yet ANOTHER "which saw to buy" thread.....

[Big Donnie Brasco]

I assume that PPE is protective gear... I will not even pull the cord until I have (and am wearing) Chaps, steel toe boots, ear/eye,and head protection and gloves!

 

[DexterDay]

I assume that PPE is protective gear... I will not even pull the cord until I have (and am wearing) Chaps, steel toe boots, ear/eye,and head protection and gloves!

Do you have any of these items yet?

Can be had cheap at TSC?? At least. That's what I hear

 

[Big Donnie Brasco]

safety gear shopping spree starts tomorrow!

 

[bogydave]

I assume that PPE is protective gear... I will not even pull the cord until I have (and am wearing) Chaps, steel toe boots, ear/eye,and head protection and gloves!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE for chain saws. Pretty important
But more so is the gray matter between the ears!
Make sure the brain is engaged before the chain is in motion

 

[HDRock]

Do you have any of these items yet?

Can be had cheap at TSC?? At least. That's what I hear

Oh ya, I was looking at the stuff, great time to buy it, bought my stuff over last 3 months paid more oh well, face shield saved my face from branch

I assume that PPE is protective gear... I will not even pull the cord until I have (and am wearing) Chaps, steel toe boots, ear/eye,and head protection and gloves!

Wouldn't ya know dropped the end of a big round right on my toe the other day, but Just got steel toe boots 3 weeks ago,

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

I assume that PPE is protective gear... I will not even pull the cord until I have (and am wearing) Chaps, steel toe boots, ear/eye,and head protection and gloves!

Don't forget the cell phone!!

 

[Big Donnie Brasco]

looks like TSC has dropped the price on the 455 by $80 since yesterday.

 

[MasterMech]

looks like TSC has dropped the price on the 455 by $80 since yesterday.

I think I heard DexterDay's truck just peel out of his driveway....

 

[aansorge]

I cut that amount of wood with a 250/chisel chain. I like the light weight. Then again my arms look like they came off of a 13 year old.

 

[Ashful]

I assume that PPE is protective gear... I will not even pull the cord until I have (and am wearing) Chaps, steel toe boots, ear/eye,and head protection and gloves!

I used to wear safety glasses and ear plugs. Then I picked up a Husqvarna chainsaw helmet for $35 on Amazon, thinking I'd only use it when felling, and stick with the glasses / earplugs when cutting firewood.

Well, that helmet is so comfortable and so much more convenient than earplugs, that I never did go back to glasses and earplugs. It's so much easier to just toss the helmet on and throw down the integrated ear muffs, than take my gloves off to fiddle with glasses and earplugs.

I've seen many reviews of the expensive Stihl helmet and the cheap Husqvarna helmet, and it seems just about everyone who has tried both prefers the Husqvarna, so that's what I bought.

 

[MasterMech]

I used to wear safety glasses and ear plugs. Then I picked up a Husqvarna chainsaw helmet for $35 on Amazon, thinking I'd only use it when felling, and stick with the glasses / earplugs when cutting firewood.

Well, that helmet is so comfortable and so much more convenient than earplugs, that I never did go back to glasses and earplugs. It's so much easier to just toss the helmet on and throw down the integrated ear muffs, than take my gloves off to fiddle with glasses and earplugs.

I've seen many reviews of the expensive Stihl helmet and the cheap Husqvarna helmet, and it seems just about everyone who has tried both prefers the Husqvarna, so that's what I bought.

FWIW: Stihl has a new design helmet (less $$) that's now available. I've seen one example and I like it. Would have do do more than look to really give a full review however.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Good thing about using the helmet and screen when moving around is that pesky stick you always never see hits your screen not your eye!

 

[Big Donnie Brasco]

Do you have any of these items yet?

Can be had cheap at TSC?? At least. That's what I hear

Just got some $70 chaps for $32 !!
and a Husqy helmet/eye/hearing/face protection WAS $50..... got it for $24 !

 

[Big Donnie Brasco]

Ok, so if I have my saw picked out, and I have my safety gear....

Now, what else do I need?

Scwrench?
What kind of bar oil?
Mix oil?
Any particular chain sharpener... was hoping to use my dremel with a chainsaw jig.
I'll be on youtube figuring out how to tighten a chain.

I'll be cutting wood in NO time!!

 

[lukem]

Ok, so if I have my saw picked out, and I have my safety gear....

Now, what else do I need?

Scwrench?
What kind of bar oil?
Mix oil?
Any particular chain sharpener... was hoping to use my dremel with a chainsaw jig.
I'll be on youtube figuring out how to tighten a chain.

I'll be cutting wood in NO time!!

Scwrench is nice. Not a hard requirement but I wouldn't be without mine.

Cheapest bar oil you can find. I usually buy a 5 qt jug at TSC for $5.99.

Go back to TSC and buy the 1 gall mixers of Husq 2-stroke oil for $1.49 on sale.

Never used a dremel, but it is always good to have a hand-file around too.

Tightening a chain is pretty easy. No sag, no drag. The chain should be up against the bottom of the bar, but you should still be able to pull it down about 3/8" - 1/2" on a 20" bar without too much effort.

 

[Big Donnie Brasco]

Thanks!

I'll be swingin an 18" chain on that Stihl 036.
I saw the Husq oil on sale today but hesitated in case that's not what I needed.

 

[DexterDay]

You can use the Hjsq or Stihl oils (bar and mix). My only recommendation is to run the newer synthetic version of either oil, for your mix.

Bar oil is bar oil, and the cheaper stuff can sometimes be better. If its thinner, its gonna flow better at cooler temps. Some here use Veggie oil or Canola oils (cheaper). It has about the same viscosity (lil thinner) but is more environment friendly

 

[Ashful]

The Husqvarna oil is REALLY viscous... like only good for use on a hot summer day, kind of viscous. I often have it in the garage, but usually avoid using it in winter.

At the other end of the spectrum is Stihl Winter Grade, which is so runny it's best saved for very cold conditions.

The Stihl standard grade is somewhere between these two extremes.

It's much more important that you have some lube on the chain, than exactly what it is. Avoid running anything super viscous (like the Husqvarna fluid) in the dead of winter, but short of that, anything slippery works.

Because I cut a lot of very big green wood, and have had two sprockets sieze on me in the past, I'm a very big believer in actually using the grease hole on my sprocket nose bars. Most bar manufacturers recommend greasing the sprocket on EVERY TANK OF GAS, which may be a little overkill, but I do give the grease hole a squirt before pulling the saw out for a day of cutting. For that, my favorite tool is the disposable push-type grease guns sold at Lowes or any saw shop. I think they have them at TSC, too:

http://www.tractorsupply.com//Produ...p_category=&parent_category_rn=&storeId=10151

Note that the Stihl Rollermatic-E bar does not have grease holes, but most other sprocket nose bars do.

 

[mikefrommaine]

+1 on the synthetic. On some of the older saws I've bought the carbon build from dino oil has been significant. I've been using the stihl synthetic on all my 2 stroke stuff.

This is from an ad for Red Armor

 

[mywaynow]

Do you have any of these items yet?

Can be had cheap at TSC?? At least. That's what I hear

Went today and walked out with 4 chains, 3 gallons of bar lube, a 24 inch bar and another helmet/faceguard/hearing protection kit. All 50 off.

 

[Big Donnie Brasco]

I got the same helmet/face-guard/hearing protection kit ($24.00), and I got some 50% off chaps.
I'll be going back tomorrow to a different store to buy the oil.

 

[Wildo]

I got the same helmet/face-guard/hearing protection kit ($24.00), and I got some 50% off chaps.
I'll be going back tomorrow to a different store to buy the oil.

love the signature big db

 

[Ashful]

love the signature big db

Yeah... but he's going to have to change that "no saw" comment real soon, and the "no wood" shortly thereafter.

 

[Wildo]

yup watch the toy catalog grow. The diseases will soon be apparent. ASD,MWD,CCD.

 

[DexterDay]

CAD is an incurable disorder.

Good luck curing it once you get your first saw.