Ot: chainsaws

I was cutting some wood today with my Stihl MS 460 and my 034 , both have been great saws for me. Well I was thinking back to when I was younger and my grandfather had a jonesreds 801. Dad had it for a few years then he gave it to me. I put new rings in it and ran it again, that saw was 80ccs and would cut threw anything like butter, I don't think my 460 stihl is quite as good. Anyway, One logger that brought me logs seen the saw and laughed! He said hed take a new saw over that anyday. I laughed too, knowing what a good saw it was. Anybody ever had one of these saws? Or have s story of there favorite saw? J

I used a Jonsered 810 for a season as a Demo (I knew the rep), and many people saw the thing cut and worked with it. Very competent saw with a 30 inch bar. Not quite a small block chevy chainsaw, but more portable. Jim

I forgot to say my 801 has a 20 inch bar! Lol

I like a chain brake and vibration absorbing handle. I assume old saws do not have those, so I plan to stay clear of them.

My Jonsered 930 was the best saw I ever had. I'm not nearly as impressed with the Jonsered/Husky models after that vintage, though.

I use a Stihl MS650 as my main saw now and I really like it, but I miss having that old 930 running. Maybe someday, but it sure is hard to find parts for those old Jonsereds these days.

Funny I heard this before, other than no chain break, I don't remember my old johnesreds vibrating that bad.

I have a stihl 036 and love it! It has cut many many loads of wood and has never laid down on me.

When I was growing up we had no Jonesreds in our area. McCulloch and Homelite were big in our area. My dad bought a new McCulloch Super 55 gear driven 27" bar with a chipper chain ( like a 404 today)in 1957. I got use it several times and it was a hand full. It weighted 27 lbs. and was said to put out 7 1/2 horse.

I'd have to check, but I think my dad has a super 55, a big ole yellow beast??? I'm gonna have to go over and look now!

Still have the 028 Wood Boss that Dad and I bought new in 1980. It still screams. I only use it for bucking big logs for firewood - cut most everything else with my 026. No telling how many cords its cut, he used it for his small firewood business until he died in 1996.

Tim

Dad bought a new Jonesreds when they 1st came out, cut timber with it for 10 years, when he passed on I used it for another 10, to cut fire wood, sold it to my brother who used it another 5 befor it gave up the fight.

I have a Stihl MS460 and an AV32 for firewood. The 460 is a little heavy but cuts like the devil. I love both saws. Johnsered would be my second choice also.

Well, this isn't about Stihls but not exactly OT either.

I have a 25 year old Homelite Super XL--
And, a Husqvarna 340--
And, a Husqavarna 455 Rancher.

All are good saws.

But, I don't cut much wood anymore; my sons do the cutting. So guess what saw is the first one they go for? The Homelite Super XL.

I have a Titan 40 with a 36" bar and 9/16 chain. It isn't fast but it doesn't slow down either. Most memorable was bucking a 4' fir to firewood. When it dropped through the bottom I was knee deep in chips.
Always said you brought the tree to the saw cause it was too heavy to take to the tree.

i'm like double n,...bought a homelite super xl new in 1976 and i'm still running it.....

Have an 036 with the 18" bar that's cut a lot of wood in the past 13 yrs. Probably would have been fine with the 026 but when I bought it, it was a last year model and they offered it for the same price as the 026. A little heavy some days, but has been a mule. Keeps cutting and never complains.
Worst it ever saw was when I was clearing for the pond. Cutting a standing tree that I knew was in a bind - had another one on it. Going at it real careful, but it suddenly moved and clamped down on the bar. Walked back to the truck to get the small saw we use for limbs. Got about 300 ft away when I heard the tree go. Both trees went down with the saw still in the base of the one. Figured that was an expensive lesson learned. Got lucky - twisted the bar a little. Other tree was on the 036, but didn't hurt it a bit.
Love that saw...

Lotta people have never used the old school saws. They go on and on about lack of this and lack of that. I ignore them simply because they have no basis for comparison. Kinda like a kid complaining because a tractor doesn't have power steering and lumbar support.

Jonsered, Husky, Mcculloch, Homelite, Pioneer, Sachs Dolmar, Solo, Stihl, Poulan, Remington, Canadien, Mall, Disston, etc. They all made decent saws at the least and were state of the art at one time. When you grew up with using a Mac 1-43, Homey 925, Pioneer P50 or 600...you tend to look at the weekend warriors with their plastic wonder saws with a bit of a jaundiced eye.

Its always a lot of fun to hear opinions, likes, dislikes of chainsaws, enough variables that it seems no 2 people will usually agree. What works best is how I look at it, more so if you make a living with it.

My neighbor 1 house down and across the lane, only 3 of us on this road, he and his dad owned a small engine shop, mostly deal with saws though. Go in there any time and look on the repair shelf, many older saws are still in use, be a great question to ask the customers of this shop. He kind of retired, sold the business to his partner and just works there a couple of days per week. May of 2010, he had a 30"-36" black cherry come down in his yard, and he keeps the place absolutely meticulous, I talked to him about getting that tree out immediately, put my make shift forks on the tractor, line up to the tree, he's got 2 old saws going, cutting easily, well cherry always seems to cut easy just the same. They sell Husqvarna, and he could have any one of those, still uses the old ones, and I'll be darned if I can remember what it was. Red, they could have been Jonsered, going to ask him next time I see him.

When I was a kid, my father had a Stihl 08S, with I think a 20" bar, remember that from the early 70's, in those days, this place (where I live now) was hedgerows and ag fields, with about 12 acres of hardwood at the very top a nice size ridge with almost a 360 degree view, 650' in elevation. We did some firewood, but the place was clean, just took dead or fallen trees from hedgerows. That saw was hanging on a hook in the garage for years, I took apart the carb, cleaned it, never touched any settings, fired it up, and did a days work with it, used to keep it running by using it occasionally. He needed it and it ended up at the other place. Years later, I find it in the barn, in a stall hap-hazardly left in the dirt amongst other things, well it might have been off the ground, butlike many things in life, our tools do have meaning or some other importance to us because of who they belonged too, I asked him for it, because I hate seeing things left like that, it ruins them, and or someone would have stole it, I've safe guarded many things similar, mostly so they did not disappear. Today its on my work bench, needs a bar, probably a chain, sprocket, carb kit by now, but she ran and cut very well, really ought to fix it up and use it every so often. I have a MS 390, which minus one $9 fuel line, has performed quite well for almost 10 years, piston, rings and what I could see of the cylinder still look great, it starts easily, provides the wood I burn to heat the garage/basement, halfway through its 2nd chain. Sometimes getting logs and cutting firewood can be a lot of work and things don't go as planned, but when the weather is cool, crisp, sunny, ground frozen like it is this morning, you are in no rush, its good clean hard work, that is good for a person no matter what saw you have as long as it has a sharp chain and runs well.

PS, go to the doctor today, and maybe I can get the release as to when I can work again, this morning was perfect for doing wood! 20 deg F, sunny and no wind !

Hi Guys; Still using all the saws I bought new...028...036.....and 051. and a husky with a 30' bar..Here's a pic of WHY you need more than TWO saws!!!!!!!! 71 and still in the woods almost every day!!! Bobmn

Looks like the operator doesn't know what he is doing. No reason to stick the second one.

(quoted from post at 09:46:35 02/03/12) Looks like the operator doesn't know what he is doing. No reason to stick the second one.

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Honestly....we all have bad days.

I've stuck two and didn't have a third. It was creative tractor work after that.

I'm sure we've all done things that afterwords we took a step back and said "I should have known better", worse is when you do know better, are aware of what might happen and do it anyway, again I've been guilty more then once.

K