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Then they need to come up with something else. All the breakthroughs they have made in so many areas, they can't figure this out? Please, that's ridiculous. They make automatic transmissions for cars so you don't have to figure out clutches and shifting, you put it in P or R or D and go on with your life. They make GPS units so you don't have to figure out how to navigate tricky roads, you can just get there easily. They came up with word processing via computers instead of typewriters so you don't have to retype an entire page if something goes wrong, you fix the one mistake and move on with your life. They make smartphones do all they can do to make life convenient, because that is what life is supposed to be, CONVENIENT and EASY with such things. The way these machines work is ANYTHING but convenient, you have to be willing for it to all but take over your entire life, and that's ridiculous.
Enough of this. FIGURE IT OUT. Make a chainsaw which is small AND easy to start AND strong enough to cut down an oak tree, ALL OF IT, yes, ALL OF IT. Stop saying it can't be done and get off your lazy a`s-s and DO IT. Stop asking us to be internal combustion engine engineers with a doctorate degree because you're too lazy to do your dang job. IT'S NOT MY JOB to practically spend the whole weekend starting a chainsaw, it's YOUR JOB as the one who makes it to make that easy for me. My life isn't engines, that's YOUR life because you make them. Go back 200 years, would you have thought it possible to have the means to flick a switch and have a machine cool your house for you so you don't have to sweat when it's 95 degrees? I bet you anything 200 years ago people would have laughed you out of the room and called you ridiculous, but guess what--someone else with the means thought otherwise and made it happen. MAKE IT HAPPEN. Somebody needs to build a better mousetrap.
At this point I'm just "ranting," but so be it. It's amazing how you can have something which takes your headaches away yet people still want to do things the hard way. I mentioned GPS, I STILL deal with people who want me to give them step-by-step directions for getting to a spot in the middle of nowhere, with them calling back numerous times about to give me a migraine headache. They've come up with the means to where you can share your location, they tap on the link and follow step-by-step directions, yet they STILL want to do things the hard way. Not me. Come up with an easier way, and I'm all over it. Like I said, someone needs to build a better mousetrap.
They do exist. The downside is they are just expensive.
Because of this thread, I went out to my shed and grabbed my Husq 455. I haven't used it since last fall. I opened the gas tank and saw there was a little splash of gas in there left, so I didn't bother to top it off. Fuel is prob 6+ mos old.
Following the start procedure on the label on the back (even i don't have it memorized). Flipped the choke to Start, primed the primer bulb 6 times and pulled the handle 4-5 times. Then I flipped the choke to run, pulled the handle 2-3 more times and it fired right up. Less than 30 seconds, with old gas.
I'm not saying higher-end stuff is always reliable, but you really do get what you pay for.
I have a $60 (brand new) gas weed whacker. I have problems with it, but I expected this because...well it's a $60 weed whacker.
Good luck to you
Follow-up, I'm almost done.
I had forgotten all about this--I also had an older electric chainsaw on hand I got like 3-odd years ago for $5 at a garage sale. I can't find much on it online, it's a Poulan ES300 (it apparently has a 16" chain and is 12 amps if I read it correctly). I'd stopped using it because the chain kept jumping off, but a new chain could well fix that (I'm sure it's old and dull). I also had a reciprocating saw on-hand (Sawzall?) which I'd not used in 2 years, its blade was dull also I'm sure.
Regardless, between the two, though it took longer than it would've with the gas one assuming I could've cranked the gas one, it did get the job done I'd meant to get done last Sunday ("downsizing" a downed limb, cutting it up into smaller pieces, so it wouldn't be too heavy to be moved out of the way), and probably would've done so much faster with a new chain/blade even if not as quickly as the gas one would've done it. I had not used either saw in at least 2 years, but upon plugging them in of course they fired right up.
It occurred to me, whether it involves those two or another electric saw altogether (from this link: Best Electric Chainsaw for homeowners | Chainsaw Journal that Makita sure looks like a candidate, as do others), maybe what I need is what I like to call a "tag-team" setup--that is, 2 saws one electric/gas. I do that in other realms, I have several computers, several cameras, I have 4 drills (2 electric, 2 cordless) and when I do things such as, say, hanging up a door, I often-times set-up 2 drills, one with a drill bit and one with a Philips head screwbit so that I can just swap drills vs changing bits over and over.
I could have a good electric one (or fix up the Poulan ES300, which I may do anyway) for a "quick" job where I need to do something quick that's not demanding (trimming a few smaller branches, cutting smaller trees, "downsizing" limbs as I did last Sunday) and also have a decent gasoline one on-hand for something more demanding (that 2.7 ft diameter tree I cut would qualify as such I'd say, even if I did cut it in 5-10 minutes). If the job is one the electric one can handle, then do so (having 3, the old one and the new one plus the reciprocating Sawzall, also might help engines not overheat). On the other hand if it's a more demanding job that would require the gas one then plan ahead on a day to go it rather than trying to "jump on it" immediately--with no pretense of doing anything on a given day, simply try the saw to see if it starts and have it serviced if it doesn't, then on "blast-off" day be ready to go to such a shop again if it won't start when it's time to get the show going, but since it was just serviced most likely such shouldn't occur.
Basically, allot the time necessary, and take comfort that such won't be required for more routine jobs because you have the electric saw(s) on hand as well for that.
Had I not forgotten about the electric one I had, I would've just done that and left the gas one alone, or "switched off" once it was showing itself to be difficult that day.
As for which gas one to get, I do read the recommendations for the Stihl FarmBoss or a Husqvarna 450/455 Rancher, the only concern besides the price and how I might not use it that much anyway are the comments about them being more prone to "kick-back." I notice their handle is on top vs the bottom, that would seem to make kickback a higher risk. Otherwise my inclination would be to save my pennies and grab one, because well yes I could rent one, but the ones I've seen for rent are the same cheap ones I could buy for not much more than what it would cost to rent one, and I prefer to have tools "at the ready."
Time to sharpen the blade on the Poulan ES300 I already have, and then research for getting whatever else sometime next year when the tax refund windfall hits.
All saws can kick back. Back in the 80's my father (a 15 year seasoned logger at the time) had the same saw I mentioned in an earlier post kickback on him. He threw his hand up to shield his face and it quickly split his palm open. That saw had almost nothing for safety features (there's some of the improvements manufacturers have made).
A "hotter" saw may kickback more than a weaker one. Kickback is caused when the chain at the tip of the guide bar either touches an object (could be a hard knot, a limb sticking out, the ground, etc... ), or when the chain gets pinched in the cut. Kickback chances are reduced by knowing how to properly make the cut (although not completely eliminated).
The chain brake helps reduce some of this. As the bar flips up towards the operator, the chain brake contacts your forearm/wrist area and engages, thus stopping the chain instantly. Most chainsaws have a brake. A low kickback chain can also help. Some saws have additional handguards to help shield you, and some have a bar tip guard.
The handle position has little to do with kickback (although position on a Farmboss/455 is very similar to a smaller Poulan 16" saw or something of the likes so not sure why you think they're different). You're not going to hold it still if it makes contact in the right circumstances. Don't buy a bigger saw just because you don't like the way a smaller one starts. You're absolutely going to get injured before all is said and done. Take the time to learn to use the smaller saws properly. They are more than capable. That is miles more important than buying a professional grade saw just for cranking purposes.
See this little saw? It's about $500 and will make your saw look like a bad joke. It's probably half the weight and double the power. There is tools you can get by with buying cheap ones, small gasoline powered tools is not one of them especially if you know nothing about engines.
Battery power works ok for small yards and small projects, but still lack the umpf needed on larger projects. My driveway is about 50 yards long (2 cars wide), plus I have a front walkway and a pool patio to blow off. I've also got over an acre of yard with a few obstacles to trim around (plus maintaining the edging on the driveway) so battery powered equipment won't hold up for that long.
On a side note.... I completely cut down, limbed, and cut up 6 crepe myrtles that were over 15 ft tall yesterday evening with my Poulan chainsaw in about 2.5 hours. It fired right up and did the job with no problem whatsoever. This evening I have 8 more to cut (plus a 12 ft hickory tree) before that job is done and my detached garage can see sunlight again.
I had forgotten all about this--I also had an older electric chainsaw on hand I got like 3-odd years ago for $5 at a garage sale. I can't find much on it online, it's a Poulan ES300 (it apparently has a 16" chain and is 12 amps if I read it correctly). I'd stopped using it because the chain kept jumping off, but a new chain could well fix that (I'm sure it's old and dull).
RTFM before you kill yourself....
There should be an adjustment for adjusting the slack on a chain. If you do not know how to do this stop using any chainsaw before you hurt yourself or someone else.
The teeth on a chainsaw should be sharpened regularly, they don''t get "old". Learn to do it yourself or take it to saw shop to have them do it. A couple of quick swipes for every hour or two of use will work wonders. If you let it get dull and continue to run it dull that is going to result in lot of metal being removed to resharpen it. You only need to replace them when there isn't enough metal left to sharpen which is long time.
Quote:
I do read the recommendations for the Stihl FarmBoss or a Husqvarna 450/455 Rancher, the only concern besides the price and how
These are fairly large saws and unless you need to cut a lot of large wood look into getting smaller one. When I say a lot I mean you're cutting wood for heating purposes.
Battery power works ok for small yards and small projects, but still lack the umpf needed on larger projects. My driveway is about 50 yards long (2 cars wide), plus I have a front walkway and a pool patio to blow off. I've also got over an acre of yard with a few obstacles to trim around (plus maintaining the edging on the driveway) so battery powered equipment won't hold up for that long.
On a side note.... I completely cut down, limbed, and cut up 6 crepe myrtles that were over 15 ft tall yesterday evening with my Poulan chainsaw in about 2.5 hours. It fired right up and did the job with no problem whatsoever. This evening I have 8 more to cut (plus a 12 ft hickory tree) before that job is done and my detached garage can see sunlight again.
My trimmer is just as powerful as small to medium trimmers. I can weed eat my yard and edge my double car driveway, long side walk, and path on one to one and a half battery charges. DC brushless motors have come a long way and in some cases have more torque than gas.
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