Chainsaw Question

[Jonas Smith]

It's that time of the year again where I'm using the B3 Power Wagon to haul split firewood from the log stack to the wood shed. What fun!!!!!
Anyway, I have a Stihl 041 AV Super, that's seeming a bit too small for the task at hand. I'm cutting up fir thats about 25"-30" across and Maple that's 12"-16" across. The little ol' Stihl does pretty good throwing the chips, but if I dig the spurs in the fir, it bogs down. If I dont dig the spurs in, it take forever and a day to get through. I've got a fresh tune up on it and the proper mix, I know the saw is running as optimally as it can. The chain is sharp
I also have a Pioneer "Farmsaw" that I actually like better than the Stihl. It seems to cut better. The chips just pour out the bottom! It is a bit heavier, and smaller engine (66ccm vs. 72ccm), but it does'nt bog down too bad. I hate to use it too much because if I ever break it, parts are non-existent.
So I'm thinking of stepping up to a bigger saw. The 044 is the next size up. My Dad has a 076 that's been "souped-up". It's just insane. I think I could put wheels on it and drive it to work. He let me use it once when we were clearing some dead trees out at his place. It's not a lot of fun to work with for very long.
I'm thinking of looking for a just a plain 056 Magnum to add to the lineup for the bigger stuff. I've read it's the lightest "production" saw they make. The used ones are popping up now and again for a pretty reasonable price and the local saw shop still has fair parts support. Anyone have any expirence and opinion about the 056? I will be using it just for annual firewood duty for my house and the single-mother of 2 next door. A new saw is not an option, and I dont want to borrow Dads saw. Besides he told me once when I was just looking over his 076 in his garage:
"Jonas, you know, theres two things I NEVER loan out.... My wife and my Chainsaw."
Words of wisdom. I have the same list, but also add my trailer as something to NEVER loan out.

[MoparNorm]

My Stihl is just right...but it's been discontinued and I cannot remember the model number...duh...I think it is a 072, it has a 32" bar and is fairly light (by my standards).
Even though you say your chain is sharp, it really doesn't sound like it. It may be sharp, but the "set" of the cutting teeth doesn't sound adequate, it may not be cutting enough relief in the cut to allow free chain movement. It should not bog like that.
Try adjusting the chain tension also, the bar can get hot very quickly if the chain is too tight and the bar and chain can expand from the heat and drag the chain down to a stop.

[The Other Ross]

Your saw is just to small.I have a 3622(?) jonsered and anything over 7-8 inches it just doesn't like.Newer saws are so highspeed they don't have the torque.Once more,there's no replacement for displacement.

[MoparNorm]

Your saw is just to small.I have a 3622(?) jonsered and anything over 7-8 inches it just doesn't like.Newer saws are so highspeed they don't have the torque.Once more,there's no replacement for displacement.

Hmmm,
Maybe mine has a Poly in it....= )
I've cut down Eucalyptus over 4' in diameter with it, no problem at all. I've replaced one chain in 22 years, the old German steel was pretty good! It still starts on the first pull, everytime.

[The Other Ross]

Hmmm,
Maybe mine has a Poly in it....= )
I've cut down Eucalyptus over 4' in diameter with it, no problem at all. I've replaced one chain in 22 years, the old German steel was pretty good! It still starts on the first pull, everytime.

Try Oak.Pacific coast lumber tends not to be as dense as eastern hardwoods.

[JimmieD]

I just got rid of my vintage chainsaw collection, ended up being 41 saws. Gave them to a guy starting a chainsaw museum! Older chainsaws are a little like vintage Power Wagons: parts are where you find them. There's lots of parts around for that great Pioneer saw, everything from pistons/cylinders to crank seals & carb kits, but you have to know where to look. Some VERY good guys hang out at the link and with some effort and persistence on your part you can find what you need, just be your friendly self!

http://www.chainsawcollectors.se/index.php

Crank seals are part of the fuel pumping in 2 strokes. Leaky seals means the carb isn't getting the fuel mix or velocity of mixture when it needs it.

Older saws like the exact fuel/oil mix they were designed for, not the new super lean oil mixes. Kiss the rings and cylinder goodbye on some of that stuff. The older saws are designed to run on leaded high octane gas. The closest you can come is high octane unleaded, instead of the cheapest fuel you can find at the pumps. I like to add a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil in addition to the correct fuel/oil mix. Extra mix oil and Marvel only means a bit more smoke and slightly more frequent plug changes and your engine will thank you.

Sounds like Norm's right on target on the chain. You're pretty close to 'big saw' country up there. The local saw shops can recommend more of a 'race' chain for you, with lower rakers and more radical cutting faces. There's chain dealers, chainsaw racers and logging pros at that website, a couple of the most active are right up there in your area!

That said, a good Oregon chain that's properly sharpened goes a long ways towards making chips. There's at least 3 'angles' to dress on a saw chain: the curved cutting edge, the top cutting edge and the raker height. Many fail to touch up the top edge to remove the burr after using the round file, very important. You don't want to remove material there, just dress it true. I suggest a good quality saw file setup with a guide for the file to help you get the angles exactly right. Your local dealer carries Oregon, and the Oregon file, and can tip you to the tricks of the trade.

Older saws and even some new ones need to have some attention paid to the saw chain oiler. My saws work on any oil, but some, especially Stihl, are set up for factory chain oil instead of thick bulk oil. Fire up the saw and rev up the engine with the bar tip a couple of inces from a clean sheet of white paper. You should be splashing chain oil in a line at least 3"-4" if not all up and down the paper! No oil, no cut, because the teeth overheat and lose their temper, won't stay sharp more than 1 or 2 cuts.

I run my saws way rich on the fuel oil mix, AT LEAST 32:1, if not heavier on the oil. Also the carb mix contributes to horse power development. Start saw and warm it up. Crack the trigger all the way open. At no load, not cutting, the saw should be too rich, changing the engine note from 2 cycling to 4 cycling. Start into the cut with the saw throttle wide open and it will then change the engine note to a healthy 2 cycling sound and make the power it needs, also without seizing up rings and pistons!

Chainsaws have a strong appetite for sparkplugs. I like Champion there, and a good plug goes a long ways in making power. Set the gap properly and check the plug fairly often, they're cheap enough. I go through maybe 3 plugs per saw per cutting season. Double check the air filter, and use your shop air to blow the sawdust/oil out of cooling fins, as overheating leans the mixture, robs horsepower and kills engines.

[JimmieD]

I re-read and that was confusing on fuel/oil mix and carb mixture. I was saying that the oil to fuel ratio should be properly heavy on the oil side.

The saw's carburetor mixture should be such that it 4 strokes slightly when wide open, no load. There's 3 adjustment screws: idle speed, low-speed needle/jet & hi-speed needle jet. You set the idle speed a bit high, then adjust low-speed needle/jet for stable running. Crack it wide open and it should then have hi-speed needle/jet adjusted so it 4 strokes without a load on chain. Let it return to idle, and then adjust low speed needle so that there's a smooth transition from idle to wide open throttle when you hit the trigger fast. Once you're there, adjust the idle mixture so saw chain just stops.

[Doc Dave]

Try Oak.Pacific coast lumber tends not to be as dense as eastern hardwoods.

Thats right.
Many of our western friends would be humbled by some of the eastern species.
When I cut oak or hickory you really know very quickly if the saw is razor sharp. Even worse is a Black Locust (especially dead). I remember seeing sparks coming off a newly sharp chain just because the locust was so hard, almost like metal.
The other thing is with splitting.
Try splitting hickory or sweet gum with a maul! In the splitting contests you see on t.v. they always seem to pick straight grained wood wood like western pine or oak.

[MoparNorm]

Eucalyptus is a gum, impossible to split when green, but when dry it really splinters.
What's all this talk about Oak? We have tons of Oak out here and Walnut and Hickory. The East doesn't have a monopoly on hardwoods, we just have more pine than you guys and that gets the press.

[The Other Ross]

Climate,man,climate.Western trees grow fast(most species)wide growth rings due to long growing seasons equal softer wood.What's bigger,a 200 year old redwood or a 200 year old southern pine.

[MoparNorm]

You're talking apples to oranges (or redwood to pine!) there Ross, two completely different species. While a 2,000 year old Coastal Redwood will be bigger than a Southern Pine, a 200 year old Giant Sequoia Redwood may not be.

Also that's a generalization about region. A western Briscelcone Pine takes about 6,000 years to mature at 20' tall....= )
A western, Ironwood is harder than ANY tree, it's nearly uncutable and it will burn for about three days, unfortunately I can't show you because they are protected, but occasionally one accidentally finds it's way into a campfire, by accident.
My point is; location alone isn't a governing factor, climate and species is.

[Kevin in Ohio]

As others have said, your depth guages are wrong on the chain. Any good chain sharping shop should have them IF they are willing to sell one to you. Probably able to find them online but they vary in depth depending on the size/style of chain you have. Bottom line, you should NOT have to force the saw into the wood, it should self feed. If you have the HP put on a bigger bar. Biggest saw We have has a 28 inch bar and we just make 2 cuts, one from each side. Routinely get 3fters and not worth the money or weight to buy a big boy.(personal opinion) I get a lot less tired using smaller saws and notice that when I've cut with others. Makes no sense to me to trim with a big saw and we normally have about 6 saws every time we go out.

My Grandfather was one of the first Homelite Dealers in Ohio when evrything was 2 man chainsaws. Homelite was laughed at when they came out with a one man but they changed their minds when they out sawed the 2 mans. Most were gear driven and they had direct drive which they got more chain speed out of.

Some people believe that a chain is only good for a few sharpenings, Totally false. When my Dad went to an Oregon Chain workshop they said a chain will cut just as good with minimal teeth as a brand new one IF sharpened correctly. We use/sharpen them till the teeth start breaking off from no support left to hold them on. I've actually run chain with only 5 teeth left on ONE side and all the others present. Funny thing was it still cut straight and that was double cutting on a big log.

I go a little over board on the depth guages on my "log" saw so it will cut quicker. The problem with doing that is it will kick more quickly on you and you some times have to "hold it back" as it takes more power.

The hardest wood we have here is dead Osage orange/hedgeapple. It dulls a chain quicker than anything else I've sawn and we do do quite a bit. Currently have about 130 cord under cover. Phooey on the oil companys! I buy enough gas. Kevin

[Kevin in Ohio]

Need to clarify that Oregon make a simple tool you lay on top the chain and has a slot for the guages to stick through. If they are above the slot hole you file/grind them down. That is what I was referring to get at the saw shop, Kevin

[The Other Ross]

Back to my first point.The late model 35-45cc saws run high rpm and puke out on bigger stuff.I cut my teeth on an old Homelite gear drive(still have it).Then went to the Remingtons(mitimite,65cc,82cc)little faster not as much torque.Now I run the 36cc Josered,great LITTLE saw and an Alpena 700 isoflot.The 700 will run the old 82 Remingtons 38" blade and with a 24" blade it is a monster.The point is these newer saws don't have the reserve that the old low rpm saws had.Modern small saws won't hang with the older smaller saws in bigger stuff but in the size they are designed for will run away from them.

[JimmieD]

For clarification: I believe that Kevin's 'depth gauges' are the same thing we call 'rakers', as the non-cutting teeth in between the cutting teeth. As he is describing, these maintain cutting tooth height. My reference somewhere below and Kevin's description is that these can be filed down a bit to allow a faster deeper cut. You don't want to file them down much at all, except on a full race chain. Their are several designs of raker teeth and chains, your dealer can explain and demonstrate what's best for your needs.

The Oregon file tool sets cutting depth and the angle of cutting edge on teeth. Too sharp an angle skips across the wood instead of cutting, too square an angle bites too fast like a chisel. An Oregon dealer can explain and demonstrate the proper way to maintain your chain. I hate to take chains in to be sharpened unless it's a real pro's shop, as many will whack off half of the tooth on an electric grinder so chain can only be 'sharpened' 2 or 3 times before it's junk. I've also had them 'sharpen' them too fast and blue the teeth, destroying the temper! As mentioned you can sharpen them yourself for a l-o-n-g time before they're done!