The chainsaw thread...

[jackstraw]

This one was hung up in four different spots. Was a bit tricky for me. I made a lot cuts as I'm sure a pro would have made only a couple. The one branch (yellow) was almost as long as the tree standing straight up. Heavy oak. That one scared me. But, it came down and I'm not dead yet. This thread has been very helpful, thanks.

[chicken feathers]

^Username checks out...heh


Nice work

[couloirman]

Anyone into chainsaw milling? I actually ended up picking up a Husky 395XP and a 36" bar for a Granberg alaskan mill to actually try to use some of this wood for a few projects I've been meaning to build for around the house and it's so far been a lot of fun. With these last couple storms we've had a few more lovely oaks and even a big old tulip fell and I'm just learning the ropes making planks that I'll hopefully dry out over the winter and make tables and whatnot with in the spring.

Still need to pick up a second saw for cross cutting-- carry 2 saws with me, leave one set up with a 24" bar and cross cutting chain and the 395XP with a 36" bar and ripping chain. Prob will pick up a 362 for that purpose.

For those with more experience than I, at what size log or what length bar do people think an auxilliary oiler at the bar end is a must?

[couloirman]

Allright, maybe it's cause Im a newb, but GEEZE both my 395XP and 362 take way too many pulls to start. Nearly new saws (bought new straight from local dealers, and both only had 2-3 tanks of gas through them so far) but cold start on a 50 degree day, fully open choke and both needed 10-20 pulls to get the engine going, I feel like it might have even been more than that a few times. Could this possibly be an issue with one of the carb adjustments I can do on my own at home? Any other newbies gone through the process like this video below? Or Im asking for trouble?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6T5JoGXcHY&t=426s

[XXX-er]

IME I set full choke on my 261 until the saw barks once and then set it to half choke and it starts ... that has always worked for me for the saw to start in < 5 pulls

In 5 or 6 yars I have had the saw I never touched the mixture screws since new

[old_newguy]

Allright, maybe it's cause Im a newb, but GEEZE both my 395XP and 362 take way too many pulls to start. Nearly new saws (bought new straight from local dealers, and both only had 2-3 tanks of gas through them so far) but cold start on a 50 degree day, fully open choke and both needed 10-20 pulls to get the engine going, I feel like it might have even been more than that a few times. Could this possibly be an issue with one of the carb adjustments I can do on my own at home? Any other newbies gone through the process like this video below? Or Im asking for trouble?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6T5JoGXcHY&t=426s

Unless you know how to tune a saw, IMO you are asking for trouble.

Stihls always “popped” on the second or third pull on full choke and then started on half choke. You might be flooding the saw.

[brutah]

IME I set full choke on my 261 until the saw barks once and then set it to half choke and it starts ... that has always worked for me for the saw to start in < 5 pulls

In 5 or 6 yars I have had the saw I never touched the mixture screws since new

This

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[BCMtnHound]

My 25yo stihl 38mag, if it sits for a month or 2 between uses, takes a dozen pulls or so at full choke before it barks. After that, even once it cools overnight, the next day it barks on full choke after about 3 or 4 pulls. I've never rebuilt the carb and I suspect the diaphragms are a now a little less supple than ideal, and stiffen when dried out over an extended period. I adjust the H + L screws very rarely - only when changing elevation by over 1000m between uses and the saw runs poorly. Play more with the idle when it gets cold and damp vs warm and/or dry. YMMV

[bodywhomper]

I find it easy to flood my ms361 at full choke. It’s “bark” is very light. It’s a pretty beat up saw (bought used pretty cheap).

[Powder Ho]

I find it easy to flood my ms361 at full choke. It’s “bark” is very light. It’s a pretty beat up saw (bought used pretty cheap).

Electric saws are pretty easy to start.

[highangle]

[bodywhomper]

Electric saws are pretty easy to start.

Yes. Someday…. I don’t think there’s an equivalent in power to a muffler modded ms361 or larger yet, right? I’m pretty good at not flooding my saw when cold starting, but it took a while to learn to hear it’s bark well and I can’t do it with ear protection.

[XXX-er]

Anyone into chainsaw milling? I actually ended up picking up a Husky 395XP and a 36" bar for a Granberg alaskan mill to actually try to use some of this wood for a few projects I've been meaning to build for around the house and it's so far been a lot of fun. With these last couple storms we've had a few more lovely oaks and even a big old tulip fell and I'm just learning the ropes making planks that I'll hopefully dry out over the winter and make tables and whatnot with in the spring.

Still need to pick up a second saw for cross cutting-- carry 2 saws with me, leave one set up with a 24" bar and cross cutting chain and the 395XP with a 36" bar and ripping chain. Prob will pick up a 362 for that purpose.

For those with more experience than I, at what size log or what length bar do people think an auxilliary oiler at the bar end is a must?

people up here who are/ were really into it would have access to a bunch of stems for free, so they buy a portable bandsaw mill to mill a bunch of wood for building a post n beam house and a garage or whatever and sell the mill after they cut all the wood they needed SO kind of a go-big-or-go-home strategy

thing I have heard said about chainsaw mills is you lose 3/8ths of an inch to the chainsaw blade on every cut which can add up on milling smaller stems

[XXX-er]

Yes. Someday…. I don’t think there’s an equivalent in power to a muffler modded ms361 or larger yet, right? I’m pretty good at not flooding my saw when cold starting, but it took a while to learn to hear it’s bark well and I can’t do it with ear protection.

A local production faller I met is a smaller guy still cutting at age 65, he runs 3 of the 461's to cut wood in places a processor can't run, he sends the 461 away to get ported for a higher hp-weight ratio, sez they are the best saws he has ever run

we got at least a couple legendary old guys who can still produce at age 65

if you can't hear the saw bark just pull one ear piece off till you hear it bark, put it back and start/run the saw

[bodywhomper]

if you can't hear the saw bark just pull one ear piece off till you hear it bark, put it back and start/run the saw

Agree. That’s my trick.

I feel like the output increase with the simple muff mod that I did in my garage was pretty substantial. It was SO simple and the addition deflector and spark arrester that I used were really straight forward. I am still getting the feel for readjusting the carb and not running it too rich.

I’d still entertain the idea of someday running powerful battery operated saws. The advancements in the tech seem to be quickly improving. Emissions are really high for chainsaws and (I’ve mentioned this before), my old friend has long term problems of lifelong exposure from CO out of the muffler. Almost decade ago, he started climbing with an E saw. And now he doesn’t get close to his modded ms660 AK mill. He let’s his helpers do all the milling. A useful note to couloirman, my observation is that your sucking a lot of exhaust when milling with a chainsaw.

[XXX-er]

Buddy the faller told me its a 6 month wait to get a saw done by the saw guru on Vancover island, I could be wrong but I am thinking a punched out muffler is not a custom port job

Electric might be ok on a small lo or the bike trail builders use them but they arent cutting for 6 hrs straight and they are always wondering if they got enough juice to finish the job,

there are compro's on youtoobe showing electric vs gas I think its a ways off for me anyways

[bodywhomper]

There are several definitions to “porting” in regards to a saw. Modding a muffler is just one (and the most simple). There are companies that sell aftermarket mufflers that are “ported” compared to stock for some of the larger saws.

The tech for e saws is advancing pretty fast….

[XXX-er]

porting a chainsaw involves using a die grinder to alter/ polish the intake/ exhast port opennings in the cylinder wall,

and a muffler job is still a muffler job

[bodywhomper]

This is a silly discussion. You stated that a muffler mod was not a custom port job. I don’t disagree. I pointed out that a simple and cheap muffler mod on my model saw (ms361) seemed to substantially increase power (there are plenty of chainsaw threads about this). Apparently, some people call some muffler mods “porting.” Not intended to confuse the two types of modifications with the same term.

[snoqpass]

Recently got two Poulan saws for free one is a 262 and the other a 3516AVX , put on new chains and filled with fresh gas and they run great plus I’ve been wanting something smaller than my Stihl. So far they seem to be just fine

[Hood26]

Just put a new kill switch on my Husqy 395. Next up an operator presence/trigger safety. Debating pulling one from my parts saw or getting a new one.

I guess I am feeling the need for safety.

[cat in january]

That’s gotta be a big saw

[snowaddict91]

Forgot to post this one a few weeks back. Probably couldn't sink that again if I tried...

[couloirman]

Anyone in here built a Farmertec and care to share their experience either positive or negative? I've got my 395xp which has been fine, but I'm thinking of getting a 120cc monster for bigger milling tasks and dont feel like paying $2k for a Stihl 881. Seems like a fun build project if I can manage to get a working saw out of it without killing myself lol.

Whose done it? Any regrets? I'm usually all for the buy once cry once motto and would totally just get the Stihl 881 and call it a day, but the kit seems like a fun way to get a cheaper saw and learn more about engines at the same time

[Bronco]

Anyone in here built a Farmertec and care to share their experience either positive or negative? I've got my 395xp which has been fine, but I'm thinking of getting a 120cc monster for bigger milling tasks and dont feel like paying $2k for a Stihl 881. Seems like a fun build project if I can manage to get a working saw out of it without killing myself lol.

Whose done it? Any regrets? I'm usually all for the buy once cry once motto and would totally just get the Stihl 881 and call it a day, but the kit seems like a fun way to get a cheaper saw and learn more about engines at the same time

Have a friend who built one and has done a bunch of milling with it with no problems. Seemed like he enjoyed the build experience as well.