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Re: Chainsaws:


Gluestick
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Does anyone have any experience of the following brands, please?

GreenStar:

Talon:

Mitox.

I need a saw with more "Grunt" for logging: my 39 c.c. McCulloch is fine for light tree pruning and etc, but struggles with chopping up decent sized logs.

I simply don't need (Or want!) to invest in a Stihl, Husqvarna or similar, 'cos it would only be used occasionally.

I'm looking at a GreenStar PN6200, which has a 22" blade and is 62 c.c.s and develops 2.8 Kw.

Thanks.

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What ho, how's things with you?

I've been given a few chainsaws to fix and can't say I'm that impressed with Sthils at all. I was given a MacCulloch, not to repair, but to keep and use, and feared it was too small and possibly a bit "gutless". I contacted a friend of a friend whose job it is to sell and service such things, and asked what to replace it with, and he said, "why?, perfectly suitable for anything you've got, it's not the grunt in the engine, or th size, it's the chain that does 90% of the work. Make sure your using the right chain for what your doing, and keep it maintained". Even though MacCulloch is sometimes refered to as the "one season tool", mine, which was well used when I got it, is still going strong, and cutting down and logging some fairly serious trees, down mainly to spending a bit on a top qaulity, suited to the job chain (and matched bar), and a lot cheaper than a whole saw!!!

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Hello Steve: we're fine thank you, still jogging along. Trust all OK your end now?

My McCulloch saw has hardly been used and was brand new when acquired: even sharpening the blade, carefully and at the correct angles, failed to make much difference.

It was very cheap: bought in France on Promo and cost me circa € 120,00: it's the 338 Model, with a short bar and chain. 

Now my French friend, Fearless Phillipe ([:D]) has a generic french saw which he has owned for some years: and loads of farmland to maintain and loads of trees. And his cuts really well.

"Fearless" 'cos his idea of safety clothing is invariably, weather allowing, a pair of skimpy shorts and a T shirt and trainers! No visor; no helmet, no gloves etc. No ear defenders etc.

Ok: so I'm a wimp!

 

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[quote user="f1steveuk"]What ho, how's things with you?

I've been given a few chainsaws to fix and can't say I'm that impressed with Sthils at all. [/quote]

What's not to like Steve? agree with you on the chain, they are definitely not all the same.

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[quote user="pachapapa"]To GS try getting the chain sharpened PROFESSIONALLY at your local Brico SAV; wood is cut after a period of 2 years drying, protected from the elements.[/quote]

Indeed: unless it is hanging on a tree; green!

Unfortunately, Pach, I have 30 fruit trees.............

Which this year, urgently need severe lopping and pruning.

As does the out-of-control willow, near the front Portails de Jardin.

[:D]

Other more urgent matters have taken priority thus far: however, we did have a stonking good crop of Walnuts last Autumn!

Luverly.

 

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Very well thanks GS, still bouncing along the bottom, but things have to improve, don't they??

My chum recommended a Carlton chain and bar, and increasing the bar from a 14inch to a 16. 16 was the longest he felt safe for my "Mac". Shorter the chain, the more work it had to do, a long chain holds speed better and "finds" the work easier, his philosophy being the longer the bar, the better, within reason!!! I think Carlton and Oregon are both Canadian, and they are apparently, the masters at producing chains, I haven't used a Oregon, but the Carlton, even two years down the road slices through wood, old or new, like the much heralded hot knife and butter, and only needs dressing (rather than sharpening, one or twice a year, although I have never ever run the chain through anything other than wood, never soil!!! Always use synthetic chain oil, always clean it off after use ( I can hear my mates voice nagging me about this, but as my better half thinks I have OCD, it's not a problem!!).

Whats not to like? You mean Sthils??  The chain adjustment cam, a simple plastic device, not even a metal bush, in fact lots of plastic bits where I'd expect a few bits of metal. Fragile recoil starters, and on two I was staggered how dodgy the bar mounting was, and have seen a couple of twisted bars and one that was hanging out of the mountings, and on quite expensive models, it just made me wonder what the fuss was about!

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I have a friend. I will not shame him. He bought a beautiful German Chain saw. He put the chain on the wrong way round and tightened up the plastic chain tensioner. it took me a while to get it off, they tighten fine bit the "krautts" seem to have overlooked the need to sometimes loosen the tension.[:)]
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Wish I could tell you what spec' chain I got, but it was described to me as 'medium domestic use', I remember the first time I used it, suddenly it was easy to do!, Couldn't keep me indoors, and it made me wonder what a more "aggressive chain could do, though I suspect you would need a bit of "grunt" for anything too strong!!

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I had a look on the official Oregon site: which is very informative.

See Here:

And also found this helpful site too: Here

Now the Oregon site has a chain/bar search for type (And naturally, no mention of my McCulloch Model!)

However, the other site has really helpful info on chain selection. And is very reasonable too.

 

 

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[quote user="f1steveuk"]Very well thanks GS, still bouncing along the bottom, but things have to improve, don't they??

Whats not to like? You mean Sthils??  The chain adjustment cam, a simple plastic device, not even a metal bush, in fact lots of plastic bits where I'd expect a few bits of metal. Fragile recoil starters, and on two I was staggered how dodgy the bar mounting was, and have seen a couple of twisted bars and one that was hanging out of the mountings, and on quite expensive models, it just made me wonder what the fuss was about!
[/quote]

Hmm, maybe the smaller newer versions are different, my old farm boss 038 has the normal screw tensioner.

 

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A neighbour in the UK who was retiring/downsizing recently gave me his Stihl chainsaw which I last borrowed in the aftermath of the 1987 hurricane, it is from memory a model 08S and could date from 1965 but I reckon it is mid to late 70's, it has a Tillotson carburettor and is really well built with no plastic bits but as a consequence heavy.

Anyway it had not been used for over 10 years, a quick clean up and lube and it fired up on the 2nd pull, after a bit of carb tuning it starts and idles like new, it cuts pretty well too!

It might be worth looking for an old model as clearly they dont make em like they used to, I have seen them on E-bay and they never make more than 90 quid.

I swear by old machinery and construction equipment, if you can find something that still works after 20 yeas of abuse and neglect you can be fairly certain that with care and understanding it will give another 20 years service without any plastic parts self destructing.

My wacker plate is a case in point, it has a Villiers MK15 engine from the 50's, you wrap a cord around the pulley to start it and it always fires up on the first pull (but if you dont do a priming pull  first with the ignition cut it will take your fingers off!) and ticks over like a classic Bentley.

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Well, thinking much as you do, JRC, I have tried on a number of occasions to buy chainsaws on eBay with no success: I have have always been outbid!

Like your wacker plate, I have an old original Suffolk Colt cylinder mower: bought for a few quid via local papers ads years ago.

Stripped completely and totally re-conned; new rings in the side valve engine and de-coke, valves and seats refaced.

Luckily, at that time, we had a nice engineer who worked from a local garden centre and set up a mower maintenance business, complete with a new cylinder grinder. He even stocked or sourced all the new bearings for everything!

A nice coat of Hammersons Smoothrite in the correct colours and eventually I managed to find a grassbox and it is fine.

Cuts superbly too, as only a decent cylinder mower will.

SIF (Suffolk Iron Foundry) the original makers of Suffolk Colts and Punches is sadly no longer with us: taken over by Qualcast and cheapened significantly, sadly: and now use Jap engines.

Sigh....................

 I used to also purchase a number of their useful welding products, including brazing fluxes: and at one time until I was able to migrate to a top range BOC product, even used a SIF Oxy/Acetylene welding torch, bought brand new.

Interestingly, a senior insurance engineer told me many years ago, that expensive gang mowers (Cricket pitches and the like) were never ever written off.

They were simply returned to such as Ransome and Marles and re-built: even those, in the late 1970s, made in the early 1920s!

Which makes yer think.................

[blink]

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[quote user="Gluestick"]

Those who regularly cut, split and store logs for the fire, just must see this!

http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/showdetails.asp?id=2554

That's my next purchase!

 

[/quote]

I'll pass on that one.[:)]

Got one of these in the sales at HyperU a couple of years ago, for € 8 a bargain, it works like magic, even better than my 2.5 kg merlin.

[IMG]http://www.outilgreen.com/images/outilgreen/products_image/0/327/big_755605772.jpg[/IMG]

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  • 4 weeks later...
Getting back to chainsaws................Husqvarna and Sthil are internationally recognised as the best saws. There are differing qualities if saw however. If you buy (and pay for) the pro saws you will get a robust and powerfull saw whereas the amateur or hobby saw will perform less well. I have two "Huskies" that are over 20 years old and perform well and a new Sthil that knocks both int a cocked hat having more power and a faster cutting speed (same cc).

The shorter the blade and chain the faster and more efficient the cutting as the engine has less chain to pull.  As long as the chain is sharp the cutting speed will keep it sharp but as soon as it starts to blunten it will go off more quickly. Personally I prefer Oregon chain but that's just me.  Remember that a 13" blade can cut a log 26" diameter and fell a tree of 2.5 times its length so a 16" chain will cope with most domestic requirements.

Happy cutting.

Grumpy

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[quote user="Grumpy"]The shorter the blade and chain the faster and more efficient the cutting as the engine has less chain to pull.  As long as the chain is sharp the cutting speed will keep it sharp but as soon as it starts to blunten it will go off more quickly. Personally I prefer Oregon chain but that's just me.  Remember that a 13" blade can cut a log 26" diameter and fell a tree of 2.5 times its length so a 16" chain will cope with most domestic requirements.
Happy cutting.

Grumpy

[/quote]

Strange interpretation of core engineering logic, Grumpy.

Taking the first bit first (Which is pretty logical![:)]), unless the chainsaw has awesome friction between the blade and the chain, then the chain speed is predicated only by the engine revolutions and the size of the drive sprocket. The cutting friction between the chain and the work is purely and simply a function of the type of material being cut (Different material different Μμ) and the absolute width and depth of the cut.

A longer chain will take more time to become blunt as each cutting tooth does less work (Proportionate to speed of travel through the work and the number of cutting teeth).

As with all friction devices, more absolute grunt overcomes greater resistance to travel/rotation.

As a simple example, try cutting say a chunk of concrete with a 9" fibre disk, using a cheap 700 watt angle grinder intended for 115 m.m. disks; against a proper 9" job with 2,000 watts of power.

Thus the inescapable engineering conclusion must be that the speed of travel of any chainsaw blade through the cut (And thus the work) is simply a function of the engine revolutions and drive sprocket size; and the attendant friction between the chain and the work. (Assuming the friction between the chain and blade is basically constant).

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if it assists i have just bought a

Stihl MS 181 C-BE Comfort Petrol Chainsaw

i think, fot £235 trade

it has a 14 inch chain.

i was told this was the best combination for light work.

it has a very easy start mechanism and having used it one its great.

just remember though, you cant buy a new stihl on line

hope that assists

kim

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