So I'm an ex-cityboy, becoming countryboy. I don't know a lot about saws and wood, but I'm learning.
We've moved out to the middle of nowhere in NC, and I'm clearing a small lot to build my shop (for my other sickness - race cars). I felled and bucked two trees today to get started. These are ALL pines - and 35 to 40 feet tall, about a foot diameter at the base. I have about 10 more trees to go.
I bought a Stihl MS 290 w/ 20" bar for this job - and it did very well on the first tree - cut very smooth and fast. It seems like the chain become very dull, very quick, however - and that was a bit disappointing. It's still got the Stihl green chain on it that came with the saw. I also noticed the chain needed to be tightened every three or four bucks I made - is this normal? I tightened up the chain until there was no slack, and I could pull the chain up with little force to the wear mark in the drive link (per Stihl manual, and the brief tutorial the Stihl guy gave me). The chain was dull enough to the point that it would scorch the wood, and the tree would smoke a little bit - at this point, I would stop, pull the saw out, and let the wood and saw cool down a bit.
Is pine wood/pine sap typically hard on saws?
What am I doing wrong here??? It seems like the chain shouldn't be stretching so much, and get so dull so quick - is pine just that hard on the saw? My old Crapsman saw was much worse, tho, so, so far I'm happier with the Stihl (first saw I've had with bucking spikes on it - makes that job a lot quicker). I'd just like to know what I can do for chain/bar/etc to make it cut better - or could it be my (lack of) technique?
We've moved out to the middle of nowhere in NC, and I'm clearing a small lot to build my shop (for my other sickness - race cars). I felled and bucked two trees today to get started. These are ALL pines - and 35 to 40 feet tall, about a foot diameter at the base. I have about 10 more trees to go.
I bought a Stihl MS 290 w/ 20" bar for this job - and it did very well on the first tree - cut very smooth and fast. It seems like the chain become very dull, very quick, however - and that was a bit disappointing. It's still got the Stihl green chain on it that came with the saw. I also noticed the chain needed to be tightened every three or four bucks I made - is this normal? I tightened up the chain until there was no slack, and I could pull the chain up with little force to the wear mark in the drive link (per Stihl manual, and the brief tutorial the Stihl guy gave me). The chain was dull enough to the point that it would scorch the wood, and the tree would smoke a little bit - at this point, I would stop, pull the saw out, and let the wood and saw cool down a bit.
Is pine wood/pine sap typically hard on saws?
What am I doing wrong here??? It seems like the chain shouldn't be stretching so much, and get so dull so quick - is pine just that hard on the saw? My old Crapsman saw was much worse, tho, so, so far I'm happier with the Stihl (first saw I've had with bucking spikes on it - makes that job a lot quicker). I'd just like to know what I can do for chain/bar/etc to make it cut better - or could it be my (lack of) technique?