Saw lifespan

[pickwood]

Back in the 70s-early 80s, I worked on a logging crew in the Carolinas and most of the tree fellers used their saw for a year. They would sell their old saw to firewood users and buy a new one- they were paid on production and wanted a fresh saw every year.

 

[StihlKiwi]

Based on the time studies that went with this data the saws would have had around 1200 hours a year of run time

 

[hamish]

Logger's saw after 3 years of use...

Clutch and oil pump.

Not everybody treats there gear like crap, but most loggers do, an easy excuse to get out of the bush.

 

[slowp]

What is abuse?

It is normal for the guys to leave their saws out in the brush around here. They sometimes cover the saw with a raincoat. They'll take them home on the weekends and do maintenance on the saws. Or when they get close to the road.

I guess you'd have to see the terrain they cut on to understand. You can abuse your saw if that's what leaving it out is, or abuse your body packing it back out. The road is often at the top of the unit, and cutting starts at the bottom or in the hole.

And none of the fallers I know want their saws to break down. They don't get paid if they don't work. If they have too many problems, they'll get canned and will have a hard time finding work.
Reputation means a lot because there is a lot of competition.

 

[StihlKiwi]

I agree completely Slowp, leaving a saw out all week is pretty standard unless you're somewhere its likely to get pinched overnight. And if loggers don't work they don't get paid. Makes no sense to run gear to death