The chainsaw thread...

[dannynoonan]

Depending on the year the chain brakes and vibration absorption are woefully inadequate. Vibrations led to carpal tunnel for me after only two 6-month seasons on XL-12 and 925's. They overheat at altitude and are just a bear to keep running in the summer.

The xl12 I was referring to has neither of those pesky technologies. After some time, I've gotten used to it -- was my dad's since before I was born-- but yeah, numb/tingley hands are part of the deal. I'm not a pro, I can put er down and switch to beer at any time.

The sentimental value is thru the roof tho lol

[glademaster]

Just picked up an MS 261. Seems like it should be more than enough saw for the size/species of trees I deal with.

[Meadow Skipper]

Depending on the year the chain brakes and vibration absorption are woefully inadequate. Vibrations led to carpal tunnel for me after only two 6-month seasons on XL-12 and 925's. They overheat at altitude and are just a bear to keep running in the summer.

Yeah, I used Homelite XLs a ton on USFS fire crews in the 70s. It makes my hands and wrists tingle (in a bad way) just to think back on that.

But we liked it…

[Thaleia]

I'm getting pretty good and repairing chainsaws. (I own a pos Poulan)

[Hopeless Sinner]

Yeah, I used Homelite XLs a ton on USFS fire crews in the 70s. It makes my hands and wrists tingle (in a bad way) just to think back on that.

But we liked it…

By 1980 we hated them.

[bodywhomper]

bump

I have a cord question.

there's a v-notched blue oak stem/limb that kinda overhangs my roof/deck. someday the stem will fall at the notch and land on my roof and deck. the stem is about 10" diameter at the notch. before my tree climber friend flew the coop 2 years ago, he told me how/where to get a rope into the stem, how to tie things off, and cut/drop the stem in a way that will have very little risk of damage (and my safety). i've been the ground crew for my friend multiple times working on several other oaks on my property that required rope work. i won't drop the stem until the winter after the tree's dropped it's leaves; however, I am thinking about putting a cord up now in case of sudden limb drop, which apparently is worst and more common during severe droughts. the rigging and felling is simple to me.

Question: what cord should I get? I forgot to ask my friend. I was considering either a 1/2" or a 5/8" braided bull rope rope, like this https://www.treestuff.com/samson-5-8...aid-bull-rope/. this likely won't be the only use of an expensive cord, but other use are typically to pull on trucks/direct the fall and not to support a stem/limb. i don't want the cord to break when it's weighted and supporting the entire stem. thoughts?

[Meadow Skipper]

Limb length and diameter (=weight)? But all things considered, the 5/8ths rope might give you peace of mind…which is priceless.

[~mikey b]

and p cord is probably adequate

[bodywhomper]

11” diameter at the stem butt and ~50’ length/height from best I can estimate. Any good rule of thumb for calculating weight?

[BCMtnHound]

Weight of wet oak is approx 800kg/m3, or about 45lbs/cubic foot. Use a basic volume calculation for a cylinder: πr2 x length (or height) of the branch.
And when choosing your rope and tying off, the greatest shock load is within the first meter of fall.

[bodywhomper]

Weight of wet oak is approx 800kg/m3, or about 45lbs/cubic foot. Use a basic volume calculation for a cylinder: πr2 x length (or height) of the branch.
And when choosing your rope and tying off, the greatest shock load is within the first meter of fall.

Thx!

[Meadow Skipper]

11” diameter at the stem butt and ~50’ length/height from best I can estimate. Any good rule of thumb for calculating weight?

I don’t have a rule of thumb, but that’s going to be a pretty heavy piece of wood.

[BCMtnHound]

I don’t have a rule of thumb, but that’s going to be a pretty heavy piece of wood.

Yep. Quick crunch with his estimate number, add side branches and leaves, maybe 1800lbs? That'll leave a mark.

[bodywhomper]

Yep. Quick crunch with his estimate number, add side branches and leaves, maybe 1800lbs? That'll leave a mark.

Yep. I haven’t run the calculation yet… but I will.

I tried to take and mark-up a photo, which I found challenging. The red line is some of the stem. The top extends out of the photo. The green circle is the notch that the cord will be tied to. You can see a notch on the stem to the looker right at a similar distance to the ground. The cord will go through that notch and then “tie-off” (wraps) on the oak’s trunk.

[rbtree]

Good plan. That's a good-sized limb/leader but even this line would suffice. https://www.treestuff.com/yale-xtc-t...arborist-rope/ I still have a 250-300 foot length of it that is probably 20 years old.

If you rig it with no slack, the force that could be applied to it couldn't reach it's working load of ~1100 lb (5:1 to tensile strength) Be sure to rig it at least 1/2 way out from the crotch. Also, you could mid-tie the line to the limb in a ways, run it through your chosen rigging point and tie the end to the limb. You will have doubled the working load, and have enough line for the actual work when winter comes.

Edit, after seeing the pic, maybe go for this https://www.treestuff.com/samson-arb...-rigging-rope/ Overkill on tensile strength, but a lot cheaper than Stable Braid. I hate the stuff, as it's kinda stiff, and prefer True Blue for natural crotch rigging. You'd be rigging that lead via a tip tie, and cutting it at the base, so all in one piece, it appears. Frankly, the Yale line would be adequate, but the fatter 5/8th will never come close to failing you for anything you might ever try to rig/pull over!

[rbtree]

Green oak is closer to 66 lb per cf.....https://woodweb.com/cgi-bin/calculators/calc.pl

You guessed close at 1800' for the limb weight, given bodywhomper's description. Edit, just saw the image.... that's a leader, not a limb, but it tapers a fair bit, so the above calculator result of 1650' should be close, assuming an 11" butt diameter and 8" out 40-50'. The wood will weigh less in early winter than in spring, too boot.

[rbtree]

Here's the last vid I've put up of a challenging tree removal, a lightning struck Western redcedar... It's the 5th time I've rigged and worked off a tight line to do a challenging tree removal.

https://youtu.be/NjtVF8yP6Xk
https://youtu.be/cpSSzH15Zfw

And here's one that we did earlier last year
https://youtu.be/i3iy85iHPGU

[bodywhomper]

thanks for the information!! leader/limb.... sorry to mince nomenclature. i know words matter and appreciate the clarification.

[rbtree]

Yeah, I used Homelite XLs a ton on USFS fire crews in the 70s. It makes my hands and wrists tingle (in a bad way) just to think back on that.

But we liked it…

I first started climbing in 1975. We had a Homelite Super XL 123 on the crew. It was an improved version of the XL. Our climbing saw was the Super EZ automatic, a 2.5 c.i. saw that was reliable. My next job, we ran Echo 302S, also a back handled reed valve saw, as the Stihl 020's had carb boot to engine block connector issues. Finally switched to the 020 Supers circa 1986... and to the Husqvarna 335 when it came out in ~1996. I had to port the 335/338 mufflers to get them to keep up with Stihl 200T's, and actually be faster, if not as reliable. But overall, I've preferred Husqvarna to Stihl. In this old video, my fully woods modded 3120 gets to do its thing!! There ain't no slowing it down! Even now, 19 years later, though its operator has. That would, ummm, be me..at 72, I'm now operating my cameras damn near every day!! 46 years in the trees was plenty!!

[rbtree]

The only thing that matters, is if I can get to the beer fridge before I keel over.....

j/k, I don't drink often, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.....

Well, not really.

[Core Shot]

I know you experts scoff. But I just used my brothers corded electric homelite at the cottage. I am shocked by how well it worked. My old stihl was on the shelf next to it. But I can’t run it in summer unless there’s a major storm. The Karen’s would report me to the association.

[The Reverend Floater]

10 year old Husqy rancher used for firewood and occasional fence or other projects became harder and harder to start while hot. Had my boy tune it a few times which would help for a while, but it kept happening. This weekend it did it again mid-tree and I had to wait 40 minutes for it to cool.

Switching over to Stihl for the first time with a 20" MS 291. Hoping for decent reliability.

[riser4]

I know you experts scoff. But I just used my brothers corded electric homelite at the cottage. I am shocked by how well it worked. My old stihl was on the shelf next to it. But I can’t run it in summer unless there’s a major storm. The Karen’s would report me to the association.

I bought a $99 Sears Craftsman (remember Sears?) corded electric. And I like it for homeowner yard cleanup.

[riser4]

[haysman16]

10 year old Husqy rancher used for firewood and occasional fence or other projects became harder and harder to start while hot. Had my boy tune it a few times which would help for a while, but it kept happening. This weekend it did it again mid-tree and I had to wait 40 minutes for it to cool.

Switching over to Stihl for the first time with a 20" MS 291. Hoping for decent reliability.

I run Husky 372xp and 390xps for work all summer and we have to be real careful to leave them in the shade when we are not
using them to prevent overheating