Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire All chainsaw information appreciated here

"Wish I could mix 40 or 50/1, but this old baby needs 20/1 - sez so right on the gas cap.."

Does it smoke enough to keep the bugs away?

got a stihl 391 last xmas to replace the pos poulan 3400. night and day diff. beyond that, don't go buying a smaller hp saw that the pwr head weights as much or nearly as much as a more powerful saw. there's a few dollars diff, but the diff ain't enough. please read my statement again so that it's clear and you understand.

the 391 stihl will do it all, for the average joe blow, then some.

Ethanol free gas isn't available anywhere near where I live at the gas stations but you can sometimes find it a lawn equipment service shop for about $9.00 a gallon. The manuals for all my newer gas powered tools recommend 89 octane gas with STA-BIL (for ethanol). I thought that higher octane gas has more ethanol in it, but I'm probably wrong. Even the aviation gas at the small airports around here has ethanol in it.

AV gas should not have very damn much in it......

I used to think that 100LL would be the cats pajamas for chainsaws, but decided that I did not want to be working in a cloud of lead vapor all day.

I pass 3-4 Stihl dealers on my way to work, but never have to fix my 20 year old 007 saw. Recommend them highly.

Well said, it's easy to get excited about a big bad powerful saw, but they wear you out. I did most of my cutting for years with an 81cc pro saw, cut like a mofo but my back was sore at the end of the day.

For $500, I'd say $300 saw, $50 for three extra loops of chains, $100 for a chain grinder and $50 for chaps.

If I was mostly limbing and dropping the occasional tree I'd get an echo CS-355T



I picked up an echo top handle saw that was worked hard by an arborist and figured it was cheap enough if it bounced out of snowmobile I wouldn't cry the loss. It's now my most used saw and I can't kill it. I wouldn't hesitate to replace it with a new Echo if it ever dies.

The are three things to know about chainsaws:

1) Sharp chain
2) Sharp chain
3) Sharp chain

A 35-40cc saw with a sharp chain will handily outcut a 50-60cc saw with a dull chain all day every day. Put the money into spare chains and the means to keep them sharp. And get just enough saw cut the wood you'll be cutting to keep from wearing yourself out.

My favorite chain saw mechanic (30 years ago) told me that the higher octane fuel you ran - in an air-cooled 2 stroke - the cooler the machine would run, and longer it would last.
I did that until I moved where I couldn't get av-gas easily - but the first several years, that's all that little Jonsered saw!
It is now 31 years old, and the only problems I've had concerned a leaking oiler, and the handle "insulators" wearing out! (looking for them right now!)

What kind of jigs are you folks using to sharpen your chains?

35+ years as a toolmaker has left me pretty handle with a file, but I'd prefer a jig to cut every tooth alike.

I'm no machinist and I don't use any jig at all.

I'm also not a cutter so take that for what it's worth.




Dave

Hand filing with Granberg File-n-Joint works well for me. Oh sure, the real sawyers will scoff, but if it takes me a couple minutes longer and I end up with a sharp chain, I can live with that.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/filing-tools/

I keep one of these in the saw bucket for emergency use away from power. (And I keep two spare chains in the bucket so I do not have to use the file.)


I also have a bar mounted file guide. (Granberg File n Joint) It is the most accurate way to hand file a chain. Mine is Stihl brand. This link is Oregon brand. https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/File-Guide%2C-Bar-Mounted-Consumer/p/23820 The image will not transfer here.

It resembles my Stihl guide, but the Stihl has no plastic parts.


I do not know how to enbed the video, but here is a link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvKsjy7AmOM

And you can also get specialized little dremel tools with the appropriate stones for your size chain. The motors come in 110V or 12V w/ battery clips.

The Oregon website shows that type of sharpener if you are interested.

https://www.amazon.com/12V-Oregon-C...mp;sr=8-30&keywords=stihl+file+guide

I love my Stihl clone, but I do not think it is made anymore, from looking at the website. And the only one listed from Oregon is a cheap looking POS with a bunch of plastic in it.

I'm familiar with the Stihl 07, which is 50+ years old. Not sure about the 007.

I’m a Stihl guy but Husky makes the best raker gauge.
It isn’t brand specific like many are.
One gauge for each size chain.

Learn to hand file.

Talk about unmanly Lonny......I drop mine off at the saw shop in Orifino for $6 a pop.
I'm not rich but I only go throw a couple chains a year so it doesn't cut into my Top Raman budget too badly.

Gawd, do they ever cut once they come back from a professional sharpening!

I did that once before I bought a file.

I get by with a hand file, its no pro job but I had to learn.

No place to plug in a grinder on a fire and yes, the other firefighters will laugh at you if you use anything more than a round file, a flat file and a raker gauge.

The guy at that little shop does a great job.
It's a small logging community so I'd guess he's a retired logger that knows his stuff.
Living in a town full of loggers he'd never live it down if word got out that he couldn't sharpen a chain for chit.

Stihl has stones for Dremel tools.