Chain Saw Chat

ford2600

Went mad and bought a 560xp with 15" bar and an 18" for occasional heavier stuff.

GY A1

ford2600 wrote: »

Went mad and bought a 560xp with 15" bar and an 18" for occasional heavier stuff.

Nice
What sort money

BreadnBuddha

ford2600 wrote: »

Went mad and bought a 560xp with 15" bar and an 18" for occasional heavier stuff.

A bloody brilliant saw. Enjoy!

ford2600

GY A1 wrote: »

Nice
What sort money

€840 for the saw with 15" bar.

Amrentals in Newry might do cheaper with Sterling dipping, but I'd rather have dealer support.

Better price than most places I checked. Seems to have been teething issues with saw when launched but sorted now as far as I can see.

Feels lighter than I expected. Have 22yr old wood and my 14 yr old 350 was starting to struggle when buried in the heaviest trees.

GY A1

ALDI AXE
https://www.aldi.ie/premium-axe/p/093477044007300
anyone gooten this aldi axe last time round,
whats it like,
its 2kg
compared to lidl had one couple weeks ago but was only 1.5 kg
that was very light

MickeyShtyles

GY A1 wrote: »

ALDI AXE
https://www.aldi.ie/premium-axe/p/093477044007300
anyone gooten this aldi axe last time round,
whats it like,
its 2kg
compared to lidl had one couple weeks ago but was only 1.5 kg
that was very light

If ya chop a tidy amount of stuff, getta fiskars!
She's tasty enough money, but well worth it!

Nekarsulm

Bought this saw a few weeks ago, the owner was no longer to pull start it.
I'm not surprised, compression is so good, its very hard on the fingers drop starting it.
Needed a new bar and chain, as he seems to have been cutting barbed wire, and the bar tip roller bearings have also disintegrated .
Great saw to cut, as good as any Stihl 044, anyway.
30 years since we last bought a Husky, great to have another one.

BreadnBuddha

Nice saw! I have it's little sister, a 1989 242XPG. That sparkly gold sticker dates them easily.

drunkmonkey

I'm after a handy size chansaw for home, Think I've decided on a Stihl ms181 CBE, it's my first chainsaw so just want to make sure I'm buying the right one for my needs.
I won't be cutting anything huge, maybe 5/6 inch thick at most. I'll also be using it on a ladder cutting into the hedge. So I'm thinking the stihl with the 12 or 14 inch blade, should I stick with the 12 inch blade or go bigger to give me longer reach into hedge or is that dangerous? (Nearly bought a 20 yesterday being clueless)

Also seems to be massive price differences they seem to be about €400 here and about £240 in U.K., it's at least €100 difference. Would an Irish dealer price match or come close?

Safety gear, is the small saw a lot safer, do I need anything on my arms, chest or legs if I'm going to be on a ladder or is the little saw easily managable. I won't be cutting down, it'll be more cutting sideways if that makes any odds.

ford2600

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I'm after a handy size chansaw for home, Think I've decided on a Stihl ms181 CBE, it's my first chainsaw so just want to make sure I'm buying the right one for my needs.
I won't be cutting anything huge, maybe 5/6 inch thick at most. I'll also be using it on a ladder cutting into the hedge. So I'm thinking the stihl with the 12 or 14 inch blade, should I stick with the 12 inch blade or go bigger to give me longer reach into hedge or is that dangerous? (Nearly bought a 20 yesterday being clueless)

Also seems to be massive price differences they seem to be about €400 here and about £240 in U.K., it's at least €100 difference. Would an Irish dealer price match or come close?

Safety gear, is the small saw a lot safer, do I need anything on my arms, chest or legs if I'm going to be on a ladder or is the little saw easily managable. I won't be cutting down, it'll be more cutting sideways if that makes any odds.

First time untrained saw user on a ladder sounds like A&E visit being in your near future.

I've operated saw for 25 years and I'm very very reluctant to use unless both feet are planted on firm ground.

O.A.P

Don't go using a chainsaw on a ladder anyway that's a sure way to hurt yourself . Build a scaffold and work off it, or a trailer if you can get one close enough to the hedge.
A small cheap saw is every bit as dangerous as an expensive pro saw it may have a less aggressive chain (anti kickback) but its capable of lobbing off an arm leg or fingers.
Get a small bar for now and spend the money on safety gear .

timfromtang

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I'm after a handy size chansaw for home, Think I've decided on a Stihl ms181 CBE, it's my first chainsaw so just want to make sure I'm buying the right one for my needs.
I won't be cutting anything huge, maybe 5/6 inch thick at most. I'll also be using it on a ladder cutting into the hedge. So I'm thinking the stihl with the 12 or 14 inch blade, should I stick with the 12 inch blade or go bigger to give me longer reach into hedge or is that dangerous? (Nearly bought a 20 yesterday being clueless)

Also seems to be massive price differences they seem to be about €400 here and about £240 in U.K., it's at least €100 difference. Would an Irish dealer price match or come close?

Safety gear, is the small saw a lot safer, do I need anything on my arms, chest or legs if I'm going to be on a ladder or is the little saw easily managable. I won't be cutting down, it'll be more cutting sideways if that makes any odds.

Hi drunkmonkey,

Well I do not need to add to the previous posters safety advice, get some training if i were you, it is of course possible to use a saw safely horizontally at height, but you do need to know how. Personal protective equipment is essential i'd say, at the least a pair of chainsaw trousers, and gloves, and ear protection and a face shield or safety glasses at a minimum, if you plan on felling any trees in the future a helmet is essential for this (getting a bang on the head from a dislodged branch as the tree goes over quickly gets old don't ask me how i know!)

The small saw is just as dangerous as a big pro model, that chain cuts through flesh beautifully savagely. Do not be intimidated though, safety is about mindfulness and understanding and knowledge, acquire the knowledge, and practice the mindfulness, do no hurry. PPE (personal protective equipment) does not make you safer, although it may help to prevent more serious injury when things go wrong, you've only got one neck (a common injury from kickback when working above waist height) and you would definately miss a leg should you hit one, so PPE is ESSENTIAL in my humble opinion.

As for bar length, you will find that a shorter bar will perform better on any chainsaw for cutting, it is less drag on the motor, and chains are cheaper and quicker to sharpen. Again on sharpening I'd get some training and learn to do it yourself, a blunt saw is dangerous, and taking your saw somewhere to get it sharpened is inconvenient and quickly gets expensive. Sharpening a chain is not difficult, just a matter of pushing the file in a straight line, (I'd recommend using a file guide for this), and a sharp saw saves petrol and is a pleasure to use. I generally inspect the chain every fill of petrol, and touch it up with a stroke or two of the file if necessary, only takes a minute or two, and keeping a chain razor sharp prolongs its life.

I would certainly recommend paying the higher price from a local dealer, you will get back any difference quickly in good service from the dealer, and when you need parts or repair he will naturally be much more helpful to customers who buy saws from him. If we all buy the cheapest online, very quickly we will have no local dealers to go to when we need our saws repaired in a hurry.

The stihl 181 is a good little saw a sensible choice for the use you describe, do remember though if the saw is only going to get occasional use, to drain petrol and oil before storage, and clean the air filter regularly. The manual that comes with these saws is very good and is WELL WORTH STUDYING CAREFULLY, there is lots of advice on how to use the saw safely for a number of different tasks.

I would NOT recommend a beginner work off of a ladder (some pro's use a light ladder in forestry for pruning but it is generally frowned upon and there are better ways), a simple platform that is STABLE would be a much safer option for your hedge, you'd want to be working the saw at waist level or lower, so bear that in mind when erecting your platform. 4 45 gallon drums and some scaffolding planks would do, but a hire shop could perhaps cheaply hire you something much better.

best of luck with your new saw

tim

Fuisneóg Abú

drunkmonkey

Thanks for all the advice. Went about buying the saw today but went into one dealer and he said I might be better off getting a pole saw attachment for my hedge cutters, when the second dealer quoted me €100 less for the attachment I decided to go with it, it's not working out much cheaper than buying the saw but I think saftey wise it might be the best option for what I'm doing.
Thanks aging for taking the time, some good advice there. Bit upset I don't have a real mans saw yet but at least I might still have my 2 arms come the end of the summer.

gutteruu

Looking for a file to sharpen the father in laws chainsaw. Its a husqvarna with about a 24 inch bar. Anyone know what size file I need or can you recommend a good file kit? I'm not fully sure of chain size , i.e 3/16' 5/32 etc but hoping they are standard. Thanks

timfromtang

gutteruu wrote: »

Looking for a file to sharpen the father in laws chainsaw. Its a husqvarna with about a 24 inch bar. Anyone know what size file I need or can you recommend a good file kit? I'm not fully sure of chain size , i.e 3/16' 5/32 etc but hoping they are standard. Thanks

Hi Gutteruu,
You'd probably use a 5.2mm file on that chain, a file guide is a good plan as it takes considerable skill and experience to sharpen with file only, however with a guide pushing the file in a straight line at the correct angle is all thats required.

tim

gutteruu

gutteruu wrote: »

Looking for a file to sharpen the father in laws chainsaw. Its a husqvarna with about a 24 inch bar. Anyone know what size file I need or can you recommend a good file kit? I'm not fully sure of chain size , i.e 3/16' 5/32 etc but hoping they are standard. Thanks

You need to know what the chain pitch is. 24" guide bars are readily available for both .325 or 3/8" chain in Husqvarna mount. Don't waste your money or a good useable chain by buying or putting the wrong file to work on it.

This information should be useful if you want to look it up from the chain that's fitted now:

http://www.chainsawchains.eu/CHAIN-IDENTIFICATION__p-648.aspx

Once you know the Oregon chain type, it's easy to cross reference the correct file size. It may well be an Oregon chain anyway, which makes it easier.

The thing that could trip you up is if it has a Stihl chain fitted, in which case you'll have to use the Stihl information, or go old school and measure the chain to determine size.

Failing all of that, and my own recommendation, is to pull the chain brake and if need be spin the clutch off (easy), so you can read the side of the chain drive sprocket. It will say clearly if it's .325 or 3/8 drive.

While you're in there, see if the wear marks are still clear on the sprocket and if they're not, replace the sprocket while you're doing the job.

Sounds complicated but it's all pretty easy once you have a look.

You can always bring the saw to the local supplier and ask them to get you set up to sharpen it. If you don't have any gear at the moment then I would absolutely recommend getting a 2-in-1 combination file/guide. Like thePferd CsX on this page (great price, nothing to do with me!):

http://irishforestryproducts.ie/chainsaw-files-and-filing.html

gutteruu

Thanks for input. I used to sharpen it myself last year but I wanted something with a guide thats easy enough for him to handle. I'll take a look at the chain/saw tomorrow and suss out the size. Its a husqvarna dealer he buys them from but I'll double check. The Pferd Chain Sharp® CS-X looks like it would suit him perfect.

drunkmonkey

Any advice for red watery eyes think it was caused cutting the big trees in the hedge Tuesday evening with a pole chainsaw sometimes at eye height, was wearing a full face helmet but not any glasses underneath. Fine for flying bits but fine dust must have got in.
Didn't notice anything at the time but woke up Wednesday and eyes were red and blurry. Got drops from the chemist then but eyes are still as bad now and sticking together.

I'm not sure it was the sawing but only thing I can think of, had done loads more cutting over the last few weeks with no effect.

O.A.P

Fumes off the saw Id say,
Its happened me before cutting where there was little or no ventilation. I just gave it a few days and they cleared up.
It might well be dust though so the best thing to do is go to the doc and find out .

drunkmonkey

Yea the engine was pretty close to my head most of the time the saw was a good bit away, it might be it.

Heavy handed

Well guys my stihl ms660 bit the bullet this evening. Took it out for the first time in 6 months to cut some freshly felled pine and half a tank of petrol in the saw just cut out a basically cooked itself. Took off the muffler to find the piston scored. I suspect it was the mix been too lean. Now I need to get it back up and running. I'd imagine oem stihl parts will be expensive compared to aftermarket. Would this be a good excuse to run a big bore kit on it or just fix it back to oem spec. Anyone recommend someone good to tackle the job or should I just take it into the local dealer.

ford2600

Heavy handed wrote: »

Well guys my stihl ms660 bit the bullet this evening. Took it out for the first time in 6 months to cut some freshly felled pine and half a tank of petrol in the saw just cut out a basically cooked itself. Took off the muffler to find the piston scored. I suspect it was the mix been too lean. Now I need to get it back up and running. I'd imagine oem stihl parts will be expensive compared to aftermarket. Would this be a good excuse to run a big bore kit on it or just fix it back to oem spec. Anyone recommend someone good to tackle the job or should I just take it into the local dealer.

Can't help with rebuild but did you use fresh petrol?

Modern petrol left sitting for 6 months is not fit for use. 6 weeks is my time limit especially with a 2 stroke mix.

Heavy handed

ford2600 wrote: »

Can't help with rebuild but did you use fresh petrol?

Modern petrol left sitting for 6 months is not fit for use. 6 weeks is my time limit especially with a 2 stroke mix.

It was new petrol. I dropped the saw off yesterday to have it rebuilt. He took it apart in from of me and a seal on the sprocket side had failed and the saw sucked in more air than needed. There's a big bore kit ordered for it now, bring it up to 99cc.

timmiekp

in the market for a new saw currently have an oleo mac grand yoke no problems ahd a stihl before broke our heart trying to start it.it will be used for cutting dwn blackthorn sally etc have no real budget just want something reliable

Mississippi.

ford2600 wrote: »

Can't help with rebuild but did you use fresh petrol?

Modern petrol left sitting for 6 months is not fit for use. 6 weeks is my time limit especially with a 2 stroke mix.

If you are only an occasional user would it be best to keep her going to empty the tank before putting her away then?

ford2600

Mississippi. wrote: »

If you are only an occasional user would it be best to keep her going to empty the tank before putting her away then?

Yep.

Unless I'm using saw a couple of days in a row I always but back saw dry.

A good clean gerry can, fresh petrol and good oil and decent quality saws shouldn't give any engine trouble for occasional users.

Czhornet

I have a 62cc chainsaw and a good sharp chain (small pet hate of mine is a dull chain) the saw cuts straight but the last few days when cutting the bar goes down into the timber about twice the depth of the bar and sits there, not cutting anything, almost like its getting squeezed even though its not. The bar looks ok for wear (no lips and no burrs on the sides) have turned the bar upside down and still the problem exists, would the chain be worn or it there something else I'm missing?

O.A.P

Have you filed back the rakers on the chain ?

have2flushtwice

Bought a pair old proper oregon gloves, and trousers, and also the proper helmet with muffs and face guard. Didn't buy boots..... Yet.

I wouldnt do too much sawing, but one accident is one too many.
What boots does everyone else wear?

O.A.P

When its wet, wellingtons with steel toe caps and the oilskins pulled over them.
When dry steel toe caped doc martins.
I'm happy enough that my toes are safe and the chips cant get into my boots.