Wet Saws

[2dogs]

We have been hit by a series of storms here and are still clearing down trees. Today I worked on a multi-stem bay laurel in a local park that has near 6 cords of wood in it. My saws have been rained on every few days for the last month. I know, I need a shell for my truck but in the mean time my saws are getting wet. At the fire department I always broke the saw down and dried it out after a fire. At home I don't have a heated garage and the spousal unit doesn't appreciate a chainsaw or 3 sitting in the front room. During the summer my saws get a periodic bath and a day in the sun afterward. But what about during the winter? Do you dry your saw out after using it in the rain, especially after a wet ride in the back of the pickup? BTW I do check the air filter to see if it is wet but that is about it.

 

[Lakeside53]

Na.. I usually hit them with the hose to wash them off real good!

 

[HUSKYMAN]

As long as the saw is not ingesting water you should be ok. Keep the chain and bar oiled so they dont rust and the rest of the saw is made of rust free materials.

 

[Saw Bones]

I always wash mine with a hose, wipe off the excess water, and run them a while to get them hot. Then set in the sun, or a dry place to cool down.

Before long term storage in a case I try to be sure they are dry. If they are stored in open air then they will dry off just fine.

 

[GASoline71]

Heck if I didn't cut when it was wet... I'd never use my saws!

I live in Western Washington State... always cuttin' in the rain/dampness here it seems.

Ain't gonna hurt 'em none.

Gary

 

[B_Turner]

Heck if I didn't cut when it was wet... I'd never use my saws!

I live in Western Washington State... always cuttin' in the rain/dampness here it seems.

Ain't gonna hurt 'em none.

Gary

+1

I don't like how the saws get so wet and dirty in the rain, but like Gary says here we don't have much choice.

I can't bring myself to hose a saw off, but I do blow it off and wipe it down once I am home.

I confess I do try to get out my older saws when it is really a mess out. Left my 880 in the trailer the other day cause it was so wet out and it is still so purty. My 066 and 395 probably end up even cleaner after a wet day....

 

[Festus Haggen]

especially after a wet ride in the back of the pickup?

Back? Saws belong in the cab with you and the dog(s), wife and kids go in the back!

 

[B_Turner]

Back? Saws belong in the cab with you and the dog(s), wife and kids go in the back!

In my old truck (65 chev mode 20) saws rode inside with me (I hadn't had the trailer built yet). Between the gas and the cracked manifold that I babied for years it wasn't that re####l to drive that way.

Got so say, no way any saw of mine is going to ride in the weather anymore. Either it's in the truck under canopy, or in the 2 x 2 x 5 ft toolbox on the trailer. They got to get wet cutting, but not riding! Plus I only used to take 2 saws and I now general pack 3 or 4 depending on the gig.

Note, the word that the software bleeped out about was r e s t f u l. Since when is that a dirty word?

 

[Nuzzy]

Note, the word that the software bleeped out about was r e s t f u l. Since when is that a dirty word?

It's not. But the S. T. F. U. must be...

 

[Nuzzy]

And as for the hose... I honestly never even considered it for cleaning, but I suppose it makes perfect sense. I know saws are just fine to cut in the rain! I guess I just thought about it like an engine in a vehicle which I never wash with a hose (or do it VERY carefully and only in certain spots).

That may save me some time in the future

 

[Wortown Mick]

It's not. But the S. T. F. U. must be...

The censors rediculous, I doubt theres too many children lurking.

Ive seen surface rust on flywheels too. Though if you start the saw wet to dry it it will spin all the water off.

 

[redprospector]

My saw's live in the back of my truck (at least two at a time), rain or shine.

Andy

 

[Tree Sling'r]

After this past week, working on the coast my Meindle's are wet, my Filson clothing, my Dutch Harbor Gear, my Wesco's, my back pack and Under Armour and even my log scale is soaked.

The saws, they get wet, but I find a nice old growth redwood long but or stump to store them over night.

 

[Wood Junkie]

When I worked as a Hydro dam operator I was told to purchase a saw (company acct) to cut up the logs and remove them from the dam area. If I remember correctly it was an 028....anyways, alone on the spillway I had no choice but to cut the logs while they were still in the water, some of them were 20' long or so. Wish I'd had some pics of those roosters! Like I said,it was on the company's dime so I did as was told. That was a clean saw to say the least! I never had any issues with the bar buried in the water,it ran great. I'm not sure how it has lasted long term as I don't work there anymore.


Btw.....just realized,wasn't the 028 the worst Stihl ever made?!? .........

 

[slowp]

Heck if I didn't cut when it was wet... I'd never use my saws!

I live in Western Washington State... always cuttin' in the rain/dampness here it seems.

Ain't gonna hurt 'em none.

Gary

Yup. Twinkle goes in the cab at night, then back in the pickup bed during the day. Right now Twinkle rides in all the snow in the back of the pickup. Twinkle starts up every day and goes right to work. There are so many trees across roads right now, and I was sliding around in about 8 inches of our finest W.Warshington glop powder, that we just opened up almost every road to firewood cutters. The fallers generally leave their saws out in the brush at night, then take them out on the weekends to work. They might throw a raincoat over the saws....I guess it is just a different world here.
I used boot grease on my tin pants and it seems to have lasted longer than the wax. It is Camp Dry Beeswax Waterproofer. You just have to not sit down on any furniture for a while in them...and put something down on the pickup seat. Got rubber calks with a felt insole, which go on the boot dryer every night, and wear poly pro/fleece layers on the top half and carry spares to change into if back to the pickup at lunch or quitting time. Raincoats are too hot for me if I'm doing any kind of moving about. I carry a zillion pairs of gloves to lose and change into during the day. I don't mind the rain much anymore....strange. I think it is all the poly stuff available now instead of heavy wool, which still works well also. Everything starts smelling like mildew but after a while you don't notice until you travel inland. A hooktender also hung these plastic dehumidifier bags up in the crummie. Looked like he had IV bags hanging but he said it made a big difference in the fog up factor. Didn't do much for the smell factor though.....

 

[Pablo26]

I'm one of those city slickers with the saw all tucked away dry in the back of the subaru outback.

 

[2dogs]

Thanks all. I haven't really worried about my saws getting wet since points were replaced in favor of solid state but I wanted to be sure. I do have to pull the bar off and scrape it out more often esp if I have to rip. I guess the combo of oil and water gets a little sticky. Cutting floating logs sure does clean a saw up nicely too!

 

[Mad Professor]

Around here the road salt would eat the saw in short order.

Why not go to Wally world and get a cheap plastic storage bin and bungee cord for less than $20. They make them big enough to fit several big saws.

 

[Bowtie]

I keep my saws in the garage or in the extended cab part of the truck. If im pulling my pickup bed trailer for firewood I have a plastic bed box mounted on the tongue that I can fit 3 saws in their case, or 4 without cases. Quality chainsaws cost a lot, and I'm going to take as good care of my tools as possible. Just my .02