/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1530929
Are you talking felling trees or just cleaning up some limbs and cutting up small stuff? Are you going to be cutting the trees up into rounds or are we talking just felling a half dozen trees and calling it good?

Farm Boss was always a little more rugged. I don’t want to say reliable but that’s what I seemed like. Almost never an issue when I had to start and use it besides a dull chain because I’d always grab for it. For anything other than cutting that required the farm boss bar length I’ve found I couldn’t beat the short bar saws. Light enough to swing around all day and still drag branches after, and they’re good for clearing large shrubs faster than loppers or a weed whacker. I’ve only used Stihl so I don’t have a very balanced opinion.

>>1530929
All I would say is please make sure you know what are doing before you start. Take a course or something. Some terrible things happen to those that don't

>>1530938
I’m going to be clearing a patch of our woods to allow for more forest floor growth and plan on only leaving the healthy mast producing hardwoods. So everything from 6 foot saplings, dieing oaks, and evergreens.

>>1530942
Thanks I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the farm boss line and the Husqvarna rancher series. I think either of the brands should work well

Pick the one that has the most spare parts and repair knowledge for your area if you are big time serious about it.

If it is under 5 acres and the cheapest models are real cheap compared to the husq or Stihl then choose that because you can just buy four of them before you reach the pro level costs.

>>1531044
Dubs confirms good advice. I have a Sthil ms 391 and a small poblanos pro. The Stihl is a flaming piece of dog shit and the local Stihl shop are retarded rip off merchants. The Poulan Pro is a great saw that cost a fifth of the cost of the Stihl.

>>1530929
Echo 490, 590 if you want something bigger. Husky is alright but avoid Stihl like the plague unless you're gonna fork out the cash for a pro model. non pro models are all chink trash these days

>>1530942
longer bars mean you don't have to bend over as much cutting logs on the ground. of course you still have to keep in mind the engine size. longer bars do present a safety issue tho. i use 20" on most of mine

>>1531220
my understanding and experience, longer bars are generally put on saws with big power and are meant for felling big trees
the primary purpose of the bar length is for getting through larger diameter tree trunks when felling trees. these saws are significantly heavier, larger, way more powerful
shorter bar usually equates to a smaller, lighter saw, less power and way easier to use for lighter duty stuff like falling smaller trees and limbing/bucking

most of the time you dont want to be lugging around a big saw with a big bar unless your planning on falling some big trees

i've mainly used Stihl and Husqavarna saws in the past. between the two i preferred Stihl

a word about chainsaws. its a gas powered tool, many of them are two-stroke, its one of those tools that requires maintenance, use and attention. you don't just leave it in the barn untouched for 2 years, then go out and expect it to run. they have to be periodically maintained and used

you need to learn to enjoy sharpening your chain and be good at it and do it often. trying to cut with a dull chain is hard work and leads to poor and dangerous cutting techniques
learn to keep your chain out of the dirt/rocks

>>1531229
well it really depends what you consider a big bar. of course no one is going to lug around a 60" bar to cut twigs but those bars also aren't only for felling. once those big trees are on the ground you still need a big saw to actually cut it up unless you want to do a lot of fucking around and end up wasting a huge portion of the wood. also yes they are heavy, for example the Stihl 880( 121cc) is 21lbs without the bar, chain, oil or fuel.

20" is a pretty good size for most people just cutting fire wood for themselves. there will still be trees it can't chop with a single cut but for 99% of the trees it'll work just fine. you do need at least a 50cc saw to really make use of it tho. of course there's nothing wrong with a 16" or 18" but the weight difference is pretty negligible and if you run into something bigger it could require fucking around. also like i said before smaller bars require more bending so it does take a toll on your back.

for someone just fucking around very small time a 30cc with a 14" bar will work just fine and are actually great for cutting all the small shit off a tree you just dropped. problem with those saws is that they are generally cheaply made with thin plastic in major stress areas rather then the reinforced plastic or magnesium typically seen on bigger saws(see pic)

>i've mainly used Stihl and Husqavarna saws in the past. between the two i preferred Stihl

i used to be a big Stihl fan but they've really lost their way over the last decade. anything not a pro model is full of thin plastic and too many meme features like easy start and the 4-mix engines. like i said the pro models are still great but not many want to spend $800+ when there's better alternatives. i've been a pretty big fan of Echo lately. they have better construction, reasonable prices, better warranty and actually start easier then most

>>1531229
>requires maintenance, use and attention. you don't just leave it in the barn untouched for 2 years, then go out and expect it to run. they have to be periodically maintained and used

you'd be surprised how long they can sit and still fire up. had a Husky with a fucked piston sitting in the shed for around 10 years. couldn't believe that thing still fired up even with the fucked piston. that said you should always store them either empty or with a full tank

>trying to cut with a dull chain is hard work and leads to poor and dangerous cutting techniques

it's also a good way to fuck your bar and chain real quick. nothing destroys them faster then heat. personally i use one of those chain grinders but for someone that only has 1 or 2 saws to sharpen a file and guide works just fine. the only exception is with ripping chains, they are hard to do manually and even harder to do right

>>1531139

>>1531044 here. I have a Stihl 381 and it works great. And the dealer near me is fantastic.

The have just brought in a new MS720 on the floor

>>1531258
381 is a $1500 pro model saw. Way beyond what most people on /diy/ would ever need

>>1531260

I was just trying to point out that there a couple ends to the spectrum.

My dealer is great, his is shit.

The 381 actually costs $950 USD in my country and usually things here are much more expensive than in the USA often by 2 or up to 3 times in certain cases.

>>1531266
What does a dealer having a saw for sale have to do with them orovinding quality service and parts?

>The 381 actually costs $950 USD in my country

Maybe on sale and with a short bar

>>1531270
Providing**. Fuck phones

It’s the same as car dudes. Ford vs Chevrolet. I prefer husky myself. I’ll grab a stihl saw at work every now and again I just don’t like the balance on them. Oil and gas tank caps are kind of annoying too. Pro saws are designed to work every day not just a few Saturdays a year. They will last a long time if you keep them maintained. I have 5 husky saws kicking around my shop. One that’s around 45 years old. Still runs just fine. Don’t fall into the bar length meme. 16” bar will cut a 32” tree.
My go to saw is a husky 365 special with a 20” bar. That being said it is a bigger saw but I like to run a 20” bar. It’s easier on my back as I’m not bent over all day limbing.
I consider myself a professional with a saw with almost 30 years experience. I currently work as a sawyer on a wild land fire crew and when summer ends I work with a friends tree removal company. My family manages 300 acres of woodlots and Xmas tree farms. Have a look on local buy and sell websites some good deals can be found

>>1531274
>Oil and gas tank caps are kind of annoying

No they are outright garbage. They also charge you through the ass for replacements and you WILL need replacements. They also leak far more then any other cap on the market. Don’t understand why they keep pushing those fucking things

>>1531270

>What does a dealer having a saw for sale have to do with them orovinding quality service and parts?

To be honest I worded that part wrong. It was more a point of interest rather than a point of proof.

>>The 381 actually costs $950 USD in my country

>Maybe on sale and with a short bar

That is the actual floor price. Comes with a 20" bar, 72 link chain and the basic service bag. An MS440 is $1,124.

>>1531274
Question about your 45yo saw, what octane do you run in it and does it run on ethanol blend (10% blend nothing crazy)? I have an old stihl that is about 20-30yo. Runs great but I know older engines aren’t meant for ethanol but I’m worried that I may be killing it slowly. I keep it well maintained and stored dry after running some stablizer through. Is there anything special you do to care for your old buddy to keep him strong in his age?

>>1531278

My gas side does fine but you have to make sure the oil cap is whistle clean because that attracts wood chips and that was the source of my leakages.

Explaining that to your staff seems to impossible because every week you would find the back of the truck full of bar oil and one of the saw tanks empty.

>>1531279
>20"
Like I said, short bar. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but it does reflect the price. Also don’t they throw in an extra chain? My dealer gives a spare chain with all saws and if you buy case for it they throw in another chain and file kit. The Echo and Husky cases are FAR better then Stihl btw.

>>1531283
Most saws should run 89 or 91 but with that said I run 87 in all mine and they run just fine. Never had an issue with ethanol in any of my saws.

>>1531285
Yep usually the bar oil leaking on mine too but I’ve had both leak. I have a bigger issue with getting the damn caps lined up properly especially once the marks have wore off. Either way no matter how you look at it it’s a shit design and really over complicated when a simple threaded cap works just fine

>>1531288

>Like I said, short bar. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but it does reflect the price.

How much is a 25" bar in your country to bring the price up to $1500?

Also don’t they throw in an extra chain? My dealer gives a spare chain with all saws and if you buy case for it they throw in another chain and file kit.

It really depends on the time of year. What I mentioned was standard delivery but during the year they have various promotions for when they want to shuffle stuff around or push a particular product.

If purchased by a landscaping company they give an automatic 10%. Because of my prior relationship I got the saw down 20% off which I generally apply to consumables.

>>1531301
$1500 is actually the price with a 20”. On sale it’s probably down around the $1000 area tho. It’s been a long time since I’ve bought a bar so I’m not too sure on prices but I think the last 1 I got was an Oregon 20” for around $110.

>It really depends on the time of year

That’s kinda shitty. Here you always get 1 spare. I like having spares so I can just keep swapping chains as they get dull then sharpen them all at once on a rainy day or whatever. Stihl sales generally include a case + chain while Echo and Husky sales usually make you pay for the case at a reduced price but the case always gets you a 3rd chain + file kit. Occasionally they’ll throw in a litre of pre mixed fuel but I never use that shit. Oh and all saws generally come with some 100ml cans of 2 stroke oil. It varies but last saw came with 6 of them.

No idea what discounts landscapers get here. My local dealer mostly sells to farmers and landscaping is really only big in the cities. I do know the loggers tend to get free saws. Loggers around here are generally interacting with the farmers so handing out a few free saws for them to show off is cheap marketing

>>1531283
If you are concerned about ethanol rusting your engine because of water leeching into it over time, you can buy pure gasoline at most marinas.

>>1530929
if it's one time project I use cheapo chinesium brands from good stores
If it fails they take it back and give you new one for a whole year
Never failed on me because I know how to maintain them - that is mix right amount of oil and never flood them
Quality ones are long term investments

>>1531288
Good to know, I put 93 in it since I have two newer stihl products and they recommend it.
>>1531307
I have a gas station about 30min from me that still sells corn-free straight dino. A few cents more expensive but I’m not complaining if I buy maybe 5gals a year. Wasn’t so much worried about the fuel degradation as how the fuel burns. I have a small tractor from the 80’s and I have to put the straight stuff in otherwise it won’t idle with out the fuel turned up halfway or better even with adjusting the fuel to air mix for a whole day. Put straight dino in it and she’s happy as a clam at low rpm.

Oh oh oh I have a serious question:

Boomer neighbor gave me this chainsaw yesterday. Got it running on starter fluid and then it kept running on gas but at a high high idle. Anyway I ordered a brand new carb and fuel lines and all that good shit because $17 on Amazon is easier than fucking around with this for a whole day.

Anyway when it was running at that real high idle, it was dripping bar oil out pretty good near the base of the chain. Is this normal? I want to say it was around 50% throttle, so how much oil is supposed to be coming out of these things?

>>1531404
I have hear people say before that Shell gas stations in their area, the 93 Octane is always ethanol free. I have never seen that around me, but I also live near the ocean so half the gas stations sell REC 90 which is 90 octane with no ethanol.

From reading the rest of this thread, I'd recommend the Echo CS590, it's 500$ and comparable to the 750$ saws from Husky and Stihl. Comes with a five year consumer warranty. Echo is second to none until you get up to the true pro models.

>>1531420
Sorry, actually it's 400$.

>>1530929
Whatever you feel is appropriate. But it won't mean shit unless you have 2 chains, one for soft one for hardwood.

Go on, cut some Manitoba ash with a hardwood chain. Have fun.

>>1531411
>it was dripping bar oil out pretty good near the base of the chain. Is this normal?

yes that means the bar oiler is working.

My Dad made firewood and only used Husqvarna, i use it too to cut logs into oven size!

>>1531411
>it was dripping bar oil
that's normal. some are adjustable if you want to slow it down some. usually they use about a tank of oil at the same rate as a tank of gas. after a saw has been sitting i always spin it just above a piece of wood to make sure it's throwing off oil. running a saw without bar oil will fuck the chain and bar real quick

>>1531420
590 is a good saw although a little heavy to carry all day long. not quite as much torque as the 600p which is basically the same saw but very popular with farmers. absolutely nothing wrong with Echo they just don't have big saws but the saws they do have usually have a lot of features seen in bigger pro model saws.

OP here. There is a dealer near me that sells factory reconditioned saws for great value. Pic related, a 460 rancher with 24 inch bar for 300 USD. Seems like a good deal. Has anyone had expierence with reconditioned saws?

>>1531848
i didn't even know that was a thing. i'd be pretty skeptical because you don't really know what was fixed. that said rebuild kits for saws are pretty cheap so there's not really a lot to lose. i'd look it over really well and pay special attention to the housing but that's the really expensive part. do they give any sort of warranty?

>>1531848
Do they offer a warranty? 2 stroke engines are so simple and you can always find parts for Stihl. They probably rebuild the carb, new fuel lines,filters, chain, maybe bar and the thing is good as new assuming it was never overheated like a motherfucker.

Doesn’t sound like a bad deal.

>>1531943
i'd really question WHY it ended up back at the factory. i know some shops do let you trade in saws but they are usually just reselling themselves not sending it to the factory. that tells me they must have been returns but i really can't think of why a return would be sent back to the factory and not just fixed under warranty by whatever shop. the only thing i can really think of is big box store returns but they typically(at least here) only sell small home owner saws

either way if they give you at least a year warranty it's not a bad deal at all

>>1531411
If that yellow knob is the chain tension adjust check it for wear especially considering how beat the rest of it was. It’s a wear item on mine and eventually the chain will start going slack when cutting and finally not tension at all. Honestly hate it but it’s nice for people not familiar with saws.

>>1531961
Could be returned for anything. Whenever I’m in the receiving area of Lowe’s, I see so much brand new stuff getting shipped back to the manufacturer for the dumbest reason. If you buy something brand new, get it home and realize they put a shitty O-ring on something or a plastic panel got busted in shipping, are you going to fix it yourself or bring it back to the store and get one that isn’t busted?

Now the one you returned will get sent to some other repair center and they will put a good o-ring on it and it’s too much of a hassle to package it back up with the factory fresh units from China so it will be sold at a discount.

If they give you a 90 day warranty or something on it, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one if the price is right. The wear items should all be fresh and there isn’t too much else to go wrong on those small engines.

>>1531875
>>1531943
I will call the dealer and ask what’s covered under the factory reconditioned process. Some of the saws look brand new so I thought some were just used once and returned

>>1531989
i just find it hard to believe that'd happen much with saws especially sold from dealers and not box stores. i suppose it must happen enough if they actually bother to resell them. i can't see them really having major issues either because the time it'd take to replace say the engine is going to cost the company more then the saw is worth. it also wouldn't be worth even throwing a new bar on and sending it out.

i guess i just find it interesting and i'm curious how and why they end up with enough saws coming back to be worth the hassle of reselling.

>>1531991
i'd bet they are basically brand new. like i said above i can't see it being worth it to the company to perform major repairs.

>>1530929
Get some manual saws instead. Build real character.

>>1532025
They could be models sold at big box stores. If somebody buys the saw from Home Depot and returns it a week later, HD is going to send it back to the manufacturer, they’re not in the business of repairing them and they don’t really mark that stuff down and put it on the shelf like some other shops will do.

And then it must go back to a Stihl service or processing center and even if it is basically brand new when repaired, they can’t really package them up and slap them back on a pallet of brand new units from Asia. There must be some wholesalers who bid on lots of that reconditioned shit and then that wholesaler sells them to shops like OP is looking at.

Would be interesting to see how the whole supply chain works, but it has to be a bunch of warranty claims and damaged stuff that gets bought up by some other big “reconditioned” buyer so the manufacturer can make a few bucks back.

>>1530929
I've done several hundreds of cubic meters of nordic timber mostly thinning young forests below 20 cm diameter at 1,3 meter height with Jonsereds and they were fine. Husqvarnas and Stihls are usually considered more professional. The occasional large trees with 50cm diameter haven't been a problem either.

Andrew Camarata has a nice video about fixing chainsaws. It gives you a good picture about them. It's more about the tasks you want do with them.

>>1531274
>Ford vs Chevrolet
not since the 90s
GM quality control is waaaaaaaaaaaay down and now they are fucking their employees

>tfw nobody will ever have to buy another can of carb cleaner again
$17. Seventeen doll hairs to get a kit with all the new parts for that chainsaw motor to make it run like new again.

>>1532870
I will never own another GM product after having one Chebby where you couldn’t fold down the sun visor without wacking the rearview mirror and throwing it out of adjustment. If a company is that cheap and shitty that they wouldn’t source a different visor or mirror, what do you think they’re doing with the important parts?

>>1530929
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/forums/chainsaw.9/

Sinve thou art a noob watch the whole series. You'll thank me later.

>>1530947
It's not that bad guy. Handling a chainsaw is no different than a gun or driving. Don't rush or hurry with it and respect it. Never run her without chain bar oil, it needs replaced every tank of gas. You can use Canola oil during the winter and vegetable oil during the summer. Also get some files so you can sharpen and maintain the chain.

>>1532875
Shit yeah man. It's super easy to tune the suckers too, takes me 5 mins now and I can literally clear out sumac with my weed whacker no problem now. Take pictures as you disassemble so you don't forget how the gas lines were setup or anything.

>>1530947
I have been fucking with that saw for a clouple days, ripping the starter cord, watching it spin up to full throttle on starter fluid, and having the chain start ripping while the saw is in between my bare feet a couple inches from taking off some toes.

Has been fun, only minor cuts thus far.

>>1532875
>green fuel line
You’re doing it right. I wish I had people that worked like you. Nice to see follow up pictures amigo.

>>1533120

Why not just engage the chain brake?

>>1533413
The directions on that one say to disengage the brake whe I’m starting it.

>>1533398
The transparent lines are nice too because you can see if you’re getting air bubbles from shitty fuel filter location or a crack in the hose. I still gotta fine tune the thing. What was left of the gas in there was soooo yellow, so I drained it all and added some fresh fuel that is tinted blue with the oil, and the shit still has a yellow tint in there. The gas in there broke down something fierce so I may need to empty that tank again and spray the shit out of it with carb cleaner.

Also I gotta find an air filter or some sponge I can cut myself. I tried using a bit of a lap sponge just to have something in there temporarily but the fucker got sucked into the carb.

>>1533427

>The directions on that one say to disengage the brake whe I’m starting it.

Interesting. Kinda sketchy when you start it standing up with the drop-and-pull method.

>>1533427
>The directions on that one say to disengage the brake when I’m starting it.

ignore that shit then. it shouldn't make a damn bit of difference. a properly turned saw with proper chain tension shouldn't be spinning the chain at idle anyway

>>1533478
That’s what I thought too because of >>1533483 it shouldn’t cause any issues unless the idle is way too high and it kills the engine. But two different spots both said to disengage the brake before pulling the cord.

>>1533483

My first start of the day is always easiest with it on high idle (1 pull vs 10), which is more than enough to damage yourself.

>>1533503
if your saw takes 10 pulls you better clean and adjust the carb and replace the spark plug. that's assuming of course you don't have some chink piece of shit in which case just toss it into the scrap pile where it belongs

>>1530929
Pro user here.

The Husqvarna 562xp is a fantastic saw paired with an 18" bar and 3/8 semi chisel chain as an all rounder.
most dealers will also often offer "used" saws considerably cheaper than the "ebay" markets.
approx. 1/4 the retail price if you are on a budget.

On the Stihl flavour I like the MS 462 C-M its a 70cc but its weight feels like a 60cc its expensive but its a Stihl and probably the best saw I have ever used until the MS500i is released anyway.

On the used market the older Stihls like the 038 super (farmboss) has a 67cc engine its heavy and 0 frills but its built in "WEST GERMANY" and its a tank. One of the greatest saws EVER! and can be had for a SONG. Obviously try and buy it from someone who looked after it not a "Barn find".

Can I mix regular 5w30 oil into my gas to get the right mixture?

>>1534216
No

General chainsaw brainlet here.
Can I swap the bar and chain on my Kobalt saw (40V, 12 inch bar) with another brand of bar and chain? I want to make it a 16 inch bar instead of 12.
Tired of making 2 cuts on small stuff and I would like to keep all my lawn equipment on the same power method.

>>1534296
Don’t know shit about fag saws but bars are pretty universal so probably. Take it to a local shop and they’ll get you set up. Keep in mind a new bar + chain is gonna run you around $100

>>1534216
Yeah, don’t do that. Engine oil is not designed with combustion in mind. Yes, you ‘can’ do it but it’ll fuck shit up. Better to wait and buy proper fuel mix unless you don’t care about saw and want to experiment.

>>1534332

Better off using marine 2 stroke if it is as cheap as it is in your area as it is in mine.

>>1533528

Is cold

>>1534409
irrelevant

>>1534216
Yes.
It will smoke more and you need to run higher mix.
Most old saws ran regular motor oil and many people in poorer countries still do.

>>1530929
I only buy Stihl but it is more of a personal preference

>>1534408
Any difference in the specs for marine stuff or does it just have a different label on the bottle? Up north here, marine activities are a luxery for people on hot summer weekends. Not more affordable here but I’m curious about it.

>>1534216
No! You can use it as a bar and chain oil if you don't have better but never put that stuff in your saw mix. Use only quality 2 stroke oil for that. I never use anything other than Stihl Ultra oil in my sawmix.

>>1534216
The real answer (because I googled it once):

You could use it in a pinch but it’s not good for the motor. Regular engine oil has more ash and bullshit in it and will cake everything up with soot and crap.

And the marine oil, I don’t think anon is talking about engine oil for boats. They sell gallon jugs of 2-stroke oil, I used to get it for my jet skis. It wasn’t cheap, like $30+ per jug, but it would last forever mixing 50:1 for chainsaws. Definitely more cost efficient than those tiny bottles.

Cheap tools aren't good, and good tools aren't cheap. Get a Stihl or an Echo.

>>1534309
Jesus christ just buy the chain/bar yourself. Can get 2 oregon chains for around $20 on ebay, bars are less than $50.

>>1534789
Figured he meant for 2 stroke boats. Small engines, gas, diesel, tractors, cars trucks, I’ve done major work on just about everything except boats. Thanks for the insight though. I’ll check who can order it for me, what’s online, and what kinds of pricing I can get. I’d rather have a big jug instead of fussing with the little bottles, for one thing it’ll take up less room on the shelf and if it’s cheaper that’s a big bonus.

>>1534934
I’m not sure there is any real difference. Pic related references outboard motors in the description, and there’s a “Plus” version for $1 more. Use the coupon codes Advance always has and you could get a jug for $30. Just realized the bottle says “Marine” too.

Stupid cheap little chainsaw. Got it to fire up but then it wants to bog down when I give it some throttle. Boomer said he replaced the fuel lines but maybe I need to do those. Also the fuel tank is really low so that could be my issue. I’ll fuck with it next weekend.

>>1534701

Honestly I haven't even checked.

But 1l of stihl 2 stroke is 16 USD when a 946ml bottle of shell nautilus (we use them in the outboards is 5.60 USD. Fishermen on one 50hp yamaha Enduro go out 20 miles and come back on that so I would bank on it.

3rd world prices.