Oddly, I find more powerful saws to be less fatiguing, because the time spent in each cut is less. I presently use a Stihl MS500i. This not as big a saw as some use for felling, but I strictly cut firewood from my tree farm. I use a 20" bar in part because anything it won't buck is too big for me to lift. But it cuts through 12" white oak in under 5 seconds and goes through 18" red oak in about 10. For me, it has been the least fatiguing saw I have ever used.
firewood cutting with a bad back
- Thread starter Jacampb2
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Hi Jason - You may already have one, but if not, you may want to get a picaroon to help save your back. There are videos on YT that extol different vendors and how they compare to each other, but they save a lot of bending over. Just a thought. Good luck!
Yes. I cleared 3/4 acres, mostly poplar, for a firewood lot to stage pallets. I gave the poplar away to a guy with a boiler.
bkellyusa
ArboristSite Lurker
I thought I was the only one crazy enough to cut and store wood with a bad back.
I agree with everyone here that says get a lighter saw. I recently bought an Echo 4910. I replaced a Stihl 390 with the Echo. I was surprised how much the 3.5 lb.. difference made in handling the saw. Plus the 4910 is surprisingly powerful saw for a 50cc. If I get ot ported it should quickly become the ideal saw for me.
Other that I wish you success in dealing with your nack.
I don’t have a machine to lift logs. I will sometimes get down on one or both knees when bucking to save my back. Chainsaw addict and retired chiropractor
calamari
ArboristSite Operative
I have a bad back too. Gabapentin will be the name of your new best friend.
I have some questions. How many cords of split wood do you burn in an average heating season? The number will tell you a lot about the size of the saw that would work best for you. If it's a couple cords, a 25cc top handle saw with a 14" bar like the Redmax 300 I use will do the deed and being a top handle it doesn't require you to bend over more to keep the bar parrallel to the ground when cutting cutting stuff on the ground. You say you can sharpen a chain so you've got a big part of making it easier on your back. Light saw, quickish cuts and stand up more frequently to align your spine. Size your saw based on how much you burn.
Long bars reduce bending over but they feel strangely heavy given the small amount of metal added. They can wear you out in a different way.
I have a Makita EA6100 that I run a 28" bar on w/o a problem so far. Turn the oiler all the way up and check that the oil port and bar groove are clean when you start and I'd run it anyway.
Here's a 28" Oregon bar that fits a K095 mount. I tried to give you a link but the site deleted it.
Leave the logs in your trailer so they are higher off the ground when you buck them. Just pull them out a little as you cut one at a time. Unless you have a fat wallet and burn an amazing amount of wood each year, buying a tractor with a grapple seems more industrial than your situation may warrant.
I have some questions. How many cords of split wood do you burn in an average heating season? The number will tell you a lot about the size of the saw that would work best for you. If it's a couple cords, a 25cc top handle saw with a 14" bar like the Redmax 300 I use will do the deed and being a top handle it doesn't require you to bend over more to keep the bar parrallel to the ground when cutting cutting stuff on the ground. You say you can sharpen a chain so you've got a big part of making it easier on your back. Light saw, quickish cuts and stand up more frequently to align your spine. Size your saw based on how much you burn.
Long bars reduce bending over but they feel strangely heavy given the small amount of metal added. They can wear you out in a different way.
I have a Makita EA6100 that I run a 28" bar on w/o a problem so far. Turn the oiler all the way up and check that the oil port and bar groove are clean when you start and I'd run it anyway.
Here's a 28" Oregon bar that fits a K095 mount. I tried to give you a link but the site deleted it.
Oregon 280RNDK095 .050" Gauge 3/8" Pitch 28" Power Match Bar
Leave the logs in your trailer so they are higher off the ground when you buck them. Just pull them out a little as you cut one at a time. Unless you have a fat wallet and burn an amazing amount of wood each year, buying a tractor with a grapple seems more industrial than your situation may warrant.
Here's a link to one in case someone wants one, not that I suggest this, but if it works for someone it works.
https://loggerchain.net/products/28...8-pitch-050-gauge-93-drive-links-chainsaw-bar
Welcome to AS Jason.
I really like the 450 rancher, great cutting saw when tuned well and not too heavy for a 50cc farm/ranch saw, they weigh the same as a 346xp which is a husky pro grade 50cc saw.
I saw at least one other person ask how much you burn a yr.
How big is your property and the wooded portion of it.
What part of Michigan are you in, I'm just east of GR, lots of great members here in Michigan that could help you out and let you try some saws to see if you like any of them. Most the guys here want to help others so you don't have to make the same mistakes we've made
.Brett
I would suggest that it is much more likely to produce a kickback trying to cut with a long bar using the end. You really need the dogs to bite into the log. Folk on here quite rightly suggest lifting the log up with a tractor loader but not everyone has one or can take it to the woods which may be some way from home. A simpler solution is shown in this video.
I have a bad back and find an electric Stihl MSA 220 a godsend with no need to pull start. In the second video I am cutting 24 inch wood with a 14 inch bar
This machine was built because of my bad back and wrists
There are a number of us that have back issues and still need/want to use chainsaws...
All the suggestions that have been posted here that are related to improving your cutting position and/or increasing the bar length make sense.
There are only a few posts that mention saws that are less heavy, and the weight of the saw is very much related to stressing your back muscles/spine.
As a person with above average height (6' 5") and a back that I have to be careful with, I have opted to own light weight saws with longish bars and narrower chains to help me continue to gather wood and clear land.
My recommendation would be to buy a Stihl MS 201 rear handle saw or find a used MS 200 rear handle saw. They can handle a 16" bar, run 3/8 picco chain, have adjustable oiling feature, are light weight, powerful and have a very good balance (and are from the Prof-line of saws). The MS 241 also has adjustable oiling feature, and with an 18" bar 3/8 picco setup, that may also be a good alternative for you if the timber you are dealing with needs more than a 16" bar.
If your back situation really wants you to take full advantage of reducing weight, there are lightweight bars available as well.
If you are not a Stihl fan, an equivalent Husky or Echo saw should do the trick.
All the suggestions that have been posted here that are related to improving your cutting position and/or increasing the bar length make sense.
There are only a few posts that mention saws that are less heavy, and the weight of the saw is very much related to stressing your back muscles/spine.
As a person with above average height (6' 5") and a back that I have to be careful with, I have opted to own light weight saws with longish bars and narrower chains to help me continue to gather wood and clear land.
My recommendation would be to buy a Stihl MS 201 rear handle saw or find a used MS 200 rear handle saw. They can handle a 16" bar, run 3/8 picco chain, have adjustable oiling feature, are light weight, powerful and have a very good balance (and are from the Prof-line of saws). The MS 241 also has adjustable oiling feature, and with an 18" bar 3/8 picco setup, that may also be a good alternative for you if the timber you are dealing with needs more than a 16" bar.
If your back situation really wants you to take full advantage of reducing weight, there are lightweight bars available as well.
If you are not a Stihl fan, an equivalent Husky or Echo saw should do the trick.
Good ol' frawleys, I have bought a few things from them I believe my 24" d176 and chain combo. Good price then even better now after the pandemic.
Bbqman
ArboristSite Member
Us guys with a bad back I hear ya
There is a product called volcanic oil ...my dad used it grandad was,a horseman ...his dad used it .looks like burnt oil ...rub it on. Wait bout20 min and boy feels better. . Fer what ails ya ..orange n black box 2oz see if ihavea pic to load..may not let me have them capabilities yet..
There is a product called volcanic oil ...my dad used it grandad was,a horseman ...his dad used it .looks like burnt oil ...rub it on. Wait bout20 min and boy feels better. . Fer what ails ya ..orange n black box 2oz see if ihavea pic to load..may not let me have them capabilities yet..
calamari
ArboristSite Operative
I don't like the sound of that at all! Kind of scares me a little!
With surgeries having failed to deal with the pain, it sounds like the OP is past using ointments, unguents and emollients to control it. He's left with, "Better living through chemistry," my favorite advertising slogan from the 60s and later, and the sage old medical advice I've received over the years when I had pain when I did something, "Don't do that!"
It all goes back to how many cords you burn a year. What's a manageable volume for an electric chain saw may not meet his needs although the lighter weight will really help if it does.
another back patient here and cutting firewood also. I will get down often on my knees for bucking or wood loading to save my back. And when limbing, I'll take the lightest saws in my stable : the MS200 and Shindaiwa 251.
and I take my time.. Wild days are long gone.... and it works also.
Another useful item is a log holder. It allows you to get the logs up off the ground to save your back (and keep the bar/chain away from the ground).
When I take down a large tree, I have one of these that I set up by the tree and I feed it with branches up to 10". It needs a stable footing but it works pretty well. And you can load a decent log by yourself (note how at approx 2min in video).
When I take down a large tree, I have one of these that I set up by the tree and I feed it with branches up to 10". It needs a stable footing but it works pretty well. And you can load a decent log by yourself (note how at approx 2min in video).
Timber Croc Log holder - also makes a version. I am not sure what is available in the US.
I can't believe how much some of you are willing to cut, on the ground. The OP will eventually be gettingn a machine, so he's on the right track. I put log length on a table made of plywood and plastic 55 gallon drums. Rounds cut at waist high roll right onto a splitter beam. I am not perfectly healthy either, but I'm sort of lazy......
Bbqman
ArboristSite Member
I don't like the sound of that at all! Kind of scares me a little!
With surgeries having failed to deal with the pain, it sounds like the OP is past using ointments, unguents and emollients to control it. He's left with, "Better living through chemistry," my favorite advertising slogan from the 60s and later, and the sage old medical advice I've received over the years when I had pain when I did something, "Don't do that!"
It all goes back to how many cords you burn a year. What's a manageable volume for an electric chain saw may not meet his needs although the lighter weight will really help if it does.
I'm just putting it out there for those who want relief ..you ain't gotta do a damn thing hand but die n pay taxes ..
Since you have 4 wheelers available I think a log lift for the back of it will work just fine. It's cheaper than a tractor and all the accessories you'd need or want. It is also narrow and light weight, two more of your concerns answered.
Eh, I'm all about avoiding being in pain. Once I'm in pain, it may take four weeks for the Sciatic to calm down, longer for the shoulder/neck. I pick up NOTHING by hand I can use my RC-30. I make as few cuts as I need out in the woods to be able to grapple them to the wood shed. My issue is getting them through the trees, so six to eight feet, and maybe two or three sticks at a time. Loads a 16' table up pretty good, and between bucking then sending them through the splitter, I only want to handle the smallest pieces I can. I can't be swinging an axe or hatchet too many times or the neck and shoulder go off on me, so I just don't. I cut certain hickory into 8" rounds just to make kindle and especially smoking wood, and use the splitter. Since I dont split the wye's or crotches, I dont get too much splitter turds or bark to use for kindle.....
I assume you're talking about a log arch? Any you can recommend? Northern Tools price is attractive just don't know if it's any good. Haven't looked at many others. Log Rite has some nice looking ones but they're right proud of them!
