Not my mill but a friends. It is a Cooks made in Alabama. It has a 50 or so Hp Perkins diesel on it. Plus the guy knows how to sharpen and tune a band blade, so it was humming through the thick white oak....until we hit a nail from deer stand I built 20 years ago. That makes a very unique and bad sound.
Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread
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Not my mill but a friends. It is a Cooks made in Alabama. It has a 50 or so Hp Perkins diesel on it. Plus the guy knows how to sharpen and tune a band blade, so it was humming through the thick white oak....until we hit a nail from deer stand I built 20 years ago. That makes a very unique and bad sound.
Yeah, after you do that a few times you sweep your logs with a metal detector first.
Man I love cutting wood. Over the years I've slowly designed and built equipment to make it easier on myself and family.
Here's a couple of grapples. One for a John Deere and one w quick attach for the skid steer.
Saw mill that I helped design and build with a couple of buddies.
And then the piles of wood from recent years. Have always burnt wood and grew up in a house that burnt wood.
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Great pics and nice set up! Thanks for posting. What part of the Midwest? I’m guessing east of the Mississippi.
I was gonna’ guess Indiana or Ohio, but didn’t want to look like a complete idiot if I was wrong. Looks very much like here (eastern Iowa).
All this talk about saws, and nobody's mentioned the "Shindaiwa" yet?
(this oughta be good for a laugh of two!!) Happy New Year
(this oughta be good for a laugh of two!!) Happy New Year
Shindaiwa used to make a great weedeater. Mine's 20 years old and runs like a champ, but I never heard anything (good or bad) about their saws.
I have a Stihl 362, and that's it. Based on the amount of firewood we cut I guess I should have more... I got friends with 3-4 saws that only burn in a fireplace. But it does everything I need it to do and will bring down some big trees when I need it to.
We've been busy wiping out all the dead ash trees on our farm the last few years. Probably got 60 on the ground right now we'll process out this winter.
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We've been busy wiping out all the dead ash trees on our farm the last few years. Probably got 60 on the ground right now we'll process out this winter.
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We put in a woodstove about 11 years ago. We use it for 95% of our heating. We buy firewood by the truckload. mostly logging scraps and beetle kill stuff. So I'm just cutting, splitting, stacking. Saves a ton on heating, and what's not to like about wood, chainsaws, etc......grin
I've been using a Husky 455 Rancher for the same 11 years. Great saw.
I've been using a Husky 455 Rancher for the same 11 years. Great saw.
We put in a woodstove about 11 years ago. We use it for 95% of our heating. We buy firewood by the truckload. mostly logging scraps and beetle kill stuff. So I'm just cutting, splitting, stacking. Saves a ton on heating, and what's not to like about wood, chainsaws, etc......grin
I've been using a Husky 455 Rancher for the same 11 years. Great saw.
Wow. Beautiful pics. Very jealous of your location.
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Mostly lodgepole pine, some douglas fir, some larch.
MontanaMarine , thanks for the new pics. I remembered your having posted some great shots a while back. I'm glad to hear that your Rancher has held up well, since I now have two of them and don't know what to expect from "Ranch grade" saws.
Could you give some info on what looks like that tabletop log splitter?
Could you give some info on what looks like that tabletop log splitter?
It's a Ryobi electric splitter I picked up at Home Depot when we started this woodstove stuff. It's been going strong 11 years now. It sold for $299 back then.
It's not super powerful, but works on what I'm splitting. I've split plenty of 16" + stuff by finding a natural crack to put the blade in.
I'll be damned, sounds like a handy little gizmo. Aside from camping in pine forests I've never really spent any time splitting softwoods.
Looks like it's re-branded as a Homelite, but this is the same splitter,
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Homelit...MIi42mycy32AIVw2V-Ch3jnwlpEAQYASABEgJC0fD_BwE
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Homelit...MIi42mycy32AIVw2V-Ch3jnwlpEAQYASABEgJC0fD_BwE
That thing would be the shiznit for splitting kindling and lighter pine.
It's been a workhorse for me, but mostly pretty straight-grain softwoods. I've been splitting up 4-5 cords per year for the last 11 years with it.
I'm sure it would be waaay light in the azz for serious hardwoods.
I'm sure it would be waaay light in the azz for serious hardwoods.
I stopped by the chainsaw shop the other day to see about trading my Christmas 465 Rancher for a decked out 365 with 28" bar. While I was heading that way I decided to bring the 455 Rancher in for a professional tune up since it's about 4-5 months old and has gotten enough use to have run in by now.
As I was at the airport yesterday their mechanic called me and said that as he was going through it he discovered that the piston is scored and that the saw needs a new top end. Even though I didn't get that saw from them they're going to go through it in search for the factory defect (bad seal or whatnot) to compel Husky to pay for the rebuild. I am flipping the fuck out that a new saw, run on Husky premix, with carb limiters that would prevent me from being able to adjust it too lean and damage a piston, has committed suicide within months despite being properly cared for.
How Husky responds based on what the mechanic finds will definitely determine if I ever buy another one. Husky was an experiment for me after a lifetime of Stihl ownership. The ball will be in their court depending on what the final inspection reveals.
As I was at the airport yesterday their mechanic called me and said that as he was going through it he discovered that the piston is scored and that the saw needs a new top end. Even though I didn't get that saw from them they're going to go through it in search for the factory defect (bad seal or whatnot) to compel Husky to pay for the rebuild. I am flipping the fuck out that a new saw, run on Husky premix, with carb limiters that would prevent me from being able to adjust it too lean and damage a piston, has committed suicide within months despite being properly cared for.
How Husky responds based on what the mechanic finds will definitely determine if I ever buy another one. Husky was an experiment for me after a lifetime of Stihl ownership. The ball will be in their court depending on what the final inspection reveals.
Does anyone own/buy/use any Husky "2 digit" saws, or have you?
Unfortunately no. Back when Husky was making their 2 digit saws I was running "0" series Stihls, which from what I can tell are still considered to be excellent saws.
I used Husqvarna 50's about 30 odd years ago. They were good saws.
We were contract thinning pines in commercial pine forests in NZ, and ran them with either a 13" or 15" bar. Tree diameter usually less than 10".
Was good money back then for a kid not long out of school - I could make $18/hour after tax when paid by the acre, providing labor only. You had
to get after it.
We had used Jonsereds and Dolmars before we got the Huskys, and the difference was night and day. Work 'em 7-8 hours a day 4-5 days a week,
and they sort themselves pretty quick.
I can't believe the dicks that use 28" bars to cut 8" trees . Match the bar to the job, for fucks sake. And use a big enough power source. Don't waste power and
sharpening time on bar you don't need.
As I've said before, it's not an extension of some anatomical part.
We were contract thinning pines in commercial pine forests in NZ, and ran them with either a 13" or 15" bar. Tree diameter usually less than 10".
Was good money back then for a kid not long out of school - I could make $18/hour after tax when paid by the acre, providing labor only. You had
to get after it.
We had used Jonsereds and Dolmars before we got the Huskys, and the difference was night and day. Work 'em 7-8 hours a day 4-5 days a week,
and they sort themselves pretty quick.
I can't believe the dicks that use 28" bars to cut 8" trees . Match the bar to the job, for fucks sake. And use a big enough power source. Don't waste power and
sharpening time on bar you don't need.
As I've said before, it's not an extension of some anatomical part.
Bogey,
Don’t recall if you had told me about the arborist site or if you haunt that as well, but from what I read over there the “new” ranch line can be prone to that. I almost snagged one of the 450 series myself, but found a gently used 350 on eBay for a good price and from what I have read the older 3 series (350, 346XP) blow the “new” ranch line away. I just missed a 372XP here locally for $300, and if I hadn’t found the 350 I was gonna save a few more sheckles for a 550XP
I hope Husky does your right. I ran the older huskies (a 365 with a 28 just like you mentioned) for my cousin and I prefer them to the Stihls we have at work now.
Hey buddy, yeah I was one of the guys who mentioned Arboristsite, I'm also on OPE. The Rancher was an emergency purchase from Lowes to avoid potential legal action from some angry neighbors. Now that I've found the actual Husky and Stihl dealer for my area I've got access to better saws. Before momma bought me this new saw my plan was to find a 372 on AS or OPE, but now that I have this "credit" at the shop I'm trying to find the best upgrade that I can reasonable afford, which appears to be the 365.
I'll try to find that thread on AS to see if they had identified the fault so I can save the mechanic some time digging through it. Thanks for letting me know.
STN, I think my bride has a 61 or 63? Some such thing anyway. I'm still partial to my 372xp knock around saw and the old 394 for serious chip making. If it gets real serious I just break out the Timbco with the Quadco hot saw.
Loving the stuff fellas. A woodburner is on my list of wants for a new place. and I want to build my own outdoor fire pit.
I like that one a lot Barney, the girlfriend would be a fan as well.
I have been thinking of a table height pit with about 18-20' tile toped table around the pit, get a nice fire going and dine around it, and have a place to set snacks while drinking bourbon and staring at the embers.......
I like that one a lot Barney, the girlfriend would be a fan as well.
I have been thinking of a table height pit with about 18-20' tile toped table around the pit, get a nice fire going and dine around it, and have a place to set snacks while drinking bourbon and staring at the embers.......
I have a 365 special and love it. It's not a 372 or 394/395, but big enough to cut with a good chain and not too heavy. About perfect for cutting firewood.
FWIW, the last Stihl I bought came with some extended warranty if I bought a 6 pack of Stihl oil with it. I don't remember the details, but might be worth asking them about if you decide to look at them.
Yeah, I bought a big commercial trimmer and then later their biggest pole saw and I did that deal with both of them. Buy a 6 pack of Stihl oil and the warranty doubles from 1 year to 2. I bought the trimmer in 2014 and the pole saw in 2015, but I think they still offer the same deal.
When I was working out the deal on the 365 they said that if I bought a gallon of the Husky premix I could get a 4yr warranty vs the standard 2 since I'm not using it professionally.
As soon as I clean the road grime off myself from yesterday's drive from Chicago and subsequent Alabama championship celebration I'll be heading up there to start dealing with my jacked up 455. That's gonna determine whether a 365 is in the cards.
As soon as I clean the road grime off myself from yesterday's drive from Chicago and subsequent Alabama championship celebration I'll be heading up there to start dealing with my jacked up 455. That's gonna determine whether a 365 is in the cards.
Was working on saws this morning and took a pic of my simple chain organizer I made out of an old barn board several years ago. I HATE tangled bar chain, it’s like doing a Rubics cube when you want to keep working.
Oh damn, those are the cadillacs of Husky saws in those cc ranges. Please tell me you've got some videos of the hotsaws running?
That's slick. Now that I've got 5 damn saws, running all different setups, with a possible new one with a different setup in the works I've been trying to figure out how to keep chains orgainized and labeled etc. Most saws come with those infernal ANSI chains already on them, which I pull off and keep as last resort spares. I've got to have those things quarantined from the proper chains because I'll loose my mind wondering why I'm cutting so damn slow.
Looks like it's design was inspired by an "Empire" star wars fighter lol.
Just got back from the shop, and they'd brought in a 365 spec'd just for me: 28" bar with non-ANSI semi-chisel chain. They did me right swapping my 465 for the 365 and gave me the 4yr warranty for buying the gallon of Husky gas (which my guy gave me at about half price).
It's already drawn first blood, slicing the piss out of my thumb on that wickedly sharp chain. Now I need to find some big ole trees to get it run in. Chainsaw addiction is an absolute bitch.
It's already drawn first blood, slicing the piss out of my thumb on that wickedly sharp chain. Now I need to find some big ole trees to get it run in. Chainsaw addiction is an absolute bitch.
Thats Awesome Bogey! That will be a good saw for you. Don’t hesitate to post pictures of chips flying with that bad boy.
Bogey just mentioned above about proper saw fuel. It’s my belief that poor fuel quality leads to all sorts of carb and engine problems. Poor performance, hard starting, won’t start, won’t stay running, etc... It’s my understanding that newer carb components will tolerate ethanol blended fuels, I don’t doubt that. But, most ethanol blended fuels have a very poor shelf life. Most of us probably don’t run our saws daily. I believe that most of the good saw premix oils contain a stabilizer of some sort which helps. Short version is, I’ve run the following blend for years with ZERO problems. Saws start easy even after a month or so of sitting, performance is strong, and NO carb problems.
My blend is 3 quarts of 91 octane (no ethanol) with 1 quart of 100LL aviation gas and Stihl (or whatever brand you run) premix. Takes a little more fussing around to mix, but in my experience, it’s worth it. Think of it as poor mans MotoMix.
My blend is 3 quarts of 91 octane (no ethanol) with 1 quart of 100LL aviation gas and Stihl (or whatever brand you run) premix. Takes a little more fussing around to mix, but in my experience, it’s worth it. Think of it as poor mans MotoMix.
I worked at a motorcycle shop in the mid 80’s, about the time that ethanol blended fuels were being introduced. The service side of the dealership made a fortune cleaning carb banks that had gummed up.
Shelf life on AvGas is measured in years. Ethanol blended fuels, sometimes weeks. We did tests on it to show the customers. Put each respective fuel in a clear glass container and let it sit undisturbed for a period of time. Doesn’t take long and you will clearly see separation on the ethanol junk. For small engines it’s no bueno.
We used to run our saws on Avgas mixed wit Mobil Jet Oil 2, bar oil was OMD 370 (C47 engine oil). Det cord was still preferred over chainsaws though.
Anyone tried running the Tru-Fuel stuff in the aluminum cans in their saws? They have it in both 40:1 and 50:1 and was looking at it vs having to mix gas
I can't see paying that much, I remember seeing it at the local saw shop. It was like $8 a quart. $32 a gallon for gas. I'll keep running the $4.50/gal 100LL