Chainsaw abuse

[outofmytree]

10-20 minutes worth of digging, less than one chain consumed, the bar, the rim will do lots of stumps.
In and out in less than 1 hour easy, less than $30.00 expense tops, no rentals, and no extra trips. If the saw breaks doing that it is the operator's fault not the task.

He should use some PPE, wedges and keep his freaking hands clear but other than that it is not a big deal.

I did not watch the video but cutting small stumps out is not hard, can be cheap and is fairly common.

I tend to make 3 or 4 cuts in at an angle so that I can clear the stump deeper with less digging, upside down pyramid. Take multiple chains so I do not have to hand sharpen and get multiple stumps from each chain. Just stop using the chain when it stops biting and swap it out for a sharp one.

I have a stump grinder, it is handy but the saw can be easy, cheaper and faster.

I reread this and think it is worth noting. If the bar is so hot it needs water to cool it off it is a write off. I don't know what things cost in the States but for the cost of 1 burned chain and 1 burned bar I can buy 1 set of stump grinding teeth. My HB20 will eat that stump in 20 minutes and with that same set of teeth another 20 like it. All without putting me or my crew at risk. Not to mention that whilst one of us is on the stump the rest can be doing other things.


Some people (I refer to the workers in the video) should never be allowed near dangerous equipment.

 

[Justsaws]

I reread this and think it is worth noting. If the bar is so hot it needs water to cool it off it is a write off. I don't know what things cost in the States but for the cost of 1 burned chain and 1 burned bar I can buy 1 set of stump grinding teeth. My HB20 will eat that stump in 20 minutes and with that same set of teeth another 20 like it. All without putting me or my crew at risk. Not to mention that whilst one of us is on the stump the rest can be doing other things.

Some people (I refer to the workers in the video) should never be allowed near dangerous equipment.

First off, let me be clear. I am in no way offended or looking to provide anything other than a different perspective on a subject.

How much do stump grinder owners charge for 20 minutes of stump grinding?

I do not have a crew. I am not in the business. The stumps that I remove are my stumps, my responsibilities and occasionally those of family and friends.

I finally watched the video and did not see any evidence of the bar needing to cooled with water. Looked like he was trying to clean off mud debris from the area.
I have never had to water cool a bar while cutting stumps out. I have never used water during that process. I have tried water to cool the bar and chain while milling, works good for cooling makes a a big sloppy mess, etc.. I will try again simply for the dust control benefits.

Cost factors for using a saw to remove stumps. These are my costs and should not be expected to be typical for anyone else.

The last hard tip 20" bar removed well over 50 stumps. =$30.00
Two rims.=$10.00
15@ 20" chains, still using 5 of them but will cost out all 15.=$180.00@$12.00 each/$240.00+ roll
Went out and looked and realized that there was only 8 new chains left on the hook so that implies that I have consumed 15 of the 23 chains from the 100" reel dedicated to cutting stumps.

$220.00 in equipment consumables to remove 50+ small stumps taking on average less than 30 minutes each with tools that can be carried by hand, transported in the car and have very little upfront cost.

Oh yeah, Stihl 390 built from used and mostly broken pieces.=Priceless. Unfortunately it still runs. It has been replaced by an Echo 670 with a salvaged P/C simply to spice things up and give the Echo some run time. The Echo is the better saw.

 

[ckelp]

and then theres the 1%ers...

if it works for you then do it i'd spend the extra money on a grinder just because i like to be safe and i want my saws to last. also my wife would be pissed if i did't come home in one piece..

 

[tallfarmboy]

The best part of watching morons use a chainsaw is when they start "sawing" the saw.... up and down, back and forth, in and out when the chain is SOOOOO dull that it wouldn't cut the last inch of wood.


The only way this video could get anymore entertaining would be if they were using a WILD THING!!

TFB

 

[ckelp]

^^agreed the only thing that wold make it better is if the box that the "Wild Thing" came in was sitting in the background

 

[DSS]

The best part of watching morons use a chainsaw is when they start "sawing" the saw.... up and down, back and forth, in and out when the chain is SOOOOO dull that it wouldn't cut the last inch of wood.[/B] [/B]


The only way this video could get anymore entertaining would be if they were using a WILD THING!!

TFB

LOL, Ain't that the truth

 

[MillwrightChris]

Are wedges just a PNW thing?

I use em in the Northeast.Both for felling and keeping the bar from pinching But I don't know how common they are.Go to a local hardware store or "saw shop" and ask for felling wedges and they look at ya like you have two heads. Had to order mine from bailey's.

 

[stihl sawing]

i'm not against the guy for not using a stump grinder. I've done the same thing their doing except I wedge the stump up so it doesn't pinch the bar and will have a sharp chain. Also i don't don't spray water on on the bar and chain. I don't understand the water thing, maybe one of you knows.

 

[komatsuvarna]

i'm not against the guy for not using a stump grinder. I've done the same thing their doing except I wedge the stump up so it doesn't pinch the bar and will have a sharp chain. Also i don't don't spray water on on the bar and chain. I don't understand the water thing, maybe one of you knows.

I guess them professionals (LOL) were washing some the dirt off the stump and B/C? Maybe mud cuts better than dirt? Im with you.

 

[outofmytree]

How much do stump grinder owners charge for 20 minutes of stump grinding?

I charge the same hourly rate for my time no matter what I am doing. From a business perspective, if you charge far less for a job that ties up the whole team then you are losing money providing you have enough of your regular work to fill the week.


I do not have a crew. I am not in the business. The stumps that I remove are my stumps, my responsibilities and occasionally those of family and friends.

I finally watched the video and did not see any evidence of the bar needing to cooled with water. Looked like he was trying to clean off mud debris from the area.
I have never had to water cool a bar while cutting stumps out. I have never used water during that process. I have tried water to cool the bar and chain while milling, works good for cooling makes a a big sloppy mess, etc.. I will try again simply for the dust control benefits.

Cost factors for using a saw to remove stumps. These are my costs and should not be expected to be typical for anyone else.

The last hard tip 20" bar removed well over 50 stumps. =$30.00
Two rims.=$10.00
15@ 20" chains, still using 5 of them but will cost out all 15.=$180.00@$12.00 each/$240.00+ roll
Went out and looked and realized that there was only 8 new chains left on the hook so that implies that I have consumed 15 of the 23 chains from the 100" reel dedicated to cutting stumps.

$220.00 in equipment consumables to remove 50+ small stumps taking on average less than 30 minutes each with tools that can be carried by hand, transported in the car and have very little upfront cost.

You are keeping track of your expenses which is sound business practise. You also seem to be operating carefully to keep your equipment as long as possible which is another must in business.

Taking your figures of $220 in equipment costs for 50+ small stumps and given that you are careful with your equipment it is safe to say that you would make more money and do a better job for your clients with a handlebar stump grinder of your choice.

http://www.bizrate.com/stump-grinding-machine/?sc=1

You guys would find better deals than me but this came up on my first search. $120 for a full set of teeth and pockets. So the teeth alone must be less than $80 if you know where to look.

I don't know your economy but I know stump grinding and good business practise very well. For less money in equipment costs you can do more for your client and keep yourself safe at the same time.

For those who are unsure, standing ankle deep in mud, in a hole with a running chainsaw is very very dangerous.

Happy Easter all.

 

[MostShady1]

Are wedges just a PNW thing?

Nope, I use mine in Slower Lower and in Maryland.

 

[TraditionalTool]

It amazes me how much better most of the people are on this site than others that happen to be out removing a tree in the real world.

Most everyone at AS could do a much better job, just sitting back in front of their computers, without even lifting a saw...:monkey:

Have you guys got nothing better to do? The guys are out getting some stumps out, if you think you could do a better job go bid on the work and do it yourself.

There are more armchair arborist on this site than there are on the entire net...

Looked to me like they got the stump out, probably got paid and moved on to the next job...some days are like that... Whether I would do something different, who knows...I'm not getting paid to take those stumps out and quite honestly I don't want to be wallowing in a bunch of mud to get the job done either...but I'm not criticizing them either, it's their tools and they used them to get their job done as far as I could tell...

 

[ckelp]

the couple stumps i had to remove i just set the slash pile on it and burned it.
it smolders for about a week or two then it's gone. but i can't do that, a D9 cat will do it almost as well.
and plus i don't have enough cash to replace a saw

 

[spacemule]

Contrary to the Arboristsite consensus, chainsaws are meant to "saw," not sit on shelves and be modeled.

 

[ckelp]

i'd just prefer not to use them like a ditch witch

 

[ross_scott]

Ok I watched the clip last night then spent all day thinking about it and to be honest I am pretty much disgusted with what I saw on that clip with the use of an unsafe chainsaw (loose wrap handle etc) and the unsafe handling and no PPE and to be honest if they were working for me they would not have a job for very long at all

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Should I use my 170 or 290 to cut a few RR ties? Maybe I'll post that vid!

 

[fatjoe]

It's not so much the saw abuse that gets me but it's guys like that ruin the profession. I really like the fact that they were using water instead of bar oil and hay sense they dug that far why not just dig out the stump? Can you imagine what that chain looked like:jawdrop: Truly a sad day for us all!

Still don`t know what the big deal is, besides not using wedges.You would NEVER dig that stump out by hand.You would need a mini excavator at the least.The saw was being used.I `ve seen some of this sites top saw techs rev their saws on cold starts wide open for numerous seconds before touching wood.The bottom line is these guys are there to get the job done fast.In and out.I`m sure that bar and chain will last for 10 more similar jobs.Most guys have bars and chains put aside just for that type of cut.You guys need to stop sleeping with your saws and throw em in the back of your truck where they belong.

 

[outofmytree]

What anyone does with the tools of their trade is their business. I made my points firstly because I value good tools and despise watching them being abused and secondly because I don't want someone watching this and thinking it is a safe practise. It is possible to remove a stump this way without injury. It is also possible to play Russian roulette and live. Sooner or later though... someone pays.

As to the armchair arborist thing....

This is my Youtube channel.http://www.youtube.com/user/outofmytr33?feature=mhw5 You wont find any armchairs but there are plenty of saws in trees and on the ground and all of them earning their keep without being abused!