"A good firewood saw"

[brages]

Sometimes I'll see a saw described on this site as "a good firewood saw". Usually, this is damning with faint praise, i.e. "the MS290 is no pro saw, but it's a good firewood saw".

So what are the requirements for a "firewood saw"? Is weight important? Is there a certain threshold of power that must be met?

Should it stand up to regular abuse and neglect? Is that any different from a pro saw?

Outside of "firewood saw", I can see a need for a "pro logger's saw" or a "tree climber's saw" or even a "homeowner's cleaning up saw". What are the differences between these classifications?

 

[romeo]

I don't know(?????)


But I think pro saws make great firewood saws

 

[TRI955]

Outside of "firewood saw", I can see a need for a "pro logger's saw" or a "tree climber's saw" or even a "homeowner's cleaning up saw". What are the differences between these classifications?

Let me "try"....

"firewood saw" MS361
"pro logger's saw" MS660
"tree climber's saw" MS200
"homeowner's clean up saw" MS250

I just used the "brand" that most seem to know the "best"...
How did I do??

 

[brages]

An ancient, overweight saw that vibrates like crazy and cuts slow is a good firewood saw, because:

1) You're just out cutting a little wood, not going to be working all day
2) The slower it cuts, the longer of a break you have from hoofing the cut pieces through the woods, onto the truck, etc.

Or a tiny, underpowered saw is a good firewood saw because:

1) You don't mess with big-diameter trees 'cause they're a pain to split and move around
2) You're not a pro, so you haven't got any upper body strength and you get tired out quick.
3) The slower it cuts, the longer of a break you get...

Or a cheap junker is a good firewood saw because

1) You're not going to wear it out with your limited use
2) Your lack of maintenence means it runs rotten after a couple of years, so buy a new one and keep going

...

 

[PB]

Let's see:

Pro saw = saw you use to make money.

Firewood saw = saw you use to cut firewood.

Climbing saw = saw you climb with.



How was that?

 

[NYHuskyguy]

Sometimes I'll see a saw described on this site as "a good firewood saw". Usually, this is damning with faint praise, i.e. "the MS290 is no pro saw, but it's a good firewood saw".

So what are the requirements for a "firewood saw"? Is weight important? Is there a certain threshold of power that must be met?

Should it stand up to regular abuse and neglect? Is that any different from a pro saw?

Outside of "firewood saw", I can see a need for a "pro logger's saw" or a "tree climber's saw" or even a "homeowner's cleaning up saw". What are the differences between these classifications?

As far as a "good fire wood saw", I would suggest something that has around 50cc and an 18" bar. Some would say that it should have a 3/8, but if you aren't going too far overboard with it, a .325 should be good.

-Kevin

 

[andrethegiant70]

I don't know(?????)


But I think pro saws make great firewood saws

To be sure!

The question is actually a pretty good one, I think. I suppose one could say that all pro saws (in the correct size categegory) would make good firewood saws, but not all firewood saws would make good pro saws.

I don't want to get into a "what makes a pro saw a pro saw" debate, 'cuz then I'll have to kill myself, so I'd rather assume (without talking specifics) that there are saws designed for the non-pro or, even if they were pro saws at one time, now are too dated to be considered contemporary pro saws. Seems reasonable, I think.

My thinking is that we can say that a saw is a good firewood saw because it is reliable enough, has enough power, and is light enough for a homeowner to use consistently for the purpose of cutting appreciable amounts of firewood. I say appreciable because any saw that runs can cut a fews sticks of firewood, a "good" one can cut lots. My personal feeling is that such a saw is between 45 and 65cc, but a few might stretch that a bit. The term good "firewood saw" is a complement, but it does imply that the saw is designed more modestly than a pro saw or has some other drawback, like age or parts availability, that more or less prohibits daily professional use.

 

[brages]

MS200t is a pro saw, right? I don't think anyone would call it a "good firewood saw".

 

[diesel&coffee]

Hello ROMEO

Whats up! I cut some Cedar with my 361 - fireworks at sunset like u said! Mesq. toooo !

 

[Norwegian Wood]

For me a homeowner firewood saw is a saw that too small too cut down mid size trees and too big to work with when cutting branches. I use a 50cc+ For felling and a 35cc+ for branches

 

[litefoot]

A $36 excellent-condition 034, I believe, is a GREAT firewood saw.

 

[willsaw4beer]

I like the idea of a 'firewood' saw being an older 'pro' saw that you get a good price on. Either way you slice it, whether you're selling firewood or saving money heating the house, the less money tied up in the saw is more money in your pocket. A ridiculously slow and clunky saw with poor anti vibe is just a waste of time imo.
Personally I like my 268 and 55 for firewood saws, although they both are far from lightweight cutting edge technology they do get the job done just fine.

 

[tbuggle]

all i've ever really cut (mostly) has been firewood.
i guess i have two firewood saws, both seem to work,
but i must say i really like the 346xp.

 

[Banshee]

I don't think weight bother you as much with a firewood saw verses a felling saw that a logger would pack around the woods.

I use a 395xp because I want to be fast. And it has a great anti-vibe.

For every 15 to 20 mintures of cutting I have to pack for and hour. I think that works out well.

So to me a good firewood saw is a 395xp.

 

[brages]

I like the idea of a 'firewood' saw being an older 'pro' saw that you get a good price on. Either way you slice it, whether you're selling firewood or saving money heating the house, the less money tied up in the saw is more money in your pocket. A ridiculously slow and clunky saw with poor anti vibe is just a waste of time imo.

Who's in a hurry? What if you're cutting for fun and exercise?

I have two saws - an MS210 and a Super XL Homelite. Are either of these "good firewood" saws?

(The 210 works for me... I got so tired carrying wood out that I could hardly lift it... Sure it cuts slow, but I need a breather...)

 

[willsaw4beer]

Who's in a hurry? What if you're cutting for fun and exercise?

I have two saws - an MS210 and a Super XL Homelite. Are either of these "good firewood" saws?

(The 210 works for me... I got so tired carrying wood out that I could hardly lift it... Sure it cuts slow, but I need a breather...)

The faster a saw cuts means more work done faster. Quick cuts are considerably less effort. Why waste energy wrestling with the saw when you can use your energy more productively- like getting more split and hauled?

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I cut most firewood with my 460 or 660. Heck I've even been known to line up a bunch of sticks and run the 084 through them all at once. I have limited time to cut firewood when the days get shorter, so being able to cut through it in a hurry sure helps. Also having a saw that can block up 25-30" logs is a huge plus.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Yeah I could get a good bit of use out of a 460/ 046 for sure, the others (660, 084) would be getting to the point of being more entertainment value than anything else.

 

[kyle1!]

Bucking up firewood with an 021

Bucking up firewood with an 034
Bucking up firewood with an 066

 

[computeruser]

I think the "firewood saw" label generally describes a saw that may not be tops in hp/lb, hp/$, or some other factor like that, but is nonetheless perfectly workable for the guy or gal who wants a durable and economical saw for cutting his firewood. I think that few would disagree that the lowly MS290/029, XL-12, and 55Rancher have kept a lot of people plenty warm over the years...