chainsaws

[Jason]

I'm planning on purchasing a chainsaw. I have a big tree removal job monday. I really wish I would have bought one earlier, on a couple other jobs this spring I removed some trees with a bow saw, talk about unproductive. :)<p>Kind of leaning towards Stihl, but am open to suggestions. My dealer also carries Husqvarna. And another dealer carries Makita.<p>Wondering what everybody would recommend. Looking for a medium sized saw.

[steveair]

We have a 029 farmboss stihl and love it. Had it for years and its been abused for years, but still runs like new. We also have a smaller 009 that runs great, just floods alot. The 029 is great for most jobs. Can't imagine really needing much more, unless you do a lot of big tree work all the time. It wears me out by the end of the day usually. <p>steveair

[osc]

If you are tackling any large diameter stuff you'd better be careful.

[steveair]

Also, was looking at smaller stihl's the other day. They have a 019 (I think) with the quick gear drive tensioner on the side (no screw driver needed) thats good for smaller work and handy to have around. I've heard its a good saw and makes tightening chains easier. Stihl now has a lot of lower priced, what I call 'homeowner' models out too. I've heard to stay away from them. They may be 100 or so cheaper, but not worth it. Talk to your stihl dealer, they will give you the rundown I'm sure.<p>steveair

[steveair]

No matter what you get, don't forget the most important word:<p>&quot;TIMBER!!&quot;<br>

[Jason]

Thanks for the help so far. Actually the job I have coming up is for some big trees. The nice thing is they are already down, courtesy of a wind storm. I wouldn't tackle a big tree if it was standing. I'm guessing the base of the trunk of the biggest tree is 4' in diameter. Was kind of thinking of something along the lines of a Stihl 044. But open for ideas on any brand.

[steveair]

That's a BIG saw for 4&quot; inch trees. You could cut those with a well sharpened machete and save yourself a load of money!<p>Just kidding. You do not need a saw anywhere near as big as the 44. You'll hate it if you use it all day cutting &quot;brush&quot; like that.<p>Think much smaller, especially if you don't do all that much tree work. <p>It would be like using a tank to shoot a bird when all you need is a .22.<p>steveair <p>

[Jason]

Steve, the tree in question is 4 feet not 4 inches. :) Sorry about the misunderstanding there.

[steveair]

Big difference. And my fault!!! Sorry for that. But....<p>And my advice, <p>HIRE A TREE SERVICE!!<p>You'll need a loader to move those logs.<p>steveair<p><br>

[Millertime34]

Have Stihl blowers, Stihl trimmers, and of course..Stihl chainsaw. We use the 029 and it is great for our use. Will handle large and small..Good power, light weight..4 years old, cuts 12-15 cords a year, which isn't a whole lot, but more than most unless you are a logger by trade, and it &quot;stihl&quot; starts and runs like new. A friend of mine has the 039 and it has all the power that I would ever want along with an 18&quot; bar instead of the 16&quot; bar that is standard on the 029. I highly recommend an 029 or 039. You won't regret the purchase.<p>----------<br>Bryan..Heartland Lawn Care<br>heartlandlawn@hotmail.com

[Jason]

Well, I already committed to removing the trees. Plus I'm getting decent cash, and I plan to resell the wood as firewood this fall. So that's money on top of the initial cash I'll receive. I know it's a big job. Going to take a full day. Not looking forward to having rubberized arms afterwards. :)

[steveair]

Are you sure its a 4 ft diam. tree?<p>that is very BIG!<p>Just want to check.<p>If you are going to do this, and the contract is signed, how are you going to remove the wood. 4 ft pieces are HUGE. You'll be cutting forever, and still, the pieces will be HUGE. <p>I don't how you would split those even.<p>Are you renting a chipper also?<p>or can you discard all the branches on site?<p>What type of tree is it? (should of asked this first) <p>If its that big, it may have value. You may be able to get someone who will PAY YOU for all the logs and do all the work. If this is the case, DON'T start cutting. YOU will need full size logs to sell it. You could get away with doing nothing, getting paid for the job, and then getting paid for the wood. Big $. Definitely investigate if you haven't. <p>steveair<p><p><br>

[WAYNE]

Hey Jason.......I own a tree and lawn care service.......I've taken some bigggg stuff down......It sounds like your best bet is either buy a used 044 and up or go to your nearest rental place and rent the biggest saw they have....unless you are planning on using a saw that big very much......it won't make much sense to invest 500.00 and up on a saw like that.....hope this helps

[Jason]

Steve,<p>The trees are pine. For removal, I'll be cutting them up short and dragging to my trailer. As for splitting, I'll do that this fall, during my slow time. As for limbs, I've got a big burn pile, so I'll burn them. Plenty of storage where I live. I'm on five heavily treed acres in country.<p>Very good point about calling in somebody to do the work for me and getting paid twice. But I'm going to skip that route. I want to keep the wood, for I plan to sell firewood this winter along with plow snow to make ends meet.<p>Millertime, and Wayne: Sounds like you like your Stihls. From what little experience I've had with them they are great saws. I'll probably buy a used 044. Saws are plentiful around here, this is a logging community.<p>Thinking I might buy one today, it's snowing here and really don't feel like finishing a cleanup I'm in the middle of in the snow.

[cjcland]

i would defenatly rent a big saw how often will you be cutting trees that big, buy a smaller saw because you will use that all the time i agree that stihl is the best, the start fast and have very little vibration<p>----------<br>CJC Landscape Management<br>Winter Haven, Florida

[Matt]

Get a husky... just trust me!!!

[DTM65]

I gotta Stihl 029 and love it. I appears to be very well made and easy to service. I don't use it alot and what's great is that it can sit all Winter and be fulla crappy gas and still start right up. Can't do that witha Homelite.<p><p>----------<br>D. Tom<br>

[steve]

If you have a dolmar dealer in your area I would purchase one of those. They are a high torque chain saw. Now you said you had a makita chainsaws in your area now those saws are made by dolmar and usually a little more $$$ but both are identical except for the color.<br>

[gene gls]

Buy anything but a Husky. I have one,new, two years old,257 modle. Every time I need a saw it will not start for some strange reason.Glad I kept my old Mac.

[eagle lawn services]

Stihl all the way. I own a little 021 that is about five years old and it still runs like new. My stihl dealer always has parts for it. I ran it over once with the truck, oops. It took it with the exception of the safety bar and the bar and chain. It also wears out the gear on the clutch, but I think that has more to do with me not keeping proper tension on it than any thing else. I would like to get the 009 though for doing palm trees, which is what I mostly use the 021 for

[Hardy Enterprises]

Hey Jason where do you live? I have never seen a 4' in diameter pine tree before. Also before you split all that wood are you sure you can sell it. Here in Mississippi you couldn't pay somebody to burn a pine log in there fireplace. About the only thing around here anybody will buy is oak.<p>Jay

[Jason]

Hardy: I'm in northeastern washington. I didn't measure the tree, but am guessing it is 4'. Hold your arms out in a full circle, that's about how big around the tree is.<p>I went saw shopping today. Think I found a screaming good deal. At a local pawn shop, there are three stihl saws. All in nice shape. There's a 044 for $150, a 066 for $150, and can't remember the number of the third, possibly 075 or 088 can't remember for sure that one is $175. The big one is a beast though, way too much saw, need a loader tractor to pick it up. :) I'm seriously considering buying all three, they are so damn cheap. I could sell the two bigger ones and keep the 044, which would be like getting the 044 for free. I honestly don't think the pawn shop know what they are worth. 40 miles away in town of 300,000 I saw another 044 in a pawn shop selling for $320.<p>The person at the pawn shop said that all 3 saws were brought in by the same guy that was going through a divorce. All 3 saws are in great shape.

[southside]

Go the Stihl.Dont buy a 044 or you will give<br>yourself a brain hemorage using it all the <br>time.A nice little 026 like mine,kicks arse.<br>If you have a real big tree to drop then go<br>and hire an 088 Stihl. 121cc and 11.5 hp.<br>You'll need muscles in your s#*t to use it<br>though.

[crabber]

Jason<br> Do you have to remove the stump? Pine isn't the best for burning but you could probably sell the log at a mill. I sold alot of logs after Hurricane floyd. I have an 034 stihl. It's a good saw for most work. Also have a 40 husky. It's light and I use it for branches and other lighter wood.<br>A bit of advise- if the fallen tree your cutting still has a good hold on the ground, once you get weight off the top of it may raise upright. So be careful. Cut some chocks and use them under the tree as well as on the side where you're cutting. I can garauntee you will pinch the saw bar so you should have a spare saw. Remember, use common sense and protect your eyes, etc.

[jcoat]

Stihl's the way to go... also, you might look into a peavey (lever bar) to help keep the saw from eating dirt plus it'll save your back.

[Jason]

Thanks for the help guys, I bought the Stihl 44. Lot's of power, works great though a bit cold blooded.<p>Don't have to worry about the stump, the tree was uprooted when it came down. The trees in this area don't have deep root systems, they kind of spread along ground, plus sandy soil.<p>By the way after going back I looked a bit closer at the tree, I might have overstated things a bit when I said it was 4' in diameter. It's more like 3'. Still a huge pine.

[steveair]

You said you don't have to worry about the stump.<p>I can't see how that can be. <p>Do you have a machine there to move it. I guess you could cut it up, but 20 chains later you may be finished. With a tree that big, it has got to be a monster. <p>We had a multistem willow do the same, biggest trunk was around 20 inch diam. The root ball was giant. Took me 2 hours to get it out of the ground (and yes, it was uprooted half way already) with a case 580. When I got it out, Had to drag it with the hoe and machine. It was huge.<p>We tried to load it, just for a good laugh. The case just moaned. wouldn't even lift it a hair. We had to get our lo-ed (fork truck) to lift it in the back of a single axle. <p>I'm just curious on how you got rid of the stump, or if you are planning on leaving it there.<p>By the way, If you are done, how long did it take you when it was all finished. Is is just you, or do you have some help? Curious to know. Sounds like a real back buster moving logs that big.<p>steveair<br>

[Jason]

Steve,<p>I think you nailed it on the head with the stump issue. Still scrathcing my head on what to do with it. It is huge. When I bid the job, I didn't spend enough time figuring all the variables involved. Hungry for work, so i've been taking any and all that come my way. A chainlink fence was installed right next to the tree. When the tree came down it lifted up the fence, the root ball is on one side of fence, tree on other with fence going over trunk. The only good thing about this is, I can cut the trunk off the ball, and leave the ball on other side of fence, it's on a undeveloped property.<p>I started on the project yesterday. Put about 6 hours in. Today I did some mowing because we're expecting rain all weekend. Tomorrow I'll go back and should finish. The client's niece wants the wood now. So I will be leaving it. She also said not to move the logs, just cut them and let them lay, the niece's husband can deal with moving them. So that is a bonus. All I have to do is cut the trees up, and haul off the limbs. Which is a big enough job in itself. <p>By the way I bought that Stihl 044. Great saw, plenty of power.