Arboristsite has cost me $$$

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EDM Mike

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
12
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Location
Central Mass
I stumbled upon Arboristsite just after Christmas and with the info found here I have already purchased a Husky 346XP, Fire Chief FC700, 50ft Viper chimney brush, Fiskars X7 and X25.....
Thank you to Reaperman for giving me some info on the 700. ::thumbsup::
 
Chalk up another one to CAD

Im also guilty. im not sure if it was this site or the job i was doing at the time but some how i ended up with a brand spankin new Stihl 441CM-Tronic, shipped off a saw to be "ported", modded the muffler on every two stroke i own, resurected one saw and workin on another, bought a bench mount chain sharpener, and now im looking at other peoples wood splitters and haulers thinkin i need to upgrade in that department too. will it ever end?!?!?!!!!
 
Don't feel bad man. Somehow I ended up with 25 saws, most of them 90-100cc or more. Just something about large numbers I guess. I'm not sure why I have some 2 man saws, but I do. lol
 
Im also guilty. im not sure if it was this site or the job i was doing at the time but some how i ended up with a brand spankin new Stihl 441CM-Tronic, shipped off a saw to be "ported", modded the muffler on every two stroke i own, resurected one saw and workin on another, bought a bench mount chain sharpener, and now im looking at other peoples wood splitters and haulers thinkin i need to upgrade in that department too. will it ever end?!?!?!!!!

It never ends. It just changes form. Now it's trucks and tractors for me. :msp_confused:
 
will it ever end?!?!?!!!!

No, but after a while it slows down, unless you get OIB (Old Iron Bug), then cash costs MIGHT go down, but hours spent in the shop increase exponentially.

I'm Steve, I have CAD, I haven't bought a NEW chainsaw since '09. (Old ones don't count in my book...) Coincidentally, AS membership in Jan 09 led to 3 new saws by August 09.
 
No, but after a while it slows down, unless you get OIB (Old Iron Bug), then cash costs MIGHT go down, but hours spent in the shop increase exponentially.

I'm Steve, I have CAD, I haven't bought a NEW chainsaw since '09. (Old ones don't count in my book...) Coincidentally, AS membership in Jan 09 led to 3 new saws by August 09.

does intrest in old tractors and trucks count as the OIB? i had that way before i joined this site. i just thinned out my collection a bit. down to 5 trucks and 3 big tractors. also have 3 lawn mowers, 2 that are over 30 years old
 
Another contagious bug is the maple bug. It causes you to run around and put holes in maple trees every spring. It also gives you a strong desire to aquire things made of stainless steel SSAD. Many people afflicted with the maple bug also consume large quanities of Boiling Sodas aka Beer. It tastes good with fresh hot maple syrup!
 
I must be more resistive to the powers of suggestion than y’all because AS hasn’t cost me a penny. I’ve been a member for over a year now and haven’t purchased one single new (or used) firewood related item. Still using the same Stihl I’ve had for 20-years, pulling the wood out’a the woodlot with the same 40-year-old Craftsman, splitting it with the same 30-year-old splitter, and burning it in the same lord-knows-how-old furnace. I’m not dreaming about new saws (I’m not impressed with any of the new offerings anyway), nor am I perusing Craig’s List for used. I’m not looking at new splitters (I walk right by them at the fleet stores), nor am I planning to build one. My 50-year-old little modified yard tractor starts at -20[sup]o[/sup] and pulls the loads efficiently, and its size allows me to get into extremely tight places. I have stopped and looked at new wood-burning appliances once or twice… but one glance at the price tag vs. what you get and my interest instantly vanishes.

I’ve never understood the mysticism of “bigger-is-better”… I want my equipment just as small and light-weight as possible, as long as it can get the job done in a reasonably efficient manner. In other words, I consider power-to-weight-ratio as the most important aspect when comparing equipment (as long as it has sufficient power to do the job)… I will pay more for less weight and smaller size, even if it has a bit less power! Sure, there are occasional times when a bit of extra power would be nice, but I’m not willing to live with the extra weight, bulk and expense 97% of the time just because I might want it 3% of the time… it just flat ain’t worth it. Maybe, if firewood was a business to me, rather than just a heating source, my attitude would be somewhat different… but not much.

The piece of firewood equipment that baffles me the most is splitters. I just cannot fathom why anyone would want one of those monsters they market now-a-days… My splitter weighs less than 200 pounds and I can load it in the back of a pickup by myself, and only on the rare, extremely nasty crotch has it failed to do its job. I can roll it round the shop, yard or woodlot using just one hand… meaning I move it to the round being split, rather than moving the round to the splitter… work smarter, not harder!

The other thing I don’t understand is some people’s choice of chainsaw. For example, why would anyone buy a MS440 when the MS460 offers a larger engine and more power, yet weighs exactly the same? In my mind, the MS360 makes more sense than the 440… and if the 360 isn’t enough to get the job done than the 460 is the only logical next step up. And don’t tell me it’s about the price… I already said I’ll pay more for less weight and bulk.

Awwww well… just me……….
 
Well maybe 30 yrs from now I can come on here and talk about my old Furncace and my antique XP saws.... We all have to start somewhere. I am using a 30+ yr old log splitter that I remember my grandfather building (But I have to use 2 hands to move it...)

View attachment 220454
 
Well maybe 30 yrs from now I can come on here and talk about my old Furncace and my antique XP saws.... We all have to start somewhere. I am using a 30+ yr old log splitter that I remember my grandfather building (But I have to use 2 hands to move it...)

View attachment 220454

Spidey and I are wired a little differently... I agree with the less is more principle though... On the other hand, I learned a while back to make sport of this firewood cutting thing... Everyone has a hobby of sorts, and this is mine... Otherwise, it's just a helluvalotta work!!! So yeah, I got light saws, heavy saws, stock saws, and my personal favorite, woods ported saws!!! Once you run a ported 372 or 346, your eyes will be opened... If you ever get a chance to attend a GTG near you, do it... You'll get to run every saw you could ever want and then you'll know for yourself... But beware, the saw bug is contagious...
Just sayin...:msp_sneaky:
 
I'm Monty, I have CAD ...... FIL passed down an 029 and everything else below my signature was purchased after joining AS.... Interestingly, I just wanted to fix a fuel line issue on that 029. Then I thought I could save money by not paying the natural gas prices, and although the gas man doesn't get it, I don't know that I've saved $$ yet, but eventually I'm sure I'll pass the break even point.

My wife and daughter help, but I'm the only male in the household, have a decent paying 40+ hour/wk job, leaving me a weekend warrior for firewood. Much rather get the job done more efficiently so I'm a fan of power to weight ratio.
 
I've spent money on things after learning about them here, but I've probably saved even more by getting tips on doing things more efficiently, not buying products that are junk, finding out about good deals on stuff I'd buy anyway, learning how to fix things I would have been forced to have a mechanic fix before, etc., etc.
 
I personally am all about speed and efficiency. As they say, "time is money". The faster I can produce a cord of firewood the more profit is in it for me, and the more time I have to do other things that I must do. It takes the right equipment to do things speedy and efficiently, and the trick for anyone is to have the right equipment to match their personal needs.
 
Well, I have been here one year and small change. When I was first here I had one runner. Now I have over 30 saws, I think ten runners, half a dozen getting close, added a fiskars supersplitter (best deal of the whole shebang, that and my 245a poulan, money per work accomplished), got a freebie battery saw from oregon that's just jamup nice, and a 4wd diesel project truck which should be good to go by late spring/early summer I hope.

No five cube or larger saws yet though, but still looking....

Still running the same 25 buck yard sale wood heater. Haven't seen anything new that has both a top and front door. That top door comes in handy dropping in mambo sized "all nighter" chunks. Real handy for those nasty goofy crotches and oddball chunks that are good wood but a PITA to split.
 
The piece of firewood equipment that baffles me the most is splitters. I just cannot fathom why anyone would want one of those monsters they market now-a-days… My splitter weighs less than 200 pounds and I can load it in the back of a pickup by myself, and only on the rare, extremely nasty crotch has it failed to do its job. I can roll it round the shop, yard or woodlot using just one hand… meaning I move it to the round being split, rather than moving the round to the splitter… work smarter, not harder!

Well, the answer lies in what you're splitting and how much you split. If you split almost all 1 man wood, then what you describe sounds perfect. However, if you split a lot of 2 man (or more) wood, then you need a heavy duty splitter with a lift. Cycle time is also a factor if you split more than just personal consumption.
 
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