Keeping the house warm. In firewood mode full swing.

[paul h]

Couple more minor thing to add.

Buck your trees where you drop them. If you drag them through the dirt, it's just the same as running your chain into the dirt and you'll be sharpening or swapping loops every few cuts.

A properly sharpened chain can't be emphasized enough. There is no amount of hp that will make up for a dull chain, all you make is noise and sawdust when a chain is dulled. Spending a couple of minutes swapping out a dull loop will save you hours of grief trying and failing to make a dull chain cut.

While I like hp...
(my ported 181 was a cutting fiend)



...having a saw that isn't too heavy is also a performance issue. If I was falling and bucking trees daily I would have been in shape for such a heavy saw. But for the occasional wood cutting home owner an 80cc pro saw had my back aching by the end of the day.

My next saw will be a 562 XP

[tygar]

It was mid 70s in VA today. Was going to drop the top on one of my convertibles but wife didn't want to mess up her hair. lol

[southpaw]

Hawgsquatch,

I enjoyed your post, LOTS of good info there. The only thing I will contest, on a small scale, is #3. I work in a paper mill and I have seen transfer chains worn very smooth (takes LOTS of time). I get what you are saying, just pointing out that if you are cutting something, it is getting dull. Dirty wood makes this happen faster. Sorry for nit picking.

I am a good bit shorter than you so my 24" bar works pretty good for me. I like my 064, but then I am young, have broad shoulders and were a small hat.

Good post!

Jerry Jr.

[southpaw]

tygar,

It was pretty warm here today as well. I dropped my top and didn't here any complaints. But I was in the woods setting traps. Time to check for ticks.

Jerry Jr.

[Hawgsquatch]

A few extras....

Sharp chain saws actually produce wood chips not sawdust.

Clean the bar grooves with a pocket knife and clear the oil ports in the bar every time you have the bar off of the saw.

Flip the bar over every time you have the bar of the saw to distribute the wear.

Either grease the bar tip every use or never. If you grease it every time, the new grease will force out the grit and metal dust that is produced during use and keep the bearing surfaces lubed. If you never grease it, the bar oil will do the same thing. If you intermittently grease it, the old grease will keep all the dirt right there on the bearings where it does the most damage.

Replace the drive sprocket when it is worn out. A new chain and old sprocket do not mesh. Likewise a new sprocket and old chain don't either. A sprocket will typically last about three chains.

Two stroke engines fire on every revolution. Modern saws turn upwards of 15,000 rpm. That spark plug has a designed life of only 40 operating hours. I recommend NGK and Bosch plugs. You don't want to find out what happens when a spark plug fails.

Use premium fuel. Higher octane reduces detonation and will make your saw last a lot longer. How much two stroke fuel do you really use anyways? The cost is negligible.

How long? My parents have the first Husky saw they ever sold on the wall of the shop, a 1970 Husqvarna model 65. The guy who bought it brought it in to the shop for a service in 1998. When my dad saw the saw and checked the numbers he told the guy to just pick any 65 cc saw off of the rack that he liked and we would call it even. My dad cuts three cords of wood yearly with that saw today.

[Fishman]

My contribution from a lot of wood cutting in the past.

if you need seasoned wood and don't have 18 months, look for logged areas where the tops were left. They will be well seasoned and still have a lot of usable firewood, and the landowner is often glad to get it cleaned up.

Fiberglass handles and heavy splitting mauls kinda suck. Get a good 6 lb maul with an ash handle. There is considerable technique and skill involved that takes a while to master. With the lighter maul you can get your swing velocity up and with the ash handle your hands can slide down to the end of the handle increasing your arc and thus your speed. At the last second relax your muscles and let the handle and head do the work. Done right, the wood just explodes. Sticky wood like elm or live oak is easier with a gas splitter but can still be split this way.

Better a a light low powered saw with a sharp chain than a heavy powerful saw with a dull chain. Always use a sharp chain.

Use a a hard hat, muffs, eye protection, and chaps. Once I had a 5" limb get pulled out of an adjacent tree from a felled tree. Luckily I was bent forward and the butt of it hit my head with a glancing blow or I wouldn't be typing this. I woke up on the ground flopping like a chicken with its head cut off. Bit my toungue mostly off and broke and chipped several front teeth. And oh yeah, a concussion and stitches. The dental and hospital bills would have bought me protective gear for life. This happened even though I had lots of experience.

An acquaintance of mine sawed into the top of his thigh and was lucky it didn't go too deep. Not wearing chaps.

be safe.

[toallmy]

Always have a extra bar and sharp chain , to swap out either when the first one gets dull , or if you get the bar stuck in a log . You can just swap out and cut the bar and chain free of the pinch , it will happen .

[Teddy (punchie)]

Have Not read the whole post but, allot of good info .

BTU out of wood is ?? at some levels. Any way some wood type burn better at different percents of water levels in wood.

Harder the wood the better the heat, is a good rule.

If understand you burning green wood, which is okay, the best no but. After splitting it drys after a week or so inside, good enough to burn anyway.

I would what I call free burn once a week. Let everything heat up hot very hot for an hour or so. Make sure you clean the chimney at least the start of the season. You better have it checked and also look for any birds nests, every year. Old chimney fire you don't want or need one. Never place water on a warm or hot, chimney.


We used one for years to off set the heating like maybe 5 years. I never had a build up of tar from wood ( can't spell creosote )

[MaryB]

Some of the best wood we burned was standing dead red elm. Stuff was no fun to split even with a hydraulic splitter but it burned hot and long. And it was plentiful in the Minnesota River bottom near where I lived.

Nice chart of BTU of different wood species https://chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm

[toallmy]

It's that time of year again , and I'm looking forward to putting my back yard shooting berm together with a big pile of firewood . I can get a lot more handgun shooting in when I can do it at home .

[lightman]

We have a fireplace and burn maybe a cord of wood a year. Our fireplace is not very efficient, but it will heat one room to a comfortable level if the power is off. Its really mostly for looks. A roaring fire on a cold Sunday afternoon just makes a ball game more enjoyable and makes a drink taste better! I'm not physically able to cut wood anymore so I buy it, cut split and delivered.

Theres lots of good ideas above about equipment and safety. I used a chainsaw for many years cutting and trimming limbs out of a bucket truck. Most of the advice above from Professionals is spot on. Keep it sharp!

[Handloader109]

Always wanted a fireplace, Had plenty of available trees to pick from in MS. But now here in Arkansas, I need to burn just to keep place warm as it is all electric.. But only a couple of standing torn my 3acres. Resorting to buying. But love the heat and fire!

[bob208]

I get slab wood form the saw mill over the mountain. cut most of it with the buzz saw on the tractor. still split it with a axe. at 67 the doctor calls it good exercise. also burn coal.

[toallmy]

Good bob208 I pray at 67 I will be able to just walk outside and be alive let alone feel like cutting wood .

[WILCO]

I lit the wood stove many times with bacon grease.

[rancher1913]

I lit the wood stove many times with bacon grease.

that is sacrilege, you only use that stuff for cooking

[bob208]

we have a bacon grease catcher with screen. I save to other that cooks out of sausage and burgers to light the fire also save the paper towels I drain the bacon on to start the fire.

[WILCO]

that is sacrilege, you only use that stuff for cooking

When you absolutely have to have ignition, you run with what works.

[MaryB]

Pellet stove purring away, dumped in 30 pounds of pellets when I got up today... hard work carrying that 40# bag in from the garage!

[blackthorn]

Spent two hours moving 24" Dia blocks into my workshop. Good for several weeks with the amount I use. I split it using a wedge and sledge. I will be 79 in two months. Life is good!