Chainsaw Buying Anxiety

[Neptune]

Don't buy a second hand saw, it won't work or if it does it will be stolen!

Get a new Stihl ms171 - We sell loads of then and they are great for occasional use. :- https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=off&tbm=shop&q=stihl+ms171&ei=oB4LVc-_EYXR7QaxyYCwAw

I actually do warranty work for stihl, and the spares/backup is first rate.

This

I was using a cheap chinese thing, I justified it for the reason I was cutting up a lot of old buildings and expected to see a lot of nails, didnt want to ruin a good chainsaw. Sharpening it one day noticed one of the teeth had been ripped off with a lot of the chain link holding it on. While googling for a new chain came across a website selling this

http://www.chainsawspecialists.co.uk/acatalog/Celox.html

started to dwell on the cheap chain splitting and going through my femoral pipework.

Binned the thing there and then, went and bought a stihl ms 181. 16 inch bar. Will cut almost all the things I need to cut in one go.

If you dont need it after this job you can always sell it on, ( it will easily hold its value) and negate the feelings of wasteful ness with a disposable chinese model.

If not to your liking , I have seen large chinese models 20 inch bar 60cc going for ridiculous money,

like this http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-81481.html?adtype=pla&kwd=&showPLA=true&gclid=COaYqdSVtcQCFQoKwwod_E8Aug ( how can they make that for 69 quid)

make sure its got a quality chain, quite hard to work out which one for replacement though with some of the cheaper models ( they dont use standard sizes. I use premiumsawchain.co.uk , they also have a good chain identifier video/guide. Will get a good oregon chain for about 20 quid

[XswampyX]

Try this :- http://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/

[Nuggets Mahoney]

If not to your liking , I have seen large chinese models 20 inch bar 60cc going for ridiculous money,

like this http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-81481.html?adtype=pla&kwd=&showPLA=true&gclid=COaYqdSVtcQCFQoKwwod_E8Aug ( how can they make that for 69 quid)

That looks suspiciously like Amazon's £90 top seller which I mentioned in my original post.

(edit: they have this one (with an Oregon chain) at £90 which is presumably the equivalent to Amazon. The decision would be a lot easier if the reviews of these things were more negative)

Your post has firmed my resolve to bin the chains it comes with and buy a couple of Oregon/ Stihl chains instead if I do succumb.

[thecrashingisles]

It's good to torque.

[sPinwheel]

It's good to torque.

LOL

[happy_renting]

Thought about hiring ?

Yes, hire the chainsaw trousers.

In fact, I hire all my trousers.

Luckily, my small village has a church, pub, village store and trouser hire shop.

[happy_renting]

Agreed.

fwiw I, and the chap who'll be using it most, are not exactly unfamiliar with these things. I just don't like them very much regardless. He's also a dab hand at knocking up impromptu saw horses, along these sort of lines...

Fingers crossed, SNACR may still drift randomly by and mention that there's a job lot of ludicrously-underpriced German made chainsaws doing the rounds that no-one can get shot of

That is a Black & Decker Barkmate!

[happy_renting]

Excellent. At last, another topic where I have some content to offer!

Having nothing to offer has never deterred me from posting.

[DTMark]

Having nothing to offer has never deterred me from posting.

You're on form this evening.

I have nothing much that I can offer on this topic. Some might say "on any topic".

Round here, if the trees get diseased, someone comes round and chops them into sections and stacks them up.

Then a variety of random miscellaneous people turn up over the next several weeks loading the bits into their cars to take home.

[Nuggets Mahoney]

If not to your liking , I have seen large chinese models 20 inch bar 60cc going for ridiculous money,

like this http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-81481.html?adtype=pla&kwd=&showPLA=true&gclid=COaYqdSVtcQCFQoKwwod_E8Aug ( how can they make that for 69 quid)

On the basis that anything 'nice' is going to be neglected and/or nicked, I'm going to go down the cheap Chinese cr@p route. That supplier you mention offers the same chainsaw for £90 with an Oregon chain and bar and thoughtfully pre chucks away the standard chain for you. I'll be picking up the full suite of accessories and safety gear, as recommended here, even though the chap who'll be mostly using the saw thinks it's Politically Correct nonce-sense. His call if he doesn't use it and my conscience will be clear. He's already in his 70s anyway and always loved being in the mountains

I will also be looking out for justifications to share my life with a dinky Stihl.

Thanks all. Much appreciated. Anxiety banished.

[SNACR]

This is very decent for occasional use. Only available in the US though probably not quite worth a special trip just for one.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-12-in-40-Volt-Lithium-ion-Cordless-Chainsaw-Battery-and-Charger-Not-Included-RY40500A/203362223

[StainlessSteelCat]

This thread has only served to convince me never to swap my bow saw for a chain saw.

[XswampyX]

This is very decent for occasional use. Only available in the US though probably not quite worth a special trip just for one.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-12-in-40-Volt-Lithium-ion-Cordless-Chainsaw-Battery-and-Charger-Not-Included-RY40500A/203362223

Try here:- It's the same saw! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greenworks-Tools-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Chainsaw/dp/B00DC6L8E6%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJTP35FZD453U3XAA%26tag%3Deancodesnet-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00DC6L8E6

[happy_renting]

Need to make sure that appropriate safety gear is invested in.

Apparently kickbacks typically cause death by severing the jugular, the head or taking one's shoulder off.

I always wear one of these from Poundstretcher (childrens' fancy dress party section). It's saved my life a few times, I can tell you.

EDIT: @ happyrentboy....me neither.

I don't recognise the sci-fi costume, but the gravel pit backgound guarantees that it is a BBC production. Blake's 7?

[DTMark]

I don't recognise the sci-fi costume, but the gravel pit backgound guarantees that it is a BBC production. Blake's 7?

It's a costume worn by the Timelords in Doctor Who.

But since I cannot place the episode, I suspect it was repurposed for Blakes 7 or vice-versa.

[SNACR]

Yes, hire the chainsaw trousers.

In fact, I hire all my trousers.

Luckily, my small village has a church, pub, village store and trouser hire shop.

Would you mind returning the Rupert The Bear trousers, I need them for the weekend.

I assume it's you who has them?

[el_presidente]

Yes, hire the chainsaw trousers.

In fact, I hire all my trousers.

Luckily, my small village has a church, pub, village store and trouser hire shop.

[el_presidente]

Yes, hire the chainsaw trousers.

In fact, I hire all my trousers.

Luckily, my small village has a church, pub, village store and trouser hire shop.

If it ******s, floats or has flies: rent it

[rxe]

If you are getting an experience old Italian bloke to chop your wood, then pay him a bit more to use his own saw.

If he is experienced, then as long as he keeps the chain sharp and drains the fuel before long term storage, it will be fine.

He will not respect your family if you give him a chinese saw.

[Nuggets Mahoney]

If you are getting an experience old Italian bloke to chop your wood, then pay him a bit more to use his own saw.

If he is experienced, then as long as he keeps the chain sharp and drains the fuel before long term storage, it will be fine.

He will not respect your family if you give him a chinese saw.

He is family. Retired and living in the UK but spends time in Italy. The reason why I've been asked to buy a chainsaw is because the bloke who used to look after the wood side of things and lend us his gear is no longer with us (not chainsaw related). We had a couple of chainsaws knocking around in the past, one good, one bad, both were nicked.

His attitude to tools, which I find little odd, is the same as the rest of my family. He just picks them up and uses them; good, bad, blunt, sharp, he's indifferent to their condition or quality. Give him a blunt knife to use and he'll chop away with it all day without complaint or comment. If you offer to sharpen it for him, he'd be cool with that but wouldn't mind if you didn't. Very old school, completely unmaterialistic. Looks after himself and still capable of hard manual work.

I tried to sell him on the idea of a 14 or 16 inch saw last night but he was adamant we needed something larger for what my mum and he had in mind. It all sounded quite ambitious. I'll be checking their plans out for sanity over Easter. I had a good think off the back of this thread and decided that anything too 'nice' in our set up over there will almost certainly get nicked. A lot of decent tools have gone walkies over the years.

I'm totally on board with buying quality, Stihl in this case and will work some in if and when I can.

[MrPin]

He is family. Retired and living in the UK but spends time in Italy. The reason why I've been asked to buy a chainsaw is because the bloke who used to look after the wood side of things and lend us his gear is no longer with us (not chainsaw related). We had a couple of chainsaws knocking around in the past, one good, one bad, both were nicked.

I'm totally on board with buying quality, Stihl in this case and will work some in if and when I can.

They are good for chopping up body parts, Mr Soprano! Perhaps your opponents want a "Blue Circle overcoat" propping up the M25?

[Nuggets Mahoney]

They are good for chopping up body parts, Mr Soprano! Perhaps your opponents want a "Blue Circle overcoat" propping up the M25?

Have I ever mentioned that James Gandolfini's dad hailed from the same (small) town as my dad?

That's it's 2nd claim to fame, after being the centre of the Mushroom Universe.

Basically, everyone on my Dad's side looked like Tony Soprano.

[MrPin]

Have I ever mentioned that James Gandolfini's dad hailed from the same (small) town as my dad?

That's it's 2nd claim to fame, after being the centre of the Mushroom Universe.

Basically, everyone on my Dad's side looked like Tony Soprano.

Well the Cadillac is buggered now, so I don't now how the Sopranos got anywhere in them to do "major crimes" in it. I'm now back to a Lexus, like the pilot episode where Tony borrows Chris's Lexus, to run over somebody that "owed him a bit"! And then beats him up! If you ever want to get into "organised crime", I'll be your advisor, like Herman!