Smaller chainsaw

[berkshires]

I sharpen mine every tank of gas, I give each tooth 3 passes weather they need them or not. Don't forget to change out your file, they don't last for ever. The saw is only as good as the bar and chain, make sure they are from a respectful co.

Wow, I didn't know I need to sharpen it so often. I think I typically sharpen it after maybe three to six tanks of gas (but it's a small gas tank). I posted my bar and chain in the previous post ^^^. Do you think it's okay?

GO

[maple flats]

My experience with gas saws over the last 60 yrs started with first a Homelite then a Poulon Wild thing grade saws with an 18" bar. Unfortunately since I was cutting between 4 and 9 full cords a year they only held up about 18 mos. I got fed up with them and bought a Husquavarna 59 with a 20" bar, a homeowner version but a much higher grade saw. That was in about 2004, I still use it on occassion, it's still good but as I got older I started thinking lighter weight saws. I then bought a Huaky 543XP, far better and lighter but a pro grade saw, only a 16" bar. The saw is faster for sure and until I reached 76 yrs old I used it almost exclusively except on larger trees where I chose the Husky 59.
2 yrs ago I tried a cordless electric saw. At first I got a DeWalt 14" 20V saw, ok, but slow. I still use that only for light limbing. Then I got a DeWalt 60V saw, I think it has an 18" bar. I sometimes use it to drop trees and most times I use it to buck into blocks for splitting, mostly because it' far quieter. Because I now use an RO, my wood is down to 1.5-2 cords a year. I have 2 batteries for that saw and they last longer than I do (I'm now 78).
While it wouldn't be a production saw, I like it for what I do. At one time I also had a Husky 65 with a 34" bar, but as I got older I could no longer pull it to start so I sold it.
Sharp chains make all the difference. Back until about 2008 or 9, I was doing 1320 taps , before I got an RO in 2011 I hired a man who cut and split most of my wood, but he was horrible at sharpening the chains with a file. Prior to that I had always sharpened by hand, but I got several extra chains and had him swap chains as they got dull. Then I had 5-12 chains to sharpen at a time, and arthritis in my thumbs told me to get a chain sharpener. I bought a MAXX sharpener and never looked back, it does a fantastic job. I only need to adjust the amount of grind to remove the least possible on each chain as I start another one, then I sharpened all on one side and then all on the other side. I no longer have that helper, he went on to college (at about age 36) and then graduated, now he's a forester or something along those lines. Besides a sharp chain, flip the bar at each chain change and as the groove widens or flairs use a tool to fix it. It has 2 rollers and is adjustable so I just pull it the length of the bar, then tighten slightly and repeat until it fits the chain snug without being tight. That only seems to be needed every 4-6 full cords. With a proper fit on the chain groove and sharp teeth, the saw will cut straight. Also, use good bar oil, not used motor oil. It must be Bar oil, but I haven't found a difference in name brand and TSC or similar as long as it's bar oil. Another pointer, on gas powered saws use ethenal free gas, never the 10 or 15% or worse blend.

[Vtmbz]

For limbing and general brush cutting I use my makita 36 v cordless. It has a 14” bar. If you’re used to chainsaws it will cut through most fallen trees with a sharp chain. Fairly light and useful for on/off work. I carry a Bigger gas saw just in case I need it, but in the sugar bush I rarely do.

[Brian]

My father gave up on the 064 stihl last year because he can't start it any more. If I start it and it warms up he can start it. He just turned 83 and still burns wood drives and lives alone and still cuts some wood. He switched to a dolmar saw that starts easy. I don't know the size but cuts good. I would guess 50-60 cc's anyway. a couple weeks ago he was blocking 32-36 inch maple that I pulled out that had blown over. I hope I can do that when I get his age, or if I make it that long.

[Z/MAN]

Great info Flats. Thanks for your experiences.

[BAP]

Here's the chain and bar: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oregon-1...6-23/326904971. They're both just two-and-a-half years old. That said, I think I just figured out I was running my chainsaw with the chain consistently too loose, and I may have blown out the track in the bar the chain runs in. It feels like there's more wiggle there than there should be. So maybe I'll pick up a new bar. May as well get a new chain while I'm at it, so as to have a spare.

GO

Near as I can tell, that’s a homeowner type chain. It has extra rackers built in to keep them from kicking back, which in turn makes them cut like crap. Go to a local saw dealer and see about getting a professional grade chain replacement and you will see night and day difference. You just have to be more careful because it will grab more and can kickback more. But cutting will be wayyyy morrrre.

[maple flats]

That's low profile chain at 0.43 thick drivers. Look at the bar, does it show 0.43 for the drivers or 0.50? That might be the issue.
The frequency of sharpening is extremely variable. If the log is clean and the chain never comes in contact with the dirt, you may only need to sharpen it every 2-4 days. If there is any dirt on or in the bark (trees that grew along a dirt road often have dirt imbeded in the bark) it needs more frequrnt sharpening. Learn to recognize when a chain needs sharpening rather than going by the length of time since the last sharpening. As the chain wears the saw dust gets finer, a sharp chain throws big course chips. As soon as you detect finer chips, stop and sharpen in. If it contacts the dirt, sharpen right away, if the bark has dirt in it, you might only make 3-4 cuts and it will need sharpening.
Then, look at the info stamped into the bar, near the engine, make sure the chain matches. Also, get a different chain, one without the LP (low profile) which is a poor choice for any production sawing. If you take a picture of the etched info on the bar and send it to: dave@cnymaple.com I'll help you pick a better chain choice.

[berkshires]

Near as I can tell, that’s a homeowner type chain. It has extra rackers built in to keep them from kicking back, which in turn makes them cut like crap. Go to a local saw dealer and see about getting a professional grade chain replacement and you will see night and day difference. You just have to be more careful because it will grab more and can kickback more. But cutting will be wayyyy morrrre.

Yes it is a homeowner type chain. I bought a new one and it even says on the package "low kickback chain". I'll investigate into new chains to see if I can find one that fits my bar and saw, and is not "low kickback".

One other thing I discovered is that while they call it a 3/8" LP chain, which should take a 5/32" bit for sharpening, I tried two different 5/32" files, and neither one would fit in the gullet of the new chain at any angle, while making full contact with the chain. So whatever they use in the factory does not have a 5/32" diameter. This explains why, when I sharpened it, I made a mess of it, because I was trying to follow the existing profile, and that's impossible. I either have to take off a lot of metal at the base of the cutter, or the top. If I take off a lot at the bottom I start to run into the thing, I think it's called a tie-strap, that sits below the cutter. And if I take a lot off the top, I wind up with a very low angle top edge of the gullet (think a wave that is not ready to break) that does not cut well.

So I think I'll probably be much happier with a different chain. I'll try one and see what I think and then decide if I still need a bigger chainsaw.

If I do, looks like the Echo CS-4910 is the best saw I could get for my use. Though no-one seems to sell it - they've all moved on from the carburetor saws to the electronic ones, which I don't want. Ugh.

GO

[Pdiamond]

I like my little 16" bar Stihl saw that I bought from Ace Hardware, it was on sale. It is an MS-180.