Jump to content

Chainsaw Question


tigerwoodKhorns

Recommended Posts

51 minutes ago, HDBRbuilder said:

All types of PALM trees make chainsaw chains dull very quickly when cutting them down,  The "wood" fibers are tough, they don't remain stable (tend to move around) while cutting, and the trees are generally FULL OF WATER carrying nutrients.  This entire combination works together to dull chains very quickly.  Keep n mind that palm trees are more akin to a grass or bamboo in the way they grow than anything else...they grow in SEGMENTS.

 

Exactly.  I took about 20 or 30 pine trees out years a go and used 2 chains.  I then took out 6 queen palms and used 2 sharpened chains  The palms are tough on chains.  I have about 14 or 15 trees to go and I am done.  It is actually easier to cut when wet, but then the logs need to dry our before getting rid of because they are very heavy. 

 

I have a dremel shaprening kit that I will try. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The dremel with the stone bit is all i ever used. I had 2 chains and would just swap them out when they got dull. The trick is to try to keep the factory angle and same depth.

 

Grinding stones would last only so long and need to be replaced when worn.

 

I went through 8-10 cords of wood every year in the wood burning stove all cut down with the chainsaw and hand chopped with a maul.

 

No palms around here so can't comment on those.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that I will try to use the 4 chains that I have and the Dremel for now.  A friend with an 18" Stihl will help. 

 

The stumps tend to pick up rocks which is not good.  After about 4 or 5 years they rot and can be chipped away with a pick.  Is there a better way or getting rid of the stumps?  I think that a stump grinder will dull quickly but I do not know. 

 

I found this video that should be renamed "How many dangerous things can you do at once with a chainsaw" 

 

His method will likely not work here because of the rocks. 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have a dealer near you, have the shop do it. For $10/change, it's well worth it.

And don't cut the stump out like in the video, you'll dull the blade in a hurry. Cut it close to the grass line and then stump it. Or  Or leave it alone and let nature take card of it. Or if you have an arborist, he can give you chemicals that will eat the stump

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, wvu80 said:

Our version of a chain dulling tree is the hard wood Black Locust.  The fibers of the tree don't line up, they intertwine.  A single tree will dull a chainsaw chain to the point is is not usable until sharpened or replaced.  Those locust trees are so tough they are used for fence posts and can last for 50 years.

blacklocust3_lg.jpg

Yeah, we have black locust here in Arkansas, too...tough tree to cut...but Bois'd'arc (osage orange) has black locust beat hands down on the hardness scale in these parts!  That stuff is THE hardest wood in North America!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, HDBRbuilder said:

Yeah, we have black locust here in Arkansas, too...tough tree to cut...but Bois'd'arc (osage orange) has black locust beat hands down on the hardness scale in these parts!  That stuff is THE hardest wood in North America!!

+1 on the Hedge Apple being harder than Locust. Love the stuff. I burn lots of it every year. Lots of BTU, but i don't recommend anyone burning it in a fireplace as it will pop like a firecracker and pitch embers out. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

be careful with the shops...I live abut 20 miles out of town so can't just 'merrily skip' my way to the store...  I had several chains and took them in to a local Ace Hardware to have sharpened.

 

Had a tree that was within hitting distance of the house and it needed to come down.  Starting cutting it and it pinched the saw (Stihl 044, 20" bar)  No problem...I've planned for that...  go to house and get my second bar and install a freshly sharpened chain...

 

Damn thing wouldn't cut butter...  They either didn't touch the blade (and charged me) or, what I think happened is they didn't adjust the rakers so it wasn't getting any bite on the wood to cut.  It was utterly useless....  so got another sharpened (by them) chain and hacked at it and got the tree down.

 

That was my first and last straw.  I knew I'd have more wood to cut in the future so having "only" 2-3 chains wouldn't really work for me.

 

I bought a 100' spool (from Oregon as I recall) and had them cut them into loops for me.  They needed to know my drive tooth count so they could adjust accordingly.  I received a silly box of chains and have YET to run out of them!!

 

I've also become a fan of the full chisel cut verses some of the safety, low kickback cuts.  When my saw was new, it would absolutely shred its way through a tree.  It has never done that with these alternative chains.

 

I ended up trying to use some of the hand held files....never got really good at it.

 

Now, I've gotten lazy and prefer to get the stump up at the same time.  Cut the tree while horizontal and, use the back bucket to hold it off the ground.

 

 

DSCN0194.jpg

DSCN0199.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, fully enclosed cab.  Even has "air conditioning"  (a little 12V fan bolted to the front 'dashboard' that doesn't work)  Most of the glass and both doors were missing when I bought it.  It came from a TVA auction (Tennessee Valley Authority).  I've talked to my local dealer and they bought it from them, paying around $75,000 in 1987 if I have my memory correct.

 

it's a JCB 1550-B and actually leaks very very little.  (my cyliders have some weaping but they've all been rebuilt/packed over time...that boom cylinder was a real pain to get out (I was having some health issues at the time so my strength was nil))

 

Whenever it starts to leak, I try to get on it to fix it.  Bad thing is, as you probably know, you can't even THINK about fixing them without it costing you over $100...for a toy (which is what it is for me) they can be fairly expensive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine doesn't have the handles to help the climb up either.  I'll back off of the oil leaks as the leaks are probably due to the person who rebuilt the tilt and lift cylinders didn't do it right. Other than those leaks, I have had a (one) hose blow and that is all ( I went back with JIC adaptation rather than the BSP thread). It starts year around better than most people's cars and I really like the forward / reverse and gear shift.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, Coytee said:

be careful with the shops...I live abut 20 miles out of town so can't just 'merrily skip' my way to the store...  I had several chains and took them in to a local Ace Hardware to have sharpened.

 

Had a tree that was within hitting distance of the house and it needed to come down.  Starting cutting it and it pinched the saw (Stihl 044, 20" bar)  No problem...I've planned for that...  go to house and get my second bar and install a freshly sharpened chain...

 

Damn thing wouldn't cut butter...  They either didn't touch the blade (and charged me) or, what I think happened is they didn't adjust the rakers so it wasn't getting any bite on the wood to cut.  It was utterly useless....  so got another sharpened (by them) chain and hacked at it and got the tree down.

 

That was my first and last straw.  I knew I'd have more wood to cut in the future so having "only" 2-3 chains wouldn't really work for me.

 

I bought a 100' spool (from Oregon as I recall) and had them cut them into loops for me.  They needed to know my drive tooth count so they could adjust accordingly.  I received a silly box of chains and have YET to run out of them!!

 

I've also become a fan of the full chisel cut verses some of the safety, low kickback cuts.  When my saw was new, it would absolutely shred its way through a tree.  It has never done that with these alternative chains.

 

I ended up trying to use some of the hand held files....never got really good at it.

 

Now, I've gotten lazy and prefer to get the stump up at the same time.  Cut the tree while horizontal and, use the back bucket to hold it off the ground.

 

 

DSCN0194.jpg

DSCN0199.jpg

That looks like fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow; tons of accurate info in this thread! Let's see if I can add to it.

 

The key factors are to accurately hold the horizontal pitch, and cutting angle of the round file, file all the teeth to the same length, and dress the rakers to the correct, and same height.

 

It will virtually never happen by hand filing, but sometimes that's what you gotta do in the field so it's worth developing some skill.

 

The Stihl simple file guide is what I use in the field. At home, I use the Stihl version of the Northern Tool jig mentioned on Page 1. It was a bear to find the part number but when I did, I ordered it locally. It cost 4x what the Northern Tool version cost. It's called the Stihl FG3. A jig like this accurately holds the angles necessary for your chain while filing all the teeth to the same length. It will also file the rakers, but here again, finding the part number for the proper Stihl triangular shaped file that was long enough to fit the jig, was difficult. Don't have the part number for it. The manual for the tool is pretty detailed.

 

A common problem is people forget to file the rakers. Also note that the top of the cutting teeth on Stihl chains has a mark showing how short you can file the cutting tooth before you need to replace the chain. I'm using 0.325" chains the there's a lot of filing life in those teeth before you need to replace it IF you're good at filing your chain.

 

The type of wood being cut will affect the chain's performance as will those safety chains. Definitely stick with Husqvarna or Stihl. Watch a lot of videos. Practice.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, dwilawyer said:

What is that?  How do you address that?

Tough to say in that every cut is different. Looking for dead limbs in the tree that you're going to cut and at other trees that could drop a limb because of the tree that you cut. After felling the tree, look for limbs that are bent and could be a cocked cannon. 

 

Experience is something someone gets right after they needed it. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...