Chainsaw deliberations......

[oldclaypaws]

Three little sub-threads here which might engender further opinions....

Firstly, I had a mail from Rob at Chainsaw bars, who is now stocking a new range of affordable double ended bars, that is, to take a chainsaw on each end. The advantage of this is if you had say, 2 regular 50cc chainsaws and put one on each end in a chainsaw mill, you'd have similar power to a very top end 100cc saw, and wouldn't have to shell out on something like a Stihl 661 or 880. So Dexter could hook up his Chinese widowmaker and Husky and chop through 4 ft trunks. The downside is setting up can be a bit of a faff and involve mucking about with chain links to get it right, so Rob is offering a FREE chain breaker and mender with every bar ordered, worth over £150. The bars go up to 87 inches, over 7 feet !

Prices- http://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/products/catlisting/category/double-ended-bars/

Video of double ended setup and use-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haLdafp6ttc&list=UU9eV7377LRZ9H98BQowuSbQ

video of chain breaking and mending-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbDLs3QJ_pQ&list=UU9K0KfLNH84tuWi2VjlSlCg

Second sub thread- semi-chisel chain. I've recently converted to Oregon 22 BPX semi chisel chain and can't see me ever going back to full chisel. For anyone unaware of the difference, full chisel cuts quickly and is designed for max speed through softer wood. Semi chisel is designed for harder, dirtier or drier woods, it cuts a fraction slower but it more forgiving of hard going and holds its edge longer. Using a MS 261 I've been able to go through rock hard dry old oak up to 14" thick with ease, and after cutting maybe a couple of tons of hard Hazel and old oak still haven't found the need to sharpen. Amazing difference, although not everybody will need to chop aged seasoned large fallen oaks like what I 'av to.

Third sub thread; Husky versus Stihl history and differences. A supplier was discussing big milling saws for cutting oak and said Stihl were the obvious choice. Not Husky then, I quizzed. His explanation was that Husky, being Swedish, have evolved principally from a home market where they are cutting pine, whereas in Stihls Germany, they are mainly cutting tougher deciduous hardwoods. As such he suggested, Stihls are marginally slower but more torquey and better for Hardwoods or big stuff, whereas a Husky will zip through soft conifers quicker. He also thought Husky had borrowed Stihls electronic management system under license and had a few initial gremlins as it wasn't taylormade for Husky's. Stihl are also not immune to teething trouble, the new MS 661 was mysteriously recalled without explanation earlier this year, then re-released about a month ago.

[Wendelspanswick]

The third topic sounds like the normal guff given out by salesmen thinking about which product they get the bigger margin on or the more stock to shift!

[Dexter's Shed]

I saw the double ender a few weeks back, splitting wood like that takes all the fun out of it, I'd rather try doing it the way we saw kevin mc cloud do it, piece of pipe, hammered in the end, gunpowder, light fuse and run.......

[smojo]

I'd rather try doing it the way we saw kevin mc cloud do it, piece of pipe, hammered in the end, gunpowder, light fuse and run.......

Yes me too, lots of fun and just seems "wrong" which is another good reason. Then you sober up and think, yeah but.....

I can't add any knowledge about chainsaws and this and that about them but in life generally, anything that seems a bit gimmicky or appearing to offer more for less or be an all singing dancing solution, it is usually a compromise. - a jack of all trades. Coming from an engineering background, I would be wary of something that appears to be quite a complex set-up 9using two chainsaws coupled together. Why? Twice - no three times as many things to go wrong, to maintain and synchronise. Generally I like the philosophy of "keep it simple" and "if it seems too good to be true it probably is". Paws - you are a sensible, common sense person. You probably already have your own gut feeling so go with that - whatever it is.

[Terry]

dont know about that smojo - I think the single powerhead compromises on certain things to keep it simple where as the double head has clear advantages with some minor complications. Going back historically when sawing timber was done manually it was done double handed for many of the same reasons.
We are talking here about bigger timber milling.

[Wendelspanswick]

In the sawmill that I used to work in if a tree butt was too big to go on the band mill they would get a local guy in with a homebrew concoction which was two matched chainsaws with the noses cut off the bars and then the two bars welded together. Worked well but you needed to have a good understanding with the guy on the other end.
He used to nail two bits of 2*4 to either side of the butt as a guide. I remember he was paranoid about blunting the chain as it took so long to sharpen and would make us debark the cut lines before he set to.