What 10"/25cm chainsaw

[123hotchef]

I am after a small petrol chainsaw for cutting up fire wood for the log burner.
I already have a bigger makita electric one but feel I need something smaller I can keep with me sometimes in the pickup.

What would you recommend, I have never had a petrol saw before.

 

[frank horton]

easy, ONLY buy Japanese......always start even after a winter lay off.......either Kawasaki, Echo, Tanaka, Honda don't make chainsaws.....
My Kawasaki strimmer started after 6 pulls.......not bad after a 5 year lay-off in a damp garage...........
Plenty off Echo dealers.....
Makita petrol tools in Europe are NOT Japanese anymore...they are rebadged German Dolmar.......
Used to have good luck with Partner when they were Swedish (now Electrolux) phhhhhh....Accountants have xxcked that up......
Then Stihl, no more, EVER.......quite a few UK dealears have dumped em......wonder why......

used to fix this type of equipment, hardly ever got anything Japanese in for repair......

 

[Screwdriver]

I have a trusty STIHL MS160. Nice little medium size device but it suffers from all the same issues any petrol device will if you store it badly, it needs a fair bit of fiddling to the get the thing going.

 

[gaz1]

I have that 14" dolmar chainsaw from here

nice small and very handy little chainsaw with some grunt behind it

light enough to handle well and chews up wood for fun

 

[123hotchef]

I am looking at this one I think https://www.gardenmachinerydirect.co.uk/chainsaws/echo-cs-281wes-chainsaw.html

 

[8ob]

Go battery power Mr Chef, more than adequate for the odd bit of logwood. Just carry a couple of spare batteries and a drop of oil, no nasty petrol niffs in the cab.

Bob

 

[123hotchef]

Go battery power Mr Chef, more than adequate for the odd bit of logwood. Just carry a couple of spare batteries and a drop of oil, no nasty petrol niffs in the cab.

Bob

Are the battery ones not under powered compared to the petrol ones?

 

[Migmac]

Plenty secondhand saws about get a Husky or Stihl. Plus the proper PPE.

 

[8ob]

Are the battery ones not under powered compared to the petrol ones?

Obviously not the same animal as a petrol saw but more than good enough for dicing up log wood, you would get a few hours use from a couple of charged up batteries if you keep the saw sharp and don’t lean on it too hard.

Bob

 

[123hotchef]

it would have to be the milwakee one if I go battery powered as have a fair few batteries and chargers already

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

Are the battery ones not under powered compared to the petrol ones?

Slightly different technique required. My Stihl battery saw (same as the one 8ob has shown) certainly lacks the raw power of a petrol (or mains-powered) saw. No good expecting to dig into the timber and haul the saw round using brute force, but it slices 8" diameter cherry wood very quickly if allowed to go through under its own weight. Let the saw do the work, as any old-time carpenter would tell you. Presumably the narrow chain is a help, reducing the amount of material to be shifted.

I have been carrying the little Stihl in the car during recent gales, in case roads get blocked by fallen trees.

 

[dobbslc]

I've got a Husky 236 and so far so good! Starts ok, light enough, cuts up to a 12" log with little trouble. It cost less then £140 too!

 

[zzr1200]

Dolmar or Makita same saw different brand names.

Echo...husky..... stihi

Check........Amazon.

 

[Migmac]

If anybody is travelling about with a saw in case of trees blown over the road. If you don’t know what your doing, leave them for a pro. Windblow will kill you if you get it wrong. There are special techniques for dealing with them.

 

[Jpwd3]

If you want a saw to start first time after a winter lay-up, I’ve found that Aspen fuel makes all the difference. https://aspenfuel.co.uk (no relationship just a happy customer). I now use it in all my 2 stroke tools (and the 4 stroke version in my mower)

 

[Parm]

If anybody is travelling about with a saw in case of trees blown over the road. If you don’t know what your doing, leave them for a pro. Windblow will kill you if you get it wrong. There are special techniques for dealing with them.

One of the local farmers had a close call few years back. He was trying to be helpful

 

[dobbslc]

Who said alcohol and chainsaws don't mix?

 

[dobbslc]

Don't forget the kids.....

 

[8ob]

Who said alcohol and chainsaws don't mix?
View attachment 214285

Had my fill of clearing trees off roads in the middle of the night,I don't miss being on call or having to get up to get the kit on the low loader in the missing rain/snow/dark/storm and get there to be working with a bunch of guys that have all been pulled out of pubs

Bob

 

[123hotchef]

Don't forget the kids.....
View attachment 214286

is that a petrol saw