EXtremely large Sthil chainsaw required.

Grizzly 45 · 14-11-2025 07:27PM #1

Hi all,First post here.

I need to rent,buy,hire,steal ,borrow a Sthil chainsaw.i'm talking now somthing like the old Sthil 80 with a 48 in bar.IOW one of the Amazonrain forest tree killers. Reason i have a hyper old beech that came down in Eoin earlier this year and have cut as much as I can with a Sthil 650 running a 36in. I now have a butt remaining that is at least 20 foot high and has about a 15 foot diameter.[I can provide pics of this monster too to prove why I need such a saw.] Its going to laugh at anything apart from such a large saw.

So is there anyone out there that has,wants to sell or hire or take on the job of dropping the butt i'd be glad to hear,or any advice on how to get this down?Was thinking of even giving the army or an explosives contractor a call and asking if they could blast it down to stump level if I cant get a saw capable of the job.

tabby aspreme · 14-11-2025 10:09PM

A lot of old beech like that are rotten in the centre at the base, with only a foot of sound wood around the outside and dust or spongy wood inside that, would you cut a v out of the base to see what it's like inside

893bet · 14-11-2025 10:22PM

15 foot diameter? Pics please 😀

JIdontknow · 14-11-2025 11:20PM

as someone else mentioned often those large beach can be rotten in the centre. I’d cut it around and cut wedges out all around and if you know someone with a digger or tractor see if a sling or chains and digger would break it off after cutting around with what you can.

Kaybaykwah · 15-11-2025 04:09AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123989202#Comment_123989202

Right, I doubt it’s even a 15' circumference at that. Lol

Bishop of hope · 15-11-2025 08:58AM

15 ft diameter? Ah come on.

Melodeon · 15-11-2025 09:33AM

Hennessy's machinery auction in Portlaoise today has a pair of Stihl MS881 saws, one with 4 foot bar and the other with a 5 footer, if you REALLY want to get into the big stuff.

15 foot circumference is a bit under 5 foot diameter, which sounds more like even the biggest beech we get here in Ireland.

magicbastarder · 15-11-2025 09:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123989532#Comment_123989532

15 foot circumference would be less than 5 foot diameter so that's possible.

magicbastarder · 15-11-2025 09:36AM

And beware of Sthil chainsaws. I know a chap who bought one and it was pointed out to him after that it was a fake, it literally said 'sthil' on the bar - rather than Stihl.

Kaybaykwah · 15-11-2025 11:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123989690#Comment_123989690

lol. Definitely better than the poor guy who bought a Shitl.

Grizzly 45 · 15-11-2025 02:23PM

For the skeptics.My bad,I should have said circumference, rather than diameter and it's even bigger than I estimated.

Kaybaykwah · 15-11-2025 02:59PM

lol, you’re right. One big fothermucker!

893bet · 15-11-2025 03:06PM

if that were me I would leave the bit standing….standing.

The bit that is down? How big it is? Would a teleporter be able to move it? If so…find a corner and let it rot away.

There is easier timber out there for firewood.

BorneTobyWilde · 15-11-2025 03:09PM

Look huge alright, will need a big saw

Bishop of hope · 15-11-2025 03:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123990175#Comment_123990175

That's a big mf alright. Digger would get it down.

ednwireland · 15-11-2025 03:48PM

My local shop has the ms881 for sale

https://robertkee.ie/product/stihl-ms881-chainsaw

48" bar is out of stock but I would think if you talked to them they could sort something out

MrMusician18 · 15-11-2025 04:06PM

To be honest that is so large that I don't think it's for the inexperienced to fell. It's almost certainly rotten down the middle so god knows what way it would start to fall when it starts to go. Add to that you'd have no idea what's buried in the trunk, nails, rocks all in there for added fun.

The only way I'd ever consider approaching it would be with a cross cut saw, but it would need to be 10 to 12ft and another man.

That or nibble it down from a cherry picker. Or push it over with a track machine.

Melodeon · 15-11-2025 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123990175#Comment_123990175

Wow, that IS a big one!
(as the actress said to the bishop 🤣)

A dead standing snag like that is wonderful habitat for all sorts of fauna and flora, if it's not likely to fall on something of consequence sometime over the next couple of decades as it rots away or if its removal isn't necessary for some other reason.
Is it already rotten at the center? Any older beech I've ever worked on, although not nearly as big as this, were all hollowed out for a couple of meters up from ground level.
If it IS hollow, your 36" saw should be well able for it, with care and planning.
Rather that looking for a monster saw for what would likely be pretty big money, for a likely once-off (or at least, very infrequent) job, might a longer bar and a full skip chain on your existing saw be an option?
Your 85cc MS650 would be well able for such a setup, albeit a bit slower that a 125cc saw with a full house 5 foot chain and bar.
chainsawbars.co.uk do all that sort of stuff, and are good to advise on such matters.
You'd likely get away with €200 or so for a long bar and €100 or so for the chain. MUCH cheaper that buying a huge saw.

BorneTobyWilde · 15-11-2025 04:24PM

Loggers_with_saw_next_to_tree_(3329045507).jpg

Job for a two man cross cut saw.

Bishop of hope · 15-11-2025 06:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123990393#Comment_123990393

Wow, that IS a big one!

(as the actress said to the bishop 🤣)

Who told you that? 😃😃😃

Melodeon · 15-11-2025 06:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123990676#Comment_123990676

I plead the Fifth…

😀

Grizzly 45 · 15-11-2025 08:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123990280#Comment_123990280

The bit to the right has an appx dia of 5.5 foot by 12 foot remaining.That's not a biggie to me, as I have been wedging bits off it all Summer and then either running them under the log splitter or using a splitter maul. There is a about 4 cords out of it so far in a pile to the right of the pic and have taken sofar 19 Big bags worth of branch timber from this and still have to clean up the large branches and split logs into barn and haven't anymore space for the forseeable. To the left there is another massive branch down,uncut sofar as there is a nest of pissed off wild Irish black bees in it and I want to leave them alone or get someone who would loan me a bee suit XXL and wants to take away a free swarm if they can grab the queen.

Add to that you'd have no idea what's buried in the trunk, nails, rocks all in there for added fun.

Yep, at the age of this tree I wouldn't be surprised and can see some wire and crap from previous fencing jobs by feckless edjits in the past. So point well noted.

Grizzly 45 · 15-11-2025 09:10PM

The digger or more likely a CAT earth mover isnt really an option as directly behind it is a dry stone walled ditch [aka a HaHa ditch] which knowing my luck is under preservation order.So pulling up the roots and stump will no doubt start shifting the wall and cause damage to a historical whatever.

I'll have to get up to it with a ladder and see what's going on inside.If its rotten it can stay there and will eventually become someone else's problem or dry enough to light off for a good bottle party fire.If it is solid,thats a damn waste of good firewood.

Your 85cc MS650 would be well able for such a setup, albeit a bit slower that a 125cc saw with a full house 5 foot chain and bar.

chainsawbars.co.uk do all that sort of stuff, and are good to advise on such matters.

You'd likely get away with €200 or so for a long bar and €100 or so for the chain. MUCH cheaper that buying a huge saw.

Thanks I'll give them a shout,as I was thinking of using this or my vintage 1970s 075 on an Alaskan saw mill rig as I have lost some decent ash trees that could be milled into some useable planks too.

EXtremely large Sthil chainsaw required.

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