Is your firewood ready?

[slim67 2,735]

I figure a lot of you guys are like me with the tractors and other interests. I am wondering how many of you guys like chainsaws,splitters and the whole firewood scene. I like to go on arboristsite once in awhile and learn some new things. I have a Stihl MS250 and an Echo 330EVL along with my John Deere splitter ( made by Didier). I like having the security of knowing I have a way to keep my family warm if the power went out for whatever reason. I have plenty stacked already and just split this pile in the last two days. My wife says I'm obsessed with my wood!

[953 nut 55,065]

                   I have enough oak and poplar scraps left over from building out utility room cabinets that I can heat my shop most of the winter.

18 minutes ago, slim67 said:

I have a Stihl MS250 and an Echo 330EVL

Mine is a 10" Craftsman!     

[Jerry77 1,218]

We heated with wood until I got too old to mess with it - had a Stihl 031 av w/ 20 inch bar and a very fast homemade log splitter and a wood stove with blower...kept 2200 sqft warm as toast...loved every minute of heating with wood and handling of it..miss those days...my son has my stuff now and is heating with wood..a real money saver. I averaged burning 10  to 11 ricks a winter...

[slim67 2,735]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

                   I have enough oak and poplar scraps left over from building out utility room cabinets that I can heat my shop most of the winter.

Mine is a 10" Craftsman!     

That is a nice looking wood shop you got there.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

I still cut wood for my parents in WV and just got this like new Dolmar 5105 with 20" bar from @shallowwatersailor plus the Dolmar PS540 with 18" bar I have had for 8 years or so and a Poulan Wildthing now 14" bar for 10 years, it's just getting harder to find time keeping up with my own home then running 75 miles one way to keep wood in the shed, Jeff.

[953 nut 55,065]

3 minutes ago, slim67 said:

wood shop

Once the frigid winter weather sets in I will be in there building a coffee table and pair of end tables from some black walnut we harvested on our property. Probably a TV stand too, the one we have now is oak and won't match then,    My wife wants everything to match!

[slim67 2,735]

Walnut is good for burning to ! But I come across way more oak. I won't burn any of yours Richard.

6 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

I still cut wood for my parents in WV and just got this like new Dolmar 5105 with 20" bar from @shallowwatersailor plus the Dolmar PS540 with 18" bar I have had for 8 years or so and a Poulan Wildthing now 14" bar for 10 years, it's just getting harder to find time keeping up with my own home then running 75 miles one way to keep wood in the shed, Jeff.

That's a nice pile of logs. How do you like the Dolmars? I've never ran one or even seen one around me but I hear they aall re comparable or better tag Stihl. Do you agree?

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

Looks like when I actually get at it most of mine will be yellow locust, then wild cherry, and birch and oak coming in last, I only cut what is dead on the stump of blown over, Jeff.   Never ran a Stihl but I sure do like my Dolmar, can sit 6+ months no primer choke on 3 tugs flip choke off one more tug fires right up, dad always run McCullough but I hated jerking my guts out to start the darn things, and the new one can't hardly tell your running it it's that vibration isolated, I'm sure John (shallowwatersailor) could input more perspective on Dolmar vs Stihl.

Edited November 27, 2017 by WVHillbilly520H

[slim67 2,735]

19 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

Looks like when I actually get at it most of mine will be yellow locust, then wild cherry, and birch and oak coming in last, I only cut what is dead on the stump of blown over, Jeff.   Never ran a Stihl but I sure do like my Dolmar, can sit 6+ months no primer choke on 3 tugs flip choke off one more tug fires right up, dad always run McCullough but I hated jerking my guts out to start the darn things, and the new one can't hardly tell your running it it's that vibration isolated, I'm sure John (shallowwatersailor) could input more perspective on Dolmar vs Stihl.

It's like the Ford vs. Chevy thing I'm sure. I recall someone bought Dolmar. I don't know where there's a dealer near me? I still hear people saying the Huskys are good. Chime in John if your reading this.

[roadapples 6,983]

I heated with wood for 12 years. Had an old blue XL12 Homelite, and an ax. Don't miss it a bit.... By the way, what's a log splitter...

[ebinmaine 67,266]

2 hours ago, slim67 said:

Stihl MS250 and an Echo 330EVL along with my John Deere splitter

My honey and I may be just a bit wood-obsessed as well.

In fact, one of the primary focuses for Getting a WH was to pull heavy loads of wood! I built it basically as a littleskidder.

 

We really enjoy being outside working on the property.

We've harvested mostly only fallen stuff with a couple others that needed to be culled out.

 

I have a 1987 Sachs-dolmar 116si, 20" bar, 60cc. Torque monster, high rev, great saw.

This year I've been using my new Echo 490, 18" Bar. Another great saw. Light, fast, easy on the arms.

Our splitter is a home-made model. Made by a Maine logger for splitting up the butt-ends of big trees. 6.75hp Briggs, 20 ton ram, high rise splitter knives for big thick chunks.

I also have a small (8ft long x 3 ft wide) PT wood pole style log trailer I built for hauling logs out of the forest.

We've only put a couple cord. We won't even burn that much this year but love the process and (she especially) loves the nice warm heat.

We'd burn more if we were home more.

Here's some pics. All have already been posted other places in the past but we like our  sooo...

 

 

39 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did you move these logs to here?

Wheel horse or something bigger?

 

47 minutes ago, slim67 said:

That is a nice looking wood shop you got there.

8 minutes ago, roadapples said:

a log splitter

 

You + Axe = Log splitter

Edited November 27, 2017 by ebinmaine

[slim67 2,735]

I love the b80. It looks like it's made for skidding. I would love to see your splitter. I am like you as I love being in the woods in this kind of weather in the fresh air getting some work done. As they say " idle hands are the devils workshop".

[ebinmaine 67,266]

11 minutes ago, slim67 said:

It's like the Ford vs. Chevy thing I'm sure. I recall someone bought Dolmar. I don't know where there's a dealer near me? I still hear people saying the Huskys are good. Chime in John if your reading this.

All the loggers and pro cutters up here in the Maine woods use mostly Stihl, with some Huskys. Pro grade stuff is different from homeowner grade. Use a saw day in and day out and you don't question why it's a $1000 saw.

Most of us are perfectly fine with a decent quality saw for a few cord a year.

 

Dolmar was bought by Makita. As far as I know... still making a good saw, but now you can get the same saw in both badges.

 

2 minutes ago, slim67 said:

love the b80. .......... I would love to see your splitter.

Thanks!

 

I'll get a pic or two of the splitter sometime and post those as well.

 

[slim67 2,735]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

All the loggers and pro cutters up here in the Maine woods use mostly Stihl, with some Huskys. Pro grade stuff is different from homeowner grade. Use a saw day in and day out and you don't question why it's a $1000 saw.

Most of us are perfectly fine with a decent quality saw for a few cord a year.

 

Dolmar was bought by Makita. As far as I know... still making a good saw, but now you can get the same saw in both badges.

 

Good points Eric. I am a homeowner type but appreciate a good quality saw. I actually located a Dolmar dealer in the city I work. I am happy with Stihls though. This is my second one and my previous employer had them to. I have good luck with my old Echo also.

[slim67 2,735]

31 minutes ago, roadapples said:

I heated with wood for 12 years. Had an old blue XL12 Homelite, and an ax. Don't miss it a bit.... By the way, what's a log splitter...

As long as my back hangs in there I should be good for awhile. I wouldn't do it without the splitter. I've had two of the Didier made units,a homemade monster and even an electric one. 

[953 nut 55,065]

2 minutes ago, slim67 said:

As long as my back hangs in there

              Don't undo the surgery you had a few months ago.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

29 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

How did you move these logs to here?

Wheel horse or something bigger?

 

They actually were loaded on heavy equipment trailer by a JD 2355 4x4 farm tractor then hauled in by a Chevy 2500 Duramax, then rolled with a "can hook" or pushed off with my Kioti to where they laid till I sawed them up then ran through the hydraulic splitter...

 

21 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

All the loggers and pro cutters up here in the Maine woods use mostly Stihl, with some Huskys. Pro grade stuff is different from homeowner grade. Use a saw day in and day out and you don't question why it's a $1000 saw.

Most of us are perfectly fine with a decent quality saw for a few cord a year.

 

Dolmar was bought by Makita. As far as I know... still making a good saw, but now you can get the same saw in both badges.

 

Thanks!

 

I'll get a pic or two of the splitter sometime and post those as well.

 

The biggest reason IMHO for Stihl over the rest is dealer/parts network, I got into Dolmar 1) to be different like WH vs JD, 2) my old  dealer sold them along with Poulan, then when I bought the eMax that dealer tried to sell me an ECHO Timberwolf (5 year warranty), felt alot like the new to me Dolmar in my hands but never "test drove" it, then John had a better deal minus warranty...and yes Dolmar is now Makita has been since 2007...

[slim67 2,735]

27 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

              Don't undo the surgery you had a few months ago.

i have been watching that thanks. Its healed up pretty good but I watch how I lift things now. I used to get some huge pieces of maple and oak that I had to build a ramp for inorder to get them onto the splitter rail. Now 16-18 inches is what I try to work with.

[Jerry77 1,218]

1 hour ago, roadapples said:

old blue XL12 Homelite,

Very good saw - had one before I bought my Stihl - very light weight and easy to start..should have kept the homelite as well as the Stihl.

[slim67 2,735]

26 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

They actually were loaded on heavy equipment trailer by a JD 2355 4x4 farm tractor then hauled in by a Chevy 2500 Duramax, then rolled with a "can hook" or pushed off with my Kioti to where they laid till I sawed them up then ran through the hydraulic splitter...

 

The biggest reason IMHO for Stihl over the rest is dealer/parts network, I got into Dolmar 1) to be different like WH vs JD, 2) my old  dealer sold them along with Poulan, then when I bought the eMax that dealer tried to sell me an ECHO Timberwolf (5 year warranty), felt alot like the new to me Dolmar in my hands but never "test drove" it, then John had a better deal minus warranty...and yes Dolmar is now Makita has been since 2007...

I agree with that . My local tractor guy is 5 minutes away and was once a Wheel Horse dealer but still sells Stihl. I like the little Mahindras, An affordable machine compared to the others and a good warranty.

4 minutes ago, Jerry77 said:

Very good saw - had one before I bought my Stihl - very light weight and easy to start..should have kept the homelite as well as the Stihl.

I had a Super XL that I got for free. It was an older unit but was powerful. One day I got a hairbrained idea to grind the depth gauges down to nothing and locked it up.

[WHX?? 48,766]

Good thread Slim Yes like a few of us here I also enjoy making firewood. My shop was so warm by it today I had to finnish up the snow tractors with the doors and window open!

I have a  Dolmar Jeff not even sure what model but picked it up non running at a rummage sale for 2 bucks. Went through it end to end and got maybe 40 bucks in it with parts, new bar and chains and is my favorite saw.

Good one Apples on what's a splitter .... my shoulder hurts just thinking about the old school way! John @wallfish has a penchant for vintage saws and I do as well. I have a few '80s Homelites that  cut like no tommorow once you get past the weight.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

2 hours ago, slim67 said:

It's like the Ford vs. Chevy thing I'm sure. I recall someone bought Dolmar. I don't know where there's a dealer near me? I still hear people saying the Huskys are good. Chime in John if your reading this.

 

My first chainsaw was a McCulloch in the '70s when they were a good saw. Just like Jeff mentioned, I bought the Dolmar to be different. I have four pieces by Stihl including two saws. But I researched between buying the Dolmar or another Stihl. Luckily I had a Dolmar dealer less than an hour away. It was a good choice and I really enjoyed owning it.

 

The Dolmar cc displacement fell between the Stihls I was considering. But the Dolmar was lighter than the larger Stihl and about the same as the smaller Stihl. Using a saw over a morning you start to feel the weight after a while. I had also found a non-catalyst muffler to change out after putting a few hours on the Dolmar. But Jeff will have that pleasure now, for a bit more power.

[wallfish 16,984]

3 minutes ago, WHX12 said:

John @wallfish has a penchant for vintage saws and I do as well.

Funny thing is, I have a bunch of them but I don't even burn wood. An old Homelite Super XL-12 takes care of any cutting duty whenever it's necessary. No plastic for me but no cutting all day either.

[slim67 2,735]

8 hours ago, WHX12 said:

Good thread Slim Yes like a few of us here I also enjoy making firewood. My shop was so warm by it today I had to finnish up the snow tractors with the doors and window open!

I have a  Dolmar Jeff not even sure what model but picked it up non running at a rummage sale for 2 bucks. Went through it end to end and got maybe 40 bucks in it with parts, new bar and chains and is my favorite saw.

Good one Apples on what's a splitter .... my shoulder hurts just thinking about the old school way! John @wallfish has a penchant for vintage saws and I do as well. I have a few '80s Homelites that  cut like no tommorow once you get past the weight.

I'm glad to have you here commenting. Thanks 

[Sarge 3,463]

Only saw I still own is an old Homelite C7 - weighs about as much as a Kohler but wow does that thing have a lot of torque . Hard to find bars and such as it uses the larger 3/8" chain but I'm told the Mac stuff fits it somewhat . I should let a collector have it - haven't even fired it in years now as I have no use for it . Father in law always used the bigger Homelite XL series back in the day , brother in law and I sure cut an amazing amount of wood with those and they performed excellent .

 

Sarge