Chainsaws and those who use them

[Daniel Cary]

That Stihl 500 is a big saw for it's weight .. this girl swings it around like nothing.

But it's pulling a 42" (if I'm not mistaken).

 

[Rifleman97]

I was out using my Stihl 18" forrester's battery powered chainsaw again today. I typically am using it to kill live trees, usually boxelder, buckthorn, and chinese elm invasives.

It clogs up pretty easily and then the chain gets hot, then dull. Do you guys bring out something to unclog your saws? Do I reduce the bar oil flow to prevent clogging on live wood? I'm an amateur with 40 acres of forest I rage against occasionally.

If it’s getting hot it’s probably because it’s not getting enough lubrication. A scrench should be adequate for unclogging your saw in the field and if not, you might consider changing to a different style of chain. For example if you’re burying the blade in green wood you may be better off with a skip tooth chain, as it allows for more room between the teeth for longer chips to not clog up. There’s half skip and full skip. Half skip should be enough for a saw of that size IF that’s the issue.

If you are running a non skip chain but are mostly cutting small branches and that’s where you get clogged, you might want to switch to a micro tooth instead of a super. It takes a smaller bite so on the small branches it doesn’t catch or clog.

Generally I assume that there’s no such thing as “too much” oil, as the saws are designed for the typical bar used with them. An 18” is a hair on the longer side for an electric saw, so you’ll want the maximum amount of bar oil.

Finally, the type of bar oil you use matters. I highly recommend watching the YouTube video comparing bar oils by Project Farm, the Harvest King bar oil fixed all my issues of premature chain stretching and bar wear caused by insufficient oiling properties. More expensive oil is generally not “better” so much as “different”. For example I do in fact use Stihl Winter oil when below freezing, as it doesn’t gum up due to lower viscosity. But at 80°, the winter stihl oil won’t stay stuck on the chain and too easily flies off and gets under oiled.

PS: if you have access to compressed air, that’s the best way to get most of the grime out of the bar cover area

 

[C.W. Richter]

Yeah! I forget some of the brand names today...They're close enough to where I power wash heavy mud off of tractors, etc., so next time i do that i'll bring 'em all outside, blast 'em off and take a family portrait! lol

 

[C.W. Richter]

Oregon! (That's Joe Biden holding the axe, explaining to the Mannns that it's no longer useful, and these new voters would do ALL the work from now on!)

 

[fourfive8]

Some combinations of fibrous wood, bark, oil and dirt that clog the clutch/sprocket area under the cover will have nothing to do with type or quantity of oil and won’t budge with use of compressed air. Might as well just take the cover off and clean out the clog. Plus, who normally hauls a compressor large enough for such a task around to where they’re using a chainsaw other than light duty trimming around a yard?

The only time that it may not seem always justifiable in taking the cover off for cleaning is with some models of Husqvarna that have a funky chain brake built into the cover! They can be a bugger to remove, clean and replace, especially if really clogged. It can become a conundrum. I redesigned mine to make removal and replacement easier. No issue with my Stihl- two big nuts off and on….

 

[Rifleman97]

Some combinations of fibrous wood, bark, oil and dirt that clog the clutch/sprocket area under the cover will have nothing to do with type or quantity of oil and won’t budge with use of compressed air. Might as well just take the cover off and clean out the clog. Plus, who normally hauls a compressor large enough for such a task around to where they’re using a chainsaw other than light duty trimming around a yard?

The only time that it may not seem always justifiable in taking the cover off for cleaning is with some models of Husqvarna that have a funky chain brake built into the cover! They can be a bugger to remove, clean and replace, especially if really clogged. It can become a conundrum. I redesigned mine to make removal and replacement easier. No issue with my Stihl- two big nuts off and on….

I did say “IF” you have access to an air compressor. I work a lot around my shop (as it’s surrounded by trees) and it’s easy enough to walk 20-40 yards and use the 55 gallon air compressor I have in there. I figured it was obvious that you take the cover off and use the scrench to get the big chunks, the air compressor helps get more of the fine particles and can usually clean out the oiler hole if it gets jammed too.

 

[DaddyFlip]

Fun thread. Homeowner here, taking care of old oaks that give up the ghost or are blown down by storms, which happens to the big ones sometimes. I'm a Husky fan. My stable is a 55 running a 16-inch bar for limbing, a 257 with a 20-inch is my main saw, and a 288 running 32-inch bars with full skip chains (last picture, bucking a three-trunk oak that was 52-inch at the base).

 

[DaddyFlip]

If it’s getting hot it’s probably because it’s not getting enough lubrication. A scrench should be adequate for unclogging your saw in the field and if not, you might consider changing to a different style of chain. For example if you’re burying the blade in green wood you may be better off with a skip tooth chain, as it allows for more room between the teeth for longer chips to not clog up. There’s half skip and full skip. Half skip should be enough for a saw of that size IF that’s the issue.

If you are running a non skip chain but are mostly cutting small branches and that’s where you get clogged, you might want to switch to a micro tooth instead of a super. It takes a smaller bite so on the small branches it doesn’t catch or clog.

Generally I assume that there’s no such thing as “too much” oil, as the saws are designed for the typical bar used with them. An 18” is a hair on the longer side for an electric saw, so you’ll want the maximum amount of bar oil.

Finally, the type of bar oil you use matters. I highly recommend watching the YouTube video comparing bar oils by Project Farm, the Harvest King bar oil fixed all my issues of premature chain stretching and bar wear caused by insufficient oiling properties. More expensive oil is generally not “better” so much as “different”. For example I do in fact use Stihl Winter oil when below freezing, as it doesn’t gum up due to lower viscosity. But at 80°, the winter stihl oil won’t stay stuck on the chain and too easily flies off and gets under oiled.

PS: if you have access to compressed air, that’s the best way to get most of the grime out of the bar cover area

This is exactly what I was going to reply to @rookhawk. I'm running .325 pitch semi-chisel pixel chain on my 55 16-inch. It pretty much runs forever without sharpening and I run as much oil as the pump will put out (again, it's my light work limbing saw; clearing stuff at or above head level). Keeping a sharp chain that throws chips instead of dust is the key; if it gets dusty, then sharpen or change. I also agree with Project Farm and Harvest King. I used to switch back and forth Husky's winter and summer formulas, but have changed to Harvest King full time. Also @rookhawk, don't know how much work you're doing, but an electric is no match for 40 acres.

 

[HankBuck]

I was out using my Stihl 18" forrester's battery powered chainsaw again today. I typically am using it to kill live trees, usually boxelder, buckthorn, and chinese elm invasives.

It clogs up pretty easily and then the chain gets hot, then dull. Do you guys bring out something to unclog your saws? Do I reduce the bar oil flow to prevent clogging on live wood? I'm an amateur with 40 acres of forest I rage against occasionally.

@rookhawk - if it has a “Battery” it’s Not a chainsaw….it’s a Toy (when is the last time you saw a Lumberjack with a Battery Chainsaw or plastic Ax?). But, Be careful with it because it can still hurt you —- like a child running with scissors. Don’t use a cap gun to hunt real DG and don’t use a battery chainsaw to cut real trees. You handle firearms and certainly can learn to use a real Chainsaw (wink)!!

 

[Rifleman97]

@rookhawk - if it has a “Battery” it’s Not a chainsaw….it’s a Toy. Be careful with it because it can still hurt you —- like a child running with scissors. Don’t use a cap gun to hunt real DG and don’t use a battery chainsaw to cut real trees.

A professional crew I work with from time to time has multiple of those stihl electric saws. They’re probably the only electric saws that are not toys. You’ve got a big investment for enough batteries to be comparable, but if you have an arsenal of batteries they can be absolute tanks. They’ll embarrass some smaller gas saws and weigh less

 

[HankBuck]

A professional crew I work with from time to time has multiple of those stihl electric saws. They’re probably the only electric saws that are not toys. You’ve got a big investment for enough batteries to be comparable, but if you have an arsenal of batteries they can be absolute tanks. They’ll embarrass some smaller gas saws and weigh less

@Rifleman97 - they are inferior to any good chainsaw and Stihl made them to tap into the homeowner “environmentally friendly” market - Not because they perform better. For trimming a Rose bush they might be great, felling a tree or working for an hour + cutting and far from an electrical outlet to carrying multiple batteries they are inferior. My opinion - obviously I’m “sour” on them but admit for some home owners - they will work. Also, everyone should Not be operating a real chainsaw as they are one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment around - serious injuries are frequent. Regardless of electric or real chainsaw - protective chaps, helmet & face cage, steal toe boots, hearing protection & safety glasses are a MUST,,,be safe

 

[DaddyFlip]

There's nothing wrong with an electric/battery saw for its intended use. The battery is taking the place of gas, spark, and piston. Where occasional/amateur users go wrong is forgetting that the front end - the bar and chain - is the same as on a gas saw. The bar needs to be straight and adjusted properly, the correct chain used, the chain sharp and TENSIONED PROPERLY, and the oiling system working properly. If the front end is correct, a battery saw will cut just as well as a gas saw in a similar application. If I had to guess, I would say the biggest mistake is running the chain too tight and the second is running the chain dry.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Gentlemen I submit to you for your thought that @rookhawk is a very smart man and one we often turn to for advice on high end and obscure firearms knowledge. I know him to be Into commercial grade appliance as well from a thread about home construction. A man that invests in the best money can buy and is willing to do the amount of research needed to function as this sites yoda of firearms probably wasn’t taken by a salesmen at the stihl dealership and sold a toy. My guess would be he over researched it to the point of knowing more than needed about the product asseted his needs and deemed a battery saw sufficient for them and then turned around and bought the best one on the market.

 

[CBeck]

That’s akin to saying a ford lightning isn’t a real truck.

While battery saws have limitations, so do gas saws….I’m a professional and I carry a makita battery saw in my tool box. No worries of gas in confined spaces, and perfect for removing a downed tree across a road.

 

[rookhawk]

What are you running for bar oil?

The fancy Stihl bar oil.

 

[rookhawk]

Gentlemen I submit to you for your thought that @rookhawk is a very smart man and one we often turn to for advice on high end and obscure firearms knowledge. I know him to be Into commercial grade appliance as well from a thread about home construction. A man that invests in the best money can buy and is willing to do the amount of research needed to function as this sites yoda of firearms probably wasn’t taken by a salesmen at the stihl dealership and sold a toy. My guess would be he over researched it to the point of knowing more than needed about the product asseted his needs and deemed a battery saw sufficient for them and then turned around and bought the best one on the market.

@Tubby’s Canteen You’ve got me pegged correctly. Stihl came out with the first forestry-rancher grade electric chainsaw about 2-3 years ago. I pre-ordered and was told I got the very first one in the Midwest. I think it’s called the MCO 330 or something like that. It is offered with a 16, 18, or 20 inch bar. I picked the 18”.

Their claim which seems pretty close to accurate is that it can handle 47 16” cuts per charge.

I also bought their combi-tool that is a weed whip, leaf blower, pole saw, and a roto tiller. Both the chainsaw and the combi tool use the same obscenely expensive batteries and charger, so there was some cost savings in buying only two batteries and a charger since I don’t typically use both tools in the same outing.

As to why I bought electric rather than gas, it was out of concerns in a crisis. I have a half mile long driveway that winds through an old growth forest. If a tree falls on the road, we’re stranded at home, kids can’t go to school, etc. I had more confidence that my occasionally used, often neglected chainsaw would start and work in that emergency moment if it was battery rather than gas. I’ve had a lifetime of experience with gummed up carburetors and stale gas because I don’t use my tools consistently enough. That’s why I bought the battery version.

The saw uses a very thin, low kick-back chain so it gets more cuts per charge I suspect. I think half the problem is I don’t clean the saw enough and it gets caked with sawdust. I think the other half of the problem is I’m always cutting live, very wet trees rather than cutting trees in the winter.

I’m no chainsaw expert so I’m here to learn. I’m just explaining what I did and why, for right or wrong.

 

[CBeck]

@rookhawk Makes perfect sense… and quite logical if you’re concerned about maintaining gas equipment

And while we’re on the subject of electric powered saws and outdoor equipment, I chose Makita because all of my power tools all were of the LXT platform and already have many batteries and chargers

I also have their couple shaft with pole saw attachment and string trimmer attachment, which frequently wears a forester brush cutter. With either attachment, four 5ah batteries, you can easily clear 6 and 8 inch brush for longer than you want to run it.

I find they compliment my gas saws nicely and certainly much quieter

 

[Rifleman97]

@Tubby’s Canteen You’ve got me pegged correctly. Stihl came out with the first forestry-rancher grade electric chainsaw about 2-3 years ago. I pre-ordered and was told I got the very first one in the Midwest. I think it’s called the MCO 330 or something like that. It is offered with a 16, 18, or 20 inch bar. I picked the 18”.

Their claim which seems pretty close to accurate is that it can handle 47 16” cuts per charge.

I also bought their combi-tool that is a weed whip, leaf blower, pole saw, and a roto tiller. Both the chainsaw and the combi tool use the same obscenely expensive batteries and charger, so there was some cost savings in buying only two batteries and a charger since I don’t typically use both tools in the same outing.

As to why I bought electric rather than gas, it was out of concerns in a crisis. I have a half mile long driveway that winds through an old growth forest. If a tree falls on the road, we’re stranded at home, kids can’t go to school, etc. I had more confidence that my occasionally used, often neglected chainsaw would start and work in that emergency moment if it was battery rather than gas. I’ve had a lifetime of experience with gummed up carburetors and stale gas because I don’t use my tools consistently enough. That’s why I bought the battery version.

The saw uses a very thin, low kick-back chain so it gets more cuts per charge I suspect. I think half the problem is I don’t clean the saw enough and it gets caked with sawdust. I think the other half of the problem is I’m always cutting live, very wet trees rather than cutting trees in the winter.

I’m no chainsaw expert so I’m here to learn. I’m just explaining what I did and why, for right or wrong.

You made the right choice IMO. I've used some of those top end stihl electric saws and they are far more capable than someone who's never used one would ever expect. Max out your oiler, and the green "low kickback" chains gum up far easier than the yellow non safety chain. This is simple physics and due to the extra metal in the links that prevent letting the cut get too deep at the tip. That metal takes up space during the cut and allows less room for chip clearing. Max out your oiler, switch to Harvest King bar oil (stihl's premium bar oil actually doesn't come close to the Harvest King in Project Farm's testing, and is much cheaper anyways) and if you are willing to practice safe habits with a chainsaw, the yellow chain will take deeper cuts and gum up less.

Something I didn't think about in my first message but am realizing now, when you sharpen your chain you are lowering the cutting edge of the tooth, and if your tooth gets too low relative to the raker, your cuts will be much finer/slower, and those finer dust particles will gum up your saw more and get your blade hotter. If you're not using it already, the stihl 2in1 file makes this a non issue as it files the raker at the same time if you use proper technique. I like to sharpen separately and then file my rakers a tad more aggressive than the 2in1 file does, since my saw is 72cc's and can handle it, but for an electric saw the 2in1 will get the perfect height.

TLDR: Max your oiler, use Harvest King oil, make sure to file rakers, and if you are comfortable with safe saw practice you can switch to non safety chain for better cutting. Your cuts will be noticably faster with yellow chain.

PS: if you want to save money on chains, call Madsens and order over the phone. You can get stihl chain for roughly half the price of anywhere else through them. Pretty much every tree service I know orders through them, excellent service. 1-800-822-2808 is their order number. They don't want to have an internet order, and they ask you not to email them as they want to talk to their customers. Rare, right?

 

[mdwest]

@rookhawk Makes perfect sense… and quite logical if you’re concerned about maintaining gas equipment

And while we’re on the subject of electric powered saws and outdoor equipment, I chose Makita because all of my power tools all were of the LXT platform and already have many batteries and chargers

I also have their couple shaft with pole saw attachment and string trimmer attachment, which frequently wears a forester brush cutter. With either attachment, four 5ah batteries, you can easily clear 6 and 8 inch brush for longer than you want to run it.

I find they compliment my gas saws nicely and certainly much quieter

View attachment 754233

That forester blade is exactly the same one I use on my stihl FS91 brush cutter… it’s a beast.

 

[deewayne2003]

@rookhawk it may be of little use to you in northern climate but when forced to cut Bois d’arc trees the chains get gummed up quick with sap.

I’ve found the best solvent to clean out the sap is the cheapest cola you can buy in 2ltr bottles at the local dollar store.

I’ve gone so far as to buy an oversized plastic bar cover so I can tie it to a tree and fill with cola to soak the bar & chain in between cuts.