A real Noob trying to keep the house warm!

[slinger]

Buy a couple of plastic felling wedges and learn how to use them.

Spend as much time w/ the kids as possible

 

[woodbooga]

You talking about CAD?

Ayuh. It appears that chainsaws are herd animals and like to live in large communities.

Some chainsaw communities are self selecting and only specimens of a certain color are permitted into the ranks of the herd.

In the case of the assemblage I provide a habitat for, orange, red, yellow and powder blue co-exist in perfect harmony.

 

[MJR]

Try to get a year ahead with the wood. Things come up with the little ones and family life. It is easy to get behind. Wood stacks are the same as money in the bank.

It seems life is being good to you.

(you can save money on the extra saw, just get an extra bar in case you get the saw really stuck - the kind of stuck that wedges can't even help with)

Good luck.

 

[mga]

As it sits now, my small arsenal consists of the single 20" saw...

i'd be looking at getting an 18 incher and maybe a 14 incher.

 

[thombat4]

Welcome to AS Darth Hawken

This website has been invaluable for it's wealth of information and the overall camaraderie of the membership here. I don't post very often here but whenever I do I always get good advice from the more learned folks on this forum. I do a lot of reading on this website simply because there's always something to be learned from the more experienced guys here. Take heed to all of the safety advice and have fun!

 

[giXXer]

+1 on all of the advice given. Safety gear, in particular when cutting alone, is a must. Chaps, boots, good cutting gloves, and a helmet with face guard are all money well spent. I cut wood alone (my choc. lab is a great cutting partner and very smart, but still has a problem with the small buttons on the cell phone) quite often so my wife has gotten familiar with my typical timeline. I usually call her before I pull into the woods and always give her a call on my way home. If I'm not home on time or she hasn't heard from she starts blowing up the phone. Might sound like a PITA and certainly makes it tough to stop at the watering hole on the way home, but it's nice to know if I'm pinned under a tree, trapped, or hurt someone knows where I am and can get help to me.

Since you have an OWB and a great source of wood you can probably get by without the splitter for a little bit. I also recommend waiting a little until you can afford a good size splitter (25-34 ton). Since it's an OWB you typically won't be splitting small rounds into split pieces. You'll usually be splitting the really large gnarly stuff so it will fit in the door of the burner so a large capacity splitter would be my preference.

Pretty much everyone is recommending a back-up saw and I agree. It sounds like you take care of your equipment, but issues still pop-up from time-to-time so a second (or third, or fourth) saw is nice to have. I have a Stihl 025 and love it for a back-up. Doesn't take up too much room in the truck, nice and light, decent power for the size, and reasonably priced. I see them selling used for around $125-$150 in good shape. Our local Tractor supply just had a new Husky 45 on sale for $200. It had never cut wood, but had been run before (oil on the bar and chain and fuel in the carb bulb). I believe it may have been a return, but one could, in theory, buy the saw and if it had a problem exchange it under warranty for a new one. My point is, there are deals like that out there you just have to keep your eyes open. I was extremely tempted to buy it, but I can't afford the saw and a divorce, so the saw stayed on the shelf.

Out of all the advice given I think the best has to be spending time with the kids. In my opinion, a child can learn a lot more in the woods with their Dad than sitting in front of a video game or reality TV show. Plus, it's free labor!

BTW, Northern Michigan is experiencing the same drought on wood cutting equipment as Woodbooga is seeing in N.H. It really isn't worth the effort for anyone to be looking for deals on splitters and saws so don't even look. Please?

 

[7sleeper]

the Ryobi 10532 is recieving quite a rave at the moment.

http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=101591

it's a 100-125$ saw that is highly thought of by quite some people here.

the more you insulate the less wood you will need!

stay safe with all your ppe!!!

7

 

[barkeatr]

WOW..some great advice.
Im moving from newbie to middle experience, four or five years on the OWB...ive burned fifty gals of iraqi oil in the last three or four years, and most of it is in my tractor. IM restoring an old sugar bush...

The chaps and steel toe boots. I think you will find some guys, like me, feel naked without them and thats a good thing. my steel toed boots have three or four saw scars (the left boot as im right handed)...nuff said.

depending on your cutting experience, think about a course in felling or hook up with an old Brush cat that knows a lot about the different cuts and how to avoid hanging trees. Once you get into felling, thats a trick. thats my biggest weakness.

second hand cheap, small, back up saw...my saws foul up a lot..i need the back up to get my fix in the woods whilst nursing the other saw.

sound like your splitting now so wood splitter, used, rebuilt, homebuilt will save you wear and tear on your body. scan the free trader and get a used one and buy new parts to tune her up. there are all sorts of internet based parts companies now.

when they are big enough, get those kids involved. dont be the dad that disapperars in the woods. If they have any shot at being president, the wood chucking they do will be the foundation for it.

cordless sharpener...its a trick,
, but once you get the hang, you can give the chain a once over and chips will fly.

 

[mickeyd]

Do be aware that free heat can get very expensive if you hang around here often enough. Especially if you go downstairs to the chainsaw forum.

To keep equipment expenses in check, make Saturday morning yard saling a summer ritual. This advice pertains universally. Unless you're reading this from your home in eastern or central NH - or just acrosst the border in Maine. There are no saws or anything else of value within a 30-mile radius of Alton Bay, so set your sights elsewhere.

wow! thanks for saving me the time wood Booga I am 30 miles from Alton Bay
MD

 

[Darth Hawken]

Thanks for all of the great advice guys. I just bought a "new" pair of Husky chaps online for a real good deal.

Over the weekend I dropped a good size ash tree in the yard. Dead as a door nail. The Ash Borer is doing a number on them in the state. Is there anything that can be done to protect the rest of my ash trees besides taking down the infected ones?

 

[Laird]

Over the weekend I dropped a good size ash tree in the yard. Dead as a door nail. The Ash Borer is doing a number on them in the state. Is there anything that can be done to protect the rest of my ash trees besides taking down the infected ones?

From everything I've read I'm afraid they are probably goners.

 

[danrclem]

When I buy equipment I look at it as an investment using the money that I would have used buying propane. It doesn't take long to get a return on your investment.

I definitely agree with what everyone else said about having your house insulated very well.

Husqvarna 346XP for tree tops. If you haven't priced pro saws lately you might get sticker shock. I don't own one but everybody says that they are the best saw in it's class. I'm going to buy one as soon as the dealer gets one in.

Buy a splitter when you get the extra money. When/If you do you'll probably wonder why you didn't buy one sooner.

 

[flewism]

Thanks for all of the great advice guys. I just bought a "new" pair of Husky chaps online for a real good deal.

Over the weekend I dropped a good size ash tree in the yard. Dead as a door nail. The Ash Borer is doing a number on them in the state. Is there anything that can be done to protect the rest of my ash trees besides taking down the infected ones?

Go to MSU website, they have a lot on EAB research. I haven't been there in quite a few months but last time I was there it appeared the was some promising test going on.