Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

Right now can't tough most of them because they are entangled in electrical wires, but soon!

 

[woodchip rookie]

If that particular tree was out in the open, it is susceptible to wind shear, thus twisting the grain & making it harder to split.

The first big scrounge I had was all Iron Ash.

 

[Cody]

There is no "start" position only choke and run

Well, both my 261 and 661 manuals list it as Start Position, which does close the choke for cold starts. If you kill the saw and go to restart it when warm, it's supposed to stay in the Run position. Only trouble I ever had was with my 661 when it was stupid hot outside, and that ignition coil, which is also the brain for fuel delivery, was replaced this spring with the newest version.

You'd be very surprised at what the "little" electric splitters can handle.

I want one, but just haven't justified spending the 300 or so on one that is sold locally here. The ones here are nice too, they're on a stand that's pretty tall, versus on the floor. My thoughts though, are that I want one that sits low, because I'd like to find a way to mount it on the wall so I can basically make a table to set up already split logs, and split them smaller for either kindling, or customers who like they're firewood in stick form.

We got hit by a storm, no power, I'm on generator. I think we will be out for a week. Surprised the net is working, looks like a war zone.

My SIL's truck got crushed, etc. Trees, power lines down all over the place.

I can't complain too much about the weather here, but it's been pretty poor in parts of the country. You guys out east seem to get hit one after another.

 

[svk]

Sounds like you’ll be busy Mike. My FB friend/former coworker lives in Poughkeepsie and had posted a bunch of pictures of the wreckage there too.

 

[svk]

Well tomorrow I start splitting. I’ve got maybe 3 cords of aspen and birch to keep me busy and a big aspen and balsam in the hunting cabin yard to buck if I should run out of wood to split.

 

[Logger nate]

Nice work Nate.

Does it feel any better since you got it tuned up and have run it a bit, how are you liking the chain now.

Thanks Brett. It is better, I ended up drilling some holes in the muffler to bypass the kitty, still working on the tune but defiantly better. I still don’t care for the chain, cutters are too far apart for that small saw, 1/4 pitch chain would be smoother and would cut better I think. Sounds like the narrow kerf (.043?) 3/8” lp works better on them than the .050 gauge they come with, I might try that.

 

[Logger nate]

My SIL's White Truck, and another unfortunate vehicle. My SIL's neighborhood was helter skelter!

Wow, that’s too bad, hope everyone’s ok. Stay safe. Looks like lots of work for your creamsicles.

 

[chipper1]

Thanks Brett. It is better, I ended up drilling some holes in the muffler to bypass the kitty, still working on the tune but defiantly better. I still don’t care for the chain, cutters are too far apart for that small saw, 1/4 pitch chain would be smoother and would cut better I think. Sounds like the narrow kerf (.043?) 3/8” lp works better on them than the .050 gauge they come with, I might try that.

That's good to hear.
How many tanks through it now, did you feel it get better as it broke in, or the same.

 

[turnkey4099]

Don't think the 441 is Mtronic, is it?

I made the mistake of trying to start the 661 (which is Mtronic'd) in the start position when it was warm - cough, splutter, die. Hey that was what the dealer told me to do, and I didn't know any better. Wasn't until I worked out to keep the switch in 'Run' to start when warm that the 661 would start reliably when warm . Wasn't the saw's fault, it was user error on my part.

The MS441CM is mtronic...at least mine is. One dealer told me "all my saws are regular carbs" implying that the dealers aren't happy with mtronic either.

 

[Jeffkrib]

A man with 10 saws could attain Rock Star status!

What about turning up at the scene in a worked Mustang, opening up the back to reveal 10 ported chainsaws with square filled chains....... Now that’s where it’s at

 

[KiwiBro]

The MS441CM is mtronic...at least mine is. One dealer told me "all my saws are regular carbs" implying that the dealers aren't happy with mtronic either.

What did your dealer say about the hot start issue? Was it just that it's a "major"? Does the dealer know why your saw is having that issue? It's really not a major to swap parts, assuming the dealer has diagnosed which parts are faulty.

 

[farmer steve]

My SIL's White Truck, and another unfortunate vehicle. My SIL's neighborhood was helter skelter!

be careful cuttin in that mess Mike.

A man with 10 saws in the back of a Mustang could attain Rock Star status!

fixed.

What about turning up at the scene in a worked Mustang, opening up the back to reveal 10 ported chainsaws with square filled chains....... Now that’s where it’s at

Great minds think alike Jeff.

 

[bigfellascott]

So should I put 325 chain on my 395 with the 20" to make it cut faster?

Nope it will stretch the hell out of it (strap ties are too thin to handle that sort of grunt)

 

[bigfellascott]

Lol .325 is slower even on small saws. It does cut smoother and is less grabby for limbing though.

I found it made cutting quicker (saws didn't slow down in the wood like they used to with the 3/8 pitch chain, same length bar etc and this is in Aussie hardwoods, for me smaller diamiter chain equals less drag in the wood, makes the saw work less hard to cut the same wood and really rips through it (7tooth rim sproket on mine) and muffler mod which was done whilst the 3/8 chain was on it and made it a better saw with just that simple mod done.

Put it this way I certainly won't be going back to a 3/8 pitch after using both.

 

[bigfellascott]

So should I put 325 chain on my 395 with the 20" to make it cut faster?

20" bar and the 404 pitch chain should scream through the wood, I'm running a 24" bar and 404 on my 394 and it smashes through the aussie hardwoods very well.

 

[rarefish383]

Did anyone fill out the "field test" for Oregon bar, chain and sprocket? I saw it in arborist 101.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Thanks Brett. It is better, I ended up drilling some holes in the muffler to bypass the kitty, still working on the tune but defiantly better. I still don’t care for the chain, cutters are too far apart for that small saw, 1/4 pitch chain would be smoother and would cut better I think. Sounds like the narrow kerf (.043?) 3/8” lp works better on them than the .050 gauge they come with, I might try that.

I put the 3/8lp .043 on mine and its better than the .050. I had to lengthen the adjuster holes to make it fit the dl difference.

 

[bigfellascott]

Put the MS291 to work today on some Red Oaks I dropped.
View attachment 652362

How did it go? I know a fella who just bought one and he seems happy with it.

 

[MustangMike]

When the rain stops, I'll get out there, but I'm not doing it in this mess.

The Town took the tree off the wires, and off my SIL's truck yesterday, and left the big pieces on the side for folks like me. You still have to weave back + forth to get to her house with power lines and poles down or partly down, and often only 1 lane open, but the Town is trying to open access to all places (at least one lane) for emergencies.

My Daughter and the kids came over to shower yesterday, I have power back. Their generator will not produce hot water (it is electric there, I have Natural Gas).

 

[MustangMike]

We are all OK, but an 11 year old girl died when a tree came down on the car she was in, and my wife's friend had a tree go through the roof of her house. There is a State of Emergency, and the Gov and Natl Guard are in the area.

I had just used up all my gas in the riding mower before the storm hit, so I went North on Rte 22 that night for 20 mi before I saw lights and an open gas station (needed it for my HF generator). In several places, Rte 22 only had one lane open, and roads were closed in other directions. I've never seen it so bad around here before.