McCulloch Chain Saws
- Thread starter Bruce Hopf
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RandyMac, while you may have been bored today, I spent a good part of my day saying to myself “a RandyMac you ain’t”.
Our woodlot is running low so I thought the day would be spent looking for wood – translation left the MACs at home – I just had a 036Pro and a MS362 with me. Late in the morning I was asked to put some standing deads on the ground. A mixed bag of yellow poplar, red oak and locust in a dense patch of woods; all of which had been dead so long that they were essentially poles with patches of bark – the poplars and oaks being around 80’ tall. I took on a poplar first (here most poplar is a soft hardwood) – with a chain sharp enough for green wood but this tree proved to have a nice big yellow center as hard as a brick - a real struggle for 3.75 cubes with a less than optimal chain – wish I had a 5 cube MAC. Despite a deep and wide face cut and two wedges, no “Timber”. There wasn’t enough ump to make it through the surrounding canopy and it hung without falling much as I was able to stack wedges three high. But still couldn’t break it through. “Strike one.” It took 100’ of rope, 65’ of chain and the Landcruiser to get her down. First though I had to cut a useless 15 foot stub (15” dbh) to get into position. It was wrapped in vines over my reach and wouldn’t fall. I tried to fencepost it but that just stood it more upright with any further shortening threatening to throw it back at me. I finally just pushed it over with the Landcruiser. “Strike two.” It took over an hour to fall this one dead poplar. Changed to a fresh chain and took on a nice 22” barkless red oak with a little lean close to my desire direction. Wood was also very hard but everything went fine except the saw struggled with my bit too low depth gauges – wish I had a 5 cube MAC. Next up a similar sized red oak, it fell in the desired direction but hung up at about 70 degrees. I didn’t want to leave the tree due to the potential somebody might come along at the wrong time. I tried everything I knew to do other than fence posting (felt it was too dangerous with a short bar struggling saw and a broken hinge) – wish I had a 5 cube MAC. “Strike 3.” I stood with the tree for 30 minutes listening to it pop and groan while telling myself “You’re no RandyMac” and while I tried to reach another cutter on the phone (intended to put the Landcruiser to work again). I couldn’t get through so I took a chance, left the tree and made the 200 yard trek to the truck. Before I could get the door open, the tree started to talk loudly and with the best kaboom I have heard in a while she came crashing down to the ground without any casualties. It took 45 minutes or so to put that one on the ground. Thereafter I cut a few smaller trees without incident just to get back up on the horse. Point of this rambling tale is boy it would be nice if you could drop in for a visit at times like this as I have a lot left to learn. Also don’t leave home without a MAC of at least 5 cubes.
Ron
Eccentric
Mister Wizard
That'll teach ya Ron. Glad you didn't get hurt.
Whenever I go cutting, I always take at least one of my five cube saws. I've gotten snide comments such as "why'd you bring that old monster?" from some of the guys I cut with before. On more than a few occasions we've gotten into bigger wood and have been glad to have the 'bigger stick'. I'm no RandyMac either. You won't catch me falling big ugly trees with a CS302.
Whenever I go cutting, I always take at least one of my five cube saws. I've gotten snide comments such as "why'd you bring that old monster?" from some of the guys I cut with before. On more than a few occasions we've gotten into bigger wood and have been glad to have the 'bigger stick'. I'm no RandyMac either. You won't catch me falling big ugly trees with a CS302.
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Warped5
WingNut
Ron - Sounds like a great day! 
Got any pix?
Got any pix?
Ron - Sounds like a great day!
Got any pix?
No pictures; cutting alone as usual and camera belongs to my wife. I left nice stumps but that doesn't mean much sometimes. Ron
Eccentric
Mister Wizard
Ron cutting alone is a very bad practice (especially when falling). I'm sure you know that already..........but it bears repeating. You may not be as 'lucky' as 'ol Snelling...
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Warped5
WingNut
Yep, I've been there .... then found a nice little Kodak in a pawn shop on clearance table for $5. Batteries for $3 and I was in business!
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
this came home today " thanks rick" . and some other yellow part's.
. had some fun chating with some fellow as'ers.
Mr. Bow Saw
Addicted to ArboristSite
ckelp
just being myself
don't you mean circus bear:spam:
i do have to admit he knows a thing or two about saws..
i do have to admit he knows a thing or two about saws..
Aaron, thanks for the concern. I know working alone is not recommended, but in my balancing of the risks I prefer to fall trees where no one is around so this distractable mind of mine* has one less big hazard to be concerned with. Like yesterday, it would be great to have another set of eyes and an experienced someone to help or summons help but I don't yet have that luxury. As a general rule our group doesn't fall trees and I don't believe any of the cutters have any significant experience. In my experience with weekend firewood cutters most take the task of falling too casually for me. I also keep in the back of my mind two killed by trees felled by loggers. One was on our property. The victim was the faller's elderly father (a former logger himself I was told).
I do let folks know where I am and what I am doing. Ron
* Just last week, I went out to buck a tree. The landowner stood around to watch (and unbeknownst to me also to "assist" me at unexpected times and/or in unexpected ways). I founded out later that he had a fear of the trunk rolling off the stump and getting me as had happened to someone in his earlier days. Anyway I had the job half done before I realized my chaps were still in the truck.
Eccentric
Mister Wizard
It's good just to have a second set of eyes watching the canopy and stem (and everything else in the 'big picture', such as neighboring trees).............so they can yell at you (hopefully you can hear them) if they see something ugly coming before you do. The group that I do volunteer tree work with is getting a couple air horns for this purpose.
The most important advantage to having somebody else there is that they can call for help (and render first aid) if you have a bad accident and can't call for help yourself. Watching that famous BS video with no sound but his saw idling away while he laid silent on the deck (after he got clobbered) really gave me the willies.....
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Eccentric
Mister Wizard
this came home today " thanks rick" . and some other yellow part's.. had some fun chating with some fellow as'ers.
Nice score Fraser! Is that a 795? I can't quite make out that last number. Looks more like a 5 than a 7 to me. Great saw either way.:cool2:
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
ya, 795. you wrap is behind it. picked out the nicest.
Eccentric
Mister Wizard
Thats a sweeeeeety fo sho there Fraser.
Nutting wrong with a 103cc Mac.
Lee
Nutting wrong with a 103cc Mac.
Lee
By the way Fraser, Did you by chance
look at the numbers on the bottom of
the block. I've seen a few 797's with the
wrong filter cover. Just a thought.
Lee
look at the numbers on the bottom of
the block. I've seen a few 797's with the
wrong filter cover. Just a thought.
Lee
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
it will go nicely with the 890. and i have to break down and get a real camara, the phone is not cuttin it.:msp_smile:
the phone is not cuttin it.:msp_smile:
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
no , but now that you say that i'll go look. i was so tired after the long drive yesterday all i did was snap some picks.
Eccentric
Mister Wizard
it will go nicely with the 890. and i have to break down and get a real camara,
Did you end up with the 895 (and that CHERRY SP-81E) that were in that little museum? The 895 I'm thinking of is the one being ran by that old feller in one of the pics you posted. What's really cool about that one is that you can see a distinctive paint wear pattern on the cylinder shroud in the pic where the old gentleman is running it...................and that same pattern can be seen in the present day pic that you shot.
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