Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[sean donato]

Oh since we're talking about zenoah saws. I did get to cut a bit with the gz4000. Pretty happy with it. I actually had to lean it out quite a bit on top to get it to clean up in the cut. I'll have to take a picture of it, it looks kinda funny with the ryobi grey clutch cover and a stihl bar on the red case, but it's a sweet little cutter. Far better running than the ms192t. I'm gonna look for another top end to play with. Having 3 saws to make one runner kinda sucks. I still have enough parts saws good topends to put another saw together. I'll try to remember to grab a few pictures of it tomorrow.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I‘m surprised a load that tall stays upright.

They sometimes don't!

Thats actually the only time I've flopped the wagon on its side.
A wide axel and proper tire pressure play a big part. I dress up trail too. I really don't side hill anything or go over small obstacles. My scrounge spot is pretty flat ground. If a big limb or small log is on the trail and in the way of one tire and not the other, I buck it and toss it out of the way. If there is a high spot, I'll half *ss level it with my hook-a-roon or peavey. Once up onto the logging road. Its a cake walk!

You ain't loaded unless you're overloaded!

 

[chipper1]

They sometimes don't! View attachment 1038164

Thats actually the only time I've flopped the wagon on its side.
A wide axel and proper tire pressure play a big part. I dress up trail too. I really don't side hill anything or go over small obstacles. My scrounge spot is pretty flat ground. If a big limb or small log is on the trail and in the way of one tire and not the other, I buck it and toss it out of the way. If there is a high spot, I'll half *ss level it with my hook-a-roon or peavey. Once up onto the logging road. Its a cake walk!

You ain't loaded unless you're overloaded!

That must have been a three cigarette load .

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Talking of working on saws, I finally got the case back together for my Jonsered 625 project saw.

I centered the crank with feeler guages, but I feel once everything was put together the bearings were not as smooth as they should be. I don’t really know what to do about it though, so went ahead and installed new seals and the oil pump.

I ordered 266xp oil lines off of eBay but the ones I got were for a 372xp. They look the same as the one that came out of the Jonsered but longer. I ended up putting on in.

 

[chipper1]

Yep, it is. Got rid of 2 562xp once I got the 400, but it did take 8 or 10 tanks to wake up, and then the bark box really gave it a bump.

They are great saws as well, just not ms400 great.

Yep.

That's just cause you haven't run a 400. Lighter, more power.

Not clamshell engines, mag cases but they arnt like the traditional husqy,stihl,Echo design.

Should be a mag case.

The 562 always stomped the 362 hard, stock for stock. Even worse once ported. Truthfully it's not far off from the 400, in power. I do think the 562 handled a little better and I liked the snap top on the 562 better then the stupid 1/4 turn screws, but the 400 is just the faster saw. Now I never had an lack of torque feeling with the 562, and I surly don't have that feeling with the 400, but. I would always toss the 20 back on the 562 after I was done with a 24" bar. The 400 till has the 24" bar on it, and will for the conceivable future. It's handles it better then the 562. Actually if the 400 was ported I doubt I'd ever take the 24" off. It's a mean mama with the 20" on though.

I'll be keeping my eye out for a 400, you know, cause I "need" one lol. But I'm skeptical as the only new saw that blew me away were the 462, and that because it's very light, even so I still prefer the handling of the huskys. The 261 was a very disappointing saw, so much hype and it was just another modern-day 50cc saw, I enjoy my ported 261 with a 20, but it's handling/ ergonomics don't lend it to be the limbing saw as a 550, or even a 562 is. Maybe the 400 is light enough to make it feel better for limbing, but that doesn't normally happen with a poor handling saw until they are under 10lbs powerhead weight(such as a 241), at that weight it doesn't bother me much. The little 201 rear handle and 200 rear handle are great saws, and even though they don't feel like a husky in hand, they are so light it doesn't matter.
Far as the 562 goes, I've always just grabbed a 70cc saw, even with a 20" I'd rather have the power. I should get a ported 562, funny they didn't update them when they built the 572 and updated the 550, by the time they updated the 550 they had all the bugs worked out of them. Still like the 550mk1, best handling 50cc saw built with all the modern features .

 

[chipper1]

Talking of working on saws, I finally got the case back together for my Jonsered 625 project saw.

I centered the crank with feeler guages, but I feel once everything was put together the bearings were not as smooth as they should be. I don’t really know what to do about it though, so went ahead and installed new seals and the oil pump.

I ordered 266xp oil lines off of eBay but the ones I got were for a 372xp. They look the same as the one that came out of the Jonsered but longer. I ended up putting on in.

View attachment 1038166

View attachment 1038167


View attachment 1038168

Might just need a little love with a brass hammer on the end of the crank, kinda like a u-joint.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Might just need a little love with a brass hammer on the end of the crank, kinda like a u-joint.

I don’t have a brass hammer. I centered it with a plastic dead low. I probably need to get a brass one before my next build.

 

[mountainguyed67]

I centered it with a plastic dead low.

I’ve found that a dead blow works better.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

I'm a simpleton I guess. "This saw fir that. That saw fir this. I use my 50cc fir this. I use my 65cc fir that." After running a 90. Why run anything else? I mean, what else is there? I can limb a tree with a 90 ten times faster than with a 50. I don't know? After running 90cc and only 90cc, 99.9% of the time fir almost 30 years. Whenever I run something smaller than a 90 (witch isn't that often) I just think to my self. "Man! Compared to any of my 90s. This thing has absolutely no b**ls!" Yes, some of the smaller saws have impressive power to weight ratios and can be fun to run sometimes. But nothing compares to a hopped up 90! Except fir climbing applications, I just can't justify running anything else but a 90 myself! Whatever make/model. Take your pick! However, that's just me and strickly my opinion gentleman. Like I said, I'm a bit of a simpleton I guess.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

I'm a simpleton I guess. "This saw fir that. That saw fir this. I use my 50cc fir this. I use my 65cc fir that." After running a 90. Why run anything else? I mean, what else is there? I can limb a tree with a 90 ten times faster than with a 50. I don't know? After running 90cc and only 90cc, 99.9% of the time fir almost 30 years. Whenever I run something smaller than a 90 (witch isn't that often) I just think to my self. "Man! Compared to a 90, this thing has absolutely no b**ls!" Yes, some of the smaller saws have impressive power to weight ratios and can be fun to run sometimes. But nothing compares to a hopped up 90! Except fir climbing applications, I just can't justify running anything else but a 90 myself! Whatever make/model. Take your pick! However, that's just me and strickly my opinion gentleman. Like I said, I'm a bit of a simpleton I guess.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

My real dad ran 90cc+ right up until he broke his neck and back with a widow maker on prince of whales. After the accident (he was told by several doctors he would never walk again) he found the big saws to be just a bit too much. When he was still making money with a saw he ran a madsens modified 372, but I think he has just a stock 372 now.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

My real dad ran 90cc+ right up until he broke his neck and back with a widow maker on prince of whales. After the accident (he was told by several doctors he would never walk again) he found the big saws to be just a bit too much. When he was still making money with a saw he ran a madsens modified 372, but I think he has just a stock 372 now.

Well don't I feel like an A-hole!
That is definitely an exception to the rule. Glad to hear he's ok after a big hit like that.

Now if you'll excuse me? I'm just gonna go hang myself!...

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Well don't I feel like an A-hole!
That is definitely an exception to the rule. Glad to hear he's ok after a big hit like that.

Now if you'll excuse me? I'm just gonna go hang myself!...

If it makes you feel better I mostly run 372s here in the interior with our small soft woods.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

If it makes you feel better I mostly run 372s here in the interior with our small soft woods.

Maybe a little, but not really! You could have lied to me and said "I run a 390 or 395 no matter what type and size of wood I'm cut'n!"

 

[Valpen]

Here is the study I was thinking of:

https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultur... a major predator of young white-tailed deer.

Good article. I will update my black bear-diet trivia accordingly
Thx for posting it.

 

[Squareground3691]

I don’t have a brass hammer. I centered it with a plastic dead low. I probably need to get a brass one before my next build.

There ya go

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Maybe a little, but not really! You could have lied to me and said "I run a 390 or 395 no matter what type and size of wood I'm cut'n!"

To be perfectly honest with you the 372xp is the biggest saw I own. It’s very rare to find wood over 12” here and all soft. Most of my firewood doesn’t even need split.

 

[chipper1]

I'm a simpleton I guess. "This saw fir that. That saw fir this. I use my 50cc fir this. I use my 65cc fir that." After running a 90. Why run anything else? I mean, what else is there? I can limb a tree with a 90 ten times faster than with a 50. I don't know? After running 90cc and only 90cc, 99.9% of the time fir almost 30 years. Whenever I run something smaller than a 90 (witch isn't that often) I just think to my self. "Man! Compared to any of my 90s. This thing has absolutely no b**ls!" Yes, some of the smaller saws have impressive power to weight ratios and can be fun to run sometimes. But nothing compares to a hopped up 90! Except fir climbing applications, I just can't justify running anything else but a 90 myself! Whatever make/model. Take your pick! However, that's just me and strickly my opinion gentleman. Like I said, I'm a bit of a simpleton I guess.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

That's not being simpleton, but rather a Neanderthal .
I'm just not as strong as you, can't handle a big saw for very long.
I sold a guy a 357, it was his first small saw, he had two 288's lol.

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

For me not having a big saw is just a matter of opportunity hasn’t presented itself. I can’t justify spending big saw money on a new saw when what I have works fine, and I’ve never seen anything bigger than 60cc for sale here in this area

 

[JimR]

It wasn't always this way, but I'm a Stihl guy nowadays. Just to prove that I'm not biased, I do own a couple of Huskies. I love the 372, but my relationship with my mk1 550 is best described as "complicated." I don't use the 550 much, but if I did use it more, I would swap it for a m-tronic 261 in a heartbeat. The 550 is a tempermental little saw.

View attachment 1037725

The 2nd generation 550xp is so much better.

 

[JimR]

I'm a simpleton I guess. "This saw fir that. That saw fir this. I use my 50cc fir this. I use my 65cc fir that." After running a 90. Why run anything else? I mean, what else is there? I can limb a tree with a 90 ten times faster than with a 50. I don't know? After running 90cc and only 90cc, 99.9% of the time fir almost 30 years. Whenever I run something smaller than a 90 (witch isn't that often) I just think to my self. "Man! Compared to any of my 90s. This thing has absolutely no b**ls!" Yes, some of the smaller saws have impressive power to weight ratios and can be fun to run sometimes. But nothing compares to a hopped up 90! Except fir climbing applications, I just can't justify running anything else but a 90 myself! Whatever make/model. Take your pick! However, that's just me and strickly my opinion gentleman. Like I said, I'm a bit of a simpleton I guess.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

When you get to be 69 your thoughts on this will be different. I can still use a 90cc saw but not like I can handle a 50cc saw or a 372xp.