husqvarna.. anyone else run into this?

[Sandhill Crane]

I got my Husqvarna 357 pinched and did not have another saw with me on the quad. Here is the rub. Figured I'd pull the powerhead off, no problem, run down the road and get another saw. Not so! The clutch, unlike my Stihl's, is outside the bar. The bar being pinched, I could not loosen the chain enough to get the chain off or the bar from behind the clutch. Really did not want to leave $650. hanging so close to the road, pretty orange and all. Loved everything about that saw till then. It is still my favorite all round. Anyone else run into this, or just me?

 

[flashhole]

Wedges are your best friend in such a situation.

 

[Whitespider]

That's probably the biggest disadvantage with an outboard clutch... and yeah, been there.
I know, shouldn't get it pinched, but stuff happens... logs roll unexpectedly, downed trees shift, sometimes ya' ya' just ain't thinkin' far enough ahead.
I do all my cutting with one saw; i only have one saw, but two bars. The ability to pop the power head off easily has saved my butt many times, and most likely save the power head many times also.
Two bars and an inboard clutch is just as good as two saws... at a fraction of the investment.

But it ain't about the investment for most of y'all... is it?

 

[Mac88]

Two bars and an inboard clutch is just as good as two saws... at a fraction of the investment.

But it ain't about the investment for most of y'all... is it?

I use two saws. One for limbing. The other one for everything else. I have spare bars and chains for both.
I don't own a $600+ saw. It's ALL about investment with me. But then, I don't cut for a living, I cut to
feed the woodstove instead of the power company.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Been there done that to.

Luckily I had wedges with me and was able to free the saw. Soon to have a backup saw to limb with. If an option, cut with a buddy, it is more enjoyable and safer to boot.

 

[turnkey4099]

For sure been there..more than once. First time was 20 odd miles from the house with only one saw, no extra bar (early days for me). Much times spent working at it until I managed to get enough slack to get teh powerhead off. Back next day and freed teh bar/chain. I'd have to have a real good reason to ever buy another saw with an outboard clutch.

Harry K

 

[imagineero]

I'd have to have a real good reason to ever buy another saw with an outboard clutch.

Harry K

Just ask Sawtroll, he'll give you a few ;-)

 

[saxman]

I think Troll will say the outboard clutch gives a saw better "sideway balance", whatever that means. I just think they are a pain in the azz!

 

[imagineero]

I could care less about sideways balance. It's true though that the inboard clutch attracts a lot of scuzz. I have to clean my saws out pretty much weekly, daily if I'm doing palms. It takes about 5 min for each saw to remove side cover, chain and bar, c clip, clutch drum, washer, then pop a rattle gun onto the clutch itself. Blow out scuzz with compressor, and reverse procedure. I never have to do this on my 200t's which have an outboard clutch...

Shaun

 

[ponyexpress976]

Wedges are your best friend in such a situation.

And a whole lot cheaper than a second bar and chain

 

[JRepairsK70e]

a 3 lb sledge and a couple of wedges .....dont leave home without them !!!!!will get you out of all but the extreme stupid attacks JK

 

[AIM]

I do all my cutting with one saw; i only have one saw, but two bars. The ability to pop the power head off easily has saved my butt many times, and most likely save the power head many times also.
Two bars and an inboard clutch is just as good as two saws... at a fraction of the investment.

But it ain't about the investment for most of y'all... is it?

A guy can do a one saw program and get by just fine. I think it's a disadvantage and many times a pain in the rear. With all the garage sale poulans and other good deals out there you may as well pack a spare along with ya.
I gave $100 for my Husky 45 in real nice condition. Like I said. You can get by with one saw but once you start carrying a spare I think you'll agree that 2 is just way handier.

As for the outboard clutch. I'm surprised you still couldn't get the powerhead off.

And by the way sandhill. What did you end up doing?

 

[PES+]

That's why we always carry one of the little chain breakers when running only one saw.

Be prepared.

Chainsaw boyscout motto

I wonder how you say that in Swedish?:msp_smile:

 

[Whitespider]

I have wedges, plenty of wedges… and only rarely will they free a saw pinched in big wood (not that I get the saw pinched that often). It usually happens after I’ve put a big tree on the ground and heavy branches are under some sort of tension… one little miscalculation and the saw is pinched in 14-20 inches of wood (maybe at a crotch) with a few tons of weight forcing the pinch shut. Beating on wedges for two hours won’t open that kind of pinch, it’ll just mess-up your wedges… and the more frustrated ya’ get the more likely it is you’ll smack the saw. Actually I have better luck using a 6-8 foot long heavy pry bar for freeing pinched bars.

Even if I had two saws I’d want the power head off the pinched bar… too many time I’ve seen “stuff” happen trying to free them… thinks shift, roll, spring and fall. I’ve seen mashed mufflers, twisted handles, cracked covers, crushed saws and bars bent that probably wouldn’t have bent if the power head was off. Before I try anything, I pop the power head off, and I’ve never had a problem doing that with an inboard clutch. But if the power head is pulled up tight to the wood you can’t get any slack in the chain, and you’ll never get the outboard clutch power head off.

It comes down to whatever works for ya’; instead of a second saw I have two bars (one 16 inch, one 20 inch). I carry a multi-layer toolbox that holds my wedges, hammers, saw tools, pulleys, hand ax, files, extra chains, spark plug, air filter, and more… riveted to the side of it is a scabbard for the extra bar. Having two bars is just as good as having two saws… especially if you’re gonna’ take the power head off the pinched bar anyway.

I had a saw with an outboard clutch once and got it pinched tight in the crotch of a large oak one time… pinched so tight I couldn’t get the power head off. The power head was hanging from the pinch about 3 feet off the ground; when we tried freeing it using another saw the tree shifted and the crotch let-go, rolled and pancaked my saw. Ain’t never gonna’ have another saw with an outboard clutch again.

 

[imagineero]

I have wedges, plenty of wedges… and only rarely will they free a saw pinched in big wood

You really only need just the one, and the idea is to put it in the kerf before the saw gets pinched. You don't need a mallet, or the biceps of thor, just a light shove in there with the palm of your hand will do it.

Alternatively, keeping an eye on the kerf helps. Kerfs rarely close up in a snap, they close up slow and give you good clues as to where the binds are. You can keep sawing through a top bind if you pull out and bore back in as the cut progresses, especially in big wood. Lots of loggers use this cut. It usually starts by standing on top of the log, putting your powerhead as far as you can down the far side with the bar pointing down, usually with a bar which is not much more than half the diameter of the log. Get that powerhead down low, and keep cutting with the bar vertical. Cut up, and over the log, hop off it when you need to and keep cutting from the ground on the 'near' side. As you get closer to the bottom, you see the kerf start to close, with the saw running at full revs still... pull the bar almost all the way out and bore back in. The tip re-opens the kerf, making space for the bar even as the log is pinching. It's a fairly rapid movement at the right moment, just as the kerf closes a little, pullt out and bore, cut 1/4", pull out and bore again, but a little more, pull out and bore again. Usually you only have to do it 2 or 3 times, and the kerf has fully closed but you still have cutting room inside thanks to your bore cuts. Properly executed, it's a seamless smooth and fast action.

Shaun

 

[Whitespider]

You really only need just the one, and the idea is to put it in the kerf before the saw gets pinched.

Ya' know... I did say, "one little miscalculation."
I ain't a professional, and occasionally crap happens... every time "crap happens" I know what I did wrong, I kick myself and whatnot.
But it-is-what-it-is... crap still happens.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

You guys make me laugh... I normally carry the 021 with me also, but ran short of bungee cords to strap it on the quad... Who knows where they get to. Solution: I called my wife and she drove the saw down. Thought about throwing my tee shirt over the powerhead till I got back if I had to leave it there. Cutting a lower limb from below it did a sideways shift towards me and pinched on the back side. It happens! The thing I like about the Husky over my Stihl's is the off switch. I find it a natural motion to flick the thumb down to turn a saw off. Stihl's is an up motion. I have had an o42 for twenty five years, replaced it with the Husky. Love the o21. Picked up a third saw, mostly because a buddy got out of firewood and was selling his stuff off, an o66. Have not used it much till last week. Trashed the 36" pinched bar on it, replaced it with a new 24". Nice saw, wow! nice, but too big for most of the stuff I do regularly. It dries up a bit more from last nights rain I'll get it out, the o66, for the last two big up rooted oak double stick blow downs. I enjoy your replies, and bantering. Oh, I have a question about that saw. I've turned the bar oil up all the way and only uses half a tank of bar oil to a tank of fuel. The saw/bar ports I cleaned and checked.

 

[Chris-PA]

Keeping a wedge in my back pocket when cutting is one of the best habits I've picked up from reading AS. Much better than other kinds of wedges one can have in their pants.

 

[Mac88]

Keeping a wedge in my back pocket when cutting is one of the best habits I've picked up from reading AS.

I tried that. My pants kept falling down. Even suspenders didn't help.

 

[Chris-PA]

You gotta put a maul in the other pocket to balance things out.