Need new lighter Stihl saws due to continuing and progressive leg & back problems

[RCR 3 EVER]

Would it be a bad thing if a few guys with more saws than any mentally healthy person needs happened to show up and cut and split enough wood for you and your family to burn for a couple years?

That would help a great deal just way too much on our plates for now and we have enough wood in the shed at cabin and at home for this season and some wood seasoning for next year. Tractor is out of commission for several weeks and I am tied up with therapy and Dr appt until Dec.. In meantime we have to get stairway lift at cabin and 3 ramps built at house and a lift installed on truck. I was at a GTG just down the road from our place and it was of great help to them, but nothing can be setup for this year.

WE don't have many large trees since those are being saved for timber if they die then they are firewood though. The deadfall are numerous, not large and very scattered but it is a lot of work now with tractor to gather trees into some sort of order so we can even get them marked. There were also some trees standing(at least last fall they were) that were large and we considered them to be out of our knowledge base to cut them safely. Such as multi leaning trees and one beech tree that had a spiral split around the tree from ground to top of crotch.

Hopefully family and I can get the GTG planned and setup for next year it would certainly help us out. It all depends on what happens with me and my immediate needs.

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

My Dad ran and started his ms180 easy start until he was 90 or very near. I ran it myself and give it high marks for what it is. The Husky 41 or something like that he had prior was to difficult for him to cold start when he was in his early 80's. I also like the 025-ms250. They just are easy to manage when you feel to tired to keep going with bigger saws. They are significantly slow in comparison to a 361 bucking 15" + hardwood though. Just make yourself comfortable and don't work to long. My Dad would fill his saw up and not take any extra fuel to keep himself from over doing it. He even used the 180 for noodling. That was how he split his wood.

I can see the log cutting scene now with my wife, 82 yr old dad and brothers. THey clear out the branches and sticks away from the log so I don't trip or stick my knee as I crawl along the log. Then feeling sorry for me they even offer to start up my lightweight saw. Now comes the good part for them. They sit down on stumps break out beers and watch me grind away at cutting the log up cut by cut. when they finish their beers they start twiddling their thumbs while I start on the fourth cut. Meanwhile I am getting more exhausted and will not be able to walk back to the trailer without support. Any saw I get that is light enough for me to use will be slow and more time consuming for others in their eyes.

I already came up with a drawing for a seat to be mounted on a hitch bar so I could sit on it and sit while cutting in one position as a log is pushed or tractor is moved along the log. My brother said it would take too long for the tractor to be moved and setup to be worth his time and he could cut log quicker. I said this was true but at least I was working in the woods. But he did not get in the woods to cut logs as much as my wife and I did.

 

[Brushwacker]

I can see the log cutting scene now with my wife, 82 yr old dad and brothers. THey clear out the branches and sticks away from the log so I don't trip or stick my knee as I crawl along the log. Then feeling sorry for me they even offer to start up my lightweight saw. Now comes the good part for them. They sit down on stumps break out beers and watch me grind away at cutting the log up cut by cut. when they finish their beers they start twiddling their thumbs while I start on the fourth cut. Meanwhile I am getting more exhausted and will not be able to walk back to the trailer without support. Any saw I get that is light enough for me to use will be slow and more time consuming for others in their eyes.

I already came up with a drawing for a seat to be mounted on a hitch bar so I could sit on it and sit while cutting in one position as a log is pushed or tractor is moved along the log. My brother said it would take too long for the tractor to be moved and setup to be worth his time and he could cut log quicker. I said this was true but at least I was working in the woods. But he did not get in the woods to cut logs as much as my wife and I did.

May be you could take up on serious chainsaw sharpening and fine tuning to speed things up and follow up with making enough cuts to test and improve those skills. You can do that inbetween refills or whenever its more pratical. Let the physically fit utilize their ablities and learn to appreciate a fine working tool that makes the work easiar and safer. Save the beer for home, 1 to many is risky in the work your crew is doing fo any one in the vicinity. I would say likely those with you would feel much better if you just let them do the stuff thats difficult and dangerous for you to do. In cold weather you can keep a fire going, make some hot cocoa, help ever one stay charged up and comfortable and safe. You stand a better chance of getting more wood cut faster and if you have extra you can sell it or donate it to a needy freind. Maybe also you could invest in a small tractor & loader or Skidster (if you have the budget) that you can safely handle.

 

[RCR 3 EVER]

May be you could take up on serious chainsaw sharpening and fine tuning to speed things up and follow up with making enough cuts to test and improve those skills. You can do that inbetween refills or whenever its more pratical. Let the physically fit utilize their ablities and learn to appreciate a fine working tool that makes the work easiar and safer. Save the beer for home, 1 to many is risky in the work your crew is doing fo any one in the vicinity. I would say likely those with you would feel much better if you just let them do the stuff thats difficult and dangerous for you to do. In cold weather you can keep a fire going, make some hot cocoa, help ever one stay charged up and comfortable and safe. You stand a better chance of getting more wood cut faster and if you have extra you can sell it or donate it to a needy freind. Maybe also you could invest in a small tractor & loader or Skidster (if you have the budget) that you can safely handle.

Drinking beer on the job was in jest I should have said water or gatorade. Last beer I had was in 2008.

Many areas of property have trees dropped by winds every which way on top each other. It is dangerous enough with one saw working the piles let alone a multitude of saws, that is why we have to gather the trees before a GTG and even test them whether they are even worth cutting for firewood. We can handle the splitting, even I can do that in my wheelchair if the logs are brought to a clear surface.

As far as budget renovating entire house and parts of cabin, purchasing a lift for the truck and a new trailer for truck since the wheelchair and lift occupies the whole bed of pickup and future medical expenses come before another tractor or probably some sort of UTV for me. If we can sell a few cords of wood /year to help with expenses it is icing.

It is looking more and more like the saw will be for my wife and I will be supervising the gas mixtures-1 gal at a time though at approx. 6#.:msp_unsure:

 

[LegDeLimber]

Signed in to say hope thing improve.
been awake since yesterday, myself , so can relate to your remark about posting at odd hours
and sleep when things dont hurt so much .
The pills have a use, but gotta be carfull with them, it's a constant watch for me trying to
keep an eye on there effects.

of cousre i'm yawnig when i log in so I'll stop the messy wrtting.

Just good luk withit man.

 

[fearofpavement]

Regarding a GTG, I think you misunderstood the post where I originally mentioned it. A regular GTG is a big social event and has a huge amount of logistics and staging involved in order for it to be a success. That why I said mini GTG. What I had in mind was a few people just connecting with you to help your family out. Not the type of GTG that includes build offs, chain saw racing, food and beverages and a lot of lying. Just some people helping out some other people with no logistical burden on your people. ie, cutters could bring their own lunch and coolers/thermoses and so forth. So you would point to what you want cut and let them do it. It could get cut and piled and you could haul a little here and there when you feel up to it. If there are "tricky trees" there are a lot of skilled fellers on here that could safely get those on the ground. Anyone that has cleaned up in a tornado area is familiar with the tangled mess that leaves behind and the game of pick up sticks that is required to safely get stuff horizontal.

So if you just don't want any help, say so. But if you are reluctant because it seems complicated, it doesn't need to be. The Arboristsite family does stuff like this on a regular basis. You need to concentrate on healing. Let other people cut wood. They all have saws that get dusty otherwise and are looking for an excuse to burn some mix gas... Just saying.

 

[SCHallenger]

Just happened on this thread. I hope you are in better shape now than you were when this was started. In case you or your wife are in the market for a small saw that is very efficient, I have an MS200, rear handled version, that I would sell. It is in like new condition, if you are interested. It would not be cheap.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

As far as diagnosis I have partial spinal cord paralysis -1 leg is unable to support my weight and other has problems, + numerous other conditions. The paralysis started within 2 days after fusion of 2 herniated disks that were compressing and cutting into nerves. My condition is progressing worse.

As a back specialist I understand what you are going through, fusion limits mobility of course and numbness through compression of the spinal cord worsens everything.

I’d have to agree with someone who said, consider putting the saw down. You’re really not in a fit condition to be using a powersaw just yet. Without a proper diagnosis and seeing you I can’t really help, but any weight, even a light saw, will put considerable stress on your back. Fusions are typically Lumbar vertebrae. Their role is for trunk mobility and to support the upper body. Using a saw requires you to be in flexion, couple that with the mass of the saw will create a considerable levering force at the lumbar vertebrae, it’s just going to worsen your condition.

Speak to your specialist about strengthening, flexibility and mobility exercises with an aim towards functional movement. With time and the above you’ll be back to sawing before you know it

 

[SCHallenger]

As a back specialist I understand what you are going through, fusion limits mobility of course and numbness through compression of the spinal cord worsens everything.

I’d have to agree with someone who said, consider putting the saw down. You’re really not in a fit condition to be using a powersaw just yet. Without a proper diagnosis and seeing you I can’t really help, but any weight, even a light saw, will put considerable stress on your back. Fusions are typically Lumbar vertebrae. Their role is for trunk mobility and to support the upper body. Using a saw requires you to be in flexion, couple that with the mass of the saw will create a considerable levering force at the lumbar vertebrae, it’s just going to worsen your condition.

Speak to your specialist about strengthening, flexibility and mobility exercises with an aim towards functional movement. With time and the above you’ll be back to sawing before you know it

This is the best post on this thread! It is now 7 or 8 years since the original post. Hopefully, some of your recommendations were followed, & things are much better for him.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

This is the best post on this thread! It is now 7 or 8 years since the original post. Hopefully, some of your recommendations were followed, & things are much better for him.

Wow, never looked at the first post date ! I hope he’s back to sawing!! Thanks for the kind words