[Closed] chainsaws for trail building

stihl or husqvarna - a decent named brand, the cheap ryobi ones I've seen were rubbish & wouldn't cut straight (and have crap incompatible [to the major brands] chains fitted).

[mother knows best] then get some training and decent chainsaw protective clothing [/mother knows best]

Avoid dying alone in the woods with blood spewing from a massive gash.

i used one yesterday to build 🙂

no one like a massive gash in the woods

Get training

Get protective equipment

Use both. Anything less is really very silly indeed. My brother is a tree surgeon of some 20 years experience. He won't work without his safety kit and it has saved him from some potentially lethal injuries.

My mate Dave has one and helped me clear a some fallen trees from a trail last year - very scary machine. I wouldn't use one alone.

Used a little electric one for the first time yesterday to chop logs. Firmly mounted on a sawhorse (which is about as safe as you can get). Even that was moderaterly scary, and I *like* power tools.

Get training. Get the kit. Use both!

(how much better and less likely to crash are guys after they've been on a training course with you? Apply the same logic to chainsaw training)

im asking about chainsaws. i will get trained too obviously.

Agree with stihl or husqvarna but number one on the list should be safety gear, min is trousers, helmet, ear defenders, eye protection (built into helmet), gloves. Then get training.

Ditto what's been said:

1. Never work alone
2. Get a good chainsaw with a chain brake
3. Get training
4. Wear a helmet, ear defenders, visor/goggles, chainsaw trousers and boots

learn to juggle with balls first. Then move onto clubs before you start with chainsaws

Look in your local yellow pages and see which servicing agent is closest. They tend to have pools of polularity and they very much reflect the local dealers. My brother uses Husqvarna without exception and has used most all other professional options before.

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/recommend-me-a-chainsaw ]RECOMMEND ME A CHAINSAW[/url]

I still want one as I now have about 2 tonnes of 2m long logs I need to chop and season, buggered if Im going to do that with an axe!!

hedfull - Member
Ditto what's been said:

1. Never work alone
2. Get a good chainsaw with a chain brake
3. Get training
4. Wear a helmet, ear defenders, visor/goggles, chainsaw trousers and boots

the most important bits. Bloody nasty things chainsaws when used in the wrong hands.

As for which to look at, we use Stihl MS240, MS260's at work. The newer ones are quiet light and good for climbing with if needed..

The newer ones are quiet light and good for climbing

http://www.hotsaw.com/

Do it.

richmars - Member
The newer ones are quiet light and good for climbing

Climbing with a chainsaw - Never ever unless trained.

aye, forgot to mention I do work for a tree surgeons for a living 🙂

didmatt, I guessed you were!
A question, how do you deal with wind blown, hanging trees? (I know, carefully.)

That Portek Logmaster looks awesome btw, any idea how much they are?

http://www.portek.co.uk/logmaster.html

Why do all the 'what car' threads not get filled up with people telling you to make sure you get training/lessons/licence/crash helmets?

Because you can't legally drive without training, license etc but you can go into a shop and come out with a chainsaw and start cutting legs off.

richmars - Member
didmatt, I guessed you were!
A question, how do you deal with wind blown, hanging trees? (I know, carefully.)

start with a risk assement, make sure the area is cleared of other objects, work out what will happen to the tree when you cut it (will the whole tree come down? will parts of the crown or branches fall down separately? how will the supporting tree react?) Then it just being very careful, watching for movements when you cut the trunk, you don't want the saw getting too hot or getting stuck in the cut from the compression on the trunk reacting.

really you need to do a NTPC course on it, its the best way and keeps you from killing yourself, its a rather dangerous job...

didmatt,
Thanks, that's pretty much what I do. Also, when possible, I pull them down with a winch, which keeps me a long way away from them!
Good point about more training. Will look into to.
Thanks.

Jedi, I'm not too far from you (shefford) you and am a qualified Tree Surgeon. unfortunately I am more experienced than most at being at the wrong end of a chainsaw. I will happily run you through the does, don'ts and wotnots if you want, ping me an email...

richmars - Member
didmatt,
Thanks, that's pretty much what I do. Also, when possible, I pull them down with a winch, which keeps me a long way away from them!
Good point about more training. Will look into to.
Thanks.

Winches on a tractor is usually the best way. Obs depends on access to the tree/wood etc. Aye, training is the key really.

+1 to Husquvarna or Stihl - Makitas are getting quite a good name now as well.

Also +1 to getting trained and equipped to use it, I had two months off work many years ago due to a disagreement with a chainsaw and a dead tree.

For real cutting power you need [url=

of these[/url]

damion, my mate hamish is a tree surgeon and will do the same. thanks for the kind offer

Husky for a smaller saw, Stihl for a bigger one according to my local tree surgeon.

BTCV are good and cheap for training. They'll lend you safety kit as well if the instructors like you once you've completed the course.

I'm in Sussex, qualified, with saw, all the safety kit and willing to do some work for beer :O) But I guess you won't be local.

Tim

No worries, back OT, as others have said I'd go for a Stihl MS200 (rear handle) if you're happy to splash out, a MS260 if you wanted soemthing will last forever and have enough grunt to cope with the majority of things, or a Makita if you want something a little less 'profesional'.

I was given a demo of Makita's easy start a year or so ago, and was really impressed with how little effort was needed to get it running.

HTH

Edit: Oh, and will work for lessons 😉

and one of these. http://www.s2as.com/p/p-Dakine_Builder's_Pack_2010-3287.aspx.

BTW a chainsaw can remove about 2lb of flesh a second i hear.

So take a belt for rapid weight loss.

sharki dude, i park my van 20meters away from where i build 🙂

Oh, forgot to sya, stop by here next time you're on your way to woburn:

[url= http://www.stuart-brown.co.uk/ ]Stuart Brown's[/url]

ride to the woods to cut trees, carbon neutral. 8)

Dolmar and Makita do some very good value saws dolmar 340 is a great little saw
Stihl/husqvarna are fantastic, but unless you're using them professionally, day in, day out they're too expensive, I use dolmar saws
A.

with all the tools i need yeah yeah 🙂

I once saw someone cutting logs with a Chainsaw wearing shorts and flipflops.

He was French - France the land that H&S forgot...

torsoinalake - Member
> http://www.hotsaw.com/

Do it.

90hp / 500cc now that is just silly!! 😯

it ought to be like a transformer, you could ride it to the woods, then hey presto, cut some trees down!!

Back to the point. Stihl do well in the UK but so do Husqvarna, Danarm if you can find one, McCulloch (sp?) While you are at it get the correct sized file to sharpen with and a decent mixing jug for the 2 stroke.
Don't go too big, its a pain to carry , say about 12 to 14" bar is handy and big enough for decent cutting. You have to carry bigger ones Axmen style if you want to carry a 24"er any distance. I suspect you are on private land as the FC go ballistic if they catch you with one. Criminal damage comes to mind. Consider that H&S interference might[i] make it hard to use one with the landowners permission . Liability shite and all that.

I find the best way to deal with windblown at work is our 25 ton 360 with 70ft jib and tree shears on the end that or our little 9 ton 360 😉

As others have said I wouldn't tackle windblown unless you are trained.

Yes get trained and get the protective kit. A mate of mine's helping me with some soon cos I've got a few fallen trees and other bits I want taking out. Stihl's are nice and smooth and easy to maintain. Husky's rev higher and cut faster but are a little fiddlier to maintain in my experience. There's probably other cheaper makes out there if it's just for the odd bit of cutting though.

BTW if you buy a saw get a 15" bar which is considered industrial standard and the size you will need to do a NPTC course. And 15" will do practically all the work you need it to do.

BillOddie - Member
I once saw someone cutting logs with a Chainsaw wearing shorts and flipflops.

A chainsaw wearing shorts and flip flops? Now that's just ridiculous....

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