Chainsaws

[lxskllr]

I picked up an Echo 620P last week. Looked at the stihls and huskys, just didn't see the need to pay a premium for the name. I've had stihl products before and they function fine. I've also currently have Echo products, and find them to be at least on par with stihl. The 620 i got for 20% off as the local ace had their yearly sale, so it was like 450. It came with a 24" bar, I went ahead and picked up a 18" bar from amazon. Can't wait to get down to the farm this weekend to try it out.

That looks like a nice saw. Basically the equivalent of what I got, but a couple hundred less. From reading around, Echo is still a well regarded brand, just not as common as Stihl or Husky. I'm not sure where I'd buy a bigger Echo locally, but I'm sure there's some place.

I may end up getting a smaller bar also. Depends on how long the Poulan holds up. That makes a good smaller saw, and it's a real treat to carry after hefting the Stihl for a couple weeks :^D Had the Poulan buried in mud, bucking a log last week. It's good for that too. The Stihl's too new/expensive for that kind of abuse(yet).

 

[lxskllr]

Here's where we stand as of today...

Feels like I'm not getting anywhere. One or two tanks of gas on Saturday gives me 1+ weeks of splitting and stacking. Been lucky with the late cool weather, but I need to start winding this up for hot weather. Once it gets to 70+, I'll start clearing up the little stuff. I'm trying to stick with the "do at least one thing a day" routine. Even it's just moving one stick(hasn't been that lame yet :^P ), I want to get /something/ done. Getting out there is 80% of the battle. Once I start, I can get some real work done. Looking at results is disheartening though. It looks more or less the same week to week. I have ~3 cord split/stacked, another cord split, and 1-2 cord that still needs to be split. Then whatever's left on the tree... Thinking about selling small "homeowner" packs of wood at the end of the driveway, but that's probably more work than it's worth :^/

Oh, and splitting sucks. When it's good straight wood, oak splits like a dream. That describes ~10% of my wood. Seems like every piece is a puzzle determining how it'll come apart. I've already done a couple with the saw. Sigh...

 

[NetWareHead]

I also did what you did and cleaned up a tree after it fell in a storm. Ended up buying a chainsaw and split everything; stacked it up in my backyard to burn in the outside fire pit. If the tree is knotted and with different grain directions, manual splitting is going to be a chore. My tree was a huge linden which is not particularly hard wood, forget about oak. It still took me 2 months to get rid of the tree in my free time. You do have a proper splitting maul and some wedges?

Consider renting a log splitter? Home depot will let you rent for 4 hours minimum for $69 or $99 per day (priced at my location). Have all the wood ready to go sawn in split ready lengths, split it and then return the splitter.

 

[lxskllr]

I also did what you did and cleaned up a tree after it fell in a storm. Ended up buying a chainsaw and split everything; stacked it up in my backyard to burn in the outside fire pit. If the tree is knotted and with different grain directions, manual splitting is going to be a chore. My tree was a huge linden which is not particularly hard wood, forget about oak. It still took me 2 months to get rid of the tree in my free time. You do have a proper splitting maul and some wedges?

Consider renting a log splitter? Home depot will let you rent for 4 hours minimum for $69 or $99 per day (priced at my location). Have all the wood ready to go sawn in split ready lengths, split it and then return the splitter.

I have a maul/wedges, and I recently got a splitting maul cheap. I never particularly liked splitting mauls, and I'm still kinda ambivalent about it, but I'm warming up to it a bit. When it works, it works great, but my wood is so twisted, it doesn't work that often. One thing I kind of like is just roundhousing it, and forcing my way through the wood. I'll see a crack start, and I just keep slamming it til it splits, and maybe finishing it with wedges.

I'm not too keen on a log splitter. I'm digging the exercise, and it's productive. Not just work for no purpose. I'm not in business, so there's no time limit, and no production level to keep up. There are limits though. I do have a 48" crosscut saw I could have used to take this tree apart, but that's a bit too far :^D Could you imagine?! I think I'm not getting anywhere now. I'd have 90% less done if I used only hand tools. I have a lot of respect for those old loggers. That was a hard way to make money. Hell, even modern logging would kick my ass if I had to produce for 8 hours a day. I'm good for about 4 hours at a time before I quit, and some of that's spent looking at birds and stuff :^D