UKC

Chainsaw

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 ffati 27 May 2020

I'm after a bit of advice my chainsaw has died (was a old thing given to me by my grandad think he got it as they were a free be with a model t Ford) so in need of a new one.

I know I don't want a electric one as I need to use it in a field which is several miles away from a 240v socket. Have used my tree surgeon friends little battery makita saw which is awesome bit of kit. But I'm unsure of its strength as a all day cutting trees clearing a paddock kinda tool. 

Any recommendations on ukc

 Fozzy 27 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

Husqvarna 435 for hedges & smaller stuff up to 14” diameter, 455 Rancher for everything else.  

 cwarby 27 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

That well known bit of climbing gear, especially needed for getting to the crag at the moment!

Dom Connaway 27 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

Fozzy is right. Back in the day when I was cutting for a living the equivalent Stihl saws were also well regarded, if pricey.

That said,  I'd have a chat with your mate about run times, battery sizes, etc. While I'd be surprised if you can get one that will run all day (btw is it big old hardwoods or young softwood? Huge difference in power needed) I'd far rather have a battery powered saw if they're equivalent in performance to a petrol. No trouble starting from hot and a good bit quieter. Less maintenance too.

Dom Connaway 27 May 2020
In reply to cwarby:

If Maestri can use a compressor surely a chainsaw is legit? Besides, the OP may be a special advisor...

OP ffati 27 May 2020
In reply to Dom Connaway

The makita is for chopping stuff before going in the chipper. 

Would be a mix of everything really have a load of old seasoned oak I need to chop up and I'm cutting back a load of old sycamore in the fields at the moment. And fencing bloody fence posts I hate fencing!

I just think that I would forget to recharge a battery I know I always do with my flipping drill. 

Husqy looks good but ni husky dealers near me. 

 Philip 27 May 2020
In reply to Dom Connaway:

I've got a battery Stihl. It's great.

 PeterBlackler 27 May 2020
In reply to Philip:

Diito here (a battery Husqvarna) is a great bit of kit

 Ridge 27 May 2020
In reply to Philip:

> I've got a battery Stihl. It's great.

I have a petrol Husqvarna 440, and on balance wish I'd gone for electric. Pig to start and keep idling. Finally got it working reasonably well, but took a lot of messing about with.

OP ffati 27 May 2020
In reply to Philip:

What size bar and how long does a charge last

 Fozzy 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

FR Jones are spot on for mail order 

 olddirtydoggy 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

I got a 14" Mitox chainsaw. It's cheap and chearful for occasional use and I wouldn't go electric after having borrowed one from a mate. Battery sounds a bit of a waste of time if you're cutting for prolonged periods, I can't imagine a charge will last as long as a fuel tank.

 jimtitt 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

I get to try all the Stihl saws as my buddy is a dealer and tried the biggest electric saw for a week ( the 220). For round the garden keeping the hazel trees under control it was fine but the safety switch drove me mad. The chain is the usual filigrane 1.1 thing and easily damaged. The oil tank is too small. Actually cutting continuously I got 22 mins but at home that didn't matter.

In the forest another matter, my son and I used it for cleaning felled trees and de-branching a couple of fir trees was the limit. A rock-hard dead ash tree is too far! The safety switch stops you using it on it's side which is bonkers. Even at trade price I couldn't justify it and bought a small McCulloch instead

 1234None 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

I have a Stihl MS251 C - had never used a chainsaw before and have really liked this one.  Petrol. but really easy to start, even from cold.  Have used for cutting up 2m lengths of oak, beech and chestnut.  Also for felling and cutting up trees up to 70cm diameter.  Has peformed well in all cases.

 Philip 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

Judging from your requirement to fell whole paddocks at a time I think you'll need the pro model. I've not run the battery down on mine from chainsaw alone. I have 3 long pole hedge trimmer, chainsaw and strimmer. Really impressed, all my petrol tools consigned to back of shed except mower and brush cutter.

 summo 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

It depends how long you'll actually be cutting for ie. The chain moving. If I'm in the forest the chain is moving say 6 out of 8 hours. If i was clearing a former field to be more field like again, I could be cutting for 5-10mins then dragging, lifting and moving stuff for 20 mins then I might get away with electric. 

Also take the long view, will you intermittently need to cut over the next 20 years. Your battery pack will need replacing every so often. You'll always be able to get spares for a branded petrol saw. 

Personally, depending on your budget, I'd buy a mid range petrol saw. But only run it on aspen2 or another pre mixed fuel. They are better for the environment, less emissions, better for the engine and zero risk of making a mistake and screwing the cylinder up. 

Post edited at 08:16
 chris m fisher 28 May 2020

Would second the 455 Rancher - great saw that will happily go all day, powerful too. Just watch out for the lubricating oil leaking out, seems to be a not too uncommon issue.

Equivalent Stihl's are spot on too - might be a question of which can you more easily get hold of and get serviced?

Rigid Raider 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

I've got a 14" Ryobi petrol saw, which is a great little thing for garden duties and firewood. Not too heavy either. 

 wilkesley 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

I use a Stihl petrol driven one (I have two). It gets regular use cutting up fallen trees into logs for the log burner. If you are going to use it on a regular basis, I would recommend a Stihl saw. Other brands are available, but my oldest Stihl has been in regular use for about 10 years. Apart from changing chains and degunking the oil pump, it  has been very reliable.

 HeMa 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

I think I have the biggest battery-makita there is (DUC353). Fine for occational work and felling even bigger soft trees (e.g. spruce). Not so great with hardwood if the diameter is anything bigger than say 10" (depends naturally on the tree and hardness).

My gut feeling is that a proper saw is what you need. More maintenance, but also more power and easier to refuel (gas is actually lighter in the long run than batteries). Husqvarna and Sthill are AFAIK solid options. 

 jimtitt 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

A rough guide to whether a battery saw will cope (apart from whether it's actually man enough) is for the biggest Stihl you need 8 charges to cut the same amount as 1l petrol through a roughly equivalent 2hp saw.

 Dell 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

If you've got the dough and want a solid all-rounder, the Stihl MS260 (or the newer 261) is hard to beat. 

 Toccata 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

Stihl 171 12" great for general use and 210 14" for bigger jobs. Both start first 1-3 pulls, easy to maintain and over a decade of solid use out of both.

 Ben Callard 28 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

It's worth noting that you can buy Husqvana saws on the internet, but you need to go to a dealer to buy a Stihl. This is the reason I ended up with a Husqvana 135 rather than the equivalent Stihl for chopping firewood. It manages ash and beech 1.5 x guide bar without much trouble, but it sounds like you could do with a more heavy duty saw. 

OP ffati 28 May 2020
In reply to Dell:

Cheers for the input guys! I'm going for a stihl saw the 261 being on the table to consider.

As you all can see need something a bit meaty and thing a battery one would not be practical but also long term a good saw will last a fair while.

The choice of a stihl over a husky liked the look of a 455 but local stihl dealer is 2 miles down the road and I think this has swung it for parts service and more than anything supporting local businesses is much more important to me recently.

 Dell 29 May 2020
In reply to ffati:

My acquired my 260 (originally labelled 026) from an arborist who had been using it for 10 years, date of manufacture 2001.

They do need maintenance and service like any machine, but the basics like plugs, filters, chain and bar you can easily do yourself.  It will probably go for a good few years before it needs anything like pistons or ignition parts. 

Just don't store it over winter with fuel or oil in. 

I'd also add, make sure you have a secure site box to store it in, or chain it up to something using a motorbike chain.  I know so many people who have had saws nicked, chainsaws are a scrote magnet. 

Post edited at 12:07

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