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O/T Chainsaws


white90

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Stihl or Husqvarna or another brand

what CC engine is recommended

why are top handle ones only available to certificate holders? is there any advantage to a top handle one?

the price of a new guide bar and chain is nearly half the cost of a low end variant from the above suppliers.

So I'm getting a new one

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ive got a cheap little mc-culloch, it works a treat. Just bought 2 new chains of e-bay for £20 ish delivered, could have got 2 chains and guide bar for £26

Depends on your useage I suppose, toolstation.com or screwfix both have a bit of a selection.

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Husky or Jonsered if you're going to look after it, Sthil if you aren't. When I did my training all the teachers used Huskys and all the students used Sthils.Huskys are nicer to use and tend to vibrate less (important if your'e using it all day) but need more maintenance than Stihls. The top handle ones are only availiable to SOME certificate holders(normally tree surgeons) because if an untrained person is going to use something the makes 3 pounds of mince a seccond if it contacts flesh they should at least use two hands!!!

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im certificated for both kinds

as said, only certified users for top handles because of the light weight ease of flinging them about even though of course it is still advisable to use two hands where possible

im a Stihl man myself all mine are stihls. I dont agree with the comments about huskys being better at all. the difference is, a stihl keeps going and going and goin, you drop it, it's going, you fell a tree on it, it's going.

husky's get arsey if you dont keep them immaculate in my experience. and try as we all might, that sometimes just does not happen, but i cannot emphasise enough the benefits of a good strip clean at least every now and again and after any prolonged useage.

as for stihl's for low use... ours get long hours day in day out and have never missed a beat. they love hard work, and they just keep on roaring.

but i cannot put more emphasis on PPE, and i'm talking trousers, helmet with ear and eye protection, protective gloves (with anti vibe cushioning) and protective boots. All should be at least class 1 protection, gloves i think can be class 0.

my trousers alone were over 130 quid but theyre all around protection and i can use them for climbing too. PPE has a price, but what price do you put on your ability to walk or even breath. harsh but sadly true im afraid

be safe

Jim

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Top handle chainsaw is a one - handed surgery saw, and if you go up a tree professionally, you must be certified, whereas a twin handled saw can be bought anywhere and is deemed safer to use (Lol!). A twin handled saw only has to be used by a certified person if you use it professionally. McCulloch are an Italian 'catalogue' chainsaw, they are cheap, but are ok for occasional use. Husqvarna, Jonsered, and Stihl are more expensive and better in most ways. A small Husky or Stihl will last for years. I have two Husqvarna 266XP 67cc saws and they both work fine after 15yrs. You can buy hard hat/face shield/visor units for about £20, and balistic nylon leggings are a must - I was on a job where a guy hit himself in the leg once - what an awful mess it made!

Les.

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Stihl would be my preference and the smaller ones don't seem to be as expensive as they used to be?

As for size to be honest i don't see the point for this sort of use of anything more than a 15" bar and possible even a 12" bar - can still fell/cut 2-2 1/2 foot of timber and i would specify the bar size and not worry too much about the cc

Oh and another vote for the PPE - used to work in the industry and seen a few nasties

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Had my Stihl chainsaw for 12 years at least, never fails to work. Also have Stihl brush cutter never fails to work. Also have a Stihl leaf blower / collector never fails to work. I now need a hedge cutter and I wonder which variety I should buy........

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wheres Treebloke when you need him???

i would recommend a Husky 136, or 137 what ever it is now. more than adequate i would have thought and not alot ££ from MVF. (£130 i think) i have a 136 and a 365 both have been superb so far although not had the 365 long.

Lightweight Huskys

your welcome to try one here. i wouldn't bother anything bigger in my opinion, you are unlikely to need it.

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:ph34r: And we (the EA) frown upon cutting down trees during bird nesting times.... ;)

Lol! The conservation department get arsey up here if we want to clear a fallen one in winter!!! :ph34r:

Stihl is my vote everytime nice simple saw that runs all day long, The Huskeys at work allways seem to rev far to high! reasons for top handles have been explained. But PPE is a must take it form some one who had a small accident and was saved major injury due to using correct ppe.

Just to get on my soap box I'm all for the sale of two handled ground saws only to be allowed to be sold to people who have successfully passed CS30 cross cut and stack asa minimum, I think its down right irresponsible for the likes of argos to sell such things to anyone. climbs off soap box and ducks for cover!

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Don't forget to get the chainsaw trousers too... :ph34r: And we (the EA) frown upon cutting down trees during bird nesting times.... ;)

Thats 'cos it is illegal - 5k fine for each nest

Stihl for expensive parts, Husky/Jonsered for longevity

Top handled are carp for normal saw work as the were designed for tree/close quarter work

Echo do some nice top handled saws, very light.

Tony, pop up to George Carrs in Bristol for some excellent deals on professional saws

The Husky 365 is a superb saw - just superb

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Thats 'cos it is illegal - 5k fine for each nest

Well no it's not - it depends on circumstances and species. I felled a tree with a sparrow hawk nest in and wasn't prosecuted - same with a green woodpecker nest, great tit too.

A top handle saw can be use for ground work/felling, (it still has two handles) - the main difference being the throttle/lockstop mechanism is on the top of the saw as opposed to the back/low handle, so that it can be used one-handed if necessary.

Les.

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Guest diesel_jim
Well no it's not - it depends on circumstances and species. I felled a tree with a sparrow hawk nest in and wasn't prosecuted - same with a green woodpecker nest, great tit too.

that's your neighbour isn't it? :lol:

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A top handle saw can be use for ground work/felling, (it still has two handles) - the main difference being the throttle/lockstop mechanism is on the top of the saw as opposed to the back/low handle, so that it can be used one-handed if necessary.

Les.

Only just seen this thread and thats due to the constant rain keeping me in the armchair. It hasnt stopped here for 24 hours and theres plenty more to come apparantly.

Afraid your wrong there Les, several lads have been prosecuted by the HSE for using top handled saws on the ground. It is against industry guide lines and is potentially unsafe. HSE do not like top handled saws full stop and there was talk a few years ago about banning them altogether. They are the only chainsaw you can use without the need for gloves and this because if you are using one you will be suspended from a rope and harness.

With regard to the best chainsaw, without question, stihl, husqvarna and jonsered are all on par with each other and the only method I would use to choose between them is the availability of spares from a local dealer. To use use any other saw is like doing a winch challenge in a fiat panda, it might do the job but the rest of the competitors are going to leave you behind. Having said that, the cheap stihls and huskies are cr#p so get the semi professional if you can.

We have several stihl/husky in regular use around 12/13 years old.

Always use correct oils for the guide bar and especially the two stroke, I know a guy who uses old engine oil for his guide bar, his guide bars dont last very long.

www.wolvestrees.co.uk

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Great to hear some positive comments about saws, there use and the use of protective equuipment!

To echo another post earlier - it frightens me that anyone can walk into a DIY 'warehouse' style store and walk out with one! without being advised on safety equipment or use of the saw.

On a brighter note - you don't see Husqvarna brand in those stores! - only from Specialist Dealers!

6 out of top 10 in world champs in Estonia last year were Husqvarna/Jonsered (same factory)

Guess who I work for :rolleyes:

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We supply, and repair most makes.

McCulloch/Partner

Cheap n cheerful, OK for light domestic use. Not good enough for us to sell.

Stihl.

Professional ones very good. New cheap ones absolute c*** and horrible to work on. Stihl don't treat their dealers as well as the other brands, so we only get them in to order. 020T (200T) is the best top handled saw you can buy.

Jonhsered/Husqvarna.

Good saws, easier to work on than Stihl but cheap johnsereds are very similar to McCullochs due to them all being made by Electrolux.

Tanaka.

Best reliability of the lot due to being japanese. Smallest ones a bit plasticky but we havent had many break. Easiest of the lot for DIY maintainence. We sell more of these than any other make mainly to proffessional users, local authorities etc. Some come with 3 year pro warranty.

It's not actually illegal for us to sell a top handled saw to somone without a ticket. This is something the manufacturers and retailers agreed on to try and prevent H&S from banning them. You won't get one from us without the paperwork so don't even try!

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