Another newbie question

[zh farms]

I am currently running a Stihl 025 with an 18" bar. I love it! I have never had a problem with it in the years I have had it.

Question is...

Most of the cutting I am/will be doing in the near future is going to be standing dead, recent blow downs, and smaller diameter stuff to clear out areas to work in. Do I need to think about going to a larger saw right now? I would like to work with what I have for a while until the bleeding stops from the purchase of the OWB, et al. and some safety equipment (chaps, helmet, etc.).

Thoughts?

ZH

 

[LTREES]

Let the saw cut as fast as it can. You can cut alot of wood with an 18" bar. Just cut both sides of the log. One day you'll run across a nice used saw that will fit your needs. I assume your just cutting for your self and not every day.:greenchainsaw:

 

[KsWoodsMan]

:agree2:

IMHO , If your geting paid by the job that would warrant a bigger saw sooner.

If your cutting for heat and to get exercise, run what you brung

That is, at least, until , CAD sets in. Then all bets are off. They dont make them big enough.

" 'ya want a big saw ? how much'ya gonna spend ?" That is the stopping point .

 

[Jkebxjunke]

:agree2:

IMHO , If your geting paid by the job that would warrant a bigger saw sooner.

If your cutting for heat and to get exercise, run what you brung

That is, at least, until , CAD sets in. Then all bets are off. They dont make them big enough.

" 'ya want a big saw ? how much'ya gonna spend ?" That is the stopping point .

what is "CAD" i keep seeing here.

I am looking for a larger saw too... I keep an eye on Ebay and the local weekly sale guide

 

[KsWoodsMan]

what is "CAD" i keep seeing here.

Chainsaw Addiction Disorder. And Yes it is quite common around here.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

Chainsaw Addiction Disorder. And Yes it is quite common around here.

oh .. crap... I think I may be coming down with CAD... so now what?

 

[mimilkman1]

oh .. crap... I think I may be coming down with CAD... so now what?

Life as you know it will never be the same. You will drool when you hear numbers like 361, 440, 660, 346 and so on. Not many will understand and you will need to spend many hours on AS to keep the jitters down. Good luck.

Kyle

 

[PA Plumber]

I cut wood with an 026 for years. Then spent some time on this site.

I'm glad I don't have CAD.

And... no, I'm not drooling about an 024 I saw in a customer's basement today.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

Life as you know it will never be the same. You will drool when you hear numbers like 361, 440, 660, 346 and so on. Not many will understand and you will need to spend many hours on AS to keep the jitters down. Good luck.

Kyle

Well as you can see by my signature I already have 2 spaces reserved.....so I guess it is advanced a little farther than I thought....:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[PA Plumber]

Well as you can see by my signature I already have 2 spaces reserved.....so I guess it is advanced a little farther than I thought....:hmm3grin2orange:

I'll help.

MS 460
MS 660

 

[husky455rancher]

its better off if you dont visit the chainsaw part of the forum. if you do youll quickly be wanting more and youll think your saw is a pos even thought its not. cad is a bastard lol i been fighting it off for a while. im gonna cabe at some point and ill have 2 new pro saws for my firewood lol.



actaully ive come up with this plan if the wife isnt on board with my cad. ill slowly put money aside and one day trade both saws in for 2 new ones. or better yet just hide 2 of them. all she knows is ihave 2 orange saws.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

oh .. crap... I think I may be coming down with CAD... so now what?

From what I gathered here so far... Trying to deny it or to fight it only makes the symptoms worse. It is coupled with a desire to "feed the dragon" and sleeping warm at night. It provides a sense of accomplishment to see your hard work stacked neatly off to one side, along the entire fencerow or in great heaping mounds.

It is a cleansing Zen Moment to see the bar and chain sink into large rounds. Watching the large, evensized chips flying from the machine you have bought or finnessed back to life.

Though it is an addiction and considered a disorder, by some, balance must be maintained to keep from being consumed.

I mean come on ! We gotta have a good truck or 2 to haul the wood back to the splitter(s). We can't spend all of our time cutting and none hauling or splitting it. That would just be ..... nuts !

It ties to an instinct ( if you will call it that ) or need to provide for ourselves and/or family. Shelter, heat and food are the 3 basic necessities of life. By cutting our own wood for heat I see my efforts having a direct bearing on the well being of my family over the course of the Winter.

Women have shoes, clothes, nails and hair we have chainsaws, gear, ATV's trucks and guns.

 

[Jkebxjunke]

I'll help.

MS 460
MS 660

oh crap... now I may need more slots... why not go for broke with the MS 880? then the next thing you know I'll wanna start tinkering... then its a small block chevy with a bar.... and so on and so on...

:droolr an engine out of a peterbuilt with a bar and chain.....:jawdrop:

or the worlds first turbine powered hot saw... yeah... an engine off of a 747... yeah can fell an entire state park in about 19 seconds... :drool: :drool:

 

[Jkebxjunke]

ZH Im sorry I think I may have hijacked your thread ya probably think we are all nutz here
as for your question... you may want to consider how long its going to take you to get the wood you need and try to avoid the really big stuff... but you don't want to kill your saw keep your eye out you may run across something bigger... and keep what you have for limbing and for back-up

then the next thing you know you will prolly get CAD then.......

 

[computeruser]

In response to the original question, what you're asking is not something that we can really answer for you. You'll quickly figure out whether the equipment you have is the equipment you need. It may be that everything you are going to be cutting is sufficiently small that an 025 can easily power through it, or you may find that you are consistently coming up wanting for power, bar length, or some other attribute that another saw might possess.

My sense has always been that firewood is best made with a slightly over-powered saw. You're going to be making cuts every 16-20" or so, rather than every 8'6" or whatever, so an underpowered saw will get tedious quickly. And unless you're going to be hiking through the woods with the saw slung over your shoulder, a little bit of extra weight won't kill ya.

In your shoes, I would set to work with the gear you've got but, at the same time, I would keep my eyes open for a good deal on a larger used saw. You don't need to be actively looking, just ready to make the move when the right saw comes along. There are a lot of nice 60cc-70cc used saws out there that can be had for a good price, and something like this would be a good compliment to your 025.

 

[Butch(OH)]

This is the last place in the world a person should ask that question, You will own 15 saws in less than a year if you listen to these thugs!!! Ask me how I know??

 

[sdt7618]

In response to the original question, what you're asking is not something that we can really answer for you. You'll quickly figure out whether the equipment you have is the equipment you need. It may be that everything you are going to be cutting is sufficiently small that an 025 can easily power through it, or you may find that you are consistently coming up wanting for power, bar length, or some other attribute that another saw might possess.

My sense has always been that firewood is best made with a slightly over-powered saw. You're going to be making cuts every 16-20" or so, rather than every 8'6" or whatever, so an underpowered saw will get tedious quickly. And unless you're going to be hiking through the woods with the saw slung over your shoulder, a little bit of extra weight won't kill ya.

In your shoes, I would set to work with the gear you've got but, at the same time, I would keep my eyes open for a good deal on a larger used saw. You don't need to be actively looking, just ready to make the move when the right saw comes along. There are a lot of nice 60cc-70cc used saws out there that can be had for a good price, and something like this would be a good compliment to your 025.

computeruser has about hit my sentiments on the head, Love my MS 260, but on the long logs over 16" dia it can be a pain, I cut circa every 14" along to give me the wood for our smallish stove and 50cc saw takes it time a little, but is great for hauling into the tall bushes and reeds on my shore line! Now if only we could get saws at US prices over here in the UK, a 361 would definetly be on the cards!!

 

[avalancher]

Life as you know it will never be the same. You will drool when you hear numbers like 361, 440, 660, 346 and so on. Not many will understand and you will need to spend many hours on AS to keep the jitters down. Good luck.

Kyle

Woah there good budy. Just wait a good long second. Spending many hours on AS will keep the jitters DOWN? You have got to be kidding! Before I found AS, I was fine. Sure, I would spend long hours in the local shop, drooling over the Husky3120. Maybe a great big long 48 inch bar.(No really hon, I really need a bar that big, I found a redwood the other day and its mine if I can cut and haul it away.Yes, I have taken my meds today.)
I would even be tempted by the walmart saws. Yep, I could leave that in the truck and not worry about someone stealing it. No one would break into my truck for that saw.
Not anymore! Now I read what everyone else is running. Now I read about cutting down huge trees, hauling home cord after cord. NOW I AM REALLY SCREWED.
I haunt garage sales, passing over everything that doesnt look like some resemblence of chainsaws,axes,chainsaw parts, etc. I have a wild look in my eyes as I scurry around the tables, not finding any saws to buy, and dash back to my truck. Gravel spraying as I hurry on to the next sale. I spend hours at the local dealers, carresing those big saws. Salesmen have pushed me out the door and complain about the drool marks on the air filter covers. I sleep with an axe at night, dreaming about limbing those big trees that I wack down in my dreams. My socks always have sawdust stuck to them, my wife keeps the vacumn cleaner in our room now so that she can suck up all the sawdust up after I take my boots off at night.
Now I add to the wifes grocery list. Two jugs of Poulan bar oil, a two pack of chain files, and a couple of them cheap chainsaws too. She comes home lugging those jugs of oil, but seems to always forget the dang saws.
Oh yeah, AS sure has kept the jitters down.
:greenchainsaw:

 

[abohac]

I am currently running a Stihl 025 with an 18" bar. I love it! I have never had a problem with it in the years I have had it.

Question is...

Most of the cutting I am/will be doing in the near future is going to be standing dead, recent blow downs, and smaller diameter stuff to clear out areas to work in. Do I need to think about going to a larger saw right now? I would like to work with what I have for a while until the bleeding stops from the purchase of the OWB, et al. and some safety equipment (chaps, helmet, etc.).

Thoughts?

ZH

Your saw is just fine. However, since you are writing in this forum and you asked this question, are are in the very early stages of a serious addiction (chainsaws and wood cutting stuff) get out now and save yourself. Take your computer outside and shoot a hole in it. Before you know it you will have a 2171, then a 660 then a 395 then a Timberwolf, then a Farmi. It never ends. Quit now!

 

[zh farms]

Thanks for the responses guys. I know a lot of what I'm asking is elementary questions, but I haven't needed to cut anything other than storm damage, or the occasional tree removal/trimming in a long time. I usually cut to help others out more than anything. Doing this for my family is something new, and I want to make sure I'm covered for simplicity and safety. No sense doing things the hard way just because I do not know any better.

ZH