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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
I've got one of those yellow things. Mac 610. Bought it at JC Penny in 1979. It will not die. I have left it outside, dropped it off the truck, left the same gas in it for two years, cut down some real big trees and started it in sub 0 weather. I have never even changed or cleaned the spark plug. I wouldn't mind getting another saw but I can't do that until I figure out a way to kill this one.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Something I use more than the chain saw is a folding japanese pruning saw. You would have to experience this tool to believe how sharp it is. I cut through 2" stuff in 15 seconds. Just broke an inch and a half off the tip yesterday cutting through a 5" cedar tree so I will be looking for a new one today.
Click the link for pics. If you get one you will not be sorry.
Link:
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Well, last month this thread took on a new importance when an elderly relative needed a hand with a tree problem that made my poor old Mac 610 look pretty puny.
So without further ado, my new chainsaw and my latest (oh my aching back) project are at #12 in my pics.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Peters, about the worst thing you can do to any type of saw or chipper is to run sage brush through it.
Chief, Yes it is a MS 660 with a 36 inch bar and I already got the durn thing in the dirt once!
The tree is estimated at 150 years.... it was probably here the first time Kit Carson walked through ..... and it was about 120 feet tall. Last month a limb with a 40 inch cross section came down and crushed two storage sheds and took out power and phones to the whole neighborhood.
Once it was discovered how unstable the thing really was, my wifes auntie hired a tree guy to take the whole tree down. The process took several days and it came down in pieces such as the ones you see in the picture.
I am cutting the rounds into sizes I can pick up and haul off. It looks like I am going to get about 10 cords of wood out of that tree and there is still 20 feet of it standing that they cannot cut.
I have had zero problems with the way the saw handles.... no kickback at all but your suggestion about the hardhat is a good one and I will look into it today.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
I forgot to mention that part.... it is a cottonwood tree.
There are several more just like it in the neighborhood, all are clustered near a natural spring.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
On the subject of sharpening..... I got a small clamp-on-the-bar grinder from Northern Tool. It has a 12 volt motor and clips onto the truck battery for power.
It is quick to use once it is set up and my old chainsaw has never been so sharp.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Yup. Those rounds in the picture are from the branches. We haven't gotten into the trunk yet.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Well... it has taken a month but I finally got that big sucker moved.
Moving wood by the pick-up load got too tedious, so yesterday I rented a 5 yard dump truck and put the tractor to work. In order to load a 71 inch tall truck with a 72 inch tall loader I had to park the truck at the curb which dropped it 5 inches and drive the tractor up a small ramp.
With that system I was able to move the last 5 cords in about 6 hours, including about 60 miles of driving.
Bottom line: That single tree produced between 15 and 16 cords of firewood. The Stihl saw worked well and I needed every inch of that 36 inch bar on several occasions. I learned a whole lot about field maintenance and operation of a chain saw and ruined or wore out at least 4 chains.
Thanks for all the help and advice guys...... now the splitting begins.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Actually I bent a couple of the chains when they jumped the track. I might be able to straighten them or cut the bent sections out for use on a shorter bar.
I learned that when you put a new chain on a bar that long it stretches and stretches and stretches ..... a lot! If you are not checking it every couple of minutes in the first 1/2 hour of operations it will jump off and bite you.
BTW Cheif.... I followed your advice on the chaps and helmet and all I got was a slap on the leg when those chains came loose. Thanks.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Thanks Murf. I will try that. Those chains run a buck per bar-inch and are worth saving.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
Murf, I hear ya...
I have a sixteen year old who came by looking for work so I hired him to hump the firewood I was cutting.
He has to take a run at it to fling it in the truck, but I bet he doesn't need any aspirin when he gets home.
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What kind of Chainsaw to buy
I didn't think the helmet was necessary for what I was doing per se, but it is a great platform for the ear muffs and the face shield.
I got sprayed several times with high speed bark chips and it was nice not to run the risk of losing control of the saw for reasons such as that.
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10-30-2002, 08:35 
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