# Saws with heated handles



## Firewood Bandit (Jan 6, 2014)

Anybody else sold on saws with heated handles?

At first I thought it was a frivolous luxury, now I will not buy another one without heated handles.  I always wear extremely thin leather  leather gloves for dexterity when running a saw and the heat facilitates it especially first thing in the morning before your blood gets pumping.


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## Smoke Stack (Jan 6, 2014)

I'll wait until they come with heated throttle levers, too. It's all or nothing for me.


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## NH_Wood (Jan 6, 2014)

Sounds like it would be nice in some real cold situations, but I don't think I'd pay extra for it. Of course, I'm not cutting for a living and can choose to either not cut or stop cutting if it gets really cold. Cheers!


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## Bret Chase (Jan 6, 2014)

heated handles? really??????


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## dmarr (Jan 6, 2014)

Bret Chase said:


> heated handles? really??????



We have a clearing job tomorrow and it's going to be 3 degrees according to the weather report. I would like our saws to have heated handles


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## Paulywalnut (Jan 6, 2014)

dmarr said:


> We have a clearing job tomorrow and it's going to be 3 degrees according to the weather report. I would like our saws to have heated handles


Dang it. I remember back in the old days when you had to start a cold saw with a cold pull cord and a cold handle.


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## dmarr (Jan 6, 2014)

Paulywalnut said:


> Dang it. I remember back in the old days when you had to start a cold saw with a cold pull cord and a cold handle.



I didn't say we were going to have them


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## mliiiwit (Jan 6, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Anybody else sold on saws with heated handles?
> 
> At first I thought it was a frivolous luxury, now I will not buy another one without heated handles.  I always wear extremely thin leather  leather gloves for dexterity when running a saw and the heat facilitates it especially first thing in the morning before your blood gets pumping.



All my saws have heated handles.  Unfortunately, my hands are the heaters.


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## greythorn3 (Jan 6, 2014)

ill leave the heated handles for the ladys


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## Kool_hand_Looke (Jan 7, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Anybody else sold on saws with heated handles?
> 
> At first I thought it was a frivolous luxury, now I will not buy another one without heated handles.  I always wear extremely thin leather  leather gloves for dexterity when running a saw and the heat facilitates it especially first thing in the morning before your blood gets pumping.


I'd take it, and store it next to my purse. I'll admit it. I'll admit my heated coat, heated insoles, and heated bibs. Gladly. 

Just like I'll take a cablen rental over a tent when we go "camping."

Or my 78 degree open floor house in the winter.


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## ErikR (Jan 7, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Anybody else sold on saws with heated handles?
> 
> At first I thought it was a frivolous luxury, now I will not buy another one without heated handles.  I always wear extremely thin leather  leather gloves for dexterity when running a saw and the heat facilitates it especially first thing in the morning before your blood gets pumping.




I'd be wiling to try them. Heated grips on motorcycles can extend my riding season. Heated grips on a saw might make it easier to extend my time outside. Older hands with grip strength/arthritis issues would sure appreciate a warm grip in winter..  I really don't think they're deserving of some of the negative comments. It's not like all of us on here are in our 30's......


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## MDFisherman (Jan 7, 2014)

I would be afraid my hands would start sweating and lose grip on the saw. I was cutting over the weekend, weather was in th  high 20s and I was in a t-shirt!


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## firefighterjake (Jan 7, 2014)

I suspect some folks were skeptical when heated grips and thumb throttles for sleds came along . . . I mean why would anyone need those -- you're already wearing gloves, right? Nowadays, just about every sled comes with heated grips.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 7, 2014)

ErikR said:


> I'd be wiling to try them. Heated grips on motorcycles can extend my riding season. Heated grips on a saw might make it easier to extend my time outside. Older hands with grip strength/arthritis issues would sure appreciate a warm grip in winter..  I really don't think they're deserving of some of the negative comments. It's not like all of us on here are in our 30's......


 

One of my buddies who logs has nerve damage in his hands and the heated handles help a lot.  I find the vibration is much more tolerable with the heated handles.  The heat helps a bunch too if your gloves are wet.  The handles on my 550XPG get so hot that you really can't handle it without gloves on.  My other buddy who is a level C feller, (he has worked forest fires for over 20 years out West and in Canada),
and who I do occasional tree jobs with is also sold on the heated handles.

I am retired and cut firewood for exercise and a pastime.  What else is someone going to do in Wisconsin when I can't work in my orchard, mow my 3.5 acres, heck even  the golf courses are closed?  I will sell this next year after it seasons and it makes the day go quickly and give one a feeling of accomplishment.  Granted I own more high end saws than I need but the firewood paid for them anyway so I don't have anything invested.

I use my saws more than probably most as I enjoy it.  I like high quality tools and don't buy junk.  When I did drink, I didn't drink cheap beer either.

Here is my wood progress since September.  All was cut with the exception of a cord of seasoned wood in the middle for my garage.

















Obligatory dog pics.  Yatt and Kade











Got to go, the dogs are by the door for their morning run.  It's -13 today, brrrr...


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 7, 2014)

firefighterjake said:


> I suspect some folks were skeptical when heated grips and thumb throttles for sleds came along . . . I mean why would anyone need those -- you're already wearing gloves, right? Nowadays, just about every sled comes with heated grips.


 

Howdy Firefighter Jake,

I agree, it's very similar to the analogy you made.  The next big thing with sleds and ATV's is electric power steering.  I just bought a Yamaha Grizzly 700 and got power steering.  This is going to become common place now.  What the power steering does is not so much make steering easier (which it does) but stops the shock that is transmitted when the skis or tires hit things and transmit  this through the steering column to the arms/shoulders.  At the end of the day you don't have that "spaghetti" feeling in the shoulders.

The logger I just mentioned bought a new 562XPG a couple weeks ago at my dealer. (The G means heat).  He had to get a full wrap handle in order to get it right away, the conventional wrap were 2 months out on backorder.  Around here, most of the XP saws are being ordered with heat.  People who use saws every day are very fond of the feature.


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## Bigg_Redd (Jan 7, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Anybody else sold on saws with heated handles?
> 
> At first I thought it was a frivolous luxury, now I will not buy another one without heated handles.  I always wear extremely thin leather  leather gloves for dexterity when running a saw and the heat facilitates it especially first thing in the morning before your blood gets pumping.



Pass - I've never been cold while running a chainsaw


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## ErikR (Jan 7, 2014)

I found a few pics from 3 manufacturers...








Getting too hot shouldn't be a problem, you can always shut off the heat.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 7, 2014)

ErikR said:


> I found a few pics from 3 manufacturers...
> 
> 
> Getting too hot shouldn't be a problem, you can always shut off the heat.


 
Here is a better pic.

The one on the left has heat.






The top one has heat.  Sorry the Huskys are hanging out with a beater saw.







Speaking of gadgets, these log tongs are great if you are dealing with rounds smaller than 12".  They keep your gloves out of the snow and you can carry two at once.  It is like putting a handle on a round of wood.


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## NH_Wood (Jan 7, 2014)

Log tongs are on the short list. Cheers!


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 7, 2014)

NH_Wood said:


> Log tongs are on the short list. Cheers!


 

You'll love'em.  Get the 12" though, the bigger ones can pick up small things, the small ones can't pick up big things.

A 30" aluminum hookeroon/pickaroon is mighty handy too.


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## NH_Wood (Jan 7, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> You'll love'em.  Get the 12" though, the bigger ones can pick up small things, the small ones can't pick up big things.
> 
> A 30" aluminum hookeroon/pickaroon is mighty handy too.



I do have a good pickaroon and really like it - especially for getting wood from the front of the truck bed. Cheers!


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## salecker (Jan 7, 2014)

Kool_hand_Looke said:


> I'd take it, and store it next to my purse. I'll admit it. I'll admit my heated coat, heated insoles, and heated bibs. Gladly.
> 
> Just like I'll take a cablen rental over a tent when we go "camping."
> 
> Or my 78 degree open floor house in the winter.


You know what the problem with all the heated stuff you have is it's dependent on battery's.Real life situation up here you don't have unlimited battery's.When the battery's run out ,will whats left keep your A$$ alive in some extreme cold till someone comes to save you???
 I can go out at - 50'sC and still keep warm and work without battery's,knowing my warmth doesn't have an expiry time.
 Thomas


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## Kool_hand_Looke (Jan 8, 2014)

salecker said:


> You know what the problem with all the heated stuff you have is it's dependent on battery's.Real life situation up here you don't have unlimited battery's.When the battery's run out ,will whats left keep your A$$ alive in some extreme cold till someone comes to save you???
> I can go out at - 50'sC and still keep warm and work without battery's,knowing my warmth doesn't have an expiry time.
> Thomas


Well, Thomas, I've punched terrorists in the face...and neck...in the cold @$$ mountains of Afghanistan. Twice. I've done JTFX in Alaska, worked at Greenscreek, and I've been in 135℉ sustained for months punching more terrorists in the throat. Maybe...I've busted my as as a iron worker in the hot sun post heating my welds with an 1100° rosebud, while usng a heat blanket but I'll keep my house 67 degrees in 100 ambient all day long. Maybe, I'll take my comfort where I can get it. Maybe I've earned a few stripes along my warped soul and bent mind journey and deserve a day off, to put my feet up, rest my bones beside the fire.

I know exactly how to maintain my life in the elements. Hells bells, I BECAME the elements that rained the fury of a 1000 suns on cave Rambos.

I think I'll go plug my socks in now.


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## bigbarf48 (Jan 8, 2014)

Kool_hand_Looke said:


> Well, Thomas, I've punched terrorists in the face...and neck...in the cold ass mountains of Afghanistan. Twice. I've done JTFX in Alaska, worked at Greenscreek, and I've been in 135℉ sustained for months punching more terrorists in the throat. Maybe...I've busted my as as a iron worker in the hot sun post heating my welds with an 1100° rosebud, while usng a heat blanket but I'll keep my house 67 degrees in 100 ambient all day long. Maybe, I'll take my comfort where I can get it. Maybe I've earned a few stripes along my warped soul and bent mind journey and deserve a day off, to put my feet up, rest my bones beside the fire.
> 
> I know exactly how to maintain my life in the elements. Hells bells, I BECAME the elements that rained the fury of a 1000 suns on cave Rambos.
> 
> I think I'll go plug my socks in now.



Post of the year


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## Kool_hand_Looke (Jan 8, 2014)

bigbarf48 said:


> Post of the year


And its barely 2014


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 9, 2014)

Well hopefully I won't have to resort to any terrorist punching or any punching for that matter today.  I will carry my Logrite Pickaroon just in case.  The weather is still brutally cold and was -10 degrees this morning when I ran the dogs.  It's 9:30 am right now and has warmed up to about -4.  It's supposed to get up to 10 in the afternoon.

All the rounds in those pictures are now split and I am out so I am going to try and get 2-3 loads today and a few more tomorrow since it is warming up now.  The spot I am cutting is a half mile from my house, and the log landing is fairly level.  This was logged in Aug./Sept. and the amount of cull wood left is outrageous and makes for pretty easy cutting.  Nothing but logs.

Anyway, heated handles seem like a pretty good idea today.

Here is a picture of the log landing, I didn't get any other than this the cull piles but there is a bunch.  The second and third  picture is the loads I got in September when the guy on the forwarder would fill up my trailer.  This took 3-4 minutes and I paid them off in apples from my orchard.


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## ErikR (Jan 9, 2014)

That looks like quite a load on the trailer... like the frame is sitting on the axle! I still have a dozen or so 4' chunks to cut to length and split, but I'd like to have a stack of logs like yours! I tried to convince my neighbor to go halves on a pulp truck load, but he ended up buying a tandem axle trailer load of 8' logs. We could have gotten a 7 cord truck load of oak for $55 a cord + a small delivery fee!

And, it's cold up here in Cable this morning too.... It would be a good day to try a saw with heated handles.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 9, 2014)

ErikR said:


> That looks like quite a load on the trailer... like the frame is sitting on the axle! I still have a dozen or so 4' chunks to cut to length and split, but I'd like to have a stack of logs like yours! I tried to convince my neighbor to go halves on a pulp truck load, but he ended up buying a tandem axle trailer load of 8' logs. We could have gotten a 7 cord truck load of oak for $55 a cord + a small delivery fee!
> 
> And, it's cold up here in Cable this morning too.... It would be a good day to try a saw with heated handles.


 

Yah it's more than the trailer should have, but there was a good 3/4" clearance from the fenders to the tires.  I was only driving a half mile with that load.  On the road, I wouldn't carry that much.

The price was reasonable on the trailer of wood, I bribed them with apples and soda.  Some days I got 2 loads a day like this.  I then cut it on the trailer containing most of the sawdust so I wouldn't make a mess in the yard and swept out when I got back to the landing.

Years ago we vacationed on lake Namakogen (Spelling?) by Cable, the big pastime was watching the bears at the dump.


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## mliiiwit (Jan 9, 2014)

ErikR said:


> That looks like quite a load on the trailer...
> 
> I'll 2nd that……
> 
> I believe you have the same 6'x10' trailer I have - except mine tilts and I think yours doesn't.  I've well overloaded mine a few times too.  Damn near wrecked me on the highway once because it was tail heavy by a few pounds, though it didn't look like it was.  Pulled fine until I got up to 65, then it started whipping like a sun beach.  Threw several chunks in the back toward the front once I got it stopped and then it pulled fine.  Tandem axle trailers are worth far more than their additional cost for this reason only.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 10, 2014)

You never want to have negative tongue weight.

I've thought about getting a bigger heavier trailer but this one owes me nothing for the 20 years I have had it.  Besides I can move it by hand and easily pull it around with the ATV and JD 2305 and I have a steep hill out back where I park it.  The expanded metal gate is great for moving small equipment. 

I also put the rear gate down and haul really big rounds I can't pick up.  Here are some really big rounds I hauled by myself.  A house was being developed right down the road from my house and they cut down a monster hickory.  The construction guys were going to throw it in the dumpster and they said I could have it.  The 372XPG came in real handy on wood like this.  These rounds were in the 250-300 # class.  For reference the Fiskars has a 36" handle.  This tree made a full cord.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 20, 2014)

Get Rambo Kool_hand_Looke over there. He will scare them into splitting themselves.


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## jebatty (Jan 21, 2014)

My Husky 372XPG has heated handle and heated carb, both on a switch, which is good. I only use the heated handle as needed, work with the saw normally keeps the hand warm. And heat without batteries, magic.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 21, 2014)

jebatty said:


> My Husky 372XPG has heated handle and heated carb, both on a switch, which is good. I only use the heated handle as needed, work with the saw normally keeps the hand warm. And heat without batteries, magic.


 

My dealer has told me that the heated carb can cause the saw to run lean.  He disconnects this feature as it isn't really necessary.

When I was at the saw shop yesterday I made a deal to trade my 562XP for a new 562XPG.  The new model has a few internal upgrades along with software changes. 

I also gave him my 346XP to do some porting work on it and wake it up.


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## DuckDog (Jan 21, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Anybody else sold on saws with heated handles?
> 
> At first I thought it was a frivolous luxury, now I will not buy another one without heated handles.  I always wear extremely thin leather  leather gloves for dexterity when running a saw and the heat facilitates it especially first thing in the morning before your blood gets pumping.


 

I just bought a used Stihl 026 Arctic. Heated grips and heated carb?  Bought it from a buddy at a smokin price. Have not flipped the switch yet but have a couple days in the bush coming up in earlt Feb. I'll see if I notice anything.


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## Kool_hand_Looke (Jan 21, 2014)

BrotherBart said:


> Get Rambo Kool_hand_Looke over there. He will scare them into splitting themselves.


I'm no John Rambo or anything. Just a man that went above and beyond the call of duty in hopes I wouldn't have to bury more friends...and tell the wives lies about how it was fast and painless, he never saw it coming, etc.  

On a lighter note, self splitting wood sounds like my kind of deal. Maybe Brother Barts "Professor X" intellect can whisper rounds into splitting themselves...and...stacking themselves.


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## Firewood Bandit (Feb 13, 2014)

Well my pusher, errr.........Dealer called and said they came in.  So today I traded a one year old 562XP in for a brand new 562XPG.  I cut about 25 full cord with the old one and it has performed well but I really regretted the handle not having heat.















While I was there, this cute little guy came home too.  Should work great in the apple orchard in about a month.






My dealer said this is the original bar.


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## bigbarf48 (Feb 13, 2014)

Nice looking saws, I like the little echo. My dealer never seems to have used saws, or maybe he just doesnt display them


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## Firewood Bandit (Feb 14, 2014)

bigbarf48 said:


> Nice looking saws, I like the little echo. My dealer never seems to have used saws, or maybe he just doesnt display them


 

I am seeing that trend a lot more.  Especially with the John Deere/Stihl stealerships.  No used saws whatsoever.

I always asked if they have any junk Husky XP's out back.


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## bigbarf48 (Feb 14, 2014)

I wish he did, cause I wouldn't mind a little top handle saw like you have there, but I don't want one bad enough to deal with Craigslist


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