More, bigger, badder

[Patrick62]

Well the old cutting partner wants to get back to "where he was". I got a letter the other day... and I just gotta stick some of this on here, and get your opinions...

Now, set the stage. Firewood, in central colorado. Pine, and lots of it. Not many trees over 20" dbh.

"... and do you see any 7 cube's on arborist site, I think having a couple would be great if they had tillotsons, then a litle work on the lit to the carb for easy access, and hopefully enough to pull a full comp on a 28" bar sounds intriguing"

Now from my perspective this is the "little boy in a toy store" mentality. What the heck is a old logger who is pushing 70 years old need with a 120cc chainsaw and a 28" bar anyway? Old school, I will tell ya. This gent used to run a 2100 with a 24" bar with a really hungry chain. It cut a lot of wood that way. Stretched the chains mercilessly, and blew out roller tips on a regular basis.

I wrote back that "this is ridiculous, and a 7 cube saw is overkill" and what is really wrong with a 440 or a 460? With possibly a 660 for the heavy guns??

His theory is "more production". I think it is "more wreckage".

 

[chucker]

?? more is better!! that is unless your sitting in the electric chair!!! there's never enough to what most of us do, whether it's eating, playing or working with the man toys of harvesting wood in what ever form..... power is the candy of the male mind an male kind with more juice for better production!! but then there's the "little man syndrome" or "napoleon" wanna be's...... either way "MORE POWER SCOTTY, I NEED MORE POWER"!!!!!!!!!!

 

[zogger]

Run what ya can! You got to keep pushin it as ya get older or ya lose it!

Ya, you'll lose it anyway, but..you can prolong it some.

 

[stihly dan]

What is a letter? He must be real old school, I think I saw one in a movie once.

 

[Patrick62]

Phone calls would be really expensive at the moment. I won't delve into it. Written letter is what we got at the moment.

I agree, run what ya can, or ya would lose the ability to function at all. We shall see how this all plays out, I for one just am thinking that blasting limbs and blocks with a really large saw is a waste of fuel and money when a slightly smaller saw would maintain adequate speed and do the job.

-Pat

 

[zogger]

Phone calls would be really expensive at the moment. I won't delve into it. Written letter is what we got at the moment.

I agree, run what ya can, or ya would lose the ability to function at all. We shall see how this all plays out, I for one just am thinking that blasting limbs and blocks with a really large saw is a waste of fuel and money when a slightly smaller saw would maintain adequate speed and do the job.

-Pat

Well, sure a smaller saw that is still large will work. Deal is, he just wants to run a larger saw. You run what you want, let him run what he wants to.

 

[cat-face timber]

I say, go just big enough to be able to handle safely.
I was brought up at a early age to respect the saw and how quick bad things can happen.

 

[turnkey4099]

I agree that there is a lot of overkill but there is no need to try to impose limits on who runs what. "use it of lose it" applies and downsizing saws as one ages is a good proposition. I'm 79 running a 192T, 310, 361 with longest bar 28" (skip tooth) Cutting trees in the 30-40" dbh. That 361 with the longest bar is getting to be a bit much. Worst case I saw was a guy running a 660 muffler modded (sounded like no muffler at all) with me in the same locust woodlot. Biggest he was cutting was about 24".

Harry K

 

[mdavlee]

Can you find him a 10 cube 090 maybe LOL.

 

[showrguy]

120cc's to cut "pine" ??????????
i'm really scratchin my head on this one !!
i have a goofy look on my face too !!

 

[Patrick62]

well, we will see how it all turns out. to an extent I understand the perspective of "run what ya want". however, this instance is more of a planted seed in the "helpful friend" department to just see if anybody (me, etc) are going to rise to the "need" and provide a expensive and large saw.

The lack of reasoning here is that the giant saw can pull a large bar with a chain thru wood faster than a smaller saw could. Perhaps... depends on the wood, the sharp of the chain, etc. A lot of variations not accounted for.

My point was from years ago, where by the giant saw with the "hungry" chain was supposedly faster than a normal saw with higher rpm, and not as grabby a chain. This was a point of contention.... if it was that effective then you fella's who RACE saws would be doing it just like that! Get yourself a 250cc bikesaw and place a really sharp and really hungry chain on it. and win races. Until the chain breaks. Nothing learned here, eh? I suppose we need a larger chain... and a larger saw... something like a bar and chain combo say about 2 inches wide, with a pitch of about a foot. each tooth probably take about a cut of about a inch. Engine? Let's use a nice big block V8 pumped up to about 500hp. Not exactly portable... it would be fun on race day! Better chain that log down in the timber competition. Overkill sometimes is a good thing.

Oh well...

 

[mainewoods]

How long will " more production" last swinging a 120cc saw around ? My guess is it gets old real quick and production drops. I trust he uses something smaller for limbing.

 

[A.S.Woodchucker]

this thread reminds me of some of the old episodes of "Tool Time" aka home improvement.....More Power!

 

[Patrick62]

How long will " more production" last swinging a 120cc saw around ? My guess is it gets old real quick and production drops. I trust he uses something smaller for limbing.

And then... you would find him sitting in the pickup smoking a cigarette.... (safe bet there)

Typically the theory is "use the larger saw, ain't got time to swap around". Butch up if the weight bothers ya...

Like I said "we shall see".

 

[3000 FPS]

I cut pine up here in Wyoming all the time with my brother in law. I have a 2100 that you mentioned and using that heavy thing all day no thank you. I always take saws in the 50cc to 60cc range. I mean this is pine were talking about and with a good sharp chain and a 20" bar it is like a hot knife thru butter. I have some big saws but for pine and most of it 16" or less across, a good light saw in the 50 to 60cc range works great.

 

[mainewoods]

I mean this is pine were talking about and with a good sharp chain and a 20" bar it is like a hot knife thru butter. I have some big saws but for pine and most of it 16" or less across, a good light saw in the 50 to 60cc range works great.

Especially if it's been ported by one of the excellent builders on here.

 

[3000 FPS]

Especially if it's been ported by one of the excellent builders on here.

I have never had a saw ported by anyone. I have played around with them myself and get some improvements out of them, but I am sure it does not come close to what professional ported saw will do.

 

[zogger]

I have never had a saw ported by anyone. I have played around with them myself and get some improvements out of them, but I am sure it does not come close to what professional ported saw will do.

I have a couple now and it works man. the guys who do it a lot get mo ponies out of them pretty good.

Strongest one I ever ran was a mastermind 084, geez loweez, it yanked me into the log like a big football player had me on a rope and pulled hard.

 

[Patrick62]

agreed on the ported versions.
I have a 460 here that Brad worked on. Runs pretty good....
I personally would rather run a ported saw than a heavier saw.

Maybe the next thing I do... it might be masterminded...

 

[johncinco]

There is a wood cutter up here that runs a 394 with a 24" bar. He saw my 50" bar and said it was not necessary and a waste. He said he could cut any log up that I could, just by going around to the other side. I agreed, but then said, "yeah, but I don't have to walk around to the other side". Got a lot of chuckles at the sugar shack. It made it worse that he is 6'2" 300+ lbs and I am 190 5' 10" and almost twice his age. Run what ya brung and have a good time doing it.