Firewood saw philosophy

[El Quachito]

So I cut most of my wood with a Husqvarna 460 Rancher 28" b/c. For me, its the smallest and most affordable tool that can do the job right.

But I think sometimes a much different saw like a 2100 Husky has its merits in the firewood world because cutting rounds as fast as possible can be the name of the game.

My 2 cents.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

I like to think about all the differences on how I cut firewood (professional firewood dealer >100 cords/yr) vs my dad (homeowner <1 cord/yr). The differences between our process is completely different.

I'm all about speed, efficiency, less hard labor, quality of wood. He's about taking his time, using every stick and twig, and doesnt matter what kind of wood he uses. He uses a Stihl MS290, a great dependable, lightweight saw. Always starts, always there when he needs it, and its his only one. I have more than a dozen saws and sometimes two on hand for each situation. My go to saw is my big-bore MS660. He cant even pick it up out of the bed of my truck.

He splits with a maul and sledge. I use any of the 5 37-ton splitters that are in my woodlot. I only use trunk wood and I select only the wood that splits the fastest and I leave a lot of crotches in the field.

My point is, is that he gets more enjoyment out of his method and I enjoy mine better. I guess that's why there are so many sizes of saws, because no to woodsman are alike.

 

[Cerran]

So I cut most of my wood with a Husqvarna 460 Rancher 28" b/c. For me, its the smallest and most affordable tool that can do the job right.

But I think sometimes a much different saw like a 2100 Husky has its merits in the firewood world because cutting rounds as fast as possible can be the name of the game.

My 2 cents.

There is a break point where a heaver faster cutting saw really isn't the way to go. This is why you see so many people sticking with the 60-80cc Saw range for firewood. I tried out a few different saws over the year and I still prefer my 440/372 over a larger saw for firewood. I occasionally break out the 056 with 28 inch bar for big wood, but not that often.

 

[zogger]

I dont sell, and like trigger time, so I milk trees out, meaning a lot of small saw work. But man, I sure do like once I get to the main trunk, BIG excuse to get out a bad boy and chew with authority! Dont bother me a bit to use larger than needed at that point, either.

 

[Hedgerow]

Can a man ever have too many good firewood saws????
These are just some of the small ones I hung up yesterday...

 

[Will_C]

I love cutting with a big saw, but you spend far less time cutting than any other part of firewood work-splitting, moving bloks around, stacking, etc. I am sure that you don't save much time by cutting with a 80cc vs. 50cc saw (unless you are cutting abnormally sized rounds.)

 

[Tazfreak]

I like to think about all the differences on how I cut firewood (professional firewood dealer >100 cords/yr) vs my dad (homeowner <1 cord/yr). The differences between our process is completely different.

I'm all about speed, efficiency, less hard labor, quality of wood. He's about taking his time, using every stick and twig, and doesnt matter what kind of wood he uses. He uses a Stihl MS290, a great dependable, lightweight saw. Always starts, always there when he needs it, and its his only one. I have more than a dozen saws and sometimes two on hand for each situation. My go to saw is my big-bore MS660. He cant even pick it up out of the bed of my truck.

He splits with a maul and sledge. I use any of the 5 37-ton splitters that are in my woodlot. I only use trunk wood and I select only the wood that splits the fastest and I leave a lot of crotches in the field.

My point is, is that he gets more enjoyment out of his method and I enjoy mine better. I guess that's why there are so many sizes of saws, because no to woodsman are alike.

166 s/dolmar is used all day on big hardwood trunks,blocks big rounds quick,big forks are at least quartered to split efficiently into saleable wood,I don,t cut much limb wood cause logs arrive clean ,no limbs.. in big sawlog size already limbed.Smaller trunks ,say 18 to 24 inch are blocked with a 365 special,but most of our timber is huge and needs the S/D 166 to make firewood quick,profitable and enjoyable.It takes a hell of a lot of limb wood to get the same amount u get with a couple of rounds off a big trunk,just not worth fiddeling with.I,m lucky to have access to good ,big logs I enjoy my method ,big logs ,big saws and a very fast hydro-splitter.

 

[flashhole]

Agree with the comments about the big trunks but the firewood I harvest is on the property so I use as much of it as I can. That means limbing, crotch wood and cleaning up the mess. Multiple size saws just makes it easier. My go to saw is the MS 460 with a 20" bar. The Husky 394XP is the biggest I have. I bought it because I was leaving big stumps around. Surprising how much wood is in a large stump.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

There are some days where I will drop and block 20-30 good size trees at a time. I couldn't imagine using anything smaller than my MS660 with the 24" bar on those days. I wont even stop to sharpen my chains, I will just swap a chain after 3 or 4 trees and sharpen them all later.

 

[greendohn]

Two Saw Plan

Graduated to a 2171 and 40cc limbing saw. Use an old slow hydraulic splitter.
Big and small wood goes on the truck and I break down the brush into compact piles I mulch down with the saw.
A couple of the landowners have kicked other guys off their property for leaving "branch/limb wood". That's okay by me. Being a good steward of the land pays off.
I like the big rounds, but I work alone a lot and those big-uns can be a bear,,I hate noodlin'.
My old beater quaalude truck doesn't care what I throw on his back and my owb will burn anything but snow balls!
I truly enjoy the whole process from start to finish..

 

[Hedgerow]

There are some days where I will drop and block 20-30 good size trees at a time. I couldn't imagine using anything smaller than my MS660 with the 24" bar on those days. I wont even stop to sharpen my chains, I will just swap a chain after 3 or 4 trees and sharpen them all later.

Have you ever tried a ported ~70 cc saw ???
Cause the stock 660 is a turd in comparison...
As you get older, it's a way to up speed and reduce weight...

 

[Arbonaut]

Big Wood Big Saw.

Same Pic, though. Get it done. And move on. Goin' in the field for wood, look for solid tops and use a small tune up saw as will make a clean pass. We'd like to but we don't have all day. Weather don't always permit.

​

 

[Arbonaut]

PS, I don't leave a crotch, limb or stump-- nothing. Leave only footprints, take only memories. Whoops wrong thread.

 

[Hedgerow]

The weather ain't permitting squat right now...:msp_angry:

 

[Arbonaut]

The weather ain't permitting squat right now...:msp_angry:

Uh Oh. That means she'll be here in a hour or two.

 

[Hedgerow]

Uh Oh. That means she'll be here in a hour or two.

In 9 months time, I've gone from living in the desert to "da swamp"...

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Have you ever tried a ported ~70 cc saw ???
Cause the stock 660 is a turd in comparison...
As you get older, it's a way to up speed and reduce weight...

One of my 660's has a big-bore, max-flow air filter, and it is ported and has a 10 tooth Piltz Rocket Sprocket. I love that saw!! It rips through wood like a harvester saw.

 

[Hedgerow]

One of my 660's has a big-bore, max-flow air filter, and it is ported and has a 10 tooth Piltz Rocket Sprocket. I love that saw!! It rips through wood like a harvester saw.

Who did the port work? How many cc's is the big bore on it now?

 

[luckydozenfarm]

Who did the port work? How many cc's is the big bore on it now?

Its a 56MM piston. I believe its a 98cc saw now. I would have to check my numbers at the house. I did the port work myself, nothing fancy, just a little touch up work before I put the jug on the saw. The main thing is to get the chain speed up on the saw by getting that 3/8-8 rim sprocket off and get a 9 to 10 tooth sprocket on it. I mean really, if a stock ms362 can push a 3/8-8 sprocket then a hopped up MS660 can push a 10 tooth as long as you keep the bar length reasonable. You should see the how much difference higher chain speed makes when cutting. The only issue is that you have to make up custom chains for it. One extra drive link is the norm usually.

 

[Hedgerow]

Its a 56MM piston. I believe its a 98cc saw now. I would have to check my numbers at the house. I did the port work myself, nothing fancy, just a little touch up work before I put the jug on the saw. The main thing is to get the chain speed up on the saw by getting that 3/8-8 rim sprocket off and get a 9 to 10 tooth sprocket on it. I mean really, if a stock ms362 can push a 3/8-8 sprocket then a hopped up MS660 can push a 10 tooth as long as you keep the bar length reasonable. You should see the how much difference higher chain speed makes when cutting. The only issue is that you have to make up custom chains for it. One extra drive link is the norm usually.

Now imagine your 440 cutting at the same speed...
:msp_wink:

Saw nirvana...