Full-blown newb advice

[redfin]

You have been given some very good advise here. One thing I will tell you is ten acres does NOT provide very much firewood. Now I'm only speculating on an average parcel.

I have acreage we are building our house and I have cut just about all the dead in five years and have maybe come up with 4 cords. I scrouge all my wood elsewhere. I'm not tellling you to buy your wood nor saying you should not buy a saw or three just lettiing you know 10 acres doesn't heed much.

I enjoy very much scrounging wood. I have a few saws and the tools to do it. You seem like you have a good grasp and want to be prepared. Buy a saw, something to haul wood, split and enjoy your hard work.

It is basic sustinace that keeps me scrounging for more.

 

[CTYank]

I've used a 455r as my "heavy artillery" for 3 years. It arrived at my door from VMInnovations-dot-com for $327 as a factory refurb; Stihl prices can't touch that. (Now that I've a Dolmar PS-6100, the 455r is available.)
VMInnovations has very good prices on other saws- I'd suggest a Husqy 435 (40 cc), $175, for limbing & up. Light & nimble is the key here, and such a saw will end up doing most of your work. Reduced fatigue is a real safety factor. See also RedMax GZ4000 and Dolmar PS-421 for very competent limbing saws. Stihl has nothing here.
I'd also recommend a few 5" and 8" plastic felling/bucking wedges, to avoid pinching.
Basic 1/2 ton cable winch and a few tow straps help a lot to avoid lurching logs. Very helpful in pulling delivered long logs from pile.
For rolling logs, like to finish cuts, you'll want a basic cant hook.
Without saying, full-wrap chaps and combo helmet/screen/muffs. Rockman & Husqy combos preferable IMHO.
On starting cutting, find a sawyer with all his extremities to learn from. Ask questions, lots of questions.

 

[fearofpavement]

There is a book by Jeff Jepson called "To Fell a Tree". This is a useful book for beginner and experienced alike and will give all sorts of info on stuff related to cutting wood. It's worth what it costs. Sometimes I reference it for a particularly challenging situation to see what is recommended. There is a lot to learn about cutting wood and most of it can be learned by experience but it's better to learn it from someone else's experience. I've been felling trees with a chainsaw for nearly 40 years and I still learn new stuff all the time.

 

[Stormy]

I have helped fell a tree, but wasn't the guy operating the saw- I understand the general technique for smaller trees.

I'll find out whatever system the current owner uses in a few weeks when I move up. Just thought I'd get a jump start & have some ideas in mind about size/type saw I need. I've also researched basic safety equipment. There's just a lot out there on saws & sometimes I find there's actually too much info. This site is the only place I've found things a little more condensed.

Thanks for those links 7sleeper I'll check them out. I've watched a few videos on the Stihl website already.

Also- just generally speaking, while I've been a city person for years, I am quite comfortable with a range of power tools (table saws, drill presses, etc). I'm also very safety conscious, so I'll be taking my time with everything & not biting off more than I can chew. I probably won't do any felling- I may have mentioned before but the current owner of the house said he almost never has to fell- there's enough on the property that get's downed by wind/ice/snow, etc. over time

You'll not only be fine, but I predict that you'll like it so much you'll want two. I cut off a toe nail trying to turn a chainsaw over to cut a heating/ac vent in a floor back in my construction days. That said, I have to be more careful with my RAS and table saw than I do the chainsaws. Neither did we have the luxury of helmets when I learned to ride a bike, and figure you have enuf common sense to know what chainsaws do...that, and you've already told us you know saws. Nuff said. Fear-mongering is a pet peeve of mine.