Adequate Saws vs Fun Saws

[svk]

After running my smaller cube and/or freebie saws for several cords I was more or less used to their performance which was up to the task at hand.

Then I sunk the 154 with a fresh loop of full chisel chain into an aspen. Man is this fun!

I think more people would enjoy running saws if they had the opportunity to run a pro saw or better yet a ported one. Imagine a guy who has cut all of his wood with a stock Poulan 4218 that probably came from a big box store with a terribly tuned carb.

 

[farmer steve]

Yep I cut for years with an 023,ms250 and the dreaded ms290. I then bought an 036,and another 036 and another 036. Traded one of them in to help buy the 462 and haven't looked back.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Same experience here, cut my firewood with Husky 50 and Crapsman saw for many years, purchased a 262xp in 1990, asked myself what have I been doing, that turned into 262's,371's,372's,385's,390's,562's,550,572,357's,346's,394, ported 562, ported 390, ported 372. Thanks, now I know my wife is correct. I do have a problem.

 

[babybart]

Well at least I started with an Echo, but that has turned to a love of pro Husky's. Newest saw is a 346xp hiding in a red and black costume. I had wanted one so bad for years and damn was it worth it!

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Few if any of my friends (not counting you internet jokers) understand my relationship with chainsaws, but you summed it up nicely Steve. If a $300 saw gets the job done, but a $500 saw turns a chore into something fun, I'll spend the extra money every time!

 

[holeycow]

I started with a rip-snortin' little saw for the farm. This while working with pros for many years who ran rip-snortin' saws. I kinda thought all saws were like that. Until I showed up here..and now I have run a few lesser saws others own.

I don't like those lesser saws much. My Echo 590 and my jonny 2152 is as close as I want to get.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

I did a lot of cutting while growing up with saws that were just on the farm. I don't even remember what they were...this was back when it was a chore, just putting up firewood for the winter. It had to be done so we did it.

Later in life I got a bit of an addiction to saws and bought some nicer ones. My 261 was my first pro saw and I really enjoyed running that saw. It would destroy some of the bigger CC saws we had back in the days. Because I sunk a pretty good bit of change into that saw I wanted to keep it nice so I spent a lot of time learning how to keep it in good running order and cutting it's best. So I started learning how to hand file and sharpen chain, what a difference that made. Now, it's fun cutting wood for winter, and after that I get to sharpen the chain...what a deal!

I had a hunger for more. I need more bar, but obviously, a 50cc saw isn't going to enjoy running a 28" bar. So, I get myself a 462. Beast. This thing is so much fun to run.

So, did I get the work done with hardware store chainsaws? Yes, barely, but we dreaded 'wood weekends'. Now, any free weekend and I'm in the woods cutting, splitting, and stacking wood. It's something I look forward to. I help several friends/family members cut/split/stack.

So I'm carrying around less weight with more power. My chains are sharper and I'm having fun. So I'm getting more done faster and enjoying it at the same time. The monetary investment has more than paid for it self numerous times at this point just in entertainment value. Let alone the 3 years of wood stacked already.

I still have yet to get into 'ported' saws. So...yeah, I have some more fun available to me yet.

 

[cuinrearview]

 

[TheDarkLordChinChin]

Is that a 394 low top or a 288 on the bottom shelf?

 

[cuinrearview]

Is that a 394 low top or a 288 on the bottom shelf?

394. Waiting for a big log to mount it in the Granberg.

 

[husky455rancher]

My dad just bought a little echo I think it was under 40ccs he said he likes it. He’s 66 and not so good health wise. So I fired it up and it was pig rich outta the box. He just ran it like that. I tuned it up and started cutting and man was that thing slow. The chain was sharp but damn. I can’t wait to bring some real saws over.

 

[nathan4104]

you guys and your big saws
i have a little MSA 140c battery powered. it's been both adequate and fun! it runs about the same time on a charge as a tank of fuel. It's Quiet, light and doesn't irritate my tennis elbow! Not meant for cutting firewood mind you, but it makes limbing and cutting brush more fun.

 

[cuinrearview]

you guys and your big saws
i have a little MSA 140c battery powered. it's been both adequate and fun! it runs about the same time on a charge as a tank of fuel. It's Quiet, light and doesn't irritate my tennis elbow! Not meant for cutting firewood mind you, but it makes limbing and cutting brush more fun.

I'd really like a saw for my Makita batts.

 

[svk]

you guys and your big saws
i have a little MSA 140c battery powered. it's been both adequate and fun! it runs about the same time on a charge as a tank of fuel. It's Quiet, light and doesn't irritate my tennis elbow! Not meant for cutting firewood mind you, but it makes limbing and cutting brush more fun.

How did your tennis elbow problems arise?

I cut most of a year with only a 15lb saw and did all of the splitting by hand. That caused a pretty significant tennis elbow which took many months to go away. Once I added a limbing saw to my stable things got a lot better.

 

[nathan4104]

SVK, i'm not sure what started the tennis elbow, snowmobiling does not help it i know that. I don't cut with a saw much at all compared to most firewood guys (the firewood processor helps with that). I'm only young yet (almost 40)... i fear the tennis elbow has progressed to tendinitis as it's worse this year than its ever been. ahh, the joys of aging.
Now, to fire up the Husky 353. almost a fun saw

 

[Ryan'smilling]

you guys and your big saws
i have a little MSA 140c battery powered. it's been both adequate and fun! it runs about the same time on a charge as a tank of fuel. It's Quiet, light and doesn't irritate my tennis elbow! Not meant for cutting firewood mind you, but it makes limbing and cutting brush more fun.

Small saws can make some jobs fun that wouldn't be otherwise. Limbing with a 70+ cc saw all day will get the job done (adequate) but a 35-50cc saw will make it a lot less work (fun, especially if it restarts really easily, idles nicely, and has a little snap off idle).

 

[holeycow]

Glucosamine sulphate, garlic, and vitamin B with some fish oil helps to lube-up the body. It works for me, anyway.

I went through that elbow-joint thing many years ago. This is how I fixed it. It took months, but it went away now for about 25years. You shouldn't have any pain at 40.

 

[holeycow]

Yup, jonny 2152; almost a fun saw. I burned a tank thru mine yesterday. It's my current go-to.

 

[rancher2]

When I first started cutting wood and cleaning up a farm I bought in the late 70's had a old guy in my area that ran Homlites and we helped each other clean pastures so that is what I ran for a couple of years and then bought a new 038 Magnum WOW what a difference. Never looked back still have the 038 and 461 to go with it.

 

[North by Northwest]

Have my 1st saws that my family began with two nice Pioneers . They cut a lot of firewood in their day . Had a new Solo in the 80's nice pro unit . Moved on to a few Stihl's all pro units . I cut some big hardwood with my last Stihl ms660 . Had a brief use of a Echo 590 Timber Wolf . Good saw for its intention . I have since slimmed down from 5 Husquarna's to 2 . 576 xp & 346 xp . My new Dolkita I purchased from AS is my fun saw !