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Maggie’s The Woodchuck and Firewood Hoarders Thread
- Thread starter bogeybrown
- Start date
I've used husqvarna premix, but wouldn't use the trufuel brand because I don't know the quality of their oil. The oil is the most important part. I typically only use stihl or husqvarna oil in saws, but have used redmax a few times because I had some that I bought when buying trimmers / blowers.
Edit: Find a station that sells real gas and keep a lot of it put up. Rotate it out using it for mowing or filling atv's. A good stock of gas may come in handy one day!
Edit: Find a station that sells real gas and keep a lot of it put up. Rotate it out using it for mowing or filling atv's. A good stock of gas may come in handy one day!
I ran one gallon of it through my saws while transitioning from pump gas to Husky premix. In the back of my mind it is the only "unknown" as the mechanic is working on my 455 trying to find an explanation for a scored piston in a 5 month old saw. I know for sure that my own mix was right, and used Husky oil, and they did a fuel test on the saw when I brought it in which came out fine (Husky premix). The only fuel that went through that saw that could've been jacked up was the TruFuel.
Im in no way saying that the TruFuel was to blame, as we haven't found the cause of the damage yet. He'll be doing pressure and vac testing this week with the hopes of finding a definitive cause to report back to Husqvarna for the warranty repair. If, however, he can't find a factory defect, all I'm left with as a possible culprit is the TruFuel.
Thanks to the "Pure Gas" website that MtnCreek posted up, I think I've found a station near me selling 91 octane real gas. Before that all I could find was 87, so I've been running Husky Fuel (95 octane), which I get at about $20 gallon (nice discount from full retail). I like the recipe that tnichols posted up, and may see what the airport down the road would charge me for a gallon of 100LL to try out that mixture in the future.
I'll say that once the damage was discovered to that new saw, it was a huge peace of mind to know that it was factory fuel mix in the tank. The mechanic also made it a point of documenting that the saw was well maintained with a clean filter, proper tune within factory limits, and no signs at all of abuse or misuse. Now I just need him to find that damn leak
Fuel story from last summer. I keep a dedicated fuel can just for 100LL. It is clearly marked. It had about 4 gallons in it the last time I had blended fuel. Out of the blue one day, Miss Lori asked me, "What is one zero zero L L ?" I replied that its $8 per gallon Av Gas and not to be used. I exaggerated the price to keep her mitts off it. Couple weeks later, I go to blend some fuel, and my 100LL can was full of wreaking car gas. I suspect she had dumped 100LL in her JD X320 mower and then after asking me tried covering her tracks by filling my can and hoping I wouldn't notice. I grew up around 80/87, 110/130, and 100LL. Can't fool me. I never said anything about, just put bigger warnings on my 100LL can for the future. Would have been a good day running her mower though, getting a whiff of that aromatic exhaust smell.
That's funny man, I'll bet that mower was humming along. I had some asshat steal 3 five gallon fuel cans out of the bed of my truck in NOLA many years ago. I laughed all day at the thought of them pouring diesel into their car. I was tempted to put some more "bait" in the back of the truck after that.
Bogey, one thing some of the "mechanics" don't check is ignition system. That will burn a two stroke down just as surely as a lean a/f ratio. The snowmobile dealer installed about a case of pistons, several jugs, and assorted paraphernalia in a Yamahaha triple of mine only to discover the ignition system was possessed.
In this day and age all our small engines, especially two strokes burn C10 or C12 gas and get Royal Purple 2 cycle mix at 60:1
The reason I do not run 100LL, it is formulated to burn fairly slowly as most piston driven aircraft engines turn less than 2800 rpm and cruise a lot lower than that. Ye olde Husky seems to prefer a bit faster pace. YMMV
In this day and age all our small engines, especially two strokes burn C10 or C12 gas and get Royal Purple 2 cycle mix at 60:1
The reason I do not run 100LL, it is formulated to burn fairly slowly as most piston driven aircraft engines turn less than 2800 rpm and cruise a lot lower than that. Ye olde Husky seems to prefer a bit faster pace. YMMV
Thanks man, that definitely helps if the search for a culprit doesn't turn up anything. Anything specific in the ignition system you found to be the big offender?
I don't remember exactly. Those were a cdi IIRC, but I think boxes, stator and all were replaced. He may have paid for an exorcism and not told me. By that time he had pulled out most of his hair, contemplated having to pay for a lifetime supply of blood pressure meds for us both he bought me out of the sled and fixed it in the off season. This man is way above most 2 stroke parts changers and that ignition deal really had him puzzled as well as some of the folks at Yama.
My Husky has never seen anything but 100LL and Husqvarna 2 stroke oil. It still makes power like new after 18 years.
We put up 4-5 cords mixed oak and hickory annually, plus whatever else needs done on 23 acres of woods, and helping the in-laws
on the farm.
We put up 4-5 cords mixed oak and hickory annually, plus whatever else needs done on 23 acres of woods, and helping the in-laws
on the farm.
I am woefully short of firewood big enough to feed the new saw, but found a 24" long crotch of oak to noodle, just to see how she cuts. I also did some cross cuts on what rounds I could find, and let me say that this mamajamma will EAT! I was grinning like a jackass eating briars running this bitch.
YouTube didn't want to give me a link in the format that Veer explained for posting a thumbnail video, but I'll post up a short one just so tnichols gets to see a couple of chips fly out of 'er :
https://youtu.be/ibFPCg57wuI
YouTube didn't want to give me a link in the format that Veer explained for posting a thumbnail video, but I'll post up a short one just so tnichols gets to see a couple of chips fly out of 'er :
https://youtu.be/ibFPCg57wuI
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I like it. The big saws sound nice as the “attempt” to idle. Love that broken staccato exhaust note. I always start the saw and set it down to allow it to warm up while I gear up. I’ll turn around and my 441 will have “walked” 10-15 feet away on frozen ground
. Thanks for posting the video.
I like it. The big saws sound nice as the “attempt” to idle. Love that broken staccato exhaust note. I always start the saw and set it down to allow it to warm up while I gear up. I’ll turn around and my 441 will have “walked” 10-15 feet away on frozen ground
Thanks for posting the video.
That's my routine as well, and learned my lesson on the walking. Now I find a nice pile of sawdust to set them in to keep them in place. This one even has a "kickstand" at the bottom of the spikes to keep the bar raised off the ground when it's set down. I'd never seen that before, or if I have I don't remember it.
I mentally wrestled for quite a while about trading the 465 and coming out of pocket a decent chunk of extra money to upgrade. Those couple of cuts yesterday made me glad I did it, and the missus (who'd given me the 465) was in absolute awe of how powerful the 365 was in comparison to anything else she'd seen run. She gave me a huge thumbs up for trading in her present, which was a big load off of my conscience.
If the 455 survives its visit at the shop it'll continue to wear a 20" full time. I've got a 435 and a couple of 145's for small stuff. In buying the 365 it was only $20 more to get the 28" bar and the chain of my choosing, so I got it that way with a plan of grabbing a 24" for it in the near future. The last saw I really want and have a need for is a top handle. If I can find one used at a solid price I'll be all set until I lose my mind and buy something else for no reason whatsoever, just like guns.
I'm glad to find this thread, as I thought it was just me. My bride thinks I'm crazy with my chain saw wants. We have an outdoor wood stove as well as a wood stove in the living room (a free standing fireplace to the insurance company).
I currently am using Dolmar saws. I do real estate appraising and the Dolmar dealer was building a new house, so when visiting with him he convinced me they were good saws and I bought one. I now have the 7910, the 7310, the 6421 and my wife has a 410. I still have a Stihl 260 pro, but it has seen little use after the Dolmars came into the picture.
The 7310 was the first saw that I had bought new for a long time and for some reason I have kept track of the gas I run through it. Today I filled it up for the 69th time. About 90% of those fills were after it had run dry.
I had some logging done last year and have been trying to get that cleaned up. The place needed the logging, but they left it looking like a bomb went off there.
I currently am using Dolmar saws. I do real estate appraising and the Dolmar dealer was building a new house, so when visiting with him he convinced me they were good saws and I bought one. I now have the 7910, the 7310, the 6421 and my wife has a 410. I still have a Stihl 260 pro, but it has seen little use after the Dolmars came into the picture.
The 7310 was the first saw that I had bought new for a long time and for some reason I have kept track of the gas I run through it. Today I filled it up for the 69th time. About 90% of those fills were after it had run dry.
I had some logging done last year and have been trying to get that cleaned up. The place needed the logging, but they left it looking like a bomb went off there.
I've heard that. I'm not sure I'm quite at that stage yet, but now that I've got the 28" I'm much closer. I guess I'd have to commit to chisel or semi-chisel and just run it on all of them all of the time.
missed , I've bounced around treestuff but haven't checked all of their categories. I usually end up at Baileys simply because they tend to have damn near everything and their selector tool for bars and chains is super handy. I'll take another look at treestuff.
Yeah Bailey's is gtg also. I signed up with treestuff mailing list they send a coupon out periodically, with the coupons they have done pretty good on pricing, and fast cheap shipping. I do need to order a bar and some chain for my 346, I just buy chain loops as the price over a roll is minimal, and convenance not to have to jack with making loops.
We are looking at the Quadrafire Voyager Grand with the cast iron surround for the new house. We have a Quadrafire i3100 step top stove in the current house. It's great, lots of heat, clean burning, no catalytic converter, but still low emissions.
We are looking at the Quadrafire Voyager Grand with the cast iron surround for the new house. We have a Quadrafire i3100 step top stove in the current house. It's great, lots of heat, clean burning, no catalytic converter, but still low emissions.
Thanks to all about the fuel choice. I’m gonna give the Husky mix a go, and then try to source the other mix that was previously mentioned.
Ill throw in another mention for Bailey’s to get bars/chains/whatever else you may need. I just called them yesterday about a new bar and chains for my incoming Kusky and they were top notch. Got a 16 inch Oregon replaceable sprocket nose and pair of Woodland Pro chains for the 350 inbound
Ill throw in another mention for Bailey’s to get bars/chains/whatever else you may need. I just called them yesterday about a new bar and chains for my incoming Kusky and they were top notch. Got a 16 inch Oregon replaceable sprocket nose and pair of Woodland Pro chains for the 350 inbound
Glad you found the thread as well. I still run all stock bars on my Stihls. Have not heard of Cannon. I see a far amount of Oregon bars around. I lust for a Sugihara but really don’t have a need. Maybe someday on the 441 to save a bit of weight.
That's an excellent point. My local shop is great and the people are top notch. Unlike a lot of horror stories I hear about the folks at dealerships, mine are incredibly friendly, remember me when I come in, custom order shit I've found online, and give me a price break where they can. If I can buy something from them I do. If I have a question or problem I can ask the folks up front or even go out back to the shop and talk to their mechanic.
I like the online sites for being able to do price and spec comparisons, find new items that aren't going to be on the shelf in a store, and that sort of thing. There's been a few things I found during online shopping that I've shown my local shop and asked to be ordered in and they were close enough on price that it was worth keeping my business local.
Sadly, a lot of places don't have good dealer support. There's also just some 3rd party gizmos that a factory dealer can't get ahold of because of licensing agreements or whatever. tnichols mentioned Sugihara bars as a good example. I'm currently looking for a combination peavey or cant hook / log jack and finding one I want at a dealer is about impossible. I'm about to make a materials list and see what a shop would charge me to make one, or let me make it myself with their equipment. I'm thinking I could put one together for less than the standard $100+ price tag I see on most.
Talk to me about protective pants/chaps. What type do you use, number of protective layers etc. My new saw kind of gives me the willies and I want to make sure I keep my legs intact.
http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=34&item=1161
I have a pair of these, I like them, there nice for crashing through the briars also.
I don't have any additional extra PPE besides hard hat if I'm in the trees and glasses, gloves...
I have a pair of these, I like them, there nice for crashing through the briars also.
I don't have any additional extra PPE besides hard hat if I'm in the trees and glasses, gloves...
I use these. The strap design is a little different, as it appears Husky changed the design without updating photos, and mine are grey vs orange. You can probably see them in the video I posted recently of the new 365. They can be had for a good bit less than the MSRP on Husky's website.
https://www.husqvarna.com/us/accesso...aps/587160704/
Chaps are hot, period. Down where I am it really becomes an issue in the summer, but it still beats a potentially fatal injury. I opted for the size a bit longer because they come down over the laces of my steel-toe boots, adding a little extra protection.
The Labonvilles that missed posted are highly regarded on the tree forums.
Beware of the super cheap Chinese models on Amazon. There's some YouTube videos of a guy testing them, and although they do work better than nothing they still allow complete penetration of the material.
https://www.husqvarna.com/us/accesso...aps/587160704/
Chaps are hot, period. Down where I am it really becomes an issue in the summer, but it still beats a potentially fatal injury. I opted for the size a bit longer because they come down over the laces of my steel-toe boots, adding a little extra protection.
The Labonvilles that missed posted are highly regarded on the tree forums.
Beware of the super cheap Chinese models on Amazon. There's some YouTube videos of a guy testing them, and although they do work better than nothing they still allow complete penetration of the material.
Here is what I worked on yesterday. We have cleaned up 20-30 of these and have about that many more to do.
I was wrong on the number of my wife's saw, it is a Dolmar 421. She kept after me to get her a saw and I never would until she said she was going to get her own. I had no idea what she would bring home so I thought I should get involved. I had the dealer put a 14 inch bar on it and for a small saw, it is really good.
I was wrong on the number of my wife's saw, it is a Dolmar 421. She kept after me to get her a saw and I never would until she said she was going to get her own. I had no idea what she would bring home so I thought I should get involved. I had the dealer put a 14 inch bar on it and for a small saw, it is really good.
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It is Water Oak. It is used for pallet lumber. It is not worth much, but the trees were so big they needed to be cut. It is good firewood when seasoned, but not so much until then. Seasoned or not, it works good in my outdoor stove as it has an induction fan, but I will not burn it in my inside stove unless seasoned.
When cleaning these tops up, I typically cut a big limb off and drag it to a central spot where I have a fire, trim it up then cut the wood. I have not been able to work on them much because we have been so dry I could not have a fire. Also, I said before the logging was done last year, but it really was 2016.
When cleaning these tops up, I typically cut a big limb off and drag it to a central spot where I have a fire, trim it up then cut the wood. I have not been able to work on them much because we have been so dry I could not have a fire. Also, I said before the logging was done last year, but it really was 2016.
Most of what I mess with down here is Water Oak as well, the bark on that one looked a bit different to me, and honestly I'm pretty bad at identifying trees. The most seasoned wood I have right now is probably 5 months old and it's still boiling in the fireplace but eventually burns. The moisture content in those trees is staggering, and I've bucked a few where I had water literally pouring out of the tree when I hit a cavity. I'd imagine it's one of the reasons our termites love them so much.
I can't even think about burning this inside until seasoned. I cut the small part of the limbs and they are good to go. These tops have been on the ground for over a year now, but the bigger part in the "log', it has not seasoned much at all.
We are having several oaks die,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, is anybody else having that trouble? When I split so of this that has died, there will be small white worms in it and just tons of small holes where it looks like the worms have bored. Next time I split some of this I will get a picture.
I have around 40 acres of woods and a buddy from the city has 50+ that joins me and I can't keep up with cutting all the ones that just die.
Anybody need a load of wood?
We are having several oaks die,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, is anybody else having that trouble? When I split so of this that has died, there will be small white worms in it and just tons of small holes where it looks like the worms have bored. Next time I split some of this I will get a picture.
I have around 40 acres of woods and a buddy from the city has 50+ that joins me and I can't keep up with cutting all the ones that just die.
Anybody need a load of wood?
Don’t know where you are located, but it sounds like an oak borer. If the problem is that bad, maybe contact your local Forestry department and have them send a Forester to see what’s going on with your stand. I know down here in FL with the damn beetles, we have to literally cut down and burn any tree within a certain radius of an infected tree/patch to stop them from spreading and decimating a planted pine plantation
Old saying up here is that oak (different species than what you have) gives up its moisture SLOWLY. In our climate, 2-4 years minimum if cut green (live or blow down). Two years minimum if it’s dead standing. Cooking out the moisture eats up BTU’s and can lead to chimney problems. I let that stuff season as long as possible before burning. As your stash grows (and you’re doing a fine job of that my friend) it just gets better.
tnichols , you nailed it: I need a bigger stash. Realistically, I need to get probably 7-10 cords down and stacked this season, and shoot for a minimum of 3 per year from here out to have some properly seasoned wood in 3-5 years. I'm working on it, so far sourcing the trees is the challenge.
I have an invitation to come up and harvest some some trees from a friend's land a bit north of me, but I'm evaluating renting some equipment to make it worthwhile.
All things being equal I wouldn't have touched this wood this year, but it's the coldest winter I remember down here and my furnace is out, so barely seasoned wood in the fireplace is my one source of any kind of heat in the house. It ain't perfect, but thanks to all of y'all that made Splitzilla possible I at least had the option.
Icallem , I run across the occasional grub in our water oaks, but they're basically just enjoying the punky core wood. I don't think I've run across the borers that you seem to be describing. Our pines get decimated by bark beetles, and oaks get eaten from the inside out by termites or a lesser degree by carpenter ants. It is a load of fun to split a round and have thousands of termites or ants pour out onto you. It's one of the reasons I now keep a disposal fire going while I'm splitting. In a lot of cases I'll get the fire real smokey with punky wood and then smoke out the bugs over it, allowing me to save a bit more wood.
Where are you located?
I have an invitation to come up and harvest some some trees from a friend's land a bit north of me, but I'm evaluating renting some equipment to make it worthwhile.
All things being equal I wouldn't have touched this wood this year, but it's the coldest winter I remember down here and my furnace is out, so barely seasoned wood in the fireplace is my one source of any kind of heat in the house. It ain't perfect, but thanks to all of y'all that made Splitzilla possible I at least had the option.
Icallem , I run across the occasional grub in our water oaks, but they're basically just enjoying the punky core wood. I don't think I've run across the borers that you seem to be describing. Our pines get decimated by bark beetles, and oaks get eaten from the inside out by termites or a lesser degree by carpenter ants. It is a load of fun to split a round and have thousands of termites or ants pour out onto you. It's one of the reasons I now keep a disposal fire going while I'm splitting. In a lot of cases I'll get the fire real smokey with punky wood and then smoke out the bugs over it, allowing me to save a bit more wood.
Where are you located?
After impatiently waiting for my saw, I got it last night. Was not impressed at all in how it was boxed up...
Went and got the Husky mix and bar oil this morning, put the saw together, and went to start it. Pulled a little to easy, which started giving me a red flag. Went to limb a few small limbs, chain was DULL. Huh...
I ended up disassembling the saw, and pulled the muffler. I had a gut feeling that the piston was scored due to how it felt when I pulled to start it (compression was off). Gut was right, piston is SCORED.
Really bummed about this. I’ve contacted the seller, and hoping this gets cleared up.
Went and got the Husky mix and bar oil this morning, put the saw together, and went to start it. Pulled a little to easy, which started giving me a red flag. Went to limb a few small limbs, chain was DULL. Huh...
I ended up disassembling the saw, and pulled the muffler. I had a gut feeling that the piston was scored due to how it felt when I pulled to start it (compression was off). Gut was right, piston is SCORED.
Really bummed about this. I’ve contacted the seller, and hoping this gets cleared up.
Husky 350 off EBay. I’ve already had to call Ebay customer service. Really bummed about this, especially since seller is giving me grief about wanting to return it.
That sucks man. I think I've learned my lesson on used saws, but would still probably jump on the right deal from a proven and trusted member at the AS or OPE forums. They tend to address issues in the open and don't dance around bullshit with bad sellers.
Ebay is worse than a pawn shop for used power equipment because you can't even check the thing ahead of time.
I learned rather quickly from this first time; it will be my last. I’m gonna put the money (once I get it back) towards a new Jonsered 2253/Husky 550XP or similar saw New from a dealer so if I have any issues, it can go right back.
As tempting as some deals on used saws can be, I'm with you. I could've bought a bigger used saw, or even a couple of used saws, for what I paid new for my recent 365, but that 4 year warranty and a good local shop to honor it was worth the peace of mind.
Long time lurker on this thread. A few questions for you guys:
First, I have an older (70s vintage) MacPro 10-10S. It was a gift from a great friend that is no longer with us. It runs like a champ, although it isnt the lightest saw around for certain. My limited amount of knowledge on saws believes that these older Mac’s were pretty decent. Is this true? Also, it’s currently wearing what I believe to be the original 20” bar. I have two Stihl’s with 16” and 18” bars that do well for me. I would like to install a longer (than 20”) bar on the Mac for bigger jobs. Are bars basically “universal”? What would you recommend?
We have about 25 acres of mixed hardwoods on our property in the upper Midwest that I plan on doing a bit of cutting on. We recently installed an additional Jotyl woodstove up there to compliment the current Jotyl propane heat stove. I already have a decent splitter, and plan on making this a spring project. I’m also looking for some rustic ideas (it’s a log home) for some decent wood racks for the covered porch.
I appreciate all the insight and knowledge I’ve gleaned off this thread.
First, I have an older (70s vintage) MacPro 10-10S. It was a gift from a great friend that is no longer with us. It runs like a champ, although it isnt the lightest saw around for certain. My limited amount of knowledge on saws believes that these older Mac’s were pretty decent. Is this true? Also, it’s currently wearing what I believe to be the original 20” bar. I have two Stihl’s with 16” and 18” bars that do well for me. I would like to install a longer (than 20”) bar on the Mac for bigger jobs. Are bars basically “universal”? What would you recommend?
We have about 25 acres of mixed hardwoods on our property in the upper Midwest that I plan on doing a bit of cutting on. We recently installed an additional Jotyl woodstove up there to compliment the current Jotyl propane heat stove. I already have a decent splitter, and plan on making this a spring project. I’m also looking for some rustic ideas (it’s a log home) for some decent wood racks for the covered porch.
I appreciate all the insight and knowledge I’ve gleaned off this thread.
I am fortunate. Been doing business with the same saw shop since 73. Never had to leave a saw overnight for repairs. The man takes exceptional care of those making a living with a chainsaw. He has been doing complete rebuilds on both Stihl and Husky pro saws and selling them for around half depending on the amount of parts they needed. Never heard of any issues quality wise. So a good dealer is most important. If parts/ chain etc. is a little more there than on line just pay the man he's gotta eat also.
Hey buddy, you have a hell of an old warhorse of a saw there. IIRC the model 10 series were 55cc or so? By today's standards saws in that size range tend to be limited to a 20" or maybe 24" bar. That being said, that ProMac is a lot more saw than today's 55cc models and may pull a longer chain. If you're man enough to tote that heavy beast out cutting, then the extra weight of a long bar won't hurt you much.
Bars are not universal, as some makes have proprietary mounting/oiling systems. Even within the same brand not all bars work with all saws. Oregon seems to be the 3rd party making the widest variety of bars and chains for different manufacturers.
I did a quick search on Bailey's for you. I may have put in the wrong model # in their dropdown menus, but they show several options up through 28"-32"
your saw runs a 3/8" pitch chain, and if they offer options I'd say start with 50 gauge unless someone has a reason for you to go with a bigger gauge if there's an option. The longer you go, like up into 28" range, you may consider a skip or semi-skip chain to take a little strain off the Saw and maintain good cutting speed.
Here's their bar and chain selector tool, and you can call them and talk to a smart person to get you dialed in if you need:
http://www.baileysonline.com/shop.axd/BarSelector
