As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
When I started hunting, I was such a bad bird shot, that I did allot of #6 shooting. As I got better, I hated #6 and went to #4 shot which really was good for my range of hunting. I remember telling my dad that, and he said, "Grandpa hated 4 shot. He only shot 6 shot and 2 shot".
As I got be a better shot, I only used deuces in most of my lead shot hunting. As Grandpa always said, "If you are biting down on too many shot pellets in a bird, you better graduate to a bigger shot". That meant you were too good of a shot to be using dense pattern shot.
What that has to do with what is coming is nothing really, except the knowledge in how things change in perspective.
I started using a Stihl 12 inch chainsaw which my Beloved Uncle had. I loved that thing as it was so handy and I cut lots of trees down I should not have been sawing into, as they were too big. For that reason, I love 12 inch chain saws for trimming as they are handy.
It is odd how 2 inches in a 14 increase weight so much and make a saw appear so much longer. Yet that is what I have done most of my cutting with is an old Poulan 14 inch saw. It is a very good saw, except if you are involved with trees 10 inches and up. Then it is too small, and it gives it a hell of a work out even with 6 to 10 inch trees in the hardwoods. The 14 does best with 6 inches and under.
The 14 is quite versatile, but it is allot like a 12 gauge in being able to kill lots of things, but often has too much power and sometimes not enough.
Many people use a 16 inch chainsaw, and that makes a difference on the bigger lumber. You start having to be a man when you go 16, 19, 20 and 24 inch bars as the engines get bigger and again, you are dealing with logs which even a chunk falls you, it will break your foot.
I watched with amazement in my cousin, using a rental Stihl, and an 18 inch bar just have problems on big as trees. The blade was dull and he was out of bar lube, so all kinds of problems happened. He eventually got his dad's old saw......took out the breather and got it running, and that 16 did a better job as he was not fighting it.
Those are the pointers in chainsaws in you need a sharp blade. You need to keep the bar oil reservoir full. That Poulan is not economical as I had the cover off the carb and the port looked like the Amazon rain forest for the fuel misting into it. That thing burns lots of gas and it uses lots of bar oil. For me, one tank will trim up some three medium size trees, before it is out, and half the bar oil will be gone.
If I was just cutting 18 plus inch diameter trees, I would go with a 24 as the weight would just in gravity cut the wood for me without working. Granted most trees are not laid out like Lincoln logs and you just cut away and your bar never binds or you never have kickbacks........as that is what sawing is, a real dangerous undertaking as you have to always be planning on what you are doing, and making sure the plan is right of that log in the way it is laying.
I have mentioned these pointers below, but it is worth it. NEVER open your gas cap if sawdust is around. You get dirt in that tank and it will plug a pencil eraser sized screen in the carb and your saw will not run. That is the thing with most chainsaws in why they do not run and most people keep them in the garage as an ornament.
The second problem is the diaphragms which pump gas into the carburetor get old and stiff. That is why your chainsaws will not pump gas and the gas line is always empty. Fix that and the thing will run.
I'm always looking for garage ornaments as people have them, invested too much in them, always are going to get them fixed, and the reality is if they just maintained them, they would be running.
After I changed my carb parts, I have only been using non ethanol fuel. I have used nothing but ethanol in my saws for years and had no problems. What I do use though, and have never had any problems is I never mix up a tank of gas and oil for the chainsaw as I never get that gallon burned up.
What I do instead is, I fill the tank to the top, and then I use Pennzoil, 2 cycle marine oil in a quart container. Mine is kind of green and I got it for my boat, but I have been cutting things for years on that one quart and the saw motor has been just fine. What I measure out is one cap full of oil and add it to the tank. It rarely smokes and is probably more oil than needed, but it never fouls the plug and that way I can always keep my tank full without all that figuring. It is what has worked for me and I have cut quite a bit of wood with that old saw.
Due to the barrel stove we are using, I have started cutting our pieces in the 10 to 14 inch size. The larger the diameter, the shorter the cut. Things just burn easier this way and it is easier to haul wood in. I tried longer pieces and when I opened the door, the smoke came out and you can not believe how many pieces of wood are always 2 inches too long, and that gets dangerous as you shove the wood in to a burning stove and then have to pull it back out.
So in review, sharp chain, clean fuel, bar oil full, and if you don't like mixing oil and gas, just do it in the tank, being careful.
Oh I also use a one gallon red plastic gas tank with a fill spout. Even with allot of cutting that gallon will last a very long time. Got mine from the junk yard as I like walking off with them.
I always cut with eye protection, gloves and a canvas coat on. Could use ear plugs but my hearing is not that great, so I protect my eyes.
I still do not like extreme hard woods like Ash. Elm which I still have access to is what I prefer for my long burn, and for fast burns I like Elder, Aspen and Cottonwood. You can get some pleasant odors as I have quite a few apricots which is really s different aroma.
I'm looking forward to the Great Chainsaw Dump from California in their regulations. Should be lots of toys to play with as that electric shit is just not something that is going to hold up in the long term. Going to have to know this stuff as cutting wood by hand and splitting it, gets old really quick.
Nuff Said
agtG
