I am such a p***y.

[mav]

I spent three hours this morning sawing, digging, and using a blunt axe to take down a fairly good size tree.  I then had to haul off all the branches.  I am in decent shape, but I am now exhausted.  One of the first few things I buy when I get my new house is a chainsaw, and perhaps a wood chipper.

[Ted S.]

Now just imagine if these new fangled machines didn't exist. :pleased:

[Ted S.]

Now just imagine if these new fangled machines didn't exist. :pleased:

 

 

That being said, if I ever get my 'dream plot' in the middle of the woods, a chainsaw will be on my list as well right after a felling axe and spliting mull.

[Oh Shoot]

3 hours doesn't sound too bad really....

 

Lived with wood stove as only heat for about 6 years once upon a time, and sawing/splitting/stacking/hauling wood was always a relatively enjoyable affair for me. 'Course I did use a chain saw and assortment of mauls and wedges/sledge.

 

Funny how some physical work of equal or more effort is enjoyable while some isn't, though. For example, I'd rather do wood or dig holes than mow grass. I absolutely hate mowing a lawn.

 

- OS

[Currently]

You can't afford a decent wood chipper, better off renting one for $200+ that can get the job done.

Those garden type chippers are useless for wood. They have a hard enough time with cornstalks.

Worst tool I ever bought, talk to anyone that owns one before laying down cash.

As for a chainsaw, buy a used pro grade saw. Probably the same price as a new homeowner grade, but it will last you a lifetime and you can get parts to fix them. Homeowner grade are mostly plastic and vibrate the heck out of your hands.

Jes' my two cents ....

[Guest RedLights&Sirens]

In the words of my Staff Sgt. "hydrate hydrate hydrate!" Dont know about where youre at but its hot and humid in Memphis today.

[Poor_Dog]

I spent three hours this morning sawing, digging, and using a blunt axe to take down a fairly good size tree.  I then had to haul off all the branches.  I am in decent shape, but I am now exhausted.  One of the first few things I buy when I get my new house is a chainsaw, and perhaps a wood chipper.

Heck, anybody would be wore out taking a tree down with only that. I'd say you are in better than average condition to get it done as quick as you did. If you are worried about it though, I'll go room and board and you can tighten up by trimming my fruit trees, I just hate pruning trees

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If one is a klutz in addition to a woose, comes the decision whether the axe, maul and wedges are actually any more dangerous than the chain saw. Chain saw will mess you up, but miss the tree, log, or wedge with axe or maul and it can be bad news as well. :)

 

We got a sears chipper a few years ago that did what we wanted it to do. It does great grinding leaves and slim boughs with lots of leaves on them, and easily grinds limbs up to about 2 inch diameter. After clearing out the woods a couple years ago we had lots and lots of saplings, leafy bushes and small diameter long limbs with lots of stems and leaves on em, so the homeowner grade chipper actually did us some good.

 

If you have a bunch of larger logs and big diameter branches, a home grade is pretty useless.

[Guest Nunya]

I like to buy "disposable" chainsaws for jobs like that.  $50 for a new electric chainsaw that lasts one season with moderate use.  Throw it away and buy another one next year.

[Wyldk2]

I like to buy "disposable" chainsaws for jobs like that.  $50 for a new electric chainsaw that lasts one season with moderate use.  Throw it away and buy another one next year.

By the time you've bought 5 of those you coulda had a new Stihl gas chainsaw and it would keep on lasting you years to come. Maintenence is the key. As long as you keep your stuff maintained it will last you a long time. And cheaperin the long run than having to repair or replace an item.

 

My Ryobi trimmer I have had for the past 7 years has never let me down( easier to start than my dad's stihl weedeater). I have a Cub cadet mower 1720 ( from the 80's or 90's) and it has not let me down yet.

 

If you're going to use something maybe once or twice a year, get the homeowner unit, if you plan on using something all the time or frequently, get the Heavy commercial grade unit. It's all about preference, how much you are willing to spend once or how little you spend now and end up spending more later.

 

I used to work at Lowe's,I remember the contractor coming in returning the home owner grade tool because they tore it up. More than likely abuse. The homeowner grade tools usually have a longer warranty( that is what some contractors only care about), the mfg knows the avg homeowner isnt going to abuse or overuse the tools. I saw more Black and decker tools come in for return or repair than I saw of the dewalts. and B&D owns Dewalt.

[Guest nra37922]

Go down to Lowes or Home Depot and load up a bunch of Mexican day laborers and then sit down with a cold frosty and supervise....

Edited June 19, 2013 by nra37922

[Spots]

You can't afford a decent wood chipper, better off renting one for $200+ that can get the job done.


Those garden type chippers are useless for wood. They have a hard enough time with cornstalks.


Worst tool I ever bought, talk to anyone that owns one before laying down cash.


As for a chainsaw, buy a used pro grade saw. Probably the same price as a new homeowner grade, but it will last you a lifetime and you can get parts to fix them. Homeowner grade are mostly plastic and vibrate the heck out of your hands.


Jes' my two cents ....

Spend money for the best saw you can get. We have to big Huskys, a 3120 xp and a 371 and they are both great saws. B9th have dropped thousands of large and small trees and sawed several thousand board feet using an alaskan chainsaw mill. This is our 3120. Ive used an ax a ton, but for getting sone with chores and moving on a good chainsaw is hard to beat.



Sent from the backwoods of Nowhere

[RED333]

You did it the hard way Mav.

I have been heating with wood for over 20 years, always had a chain saw.

Started out with a maul and wedge to split, bout 10 years ago I did break down and

get a log splitter. Now my son does most of the work.

[Dennis1209]

Surely there's something in Obamacare that covers tree removal and chipping?

 

I mean, if the population can get free cell phones, health-care, foo stamp, section eight, WIC, earned income, three hots and a cot... Surely some tree cutting and removal is in there somewhere for free?

 

Come on... Do a little paper work, fill out a few forms, and let the government take care of it.... :rofl:

[Grand Torino]

I spent three hours this morning sawing, digging, and using a blunt axe to take down a fairly good size tree.  I then had to haul off all the branches.  I am in decent shape, but I am now exhausted.  One of the first few things I buy when I get my new house is a chainsaw, and perhaps a wood chipper.

I beg to differ. Anyone that completed all that in a few hours is no pussy. :cheers:

[npgunner]

Surely there's something in Obamacare that covers tree removal and chipping?

I mean, if the population can get free cell phones, health-care, foo stamp, section eight, WIC, earned income, three hots and a cot... Surely some tree cutting and removal is in there somewhere for free?

Come on... Do a little paper work, fill out a few forms, and let the government take care of it.... :rofl:

thing is by the time it all gets processed he'll be living in the rain forest ... unless of course he's a poor minority ... but Im pretty sure the IRS already has him labeled a small-government conservative Edited May 18, 2013 by npgunner

[hardknox00001]

thing is by the time it all gets processed he'll be living in the rain forest ... unless of course he's a poor minority ... but Im pretty sure the IRS already has him labeled a small-government conservative

 

Surely there's something in Obamacare that covers tree removal and chipping?

 

I mean, if the population can get free cell phones, health-care, foo stamp, section eight, WIC, earned income, three hots and a cot... Surely some tree cutting and removal is in there somewhere for free?

 

Come on... Do a little paper work, fill out a few forms, and let the government take care of it.... :rofl:

 

 

thing is by the time it all gets processed he'll be living in the rain forest ... unless of course he's a poor minority ... but Im pretty sure the IRS already has him labeled a small-government conservative

 

More likely that he will be fined, tarred and feathered, etc. for wanting to cut down trees.  The carbon foot print that would create is probably quite enormous and the powers that be can't have that..... :tinfoil:  :panic:

[Monkeyman2500]

Holy cow Spots, get a bigger saw. Seriously though get a good chainsaw and you won't regret it. I bought a Stihl a couple years ago and love it.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Spend money for the best saw you can get. We have to big Huskys, a 3120 xp and a 371 and they are both great saws. B9th have dropped thousands of large and small trees and sawed several thousand board feet using an alaskan chainsaw mill. This is our 3120. Ive used an ax a ton, but for getting sone with chores and moving on a good chainsaw is hard to beat.

 

I have a 16" Makita and a near-new 18" bigger engine Homelite old dad got too old to run. Haven't used em much. Had good luck with a few Echo tools and got an Echo chainsaw a few years back. There was probably some manufacturing defect because I thought I operated it properly and I used the other Echo tools for years and never managed to burn em up. But that Echo chainsaw burned up after 10 hours operation and I got gunshy about chainsaws.

 

Bought an Alaskan small-log chainsaw mill attachment this january but haven't got a chance to try it yet. Was busy remodeling the basement apt for first three months then its rained every weekend since. Wife wanted a few scrub trees cleared out last fall and there is some small-diameter black walnut and box elder I want to rip before it decides to rot.

 

Last fall for the heck of it, I used a chalkline, chainsaw and big hammer and chisel to crudely square off one of the walnut logs and got about a 5 X 5 rough beam out of it. Then ripped it in half with a smallish woodworking bandsaw and squared it off into a couple of approx 2X4 on the small tablesaw. Its real purty wood. Free is lots cheaper than lumber store prices. Hoping it won't be too much a PITA to rip the rest of those small walnut logs with a chainsaw mill. That box elder, dunno if it will be good for anything ripped into boards, but the stuff has the most beautiful interior grain patterns. If the box elder is strong enough to build small stuff out of, it would show fabulous grain.

 

Needs to stop raining soon. Up on the hill in the woods a couple of fairly tall white oaks came down of their own accord. Rocky soil, big tree, too much rain. Those oaks are not huge but better than a foot diameter, small enough in theory to rip with the alaska small mill. If I can make myself rip both of those oak trees I'll have lots of free oak. Hundreds if not thousands of bucks worth of oak at lumber store prices.

 

Do you buy special rip chains or just re-sharpen conventional chains to a rip angle?

[Oh Shoot]

Btw, you can write "pussy" here. You p***y. :)

 

 

[mav]

Well... I am sorta shocked that I was not sore today.  My hands are a little tender, but that is all.  I will still get a chainsaw.  I don't want a repeat performance.

[Tempest455]

Cutting wood and moving wood will wear you out! 

 

Worse yet, last fall I played "2 hand tag" football with some family at a B-day party. Well 2 hand tag pretty much turns into shoving/tackle with a bunch of 30-50 year olds drinking beer.

 

I consider myself in fairly good shape, however, I was so sore the next day I literally had to roll out of bed. 

[Mike.357]

I bought a MS 290 Stihl chainsaw when we bought our house ten years ago.  I have used it every year.  Some years more than others.  It cost just under 300 bucks as I recall but it will last my lifetime easily.  A good investment in my book.

 

there have been several times where trees fell across my driveway.  It was nice to be able to make the driveway passable in minutes instead of trying to find someone to do it or to do it with an axe.

[Jonnin]

IMHO everyone should have at least a cheap chainsaw.    Even living as I do in the city, from time to time a big branch or small tree keels over right in your way, either on your property or on the road near it.    When those tornados hit I had to cut a tree off my roof with my saws-all because all the chainsaws had been bought up, lesson learned.  I had a real saw when the next one fell, much much easier.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

In addition to a gas powered chainsaw, IMO a small battery powered chainsaw can sure come in handy for small stuff that isn't worth the trouble dragging out a gas chainsaw. I've never had a wired electric chainsaw. Maybe those would be just the thing for certain purposes, especially if some of em are built relatively strong. But dragging out a long extension cord seems about as much trouble as cranking up a gas saw?

 

For instance, if they make any wired chainsaws with sufficient power for the task, maybe a wired chainsaw would beat heck out of a gas saw for ripping small logs? Lots less noise and stink.

 

But we've got lots of great use of the little Ryobi 18V rechargeable chainsaw. We've used it quite a bit for three or four years and it still works fine. If you are gonna cut more than a few branches, make sure to have lots of batteries. The Ryobi cuts real well up to about 4 or 5 inch wood, but will drain a lithium battery in 5 or 10 minutes. Well I haven't timed it, but for sure it doesn't run very long on one battery.

 

Along the same lines, a rechargeable sawsall works good in some places neither electric or gas chainsaw is appropriate. Small branches and specialty stuff. When I was digging out holes to pour concrete slab steps down to the deck by the woods, and when digging holes to pour concrete to shore up the back of the shop, that dirt is just full of big roots. Its unsafe and bad on the chain to be running a chainsaw stuck down in a hole in the ground, and exhausting and near impossible to get a good angle to chop roots out of a hole with a hatchet. Sawsall does roots as good as anything, about as safe as you can make it, and if a blade wears out then so what?

 

Something that we only use maybe once a year is a black'n'decker battery pole chainsaw. It is real convenient and takes down small overhead branches great. Don't need to do that every day, but when you need it is great to have. That little pole saw also runs pitiful short time on a battery charge, only enough to cut maybe four 2 to 4 inch branches. So if a fella needs to cut lots of overhanging branches real often then a gas poles saw would be the way to go, but the gas ones are kinda expensive for a branch every once in awhile.