Haha yeah naaah faaark that stuff. You're right though to a guy who cuts pine, gum and macrocarpa most of the time oak is pretty hard
Your Experience 500i & 661
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Haha yeah naaah faaark that stuff. You're right though to a guy who cuts pine, gum and macrocarpa most of the time oak is pretty hard
That your blocker hand taking a break in the background? He hardly looks like he broke a sweat. Cool pics!
Haha thanks yeah was only 2 then the wee dude. Still loves saws too at nearly 4. He has the saw bug too I'd say.
Brent Nowell
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Lmao!!!
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Had one that was a yellowish pink that was more like fibre reinforced glass than timber. It was rounding-over RM chain. Split very easily - it just fractured down the grain fine, but what an eye-opener bucking it up for firewood. Almost no such thing as a chips just dust for maybe two cuts then chain stuffed. I played around with all sorts of grinding angles and raker heights and got it up to about half a dozen cuts b4 it would be stuffed again. I hope I never meet one like that again. I wonder how the duro chain would go.
It reminded me of dry Puriri (vitex lucens), but worse.
Another one was quite yellow and cut OK but what a SOaB to split. Forget it, load into the burn pile, hope to never come across another.
Saligna is a breeze in comparison.
It reminded me of dry Puriri (vitex lucens), but worse.
Another one was quite yellow and cut OK but what a SOaB to split. Forget it, load into the burn pile, hope to never come across another.
Saligna is a breeze in comparison.
Dam man didn't realize we had nasty wood like that here.
Duro chain is that the carbide cutter stuff. How does it cut? I'd have no way to sharpen it so never even studied it up
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Yeah, the carbide stuff. Have no idea if it would hold edge better in that wood but have been meaning to try a loop one day. I'm thinking it doesn't cut as fast but who cares, not me, if it will hold an edge in that sort of timber.
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On our side of the ditch, all big tall Eucalyptus types are "Blue Gum" if you are my age, could be Nitan's or Grey Gums..... or any of half a dozen other types of Koala food, but they all get grouped as Blue Gum, mainly because we didn't know any better.
The newer generations are getting better, being more selective about farm and riparian plantings.
But yep, dead standing gum sorts the men from the boys when it comes to saws and the oil pumps ability to oil the chain groove enough to stop blueing the bar when your chain dulls on the second bucking cut!
Wedge on that splitter needed more taper, to short and thick for that stuff to split well.
henry r
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It takes some cutting and sucks to split but the "yellow box" we get here burns HOT.
We always mix it with stringy in the fire... mostly stringy with a lump of box as nessecary.
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So does old man gorse and Manuka- takes an age to season, but ya don't need to split it!
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
I agree, gorse is great but a prick to process.
Until every man and his dog jumped into Manuka honey I used to clear blocks for farmers up North and process into firewood. Got totally set up for it with some great equipment then honey prices went through the roof. Need to find more farmers or beekeepers wanting to cull the Kanuka so they can grow more Manuka.
Until every man and his dog jumped into Manuka honey I used to clear blocks for farmers up North and process into firewood. Got totally set up for it with some great equipment then honey prices went through the roof. Need to find more farmers or beekeepers wanting to cull the Kanuka so they can grow more Manuka.
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I agree, gorse is great but a prick to process.
Until every man and his dog jumped into Manuka honey I used to clear blocks for farmers up North and process into firewood. Got totally set up for it with some great equipment then honey prices went through the roof. Need to find more farmers or beekeepers wanting to cull the Kanuka so they can grow more Manuka.
Haha, lots of get rich quick Manuka farmers of bees are falling on their arses- or the banks arses.
Did I ever mention I keep bees as well?
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Can't recall. I guess I'll just wait it out until honey fever dies off up here.Haha, lots of get rich quick Manuka farmers of bees are falling on their arses- or the banks arses.
Did I ever mention I keep bees as well?
Well any cutting is better than not cutting.
Wonder what the price is like.
On our side of the ditch, all big tall Eucalyptus types are "Blue Gum" if you are my age, could be Nitan's or Grey Gums..... or any of half a dozen other types of Koala food, but they all get grouped as Blue Gum, mainly because we didn't know any better.
The newer generations are getting better, being more selective about farm and riparian plantings.
But yep, dead standing gum sorts the men from the boys when it comes to saws and the oil pumps ability to oil the chain groove enough to stop blueing the bar when your chain dulls on the second bucking cut!
Wedge on that splitter needed more taper, to short and thick for that stuff to split well.
Yeah all blue gums to me too.
I like old saws with a manual override oiler. Don't get why that feature disappeared it's great for that kind of cutting.
The splitter is just a hire 1 so I'll try a different 1 next go. Did wonder about the shap/angle of that. Every engineering company in town has a splitter for the beer fridge fund so there is plenty to choose from
Just had a look on the Stihl homepage in Japan - the list price for the 500i is 235,000 yen (or approx. 2,200 USD).
I own a fairly new 661 C-M and have some time cutting on it, and I will say I am happy.
I paid full price at my local dealership +the cost of a few extra bars in 20" 25" 28" 36" and 12 chains to match them. The bars fit my other large stihl saws too, so not much money wasted.
I don't have a real need for such a large saw, and I own a couple 460's, a 372, 394, and many many smaller saws.
Mostly my 460's are what's used for a small time firewood business I run 3 months out of the year in the fall. And the 394 for milling good wood. But the 661, paired with a light weight 25" bar has become by far my favorite saw to run. It's my go-to to get real work done as it starts easily every time, is not picky about wood type, and just flat out cuts.
also, it's the #1 saw no one else is allowed to touch.
The 394 cuts faster, but it is finicky. the 394 (to me) feels awkward, and doesn't balance well with shorter than a 28" bar. Great milling saw though.
The 70cc saws are great, almost as fast as the 661 in 12-15" wood and much lighter. But the more tired I am throughout the day, the more I appreciate the 661, for not bogging if I pull up too hard on the rear handle. Also, for having the power to shrug it off if I forget my gauge and happen to file the rakers a little too low.
I know port work would change this opinion, and I plan to port the 462 that's soon to be in the collection. I have a feeling that will be an amazing saw...
I paid full price at my local dealership +the cost of a few extra bars in 20" 25" 28" 36" and 12 chains to match them. The bars fit my other large stihl saws too, so not much money wasted.
I don't have a real need for such a large saw, and I own a couple 460's, a 372, 394, and many many smaller saws.
Mostly my 460's are what's used for a small time firewood business I run 3 months out of the year in the fall. And the 394 for milling good wood. But the 661, paired with a light weight 25" bar has become by far my favorite saw to run. It's my go-to to get real work done as it starts easily every time, is not picky about wood type, and just flat out cuts.
also, it's the #1 saw no one else is allowed to touch.
The 394 cuts faster, but it is finicky. the 394 (to me) feels awkward, and doesn't balance well with shorter than a 28" bar. Great milling saw though.
The 70cc saws are great, almost as fast as the 661 in 12-15" wood and much lighter. But the more tired I am throughout the day, the more I appreciate the 661, for not bogging if I pull up too hard on the rear handle. Also, for having the power to shrug it off if I forget my gauge and happen to file the rakers a little too low.
I know port work would change this opinion, and I plan to port the 462 that's soon to be in the collection. I have a feeling that will be an amazing saw...
Thanks for such a detailed description. I go into the dealer and pick the saws up often every time!
my whole family say not to get a 661, my partner says not to too, a friend on here says not to and my stihl dealer says I shouldn’t get one, even I know deep down I shouldn’t get one, but I want one (661 that is)
Sleep on it. Wake up with a fresh mind. That’s what I do if I feel it’s a impulse type decision. I usually go with my gut instinct, but when I get the itch and need to take a step back, a night of sleep will help clear things.
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