup]

I had heard that the average homeowner saw has less than 10 hours use in its life.

Hal

Jeez, there's times when I'll put that many hours on it in one day!!! (storm damage clean up - you gotta do what you gotta do to get the job done!!)

 

[stihlman27]

Yeah I hear ya if I'm cutting loads of firewood I'm normally out all day cutting

 

[Wolfcsm]

There ar a lot of people who buy a saw for one task - like cutting up a tree that fell during a storm. It may never get used again. Or, when it is needed years later, it will not start and rather than fixing it, they just buy another saw.

Hal

 

[benp]

I forgot how much I like dealing with Oregon LGX with the blue choppers.

I put a 28" bar on one of the 7900's and had a loop of that for it.

It sharpens so nice and cuts like mad. My local fleet store has me covered for 24" and under above I'm on my own, which I am used to.

I REALLY hope the Woodland Pro skip tooth I ordered in 36" is as nice as this. I am thinking I should of stuck with Oregon.

 

[chucker]

I forgot how much I like dealing with Oregon LGX with the blue choppers.

I put a 28" bar on one of the 7900's and had a loop of that for it.

It sharpens so nice and cuts like mad. My local fleet store has me covered for 24" and under above I'm on my own, which I am used to.

I REALLY hope the Woodland Pro skip tooth I ordered in 36" is as nice as this. I am thinking I should of stuck with Oregon.

benp, I use both Oregon and woodland chains... the woodlands pro skip is as good as the Oregon jgx any day all day long with clean cutting wood while saving a buck or three!!

 

[benp]

benp, I use both Oregon and woodland chains... the woodlands pro skip is as good as the Oregon jgx any day all day long with clean cutting wood while saving a buck or three!!

Thanks!!

 

[Husqavarna Guy]

I forgot how much I like dealing with Oregon LGX with the blue choppers.

I put a 28" bar on one of the 7900's and had a loop of that for it.

It sharpens so nice and cuts like mad. My local fleet store has me covered for 24" and under above I'm on my own, which I am used to.

I REALLY hope the Woodland Pro skip tooth I ordered in 36" is as nice as this. I am thinking I should of stuck with Oregon.

Is the new blue cutter chain in different packaging from the older stuff?