Gracias gents, I will try this suggestion.
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Gracias gents, I will try this suggestion.
Make sure the stuff you're cutting isn't dirty, that'll dull the chain really fast. Also if the wood is really pitchy a squirt of ballistol might help. Also make sure your bar isn't proud at the edges - if your bar gets hot you can start to get a lip that hangs up and causes issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by Timberridge
Chain dulling and bar oiling/overheating are two different issues. Is your bar oil rated for the temp? Using summer weight during cold conditions will under-lube the bar even with the oiler set to max.
I have no problem ripping thru oak or sugar maple with either of the saws with the existing chain and oil combo, though the smaller 450 takes longer. I get a nice chip for most of the day on one chain when I cut those woods. The hornbeam is something different. I make 20 cuts through 12" dia and I'm already making some sawdust. No groundstrikes, and I felled the trees, so the wood is clean. It's just really hard on the chains I have.
I've been happily sawing with my newly revived ms361 quite a bit lately until this evening, when in the middle of a big cut wot, it starts revving like crazy (full tank of fuel). the idle seems unchanged. Under no load, i open the throttle and it accelerates well to where i had set the carb but then keeps revving higher. Release the throttle and it slowly revs down to idle, slower than previously, and it almost seems to hang up in what seems like a half throttle. It was starting to get hot, too. So something suddenly changed today ( i cut wood for a little under 2 hours today; all long cuts bucking big logs) that's making it run lean with open throttle. Fuel filter/pickup? That's something that i have not yet replaced. Would it cause a sudden change like that?
Im looking to buy a saw for harvesting firewood. We have some pretty big trees around here. Im not cutting them down, I'll be cutting up fallen logs. Can I get away with a 24" bar or do I need to go 36"
I have an old Stihl 046 with a 24" bar and a 36"(ish). I use the 24" 98% of the time. Theoretically, the 36" is only necessary on logs wider than 48".
Trunk of the dead pondo next to my driveway the butt end was 38" and I was able to buck it with my 24" bar.
I'm still learning as I go.... you may run into fun times trying to roll a really big log when bucking to keep your chain out of the dirt; all dependent on terrain and the situation of each log, I have to do a fair bit of adjacent sapling clearing to access some of my bigger logs, let alone roll them.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...4115d87c9c.jpg
I'm running a 291 now, but started the season on a 170, then toasted a 251 that I'm still trying to fix (melted a bunch of plastic and ruined the crank shaft/needle cage and maybe the clutch). Somehow I just lost the needle cage out of my 291 and was on my way to damage there, but noticed the change in sound in time. Apparently I also probably have a tiny leak in the carb. I only got this saw in Sept, but the dealer said I've used it more in 6 weeks then is the usual annual work expected on the saw. If I pay $60 for a tube-up they can probably warranty it for me. I'm kind of sad I'm done with all my bucking for the year. I think I'll have to keep gathering while the weather is decent and there isn't skiing. Best upper body condition I've been in for a decade!
Do you guys sharpen your own chains? How long does it take? I've been going through 7-8 chains a week lately and I don't have the budget for the machine sharpening I've been getting done.
Attachment 191249
Go back one page in this thread. My input:Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBelle23
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...24#post4790524
It takes me about 15 minutes if I do the rakers and the teeth, less for just the teeth.
7-8 chains a week? I don't go through that many chains in a year.
Yeah I've been pretty busy on my wood project this year :) Attachment 191252 Once I realized this is the road to being as fit as I can get along with running/biking I don't want to stop.
Thanks MS. I need to get the file and work on it over the winter.
If you're running a saw that intensively, you should be using a pro-model such as 261. 7-8 chains a week seems crazy. When I'm putting in 40 hour weeks clearing windfall in the Spring, a chain lasts me at least a week, doing a minor touch-up (half a file stroke) each refill.Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBelle23
Seriously? A week out of a chain? Do the residential models go through chains quicker?
I would like to get a pro model with less plastic and more metal, but don't have the budget. I have been cutting big wood up to about 36 inches from the NF. Most of the big wood was felled a couple years ago and I'm bucking it up. Though I have also been felling green trees and bucking them and feel like the chains last like 15 cuts doing that. I'm using the green anti kickback chains and have 6 I rotate through. I'm just learning as I go though so any input is appreciated.
Are you dropping the chain in the dirt while it's running? Are the logs that you're bucking have a lot of dirt in the bark that could be dulling your chain? Some of the logs on my property have been sitting around for over a year and are in relatively deep forest debris and soft soil. a lot of the dirt on the bark goes pretty far up the log. For bucking, I've been doing a partial cut, rolling the log, chopping off the uber dirty bark where I will be cutting, and finishing the cut. Doing all of that has been keeping my chains sharp, but it can really slow me down without the right tools, like some sort of log roller.
For those of us who are less than fully informed....
http://www.madsens1.com/bnc_sequence.htm
This video is drier than a popcorn fart, but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWcckW3ghFg
I noticed quite a difference when switching from those "safety chains" to a more aggressive chain. Ask at your local shop, I'm sure they'll hook you up.Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBelle23
As noob, my chains have been staying sharp using the husqv tools that xxx-er shared. I'm always a little confused about raker height to use because I'm working with pine, incense cedar, oak, manzanita, and madrone. I've been erring on a conservative side and picking the taller raker setting on the guide.
yeah so you can buy cheap homeowner saws with the plastic engine cases, after you have burnt out 2 or 3 cheap saws you spent as much as you would have if you just bought the pro saw except all you own is some melted plasticQuote:
Originally Posted by LaBelle23
Buy once buy pro, I bought the 261 which is a small pro saw, almost wish I bought the next size up which is the 361 but I',m hiking the saw and you gotta stop somewherr
I carry 2 chains, in case one goes dull I just swap it out cuz its faster than fucking around in the snow on a stump and its way easier to do a good job at home
Maybe you aren't sharpening them properly ? I got the Huskavarna roller guide, I found it idiot proof
There's two parts to this. The first is the discipline and control to avoid all the things that will blunt your chain teeth. A chain will last a a long time if it's just dealing with clean wood. The second is your sharpening technique - a consistent angle, just enough filing to keep the teeth sharp, and even on both sides. I've been regularly sharpening saws for 20 years, and have spent way too much time cleaning up after employees who mangle chains while trying their best, and it's art. Get someone who knows to show you how, and practice.Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBelle23
I was running saw with a guy who used to fall the big wood out on the coast, he said they were issued 3 chains at the start of the shift which he would swap during the day, chain filing was not allowed because it wasted time
The trees were so big they were only falling 12 stems in a shift and spent the rest of it bucking trees that were 30ft in the air, the bucking freaked him out so much he didn't last long on the really big wood
"And after work, we'd get drunk and beat the livin' Hell out of each other."
Why not a 28 or 32"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dhelihiker
Looking for advise. The saw is still acting funky when the throttle is open: constantly fluctuating between racing, then bogging, then fine, then racing, etc., all within 10-20 seconds. This is after I replaced the fuel pickup/filter, air filter, and spark plug (confirming that the plug gap had been adjusted correctly), readjusted the carb with a full tank and alwarmed engine, used it for 3/4 a tank, and refueled. The gas is high octane and less than 1 month old (stabilizer added). Fuel hose is recently replaced.Quote:
Originally Posted by bodywhomper
Air leak, impulse line, and/or carb? Or something else? I don't think I have the tools to check pressure. I have a bike floor pump and fork pump. Is there a way to rig a connection?
Thoughts?
I have a couple of saws Stihl ms180 and ms390. The little one is light and handy for brushing, limping and cutting up windfalls etc. If you are cutting a lot the bigger saw with the longer bar is easier on the back. Less bending over because the saw does the reaching for you.
Chains should last a guy for a long time if you are careful and don't rock them. If freehand sharpening isn't your thing a saw shop should have sharpening guides. The ones I use are tiny little things that just keep your file angle consistent. With them I can make a nice sharp saw that cuts straight. Freehand sharpening isn't for me.
Attachment 191900
These things are what I was talking about
Wrong answer. Full skip is only for long bars, to aid in chip clearance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier
You asked about the only three things it could be. Ignition issues can't cause the problems you describe, which leave the fuel system, and you've checked/ replaced everything else. I'd suggest finding a competent guy at a repair shop to do pressure/vacuum tests and or install a carb kit.... you could also join chainsawrepair.com and ask there. Besides the site owner, an online friend, there's plenty of saw gurus there....Quote:
Originally Posted by bodywhomper
Good luck, and if you wanna see some vid's of me and my crew doing tree work, check out my youtube channel its rbtree......
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flake
Great tool, probably the best chain filing aid. As I've been working in the trees for 45 years, I don't need or use a file guide, but that's the one to use.
Hornbeam is about as hard as domestic woods come. That said, it shouldn't dull your chain that quickly. Ensure that the logs are clean and free of foreign matter...dirt, embedded rocks, etc. But, above all, don't cut into the ground. Watch your bar tip. Elevate the log if possible.Quote:
Originally Posted by Timberridge
yeah thats ^^ the one I use, as long as the rollers are turning and you are in the middle of the guide its ALMOST idiot proofQuote:
Originally Posted by rbtree
- there are 2 colors the blue guide is for 3/8ths" chain and the silver guide for .325"
- its asymetrical so there are arrows on the guide that should point forward, so I don't forget I put some colored marker on the forward edge to remind me which way is forward
yeah if you touch the dirt even once you will be filling, we have been cutting in a foot of snow which keeps the trees up off the ground and we are still cutting ski run
As for the saw not running well problem I have heard of people yarding on a saw when its stuck which tears the rubber carb boot between the saw and carb so it leaks air which leans out the mixture ?
^^^That's the guide that im using.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flake
I think i duffed a chain bucking in twilight. I get some dust and some shavings currently. What do peeps do to determine if their chain is sharp? Ive read a few methods....
Look at the chips it's throwing - you want nice big same-sized ones. Dust means time to get the files out.
You can also look at the teeth - sharpen one and compare it to the others.
Yup, you got it good.... Chisel chain is especially dependent on having a sharp point, which dulls easily.
You're using a good guide, but one way to determine if the tooth is sharp is to look for reflected light. A sharp edge doesn't reflect any..... glasses, or magnifying reading glasses, can help.... I have special magnifying headband which really helps.
Also, be sure to maintain the depth gauges......
Thanks. That's all helpful!
Meadow skipper, im getting both fairly long chips and dust, which indicates to me the brief ground strike on part of the chain.
It was super hard to tell at the time: headlamp, wet manzanita, wet duff, probably the last cut before i called it, etc. Did i get thr duff or not...? Also some logs were pretty dirty; i tried to wipe them off with wet gloved hand...
Probably so. It happens. rbtree's got it - sharp edges look different than dull ones.Quote:
Originally Posted by bodywhomper
Sounds like you nicked something with a few teeth and others are still throwing good chips. It's never a bad idea to sharpen the chain if you're in doubt.
Yep. I did a bunch of file passes on all the cutters. I'll look closely at all the cutters when back at home. On another note, finally going to getting my bigger (for me) saw running and tuned this next week, and I'm getting a log roller (cant hook) with 5' handle. pge is comin soon to drop more of our pines. I have lots of sawing and saw-type projects with the pines, and harvesting some larger long dead manzanita for burning this winter. (Somehow need to stay employed and not derail skiing)....