Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread

[Hobo Hilton]

Any advantage to the newer synthetic 2 cycle stihl oil? I have been using premium non ethanol fuel in the saws since gas quality got shitty, (quite a while ago) and I believe it does make a substantial difference. My dad recently passed away and I got his 38 Super... They used a lot of metal back then... not so much plastic crap. I haven't used it... did start it and it needs to be run a bit.

Here's a picture of the "kids". 036,View attachment 7979839View attachment 7979840View attachment 7979842View attachment 7979843 38AV, 44, 440. I like the 440 on the bigger diameter stuff.... really makes the chips fly. I should go cut another load or two... winter is coming, maybe?

For the past 6 - 7 years I have been running Amzoil in my Polaris and Stihl equipment. A guy that raced snowmobiles told me about his good experiences with this oil in his racing motors. It's done a good job for me.

https://www.amsoil.com/p/dominator-synthetic-2-stroke-racing-oil-tdr/

 

[OldSalty2]

With the midwest freezing temps this week was nice to have the first fire of the year.

Going to be a real cold winter throughout the heartland, so buckle up.

 

[Lawless]

Chestnut oak.

 

[458win]

The 36” bar on the 395xp was always trying to dig in the dirt so I decided to buy a 24” as it was plenty for most of the trees I run into.
I got a skip tooth and full house chain for it to see if there was a difference. (Oregons) Did one big lodgepole with the skip tooth. Then put on the full house for the other one.
Got to say all the hoopla about the skip tooth being faster at least in my case is bullshit. The full house was insane. Dig the dogs in and go. Full house was also hellava lot smoother delimbing.

Had to drive 3 hours to my firewood spot. It started snowing when I got there. By the time I had the trailer loaded 4hours later had 4” on the ground. Total pain in the ass as rolling sections they turned into snowmen. Also made the trailer slippery as hell. Luckily no injuries today.

Anyhow it was a good day. Saw two bull moose heading up.

 

[Lawless]

Higher octane gasoline means it resists burning compared to lower octane. Lower octane also burns cleaner due to fewer additives. High octane is needed to prevent detonation in high compression engines but using it when not required will hurt performance and lead to carbon buildup on the chamber and piston. It doesn’t burn hotter, it burns “cooler” or “slower”, which is why high compression and turbo engines need it. *edited to add, this is a generalization and is a much more complex subject that can be a deep rabbit hole.

Burn some 87 and 93 in a pure white dish and you can see the difference and see the deposits afterward.

Around here the non-ethanol is 90 octane and about $1 more per gallon. I use Sta-Bil 360 Marine in regular with no worries in all small engines. The large bottle treats 280 gallons for $20 so a much better cost.

*Edited to add

I’m in the mountains so …. Stihl recommends 90 octane, higher elevation means less available O2, 87 works fine for me (ignites easier with less oxygen). At sea level I’d use at least 90.

 

[mtrmn]

Higher octane gasoline means it resists burning compared to lower octane. Lower octane also burns cleaner due to fewer additives. High octane is needed to prevent detonation in high compression engines but using it when not required will hurt performance and lead to carbon buildup on the chamber and piston. It doesn’t burn hotter, it burns “cooler” or “slower”, which is why high compression and turbo engines need it.

Burn some 87 and 93 in a pure white dish and you can see the difference and see the deposits afterward.

Around here the non-ethanol is 90 octane and about $1 more per gallon. I use Sta-Bil 360 Marine in regular with no worries in all small engines. The large bottle treats 280 gallons for $20 so a much better cost.

*Edited to add

I’m in the mountains so …. Stihl recommends 90 octane, higher elevation means less available O2, 87 works fine for me (ignites easier with less oxygen). At sea level I’d use at least 90.

Around here in the mountains of central La (150' above sea level) we have non-ethanol 87 and 91 octane available. The 91 NON-ETHANOL only recently became available, at least advertised as non-ethanol anyway. I've always used the 87 octane in my Husqvarna 365 and never had a problem with the running characteristics. I DID recently replace the Zama carburetor with a new one when it seems the hi-speed circuit suddenly just quit working, probably due to a stopped up jet or something. After adjusting the new carb it runs just as well as the old one always did. Pull it a couple times on full choke then push the choke off and it starts on the next pull. Use half a tank of gas and set the saw down idling and it will idle there I guess until it runs out of gas. No hotrod mods like hi compression or anything.

 

[SONIC SAAMI]

 

[Lawless]

I DID recently replace the Zama carburetor with a new one when it seems the hi-speed circuit suddenly just quit working, probably due to a stopped up jet or something. After adjusting the new carb it runs just as well as the old one always did. Pull it a couple times on full choke then push the choke off and it starts on the next pull. Use half a tank of gas and set the saw down idling and it will idle there I guess until it runs out of gas. No hotrod mods like hi compression or anything.

I posted a while back that I put a replacement carb on my MS250. I had put a kit in the factory carb to cure its tendency to flood when starting hot. It’s a known issue with that saw. It ran better but would still flood when restarting hot.

New ching chang carb and the saw runs excellent. Will idle long periods, starts easy too. I put one on my Stihl FS55 trimmer due to it randomly shutting down under load. It acted like you had closed the choke. Put a kit in it and same issue. New $12 carb and runs like new.

Factory carbs are Chinesium too…

 

[SONIC SAAMI]

I just stepped outside for another piece of wood for the woodstove.
Off in the distance I could hear my neighbors heat pump running.

 

[mtrmn]

I posted a while back that I put a replacement carb on my MS250. I had put a kit in the factory carb to cure its tendency to flood when starting hot. It’s a known issue with that saw. It ran better but would still flood when restarting hot.

New ching chang carb and the saw runs excellent. Will idle long periods, starts easy too. I put one on my Stihl FS55 trimmer due to it randomly shutting down under load. It acted like you had closed the choke. Put a kit in it and same issue. New $12 carb and runs like new.

Factory carbs are Chinesium too…

Yeah both the original Zama and the replacement Zama had made in China on them. Apparently sometime during production Husqvarna switched from Walbro carbs to Zama.

 

[Lawless]

Yeah both the original Zama and the replacement Zama had made in China on them. Apparently sometime during production Husqvarna switched from Walbro carbs to Zama.

My Husky 359 has a Zama. There are some videos about modding it and I have followed them. It has made the saw idle and run pretty good but I won’t hesitate to buy a ching chang (*disclaimer* this is a euphemism to represent a no name Chinese carb and in no way is meant to be demeaning to Asians) if it begins to do something weird.

This is the saw that soured me on Husky saws. It is a great saw when running well and a gotdangpieceofmudderfawkingshite when it aint. The 357 was better.

 

[Lawless]

The MS250 has a varied reputation, mostly due to hot start flooding. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another used one at a good price. They’re good light saws with good power in a 16-18” bar. Muffler mod and tuned well they’re fine.

It ain’t no MS261 but its a good saw.

 

[mtrmn]

The Zama I bought on eBay had Stens on the box, about 40 bucks. And yes I used the evil PayPal...

 

[mtrmn]

The MS250 has a varied reputation, mostly due to hot start flooding. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another used one at a good price. They’re good light saws with good power in a 16-18” bar. Muffler mod and tuned well they’re fine.

It ain’t no MS261 but its a good saw.

Do you make your own carb adjustments ? I would think the too rich hot start problem could be fixed with some tinkering as long as the carburetor is in good shape.

 

[oneshot86]

Chestnut oak.


View attachment 7981640
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Those little Kubota tractors are great, I used one for a couple years. Great, affordable tractors

 

[Lawless]

Do you make your own carb adjustments ? I would think the too rich hot start problem could be fixed with some tinkering as long as the carburetor is in good shape.

It’s a well known issue with them and I’m not sure there is a way to fix the factory carb. For $12 I’m happy with it now.

 

[Lawless]

Those little Kubota tractors are great, I used one for a couple years. Great, affordable tractors

It’s a bull for sure.

 

[Alabama556]

What does a cord of split hardwood that is seasoned go for is y’all’s area? I got covered up with work, a floor in my house, and kids this year and will have to buy some wood for my hunting camp

 

[Bigfatcock]

What does a cord of split hardwood that is seasoned go for is y’all’s area? I got covered up with work, a floor in my house, and kids this year and will have to buy some wood for my hunting camp

About $200 for seasoned split oak in Albany, GA I have a bunch of large oak logs coming up from Florida, but it’ll be awhile before it’s ready to burn.

 

[oneshot86]

About $200 for seasoned split oak in Albany, GA I have a bunch of large oak logs coming up from Florida, but it’ll be awhile before it’s ready to burn.

If you guys are buying a cord of wood for 200 you need to bring it down here and sell it off a busy corner. At .72 cents a piece that over 520 dollars, bring 3 cord down you would sell out in a day.

What kind of sucker would split wood for 200 a cord, that's pathetic cheap

 

[Bigfatcock]

If you guys are buying a cord of wood for 200 you need to bring it down here and sell it off a busy corner. At .72 cents a piece that over 520 dollars, bring 3 cord down you would sell out in a day.

What kind of sucker would split wood for 200 a cord, that's pathetic cheap

It’s a by product of sourcing lumber for the mill. $200 always sells, it’s easy to produce with hydraulic splitters, and is just extra cheddar cheese in the bank.

 

[oneshot86]

It’s a by product of sourcing lumber for the mill. $200 always sells, it’s easy to produce with hydraulic splitters, and is just extra cheddar cheese in the bank.

Do you mean a face cord, 1 pickup truck of split wood or a cord, 3 pickup trucks of split firewood

 

[Bigfatcock]

Do you mean a face cord, 1 pickup truck of split wood or a cord, 3 pickup trucks of split firewood

128 cubic feet. 8x4x4 (not really cut 4 foot long. 12-14 inches to fit in most fire places, but stacked 4 foot wide.)

A cord is a cord. To sell any lesser amount labeled as a cord is very dishonest.

 

[oneshot86]

128 cubic feet. 8x4x4 (not really cut 4 foot long. 12-14 inches to fit in most fire places, but stacked 4 foot wide.)

A cord is a cord. To sell any lesser amount labeled as a cord is very dishonest.

Yes it would be very dishonest.
The reason I questioned it is because of how inexpensive the seasoned split wood is for you. So so so so so many people do NOT know correctly what a cord of wood is.
I sell firewood yearly, many people ask for a cord but want a face cord, very common mistake for the average city dweller.
Glad to here it's inexpensive for you.

 

[pmclaine]

Son has some mesquite down for the smoker.

Maybe a piece or two for a set of 1911 grips.

Anyone know of a custom mfg in TX? That takes raw stock?

Check out @Bigfatcock for grips……

 

[Bigfatcock]

Yes it would be very dishonest.
The reason I questioned it is because of how inexpensive the seasoned split wood is for you. So so so so so many people do NOT know correctly what a cord of wood is.
I sell firewood yearly, many people ask for a cord but want a face cord, very common mistake for the average city dweller.
Glad to hear it's inexpensive for you.

I was able to get a very large amount of live oak during the back to back tornadoes in 2017. My guys cut and remove the downed trees for a very reasonable amount of money, which really pisses off the vultures that come out after disasters. Trunks and thick limbs with enough straightness get milled.

Firewood is a waste product for me, that ends up making a little money. There are a lot of millable logs and firewood trees on the ground in Florida right now. Are you able to get any of it?

 

[oneshot86]

I was able to get a very large amount of live oak during the back to back tornadoes in 2017. My guys cut and remove the downed trees for a very reasonable amount of money, which really pisses off the vultures that come out after disasters. Trunks and thick limbs with enough straightness get milled.

Firewood is a waste product for me, that ends up making a little money. There are a lot of millable logs and firewood trees on the ground in Florida right now. Are you able to get any of it?

I get my logs from the local tree services, generally in their 50 yard trucks. I don't charge them to dump, it's premo shit in its own big pile
The smaller guys dump their 20 yard trailers and I charge 50$.

The hurricanes hurt our log availability.

Fema pays the guys , so much a yard, to collect and dump in designated spot.
Therefore, what once was a liability for the tree guy, is not an asset, they get paid to dump it. Therefore, I get no free logs when there's a hurricane cleanup going.

Development is still crazy and lightning still strikes and kill neighborhood trees.
I always get asked if I have room for a load. Plenty of logs for me.

Do you mill lightning struck live oak?
If not try it. It has a burntness on the grain inside the log. When I have to rip a big round that was a lightning strike, it's beautiful, exotic inside

 

[Bigfatcock]

I get my logs from the local tree services, generally in their 50 yard trucks. I don't charge them to dump, it's premo shit in its own big pile
The smaller guys dump their 20 yard trailers and I charge 50$.

The hurricanes hurt our log availability.

Fema pays the guys , so much a yard, to collect and dump in designated spot.
Therefore, what once was a liability for the tree guy, is not an asset, they get paid to dump it. Therefore, I get no free logs when there's a hurricane cleanup going.

Development is still crazy and lightning still strikes and kill neighborhood trees.
I always get asked if I have room for a load. Plenty of logs for me.

Do you mill lightning struck live oak?
If not try it. It has a burntness on the grain inside the log. When I have to rip a big round that was a lightning strike, it's beautiful, exotic inside

I’ll mill most anything that doesn’t have metal in it. In about two years when I return to the mothership, if I’m still on this forum, you’re welcome to come see the mill. Bring hog traps too, since I always need those fuckers taken off the property. 3 families I let trap for free and I still can’t get rid of the fuckers.

 

[oneshot86]

 

[oneshot86]

Cool pic after I murdered a log pile

 

[300zx_tt]

What does a cord of split hardwood that is seasoned go for is y’all’s area? I got covered up with work, a floor in my house, and kids this year and will have to buy some wood for my hunting camp

I was selling my premium stuff, locust, hickory and oak mix 2 year stacked and seasoned for $375. Hardwood mix of ash, maple and a little oak was $325. My big uglies (knotty shit I couldn’t split with the log splitter) were $175 a cord.

 

[Lawless]

What does a cord of split hardwood that is seasoned go for is y’all’s area? I got covered up with work, a floor in my house, and kids this year and will have to buy some wood for my hunting camp

My BIL used to sell 1 cord seasoned oak/hickory for $210 delivered but not stacked. He sold 120 cords per year.

 

[Lawless]

Got the 2 Stihls cleaned and sharpened and put away. The little Echo I discovered needs a sprocket so ordered one and left it torn apart. Still need to futz with the Husky 359 and put it away. Did a good bit of cutting this weekend, now back to work where I can rest

 

[458win]

For pinyon pine and juniper asking price here is $400 split and delivered.

I’ll drive 6 hours to go get decent lodgepole for that.

 

[Lawless]

For pinyon pine and juniper asking price here is $400 split and delivered.

I’ll drive 6 hours to go get decent lodgepole for that.

For pine! Geeze

 

[Lawless]

Interesting video on angles.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Not sure if this has ever been here but thought I might throw it out for everyone to get a laugh. Not mine, just found the picture

 

[Lawless]

Local guy has a near new looking MS260 Pro. Think Imma buy it today.

*edited to add* he’s holding it for me, picking it up during the week.

No freeloading, pic of my “bear tree”.

 

[Lawless]

Man this thing is a “survivor“.

Runs perfectly and makes me moist.

 

[346ci]

Nice 260, it's been taken care of for sure. Built in April 2002. Do a muffler mod, tune the H screw and she should eat pretty good.

 

[acpchuck]

Don't know much about the various Stihl saws but know the brand is good to go. Picked up a MS 260 about 5 years ago from my brother in law who runs a pawn shop. Needed a saw, looked at what he had and choose the 260. We started it outside and it ran fine. Couldn't beat the price as he sold it to me for what he paid for it, $100.

Used it this fall to cut a dump truck load of hardwood and fir. Really impressed with how well that saw cuts. Left me wanting to find more stuff to cut up.

 

[Lawless]

Don't know much about the various Stihl saws but know the brand is good to go. Picked up a MS 260 about 5 years ago from my brother in law who runs a pawn shop. Needed a saw, looked at what he had and choose the 260. We started it outside and it ran fine. Couldn't beat the price as he sold it to me for what he paid for it, $100.

Used it this fall to cut a dump truck load of hardwood and fir. Really impressed with how well that saw cuts. Left me wanting to find more stuff to cut up.

Damifyoudidntstealthatsumbeech

 

[Lawless]

Gonna sell my excellent Husky 359 to pay for the MS260. It has a like new 24” Husky bar with an Oregon chain. The intake boot has the plastic clamp replaced with a metal one and the muffler is cleaned out and ported.

I just don’t use it much so better to go to someone who needs it.

 

[pmclaine]

If I came across a Stihl from the “0” era as in 026, I think I would want one because I hear such glowing testimonies.

Am I wrong?

 

[Lawless]

If I came across a Stihl from the “0” era as in 026, I think I would want one because I hear such glowing testimonies.

Am I wrong?

No, not wrong but as far as I can tell there isn’t much difference between an 044 and a MS440. Nostalgia-wise I love a clean 0 series saw. My FIL has over 50 pro Stihl saws, about half are pre-MS.

 

[Lawless]

On the Echo Red Armor oil question…

There is a 22 page thread on AS about oil and the vast consensus is RA is the go-to now. While I have used Stihl orange quite a bit, those guys say the Stihl Ultra is bad news in saws. Apparently it is designed for the 4-mix trimmers and will kill cranks/bearings in 2 cycles.

It was also shown by folks trusted over there that RA leaves excellent residual oil in the bottom end and is trusted at 50:1 where most run other oils at 40:1.

Anyway, an interesting read. I know I like the smell of it running and my trimmer “woke up“ when I started using it. I will keep using it going forward.

—————

I have another chestnut oak to drag out of the woods. Will test out the 260 soon.

 

[346ci]

Not wrong, they are great saws. Make sure it has the fully adjustable carb(both L and H), a WT194 would be ideal. You could be looking at a saw from the early 90's. Lots of rubber in there, crank seals, intake boot, av mounts, etc. All that breaks down over time and could get expensive if you don't have the tools or know how. I believe they made the 260 up until the early/mid 2000s if you want something a little newer than the 026. The 260 had a slightly larger bore for more power.

The best running 026 I had was ported, 044 carb and a green weenie filter. Those mods fixed 90% of the saw's problems. It had the power of a muffler modded 361 if running a 16" b&c.

During this era, the Husky 346xp was another great 50cc saw. The OE and NE versions had more power than the Stihls. If you ever get a chance to run one, do it.

If you are going to cut some serious wood, look at the Stihl 261. It is a better saw with much better air filtration, anti vibe and more power than the older 026/260 saws. These on are the gen 2 version now and can be bought with mtronic or a standard carb.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

If I came across a Stihl from the “0” era as in 026, I think I would want one because I hear such glowing testimonies.

Am I wrong?

When you see a guy running the old Stihl's, it is a reflection on his personality, mechanical ability and appreciation of all things mechanical. Same can be said of a guy with a 57 Chevy as his daily driver or the guy you hunt with that carries a weapon with all of the bluing worn off....
Picking up a non-running Stihl, tearing it all apart and building it into a dependable tool becomes a learning process... Some thrive on learning and some thrive on throwing old stuff in the dumpster and buying a new replacement.

 

[oneshot86]

If I came across a Stihl from the “0” era as in 026, I think I would want one because I hear such glowing testimonies.

Am I wrong?

Depends on who you are buying it from.
Don't get it from a guy w a woodlot for firewood, we by far, put more hours on a saw vs anyone else.
Some tree company's? Yes. A friend turns his saws over every year and would be a good buy for someone.
Homeowner? Sure, if the saw fires up.

Believe it or not, the average homeowner, not knowing, gets rid of his saw, or shelves his saw because the sprocket has worn to far. The diameter wears smaller and Rob's horsepower from the saw.

A thought though.
A 261 is 700 ish, little less. Buy a decent saw used, what? 500?
Buy a new one Phil and enjoy it the rest of your life.

 

[oneshot86]

And only get the pro saw