Tools and Equiptment Needed to build

[ivanshayka]

Hellow everyone. I just wanted to ask ALL OF YOU few questions on some tools that are required or recomended to build the log home.
Q #1: What is your preference in Chain Saws, Stihl, Echo, Efco, Poulan, Craftsman, Husqwarna, HomeLite, or any other saws (may have misspelled brand names).
Q #2: Did you buy your chainsaw new or used?
Q #3: What would you recomend as far as reliability, versatility, durability, and longevity?
Q #4: What would be the limit you would spend on the saw? and How much have you spent buying yours?
The reason I am asking these questions is because I am planning to start building next summer and I want to get some tools out of the way. Chainsaw is next on my "list". All of you who have taken the class and are building now (or have built), tell me your story regarding chainsaws you have used and would recomend. Yes, I will take the class. Thank you all in advance.
Ivan.

[rreidnauer]

1. I prefer Husqvarna myself, as well as Stihl. I wouldn't have any complaints with Jonsered or Shindaiwa either. Echo use to be good, I don't know if they still are. Homelite and Efco - no opinion. Poulan - no. Crapsman - hell no.

2. Stihl 028AV - Used
Husqvarna 372XP - Used
Husqvarna 395XP - New
Husqvarna 3120XP - New

3. Hard to go wrong with Stihl or Husqvarna pro series saws. (don't buy a Husky at a big box store, they are rebadged Poulans)

4. How important is the tool, and what's that worth to you?
Stihl 028AV Pro - $140
Husqvarna 372XP - $500
Husqvarna 395XP - $795
Husqvarna 3120XP - $885

[Timberwolf]

Stihl or Husky, though i haven't been that impressed with the latest husky's i've seen.

Most loggers i've met use Stihl, even though Husky dealers outnumber Stihl 5:1 around here.

A pro series saw, properly cared for, should last a hobbiest 20 years. Buy the best oil (synthetic) and use fresh gas and always maintain it. Dealer support in your area is important as a deciding factor too.

Stihl ms270 new approx $500
Stihl ms660 new, approx $1000 (bought with logosol M7 mill)

If i could only have one saw (blasphmey!): stihl ms361 with 3 bars 20" 24" 30" (note:this is a LOT of saw for a beginner)

Power/bar may be determined by the size of you logs. But a small saw is handier for some jobs, and not big enough for other stuff; try lugging a 660 all day, (see where i'm going here).

T

[Basil]

I bought my chainsaw new, it's a stihl farm boss witha 20" chain, just barely big enough. My backup is an electric craftsman that i got for about 75$. My Stihl cost me about $350.

I've explained this on the member side before, never had occasion to talk about it on the public side. The EPA has choked down these 2 cycle engines so badly now that if you aren't VERY careful you will burn any new chainsaw up. I'm the last one to listen to the dealer (I think i know everything) but LISTEN to what they tell you about care and maintenence. Ask questions that you would normally feel to "manly" to ask about equipment. Ethanol eats the oil you add to your gas, so if you put it in more than two weeks ago, use a fresh mix. Use 89 octane, not 87. Only use the brands of oil that you know are high quality, it actually DOES matter. For Gods sake, change the air filter often. Follow these guidelines and most saws will last. I didn't follow these guidelines, and i had to buy a second saw. Actually that was my third. I dropped the first one onto a concrete pier from 30' up while trimming the ridgepole. I don't advise doing that either...

[panderson03]

my husband introduced me to the concept of 'dummy straps' after we dropped our milwaukee cordless drill into our 'moat' (long story) several weeks ago. since then we've been debating the pros and cons of dummy straps. I think in theory they're a good idea .... but if we were to drop anything of any real size/weight and had it connect to our body via a dummy strap we would no doubt follow the no-doubt expensive tool hurling to earth. not sure what the compromise is but I suspect as we move higher up our walls, we're gonna lose more tools and maybe revisit the issue of dummy straps.

[Timberwolf]

Tie it off to the house/ladder/roof/forklift, not you.
;-)

[ivanshayka]

Thanks all of you for repplying about chainsaws. I think I have better idea of what I need, besides, I've got some advice from real members. Thanks again you guys and gals. I might go with Stihl FarmBoss new(20inch bar), because it is 56.7cc and my trees range between 12-16 inch at the base. I think it will be enough for me to start with. Thanks again.
Ivan

[mickeywingnut]

If it were me getting a new saw, I'd get on craigslist and find a used Stihl in good shape with the numbers starting with a zero and if buying for log home building, the middle number between 3 and 4. If it still has good compression you should be able to pick these saws up by the pull handle, and if it starts runs, looks and revs fine it will probably be just what you need. -The class recommends buying a small electric chainsaw along with a gas saw for your information.-

Here are two posts I have made within the last 2 years on the members side. I'm reposting them here in case they might help. They are answering varying questions but have my $.02. I will put my updates in parenthesis...
"I'd probably recommend something in the 30-40 cu. in. displacement size for your everyday saw.
I've got a Stihl 026 20" bar and a Stihl 044 28" bar.
I almost never use the 026 (26 cu. in) and use the 044 (44 cu. in.) for almost everything (I used it for all my window and door cutouts as well as all log overdangles, etc.) If I remember right, a 20" bar is the longest Stihl recommends for their 026 model, but with a 20" bar, I have to stoop down for low cuts. That extra 8 inches on the 044 keeps my back straight, and the extra power means I don't have to hold the saw as long. If you've already got a saw that handles a 16" bar, jump up a bit more and get a little bigger saw.
I've also heard that the newer Stihl's (#'s ending in 0 vs. starting with the 0) aren't quite as good as the older ones are, due to recent emission regulations that the manufacturers have to follow.
Maybe look into the Stihl 032 to 036 with a 24" or so bar. It's a step up from the 026 and in my mind worth the difference.
-Joel

And here's another past members side post.

..."There's a Stihl shop in every town here in the NW, and it's the only saw I've seen on the five continents I've traveled in.
I wouldn't worry too much about the warranty on a quality saw. My oldest Stihl has got a filthy air filter, oil tank full of saw-dust, bar replacement after being bent at a right angle, handle, vibration system, and case broken after a tree butt came down on it, always run hot to get more power out of it, etc. ...14 years later it still saws just fine (now nearing 16.) It's probably cut up at least 100 cords of firewood too as I used to run a firewood business
By all means avoid the lesser saws as we've been through a couple Poulans, a Homelite, two Craftsmans, etc. and had problems with every single one. They are definitely not a money-saver in the long run!
I'd also recommend something a bit bigger then 2.5cu" for your gas saw, unless you're cutting really small stuff (remember the class recommends a little electric for small stuff.) I know that the Alaska mills recommend something in the mid to upper 3cu" capacity minimum, and although a bigger saw is a little heavier, you'll hold it alot less as it cuts so much faster and easier."
-Joel

[panderson03]

Tie it off to the house/ladder/roof/forklift, not you.
;-)
:) I SHOULD have thought of that!! thanks for clueing me in!

[ChainsawGrandpa]

I'd have to agree with most everything, but I sure wouldn't get a Farm Boss. Shop for a saw from a saw dealer, not a box store. I have:
Husqvarna 372XP
Small Echo
Big Jonsered.

Skip used to be an Echo dealer, and they are still wonderful saws, but you need to practice starting them. Pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but an Echo can drive a novice crazy.
Easy to start if you know how, but easy to flood. In all they are wonderful saws. One of the best saws ever made is the twin cylinder Echo. They were a great saw but very expensive and so they didn't sell well. Dealers finally began to liquidate them for a few
Newer saws aren't (in my opinion) as good as the older saws. The Stihl 031 is about the most versatile saw every made. Small and lightweight, but can be overbored (a lot!) and can take-on some hard work, but it is still light enough for limbing. I prefer a very short bar for limbing, but every pro I've heard from prefers a long bar on a light saw. It's just easier for me to get in close instead of standing upright and swinging a bar.
Also, don't even think about a "home owner" saw. Get the pro series. A mid size Stihl pro model will run at least $100 extra for the same saw as a home owner (disposable) saw, but it is well worth every penny, and then some.
Good advice also on the size. An older 031 - 044 Stihl can do most everything but milling.
G'pa

[Basil]

Not sure what you mean there...I got my stihl farm boss at a sawmill, not a box store. I actually got all three there. You recomend stihl later in this parargraph, but say to deffinately not get the farm boss. Is there something about that particular saw that i don't know about?

[loghousenut]

Both Stihl and Husky make perfect saws and they are not the cheapest saws in the world. Traditionally you could only buy them at a saw shop where they would come to you full of fuel and running right with a little bit of help and advice from the shop personnel, who knew they would see you again. They both make saws that are marketed toward the professional market as well as saws that are aimed at the more "occasional" user. When a logger or tree trimmer who expects to burn 10 gallons of saw gas each week buys a saw, he/she wants the lightest, most powerful saw on the market. Over the life of that machine an extra $70 will not matter at all. On the other side of the marketing spectrum would be the more occasional user who will cut a cord of firewood and maybe trim the mulberry tree at his ex-wifes place. An extra $70 is a lot of money that could go toward back child support and keep him from having to hack up that darned mulberry tree that he didn't really like even when it was in his yard.

To capture the occasional user both Stihl and Huskey have sold saws that look the same as the pro saws and have the same name and cut a lot of wood but they are slightly cheaper to produce. They are slightly heavier per horsepower and not quite as exotic. They are just different. These are the saws that you can buy in a box at a box store or from a saw shop. They usually have a reference to farmers printed on the box and they'd be a good saw to have around a ranch. They are great saws and a bargain and I'd take one in a heartbeat if I wanted to save a few bucks and didn't want a used saw.

I built my first two log structures with a worn out little Homelight 14" and three yardsale parts saws. I had a budget that barely paid the fuel bill and it worked just fine. I'd have kissed you on the lips if you'd bought a new Stihl Farm Boss and loaned it to me in those days. On the other hand when I bought my first new saw it was a Stihl 026 (pro saw) and I still have it 25 years later. It is light and agile and really screams. My closest neighbor has a Stihl 025 (farmer saw) and it is a great saw. When you set his 025 and my 026 next to each other they look very similar; Roughly the same size and meant to do the same type of cutting. His is only 10 years old and looks incredibly newer and prettier. I have used it when helping him and it is simply not the same. He has used my saw and agrees. Nobody would choose his over mine after using them both and yet they are both great saws and either would build a log house just fine.

There have been lean years when I have cut firewood for a living as well as 2-8 cords for myself and family. I had to rebuild the carburetor for the frist time this spring but it is stil running on the original piston and rings and always starts. A farmer saw might have done the same thing and I woulda saved $3 per year in the process. Three dollars is about 1/50th the price of a cord of firewood.

On the other hand, if you are building your dream home and not wanting to use a chainsaw for a living that's a different story. There are probably no wrong choices to consider until you start looking at used saws. I have been really lucky with used saws but your experience may vary. A farmer saw could be the best saw you've ever owned and even some of the cheaper box store brands may do fine for you but they won't be with you 25 years from now after hundreds of cords of firewood. If you are smart enough not to cut hundreds of cords of firewood you are smart enough to figure out the chainsaw thing and you'll do fine.

PS. Last year I bought a used Stihl 064 that has enough power to run the light plant for a small town. It is a little large for most housebuilding but has come in pretty handy for place we are building. If you build with large logs you may want a second, larger, saw.

[TCMuskyman]

Now this is what I call a top notch review said in a manner I grasp. ;-)
Thanks for the opinion/review .... helps me understand the options out there. Saws getting to be like the auto industry --- models and models and models. Well stated.....thanks

[Basil]

I see...makes sense to me, this saw is actually the best one i've ever used so I've never examined the pro series. considering that i've destroyed two saws already, i don't know i'f i'd have been better off going with the pro series. pro's might have been destroyed by my abuse, might not. I don't think anything could have survived the 25 foot fall onto the edge of the concrete though!

[ivanshayka]

Hello everyone. Thanks for all of your repplies to this post. I just have another question (group of questions) emerge in the last 2 days, I have not thought of it when I started this post.
Has anyone tried milling their lumber with CHAINSAW MILL? Would anyone recomend not to go this rout? What are pros and cons? There are few YOUTUBE videos I watched that used chainsaw mills, and seems it is cost effective way to get some boards.
If YES, then what would be the most versatile (and smallest) saw that I can use for sawing and milling, if the biggest logs I will mill are 17 inches? Also, what brand should I use?
Thanks in advance.
Ivan

[edkemper]

Do a search of past posts. We've had numerous discussions on this subject. Although I have to admit, they may be on the Member's Only side. But do a search.

[rocklock]

How much pain and noise are you willing to put up with?
I milled (chain saw) several boards. It took us all day to deal with one log. We were learning. The smallest board was 3 by 24 inches and 11 feet long. Even when dry they (two identical boards) still weigh over 100 pounds each.
I also had a guy mill (band Saw) about 6 or 7 thousand board feet of Doug and white fir from my land. We were able to get over 1,000 board feet each day - stacked and stickered. The 12 inch boards are now on my second floor.
Cost - I pay my guy 30 cents a board foot. So I have paid out about 2.5 grand for lots of lumber.

[Basil]

I think the simple answer to the chainsaw mill question is, if you are only doing a few boards, and it's something you can't buy, it might be worth it. Milling with a chainsaw is a great way to get use out of leftover wood, but when you are done, you usually don't think it was worth it. It takes forever, it's loud, you are uncomfortable the whole time you are running the saw, and it's a good bit of wear and tear on the saw. I've done it enough to know i'm not going to anymore, unless i go all Dick Proenike in alaska or something.

[ivanshayka]

Thanks to all of you for chainsaw advise. I made dicision not to use chainsaw for milling. So, I went out and bought (after my wife's aproval) Stihl MS 260 PRO. I already cut some stuff with it today, works like a clock.
My next goal is to build a tool shed on my property before I start "the big thing". After I take the class I will be starting the log home "the big thing". Meanwhile I will be pounding away on that shed.
PS. How do you guys paste pics right on the forum?

[rreidnauer]

You can do it by:

1. Clicking the "Insert/edit image" button (the button that looks like a little tree) in the bar of the reply window, enter the URL address of the image you wish to use, then click insert.
2. Or, you can physically type out the image tag so it would look a little like this: http://www.your-photo-host-site.com/your-image.jpg

3. Or, if using a image hosting site like Photobucket.com, they pre-generate the tag, and you'd simply copy it, and paste it in the reply window here.

4. Or, because I know there are some resizing issues with the LHBA site, you could use HTML code that can lock the size (by number of pixels) as you wish, and would look like this: <*img src="http://www.your-photo-host-site.com/your-image.jpg" width="600" height="480"> (asterisk added so the code would be displayed)

[edkemper]

You might even want to wait to build your shed until after the class. Some of us use the shed to learn how to build the house. Just a thought.