Need a chainsaw to cut up a couple of tonnes of logs, Aldi have one at £79 this week…. thoughts?

I wouldn't go for it. Go STIHL they last for ages

Hire one for about that if not less with all the gear, you'll get through a lot quicker and easier. I use a Hasquavana takes me no time at all to get through a couple of tonne and chainsaw doesn't even fart or splutter.

Oh and just be careful they're mean.

Oh and just be careful they're mean.

Just in case the OP missed it.

Let's hope it misses him, I caught the sole of my boot a few months back chewed it up lovely.

Agree with Drac, hire one with all the gear. (Or spend another few £100's on gear, or maybe loose a leg.)

If you buy a good one and loose a leg can I have your chainsaw.

Hasquavana

good luck googling that

Hadn't thought of hiring, would be getting protective gear either way.

Decent quality boots, chaps, jacket, gloves and helmet are going to cost way more than that saw. If it's a one off job, then agree that hiring the saw and all the gear will be both cheaper and safer.

good luck googling that

Good thing about Google is it corrects my swedish.

Hadn't thought of hiring, would be getting protective gear either way.

About £70 to hire for the day, £150 with the gear but you shop around might be cheaper to buy it if you using it again. In fact I'd look at investing you can get the Husqies for about £270.

ALDI, chainsaw, 80 quid! I hope all the local A&Es have been informed.

Hire one with the safety gear, at least with a reputable hire shop you'll be sure it's in good condition.

supinerider:
good luck googling that

Have you used Google?

ALDI, chainsaw, 80 quid! I hope all the local A&Es have been informed.

Don't worry they'll not break the skin on a rice pudding.

An £80 chainsaw will be useless and break. Almost certainly not possible to hire as you would need to show a licence.

If you don't need the chainsaw for other jobs it will be cheaper to get a bloke in to do it for you. I would guess £50-£75

I have access to a lot of free wood, but plan on cutting up a years supply in one go so hire could well be the right option.

A google for Aldi Chainsaw doesn't throw up any scare stories, just pretty good reports from those that have bought one previously, could get one and a set up protective gear for the same price as a day's hire from HSS. If it only cuts up one pile of logs it will have paid for itself, if it cuts up two then I'm quids in.

I'm firmly of the get a bloke in view. The training and clothing isn't going to come cheap, and it's not something to learn by trial and error.

Personally I would get either this [probably cheaper than Chainsaw + all equipment

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/2200w-log-cutting-saw-2

or chainsaw +

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/chainsaw-saw-horse

Not being ruse but if you are aksing advic eon here and did not know you could hire them you have never used one so PLEASE DONT they are serioulsy dangerous and you wont know how to holid it correctly for kick back
PS Electric chainsawa are cheaper if you can use near power supply

CaptainMainwaring – Member

An £80 chainsaw will be useless and break. Almost certainly not possible to hire as you would need to show a licence.

No mention of a licence with HSS Hireshops.

tron – Member

I'm firmly of the get a bloke in view. The training and clothing isn't going to come cheap, and it's not something to learn by trial and error.

Again prices above in the link. If the chainsaw is well maintained and used by someone with half a brain, there shouldn't be problems. Like most things really. When I worked in the hire shop trade I never heard of any chainsaw accidents. Not even one being dropped on a foot!

Just because I was asking about the Aldi chainsaw or hadn't considered hiring doesn't mean I've never used one 🙄

Like the look of the saw horse from Machine Mart, was going to make one out of timber but that looks much better.

A google for Aldi Chainsaw doesn't throw up any scare stories, just pretty good reports from those that have bought one previously

There's a massive difference between cutting up a couple of logs in your back yard and cutting up a few tonnes. I've used the cheapy ones it's not the same at all, a good 2 strokes will make it a pleasure not a chore. I reckon last year alone our Husqie must have cut over 150 tonne of wood, chain needed sharpening and one service but that was it. It would run all day pretty much none stop with just the occasional cleansing around the filters. Overall in the 4 years we've had it I'd have no idea how many tonnes it cut and just needs so little attention.

As for showing a licence for hiring it's plausible but not sure as I say we own one. Well I say we it's my parents but my mother is scared of it and my Dad now has a pacemaker so not a great idea for him to use it so I do.

Electric is a good call if you're just logging up at home and are near a power source (obviously).

Got one of these http://www.chainsawspecialists.co.uk/acatalog/Husqvarna_321el_chainsaw.html for just that job and it's been a brilliant buy to compliment the petrol saws for out and about in the woods. Keeps the neighbours happy as well, being relatively quiet…. 😉

Like the look of the saw horse from Machine Mart, was going to make one out of timber but that looks much better.

Handy thing, was in a little tool shop near me I never knew existed the other day. £35 for a metal one that would fold up into the car, going to pick one up.

m8 bought a cheap roybi one, complete POS, couldn't cut straight (might not be an issue to you) but more importantly the chain was a different pitch to any normal chainsaw make. So replacing it is nigh on impossible, wouldn't recommenda cheap one.

I've also got a petrol Husqvarna, had it for a few years. It gets a fair amount of use, but has given no problems at all. If you've got a lot to cut, well worth spending a bit more.

Again prices above in the link. If the chainsaw is well maintained and used by someone with half a brain, there shouldn't be problems. Like most things really. When I worked in the hire shop trade I never heard of any chainsaw accidents. Not even one being dropped on a foot

A friend of ours was a top dentist and very into DIY etc so much more than half a brain, and pretty handy with tools. Managed to cut three fingers off with a chain saw he had happily used for years. Net outcome was two years of skin graft pain, no longer able to practice dentistry, became an alcoholic, divorce from wife of 10 years and two kids.

Chainsaws are absolutely the most dangerous piece of kit you can buy

My folks bought an 'Easy-start' Stihl saw which gets through enough FC logs to keep all their stoves and the stoves in their three hire cottages going all winter.

As the name suggests it's a doddle to start – no need to yank the ripcord – a gentle pull starts it every time.

My stepdad taught me to use it in five mins and I managed to work for three straight days without taking off my leg…

Just a thought, you can pick up some bargainitious second hand ones. Many people buy them for one off jobs and then get rid so s/h could be a good bet. Obviously watch out for totally shagged ex pro used stuff but that should be pretty obvious.

I picked up a small Sthil a few years ago for £100, still going strong and I do mebbies 4-5 tonnes a year.

BTW, I though they'd stopped hiring due to liability issues?

A friend of ours was a top dentist and very into DIY etc so much more than half a brain, and pretty handy with tools. Managed to cut three fingers off with a chain saw he had happily used for years. Net outcome was two years of skin graft pain, no longer able to practice dentistry, became an alcoholic, divorce from wife of 10 years and two kids.

Chainsaws are absolutely the most dangerous piece of kit you can buy

I beg to differ. That's a tough story and I feel sorry for the guy, but…

I bought an Aldi one a few years ago to chop down a large conifer.
It did a great job. Sold it on afterwards as its not something I'm likely to need again.
Couldnt hire one anywhere due to having to show a licence.
Wouldnt let the couple of "bloke-with-chainsaw" types I spoke to anywhere near my garden.
Dangerous ? **** hell yes, bloody frightening. 👿

Still on chain saws, did any one watch Country File last night? They were starting chain saws by holding it between their knees. I was always told to start it on the ground, holding it with a foot in the handle. Seems safer on the ground to me but I'm only a part time user.

Yup that's what my father was told to do Rich on his FC course and it's a lot easier.

Where are you?

Im in the south east, and have all the gear required (im a tree surgeon)

Dont know about cheap chinese chainsaws, only ever used stihls or huskys.

If you are logging up a good electric saw isnt bad for a home user, far less complex so more likely to last.

Should have read the other posts first, people are very strange about things they are used to. I talk to people at work about MTB and they see it as so dangerous but are happy to use chainsaws all day every day!

Its all what you are used to, ive been using saw regularly for 4 years now (whilst climbing as well) and never even come close to cutting myself. Yes it does happen but its very rare if you are being sensible and using it with respect in the right way.

The worse cuts ive seen (and had) are from our handsaws, they are razor sharp and its easy to forget how deep they cut!

Supposedly chainsaws are more dangerous than handguns in untrained hands… I wouldn't assume an aldi one would be crap, my Aldi welder is absolutely fine, I just wouldn't drive one at all if I had no idea what I was doing.

How big are your logs? Praps one of those big reciprocating saw things? The Bosch one has a cut depth of 150mm in wood which might not be big enough, depends on your logs, it'd have taken care of all the old conifers we took down in my parent's back garden last year though (we used a bowsaw instead, felt like I took about 10 years off the working lifespan of my arm)

The worse cuts ive seen (and had) are from our handsaws, they are razor sharp and its easy to forget how deep they cut!

The large scar on my left index finger tends to agree with this statement 8) 😳

Isn't it cheaper to pay some one to do it, and let them chop an arm or a leg off?

Yes it probably is, once, but then there will be other occasions when I need to cut wood up so it seems to make some sense to actually own one.

That said, I'm now thinking that I can probably borrow one, so I could just get the protective gear.

richmars – that's the starting proceedure for an area where you can't put the saw on the ground (ie snow/mud) It's safe if you know what you are doing.