Chain saw for turners

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:20 pm

I'm going to start doing a little bowl turning so I need a chain saw for cutting logs down to size. Any recommendations on size and brand? I don't want to spend a ton but at the same time, I don't want to buy a saw that won't last.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:39 pm

Bruce
When I lived in Ohio I used the saw to cut fire wood every winter and most any saw made today with the exception of the Polan line will last you a fairly long time.

That said unless your planing on using the saw on a fairly regular basis you in for problems. Oil/Gas that sits in the saw gunks things up. The longer it sits the thicker the gunk.

When I moved to Florida my fire wood cutting was over and I kept the saw to do trimming. At the time I had 25 orange trees in the yard. However trees dying from the freezes ( from the warming climate

) kept me busy cutting the trees one year I cut nearly all of them down and in about 6 years they were all gone. Each time I used it after a years lay off I nearly had to rebuild the saw. Either the carb was gunked up, the rubber diaphragm fuel pump swelled up or shrank or a seal was leaking.

Finally I gave up on gasoline and went with an electric saw. I love it. No you can't go trudging into the forest and cut yourself a tree but most of the time that isn't what is needed. What is needed is something to cut up wood someone gives you into reasonably sized pieces. This is where the electric shines. Plug in, cut the piece, unplug and set it on the shelf for another year or two, then do the same thing all over again.

Incidently I used my 12 inch electric saw to cut down a Camphor tree what has a 84 inch circumference and was over 24 inches in diameter. I cut it and gave all my turner friends as much wood as they wanted, gave my neighbor a bunch of 8 foot long landscape ties and still trucked nearly 3 tons of tree to the dump. It was a big tree and this tiny little saw tore into it like a wood eating demon.

Caution if you do buy an electric saw keep it small, the large ones draw so many amps, it is safe to say you don't have an extension cord that will handle it. You will burn the saw up. My neighbor saw my saw said that is what I'm going to get and bought the one that pulled 12 amps. He burned it up the first time he used it and told me electric saws were useless. Mine is over 5 years old and it has cut an impressive amount of wood. It pulls 6 amps and I use a 12 guages extension. at 6 amps it has never failed me due to a lack of power.

I still have my gas saw a McClough, but I only have it to remind me the grief of having a gas chain saw that isn't used on a regular basis. It is 35+ years old and given enough starting ether it will run, but why?
Ed

chiroindixon · Post by **chiroindixon** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 7:48 pm

A Stihl 20" "Farm Boss".....

Been running mine hard for 8 years, with some incidents that should have killed it. "Stihl" running strong.....

Doc

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:57 pm

Nothing wrong with most of them. I like Stihl, Husquavarna, and the OLD McCullough's. As far as the gasoline trouble that Ed in Tampa was talking about, I always keep the saw running until it is out of fuel, when I am done with it for the season. I have never had to rebuild or clean at the beginning of the new season...just put in new gas.

Electric ones are nice, if you have a power source nearby.

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:59 pm

Jump in here also with an electric saw. Works better than you would think.

alaskanexile · Post by **alaskanexile** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:03 pm

Whether you buy gas or electric, resist the temptation to buy a bigger saw than you need. A little saw with a sharp chain will likely do more work than you want to do. Bigger is heavier. Heavier is more unwieldy and tiring. A tired operator and a chainsaw is a bad mix. Roger

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:00 pm

Thanks guys, you've given me some good info to consider.

Bruce

Greenvilleguy · Post by **Greenvilleguy** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:24 am

I have a 14" Echo. I drain the gas after each use and then run the saw until the remaining gas is burned. I've never had a problem the next time out.

My primary use is creating turning blanks and 14" is plenty of saw.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:46 am

You guys are brining out the reminiscence thoughts. My wife and I, with baby boy, once had a home that was heated with a wood stove, the kitchen range was heated with wood and the water heater was heated through a manifold in the range. We had electricity, but that was limited to the water pump, two outlets and two ceiling lights.

Of course a chain saw and an axe were tools to sustain life in that Montana woods. The most important knowledge of how to use and maintain a top notch chainsaw is knowing how to sharpen and tension the chain. One aspect of chain sharpening is to develop the skill and knowledge to set the rakers at the proper depth for a particular type of cutting.

chiroindixon · Post by **chiroindixon** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:36 pm

Being a member of the Quad Cities Woodturners, I can tell you that when the gang gets together to slay or section a tree, the 20" saws are preferred.

If you can get to downed trees, you'll appreciate the bigger bar, and the power and versatility of a good gas saw.

I also have an Alaskan saw mill and the 20" is the way to go. Some of the turners in the club are world class, turning hollowed forms 30" or more tall....They start with big hunks that a saw smaller than 20" would have issues.

I never drain my saw and have no problems....BUT...my secret....is I use Mobil 1 synthetic for my two stoke mix. Old carryover from flying ultralights. Works great.

Doc