quiet chainsaws,,, do they exist?

[cpr]

What neighbor could be pissed? The black bears? I know it isn't the Buggs, they're loggers...

 

[Warped5]

Wait a sec here ....

If the neighbors complain, it will eventually escalate to the police being called.

What is the noise ordinance by you? Around here it is 7 AM to 5 PM and there is no measurement done.

"If there's no violation, then there's no problem."

At our old house, one lady complained that I cut my lawn at 0730 AM on a Saturday before we left on vacation. I just told her that if she didn't like it, she was free to move out; she never spoke to me again. Come to think of it, most of the neighborhood didn't speak to her either ... LOL

 

[A100HVA]

We don't do quiet chainsaws here

NEITHER DO WE......however we have to put up with the FLATLANDERS........

 

[cajunhillbilly]

A Poulan ES300 is the answer. It has a 16" bar and chain, suprisingly strong. But I would have to refer to it as a girlie saw. I just acquired one in a trade and I would love to sell it.

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

all my saws are real quiet... right up until i start yankin on that rope!

 

[cheeves]

My 262 when it had the 261 muffler on it wasn't bad. When i want to be stealthy I put it on! Friends new 435 is pretty quiet.

 

[Saw Dr.]

The 023L is a fairly hard to find saw. It is also very quiet, and a nice saw for little stuff. I would compare it to a good MS-180 in the power department. It goes with me on pretty much all outdoor projects. I would suggest waiting until one turns up if you really want a quiet saw. I guess I fail on all accounts here, as I am getting ready to convert it to the quick adjust chain tensioner that nobody here likes either.

 

[Philbert]

also, among the electric saws, is there a large difference in decibels?
and while iam at the questions what is the best electric saw for power/rpm's?

Electric chainsaws are not as loud as circular (Skil) saws because they do not have that large blade spinning and screaming. They are more on the level of a reciprocating saw or a small angle grinder. I am sure that there are differences between electric saw models (and chains), but they are orders of magnitude quieter than gas saws, so you would probably be satisfied with any of them.

I have several electric chainsaws because I live in the city and I am never more than 100' from an outlet at home. No gas to buy/mix/store. No yanking on the starter rope. No flooding. No 2-cycle smoke. Let go of the trigger and the chain and noise stop. Very low maintenance aside from the chain. Stay away from most of the ones sold at the big box/home center stores. Just like with petrol chainsaws, there are big differences in quality, and some of that comes with price. Figure $250 - $500 for new ones of good quality.

Makita, Dolmar, Husqvarna, Jonsered, and STIHL all make high quality, corded electric chainsaws that are capable of doing real work. They all run at slower RPMs than gas saws, but their torque is different so it is not a direct comparison. Like gas saws, more power means more $ and more weight.

I have Makita UC4000 that I really like (it has been replaced by UC4030A). It is an in-line design, like a reciprocating saw, that makes the saw very maneuverable. Home Depot rents them, so you can take a look at them there. I figured that if they survived HD rental use, they must be sturdy, and I bought a couple of them used from their rental stock when they turned over.

The battery powered saws are also very quiet. I have used the Oregon one quite a bit. However, these are more expensive, and limited by battery charge life. So if running an extension cord to where you work is not a problem, a corded electric might be a better choice.

We don't do quiet chainsaws here

Get an electric saw and turn up the stereo.

Philbert

 

[one.man.band]

for cutting firewood and limbing for hours, i'd like a quieter saw.

for felling... think the noise serves as a good warning to the other folks.

lost a lot of hearing over the years, and believe me it is no joke. i don't know if i hate saying "what?' or "sorry couldnt hear you" or my wife and kids hearing me say it, and repeating things all the while. have been wearing plugs (muffs don't work as well for me), for over 20 years, but heavy equipment, air-compressors, sandblaster, backup alarms, demo saws and air hammers still have a huge effect after 8 to 10 hours a day. can't say i don't take them out when i should have them in......but you have to be able to hear an operator.

i like coming home from work without my ears ringing, and putting the tv up to full volume. and for some reason, which i can't explain, do not get as tired. weird but true.

 

[Somesawguy]

Find a muffler off one of those honda generators that are ultra quiet. You could try modifying the muffler to add some baffles. Anything you do will rob some power.

Electric may be the best option if noise is a real issue.

That being said, you should be able to cut anytime between 6am and 8pm without a problem.

 

[Dennis Gauge]

The problem is these neighbors are probably the hysterical lunatic type that will involve a lawyer.

We had a guy that lived 1/3 mile from our RC airplane flying field. Claimed we were there all day every day making noise, harassing him, and destroying the value of his property (we weren't). He ran up such a lawyer bill suing our group that his grandkids won't be able to pay it off.

When lawyers get involved, you can't just blow them off anymore. The law has no bearing in civil proceedings. If you don't show up for hearings, he automatically wins. If you don't get your own lawyer, his lawyer will walk all over you. You either give in or fight it and hope you've got deeper pockets or a cheaper lawyer.

 

[procarbine2k1]

The problem is these neighbors are probably the hysterical lunatic type that will involve a lawyer.

We had a guy that lived 1/3 mile from our RC airplane flying field. Claimed we were there all day every day making noise, harassing him, and destroying the value of his property (we weren't). He ran up such a lawyer bill suing our group that his grandkids won't be able to pay it off.

When lawyers get involved, you can't just blow them off anymore. The law has no bearing in civil proceedings. If you don't show up for hearings, he automatically wins. If you don't get your own lawyer, his lawyer will walk all over you. You either give in or fight it and hope you've got deeper pockets or a cheaper lawyer.

So sad, but so frikkin' true...

 

[mt.stalker]

ok I know a chainsaw is loud, but of the screaming beasts what is the quietest yet practical petro saw. (ive got pissed off neighbors)

also, among the electric saws, is there a large difference in decibels?

and while iam at the questions what is the best electric saw for power/rpm's?

any feedback is much appreciated

Every time you're going to be running your saw , fire a few warning shots into the air with your .30-06 first , and again when your done .

 

[sawfun9]

If you can use it, one of the shorter 4-mix pole saws will be quiet. My Stihl ht100 is very quiet and idles down nice and low. It's great here in town. A short Sthil Kombi would be quiet.

 

[holeycow]

I would like all my power tools to be quieter. waa, waa.

I run farm equipment and my hearing has suffered because of it, and I am not a full-time farmer. I wear muffs ALL the time now.

I work with lots of equipment operators. They have all suffered hearing loss.

Powersaws should be quieter, IMO.

 

[Snap]

I would like all my power tools to be quieter. waa, waa.
I run farm equipment and my hearing has suffered because of it, and I am not a full-time farmer. I wear muffs ALL the time now.
I work with lots of equipment operators. They have all suffered hearing loss.
Powersaws should be quieter, IMO.

Agree fully.
I hear ringing every waking moment.

Unfortunately they'd never get the horsepower numbers that they do if they ran mufflers.

 

[Marvinlee]

The old Shindaiwa 357 top handle, which I have had since new, is the quietest of my saws. It is still not quiet enough to skip the earmuffs. The quietest aircooled two stroke engine of all time, owned by me, was my 354 Jawa two cylinder, two stroke, motorcycle that I had in Turkey. It was quiet, refined, and reliable. And all from a Communist country.

The quietest water cooled two stroke was my 3HP Evinrude twin of many years ago. No significant power, but it sure was smooth and quiet.

 

[mcdarvy]

What neighbor could be pissed? The black bears? I know it isn't the Buggs, they're loggers...

its a small world, I take it your quite familiar with curran, my family and I just moved, i only know a few people on this side of the county, am sure it wont be long until I meet the rest. i like it here, plenty of sawmills to work with and plenty of wood.
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as for the noise problems, I am working on a "silencer" muffler, somewhere along the line of a 50cc moped muff, and installing it on a ms170, the saw needs an adjustable carb before i go messing with the exhaust the 170 is small and ive got two to compare the cut after modding one.
any problems i may run in to while extending the length and volume of the muffler?

Along with that, running an electric will do fine, after reading all of the above (very helpful) posts, the makita electric sounds like it should keep the DB level down. after speaking with my father recommended the 5012b witch has a higher chain speed than the newer model uc4030.

any one tried both?

 

[Philbert]

any problems i may run in to while extending the length and volume of the muffler?

I have always wondered if this could be done practically. I can't tell you about engine performance, but you may need to add or extend the dogs on the saw. I have one saw where the muffler already gets too close to the wood and gets the handle, and other stuff, too hot when bucking.

. . . the makita electric sounds like it should keep the DB level down. after speaking with my father recommended the 5012b witch has a higher chain speed than the newer model uc4030.

There are a few other things to consider: torque, power, weight, bar length, balance, etc. Different saws for different tasks. As you note, it would be best if you could find a dealer that stocked both for a side by side comparison.

Makita has made a few electric saws through the years. The ice carvers like the smaller, higher speed saws. The 5012B is a 'sidewinder' design. The UC4030 replaced the UC4000 which I have and like for firewood type tasks, and which apparently holds up to HD rental use. It is an 'in-line' design. This model is also sold through Dolmar dealers, in red, if that helps you find one locally.

Philbert.

 

[tolman_paul]

(sic)

as for the noise problems, I am working on a "silencer" muffler, somewhere along the line of a 50cc moped muff, and installing it on a ms170, the saw needs an adjustable carb before i go messing with the exhaust the 170 is small and ive got two to compare the cut after modding one.
any problems i may run in to while extending the length and volume of the muffler?

The thing you have to be concerned with is back pressure.

Years ago I found an 80cc dirtbike dead and engineless on trash heap, couldn't pass it up. My buddy gave me an old 100cc two stroke bike motor, sans piston. I managed to find a piston, made a plate to raise the cylinder up to compensate for the different pin height in the piston and fit a kart pipe to it with a typical mx muffler added on. It ran fine, but had the typical ring ding sound that ticked off my friends neighbors. I had the bright idea of welding a washer to the end of the muffler to exhaust. It quieted the bike right down, but also caused detonation and overheating, so the back pressure will bite you if don't watch out.

What you need in a silencer is enough volume to drop the gas pressure when it exits.

And you'll know you've got an effective silencer when you notice the noise a carb makes. You'd be suprised at the droning wahhh sound a two stroke carb makes when you drop the exhuast db sufficiently to hear the carb. There are intake silencers, but they would really get in the way on a saw.