The chainsaw thread...

[toast2266]

Have a laugh on me, folks.

Been slowly hacking away at that willow and needed a new chain. 50 CAD for the recommended model. Installed today. 3 inches into it's first cut and I find there's rebar or something metal imbedded in the stump. The first few inches were glorious - new chain feel I guess. Seconds later, it's crap.

Guess I'll learn how to use the files. Seems so tedious but it sucks buying (and instantly destroying) 50 dollar chains.

If I have a chain that's seriously fuckered (which I'm guessing yours is), I just take it to the saw shop. They'll sharpen it on their little grinder contraption for $7, and it's almost as good as new. It takes a lot more material off than hand filing, so I only do it if the chain really needs it.

[Bronco]

If I have a chain that's seriously fuckered (which I'm guessing yours is), I just take it to the saw shop. They'll sharpen it on their little grinder contraption for $7, and it's almost as good as new. It takes a lot more material off than hand filing, so I only do it if the chain really needs it.

Yes, this ^^^

[XXX-er]

There are a lot of other teeth on that chain, I would just sharpen them as normal and see how that goes, i have a pretty good sharpening jig so i do the chains at home and swap them instead of kneeling in the snow,

sharp chain makes a big difference

[Thaleia]

Thanks all. If I can find someone local to do it for ~ $10 I'll go that route, otherwise filing it is.

[Hood26]

Learned something new to me the other day. After cutting a lot of soft wood, cut on some hardwood (especially oak or alder) before grinding a chain. Cutting on hard wood helps clean out the pitch and sap that overheat the chain and messes with the grinding stone. At least that’s what my old man tells me when I give him chains to grind.

[Thaleia]

RE the chain(s). So my saw is electric and has a self sharpener on it, therefore can't be hand filed. (at least that's what they guy said at the shop). Working my way though this willow tree I have gone through four chains, and now need another one.

Stupid question of the day - can I buy a different brand 18" non self-sharpening chain? They're half the price.

[XXX-er]

I wouldn't be suprised if you need a different bar to run a conventional chain on but the guy in the shop should be able to tell you

[Core Shot]

I wouldn't be suprised if you need a different bar to run a conventional chain on but the guy in the shop should be able to tell you

I had the same thought. Change bar and chain. With advice from a smart shop.

Self sharpening only grinds the top.
It’s a gimmick.

Better to have two or three normal chains and if you won’t sharpen then drop off and pickup from a saw shop or hardware store

But why can’t a self sharpening chain be filed like a regular chain?

[Thaleia]

Ended up getting a new chain and bar combo. Thanks for the suggestion.

Night and day difference. Old bar looked pretty straight but wth do I know. Just had a nice four hour session with it and it's running like new.

[krp8128]

I'll close the loop on my question from January.

Dropped a few trees late winter with the ms251 and struggled. Pulled it out last night to clean up a few stumps and the tensioner is fubar (again), clutch appears cooked and it ran like shit.

Did some shopping this afternoon and a new ms362 followed me home.

[bodywhomper]

Woot!!!

[XXX-er]

I'll close the loop on my question from January.

Dropped a few trees late winter with the ms251 and struggled. Pulled it out last night to clean up a few stumps and the tensioner is fubar (again), clutch appears cooked and it ran like shit.

Did some shopping this afternoon and a new ms362 followed me home.

the 251 is a saw for dentists that 362 is a real saw

[krp8128]

the 251 is a saw or dentists that 362 is a real saw

It did the job. Had just closed on a house, started a renovation and moved in. The morning I was going to get my refrigerator a tree fell across my driveway. Funds and time were tight and it's what I grabbed. 6 years (5 burning wood) and I should have upgraded already.

Dropped, limbed and bucked 2 trees and flushcut 3 stumps and the last couple hours. Except for the chips you'd never know I was there.

Effortless

[XXX-er]

Maybe someone else knows how but I can't tell the application from the model numbers, gotta look up the site to tell the industrial saw from the home owner saw

[John_B]

I'll close the loop on my question from January.

Dropped a few trees late winter with the ms251 and struggled. Pulled it out last night to clean up a few stumps and the tensioner is fubar (again), clutch appears cooked and it ran like shit.

Did some shopping this afternoon and a new ms362 followed me home.

I don't know dick about chainsaws but I bought a 362 for a coworker using my work CC. By the time I made it out of the saw shop the guy working there must have commented 7 times about how good of a saw that is.

[Meadow Skipper]

It did the job. Had just closed on a house, started a renovation and moved in. The morning I was going to get my refrigerator a tree fell across my driveway. Funds and time were tight and it's what I grabbed. 6 years (5 burning wood) and I should have upgraded already.

Dropped, limbed and bucked 2 trees and flushcut 3 stumps and the last couple hours. Except for the chips you'd never know I was there.

Effortless

Did you get the C-M/M-Tronic option? I’m curious about that feature.

[bodywhomper]

I have m-tronic on my ms241. It is really nifty. I can hear/feel it constantly fine tuning. I’ve run it a lot, all times of year and weather, but only at my elevation, with what feel like constant and consistent power output. I’ve never had a carb issue with that saw. It sips fuel.

One cool thing about the ms361 m-tronic is that it’s apparently easy to mod the muffler (including with a spark arrestor) and the m-tronic will tune the carb afterward.

[zion zig zag]

Did you get the C-M/M-Tronic option? I’m curious about that feature.

I’ve bought a handful of the 362’s with m-tronic for the brush trucks here. They get used pretty hard and put away wet and seem to be holding up well.

My personal saw is a 261 with m-tronic and I’ve used it from 4000-10000 feet with no adjustments and it runs great. Meanwhile I can tell a difference in how my leaf blower runs with 2000 feet of elevation change.

[krp8128]

I don't think we see many m-tronic models on the east coast, maybe it's the lack of altitude.

Mine has carb screws, so I am assuming it is not m-tronic. I think I got lucky finding this on the shelf, pickings have been slim when I've stopped into the dealers over the past year.

[Meadow Skipper]

Sounds legit. Thx.

Mine has carb screws, so I am assuming it is not m-tronic.

Seems likely, very likely.

[cat in january]

Husky’s have the electronic tune on the pro saw. My friend doesn’t like his and was just in the shop today for a part and asked the mechanic about them. He thinks husky is trying to put itself out of business with them

[Hood26]

Husky’s have the electronic tune on the pro saw. My friend doesn’t like his and was just in the shop today for a part and asked the mechanic about them. He thinks husky is trying to put itself out of business with them

Not all of the pro saws. The 395xp and 371xp are the same saws they have been making for a long time.

[Hood26]

My grandpa with a McColluch 125 Pro c. 1980. I would love to have one, premium collectible now.



My dad 1999 taking the face out. Husky 395XP sitting to the right.



The last picture was “take your kid to work day.” I was 15 and not taking school too seriously. I helped my dad fall this tree. I was working on the back cut and the wedges shot out when it came off the stump. In the moment that the tree started falling, the wrong way, I decided I would take school more seriously and be the first to go to college. The tree made a spin and ended up going the right way down the hill.

[XXX-er]

My grandpa with a McColluch 125 Pro c. 1980. I would love to have one, premium collectible now. .

not having a chain brake is dangerous, also heavy & slow so what you gona do with it ?

Around here people put the old saws on stumps as lawn ornaments in their front yard

[BCMtnHound]

not having a chain brake is dangerous, also heavy & slow so what you gona do with it ?

Around here people put the old saws on stumps as lawn ornaments in their front yard

It’s the best saw to loan that pesky neighbour who’s always asking to borrow your tools and is slow to return ‘em. Hey bud, here try this homelight- it was my father’s favourite saw!