new to carving

[Rathalon]

hello fellow arborists,

i was thinking to begin carving.
i had a husqvarna t540xp in mind as carving saw.
did i made the right choice?
what are your opinions?
( stihl isn't a option, family reasons)
what are great carving saws around europe?

-bram

 

[rb142]

I haven't used a t540xp, but from what I have heard, it should make a pretty good carving saw. Frankly, most of the small, light saws make decent carving saws -- but of course some are better than others. Most people seem to prefer rear-handle saws to top handles for carving. If you are looking for a pro-series small Husky, the 540 is probably a good choice (maybe a 346xp for blocking).

 

[Rathalon]

Thanks!

Hey,
Thanks for the advice.
I've used a 346 before and it's a great saw.
So I'll consider that.
Could i use a 372 for blocking too?
( I allready have that saw)

-bram

 

[them0nk]

I'm still a novice, but i LOVE my husqy 339xp. Light enough for a smaller dude like me to carve for hours. plenty of power... i have a 12" dime tip bar on it... my other saw is a stihl ms280 for blocking but with the stuff i've been doing lately, it's all been smaller stuff so i haven't picked up my ms280 much... right now there is a 20" bar on it and is hard to get the cuts i want with it compared to with the 339xp.

for light carving bar saws - which i think you'll end up using a TON - from what i've read there are a couple light echo's but you normally have to buy a conversion to make it a rear handle.

the stihl ms200 is really light (about 1 pound less than the 339xp) but impossible to find where i live. (illegal in california)

the 339xp is a pro line saw so even though the price is higher i bet it'll last...

i think i already killed a dime tip bar... make sure the chain is set right. LOOSE.

 

[Rathalon]

illegal???

hey, thanks for the advice!
I'll keep that in mind too.
i worked with the 339xp before and i may say its a really nice saw.
but how can a ms200 be illegal?
i dont get that.

 

[them0nk]

EPA regs or some BS...

The MS200T is allowed in California (actually it's more regional, from what i've heard everything in the south-west- arizona, nevada, etc...) BUT the MS200 is not. Why? Basically politics.

Basically the MS200/MS200T do not meet the EPA regulations. So they use some sort of credit system (this is the short version of the story i heard), the saws that pass with flying colors get more credits. they use those to sneak the ones that don't through. So it's some sort of trade off. Stihl figured more people are going to buy a 600 dollar saw for climbing trees compared to people buying a 600 dollar ground work saw... (why in the hell would you buy a 600 35cc saw? you could get a MASSIVE saw compared to that)

You cannot buy a Stihl MS200 ANYWHERE near me... trust me i called every shop within 50 miles of me. You can't have one shipped either cause Stihl is retarded like that (imho).

I couldn't even get anyone to want to order the 339XP easily. So i ordered online, saved $20 off MSRP + free shipping. I'm glad i didn't talk anyone into ordering it at a lawn shop. I took that saw to the lawn shop near me (wilbur's) and they were like... how the heck did you get this? i told them brand new & cheaper than you would have sold it to me :-D

 

[Rathalon]

hahahhaa, that will teach the dealer.
but still tough i find it hard to believe that a saw could be illegal.
and for the 600 $ part, yes its kinda strange.
i would buy a other saw for that money

 

[them0nk]

It really just boils down to california being weird about emissions/noise... you should see the CRAP they pull with cars, and our gasoline. I'm sure the MS200 is not the only saw that is "illegal". Anything without a spark arrestor is also illegal.

 

[Rathalon]

It really just boils down to california being weird about emissions/noise... you should see the CRAP they pull with cars, and our gasoline. I'm sure the MS200 is not the only saw that is "illegal". Anything without a spark arrestor is also illegal.

If you really want that saw you can build the spark arrestor in.
it aint to hard to do.
and they should make the cars illegal and not the saws

 

[them0nk]

The cars are hugely altered to make them legal in California to begin with... adding a spark arrestor to the saw is not so bad but still doesn't make the saw legal in california - if the EPA says no, they said no.... and just as a tit for tat... gross polluter cars should be made illegal... modding imports can't be anywhere NEAR as bad as a 1965 anything that gets 3 miles per gallon but has 1000 hp and shoots smoke and flames out the back... but the EPA doesn't frown on that... lol (i know going a little extreme here, but still)

going completely off topic here... back in the day when the older generations were growing up they could build the hell out of their cars, but if my generation gets caught doing it (OH NOES! he put an INTAKE on his car!!!) it's the end of the world, and tickets are written. or you spend twice the money on a CARB legal part...

going back on topic here...

Get a good carving bar for whatever saw you end up using to carve, maybe the cheapest route (woodland pro) wasn't such a good idea, the tip has a little chunk missing from it now... and it happened while my saw had a loose chain. could be user error, who knows.

 

[rb142]

The MS201 should be available pretty soon, and that should pass EPA regs in California. I am assuming, of course, that there is a rear handle version of that saw, which I haven't seen a picture of yet. That is, of course, if you really want and have the cash for that saw.

 

[Rathalon]

^
stihl isnt a option for me.
(family reasons)

 

[them0nk]

None-the-less, stihl makes some good saws, i don't want to know the reasons... i don't think i'll ever be one of the I only use _____ saws.

The 339XP will be your best friend then :-D

Or you could look into the Echo's...

 

[Rathalon]

None-the-less, stihl makes some good saws, i don't want to know the reasons... i don't think i'll ever be one of the I only use _____ saws.

The 339XP will be your best friend then :-D

Or you could look into the Echo's...

ok, thanks for not asking its a pain in the butt.
Echo...
mm i'll look into that to

 

[rb142]

The only problem with new, small Echo saws for carving is that there aren't 1/4" sprockets available for pretty much any of them. The 341T is back now, and that's the only one I am aware of that currently has a sprocket option. Of course, there are lots of used Echo options, and sprockets will probably be available eventually. And if you aren't running a dime-tip bar it doesn't matter anyway.

 

[them0nk]

I can't remember what the web site was now, but there was a guy that makes custom sprockets... of course that thread was deleted because it mentions non-sponsor websites. i'll PM the guy that posted it and ask...

 

[them0nk]

i have the website... i'm assuming that *ONE* of the rim sprocket systems (powermate) would work on an Echo and there is different ID spline sizes available there... if someone wants the website just PM me for it... but Battenkiller was the one to share this information with me . (unless you want the thread deleted, i can't post it here).

 

[rb142]

Yeah, I remember that thread from Battenkiller. There was a lot of good info there. Too bad it didn't / couldn't last.

I don't know of a Powermate drum that fits the new Echos, but if you can find one of those you are all set. A standard small spline will take any sprocket you will need.

 

[them0nk]

i'm curious whats on the new echos.... i'm not an echo dude so i've never even seen what they have on there... funny thing is... echo sponsors carvers, why not make the stuff more available? i've heard they were more into the carver scene but for whatever reason they stopped tailoring carvers... weird.

 

[rb142]

I agree with you there. Echo was really big in supporting carving, but they seem to have gone quiet. I heard that they were working on their own carving setups for their new saws, but they don't seeem to be in any hurry. I'm sure there will be parts eventually. I looked at small Echos when I was looking at small saws for carving. I avoided getting one because most of the new ones had no sprocket available (among other reasons). Better to stay with the older models for now.