rallen
ArboristSite Operative
I am in the car today with my 13 year old girl, who asks a simple question: "Dad, how many chainsaws DO you have now??" This is after last evening I showed her the inerts of the Husky 335xpt I am tearing down, which she seemed to find fascinating (of course could be humoring me).
So I had to admit: 4 working, two I am working on. That is alot of saws for one person who only cuts firewood. So what to do? Which ones to get rid of?
In theory, I am thinking I would like to have two saws: the 026 and a light top handle one for limbing. The 009L has better compression (135) than the 012 (120), but I know eventually I can find a top handle for the 012 although I don't REALLY need the top handle. And then there is the thought that some of the trees I am cutting up are a little big for the 18" bar on the 026, and wouldn't it be fun to work on a bigger saw, like an 036 or 044 or something like that? Or maybe a 390 since I previously worked on an 029 and dealt with the clamshell? When I killed my McCulloch the first time, my neighbor was kind enough to loan me his MS361 (with his gas mix, looking at me suspiciously as a chainsaw abuser after destroying the McCulloch), and it was all it took for me to decide I needed to think about buying a Stihl.
Maybe I can scale back to 3 working saws, and a couple of projects just for fun? It's a step in the right direction, yes? Can only imagine what my daughter is going to tell the wife....
HOPELESS.....and having fun
So I had to admit: 4 working, two I am working on. That is alot of saws for one person who only cuts firewood. So what to do? Which ones to get rid of?
- Stihl 026 - this is my favorite, and the one saw I have not worked on. Bought it from a farmer after driving two hours for a good price, and it was well taken care of. I am NOT parting with it.
- Stihl 009L - This is just a fun little saw, that frustrated the hell out of me trying to get it to be easy to start. When I got it, the saw had sat for a number of years with old gas, and I replaced the usual, including carb kit, fuel and vent lines, fuel filter, oil pump diaphragm, and air filter. Took me forever to admit that the carb cover was warped and the reason it wouldn't start, and once replaced, starts great all the time now. With its 12" bar and top handle, I thought it would be nice for the wife to use in emergencies when a tree falls across the drive and I am out of town. At least, that is what I tell myself...(she last used an 029 for this and scared me to death as I listened on the telephone).
- Stihl 012AV - Just got this saw, and it only needed a little care (cleaning up, new fuel line and filter, new AV buffers, new air filter) and it starts and runs great. Similar to the 009L, but with a 16" bar and rear handle. These saws have a really throaty voice, and with their torque, are little beasts. The 012 didn't test as high on compression (120+ psi) compared to the 009L (135 psi), but it doesn't seem to care.
- McCulloch McCat 35cc - This was the first saw i ever owned, and I was foolish enough to think it would handle cutting up a 30" ash tree when I bought it at a big box store. After burning out the cylinder, I didn't have the money to buy a new saw, and so replaced the piston and cylinder with a used one from ebay. I haven't used it for a year, and really should clean it up and tune it. I keep saying I am going to give this to my brother, but it is the beginning of my CAD so it has sentimental value. It is probably fine as a lightweight, very occasional user saw, and when I put on the Stihl yellow chain it was amazing how well it cut with its 16" bar.
- ANOTHER Stihl 026 (not working - yet) - This is the one that I picked up for $20 from the mower shop with a burnt cylinder and some missing /broken plastic. I couldn't say no, and have torn it down and polished the cylinder, and bought a piston. I kind of want to finish fixing this one just to learn how to diagnose an air leak, which probably is the crankshaft seal, although this one had one of those screen filters that can't keep much dirt out. I PROMISE I will sell this one when fixed.
- Husqvarna 335xpt (not working - yet) - This came with the Stihl 012 and has a bad piston and a bunch of missing parts. I was curious about working on a Husky and figured it was worth working on, and heck, it is a "NEW" saw built in 2003. Not sure what I will do with it when done...if I can get it to run properly, since I know nothing about Husky's.
In theory, I am thinking I would like to have two saws: the 026 and a light top handle one for limbing. The 009L has better compression (135) than the 012 (120), but I know eventually I can find a top handle for the 012 although I don't REALLY need the top handle. And then there is the thought that some of the trees I am cutting up are a little big for the 18" bar on the 026, and wouldn't it be fun to work on a bigger saw, like an 036 or 044 or something like that? Or maybe a 390 since I previously worked on an 029 and dealt with the clamshell? When I killed my McCulloch the first time, my neighbor was kind enough to loan me his MS361 (with his gas mix, looking at me suspiciously as a chainsaw abuser after destroying the McCulloch), and it was all it took for me to decide I needed to think about buying a Stihl.
Maybe I can scale back to 3 working saws, and a couple of projects just for fun? It's a step in the right direction, yes? Can only imagine what my daughter is going to tell the wife....
HOPELESS.....and having fun
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