First chainsaw.

[hippytyre]

I just thought bigger is better

 

I plan on cutting up some trees that fell during the bad winds up here a few weeks back, some of them are huge and I figured the longer bar would make it easier to get through them. Your right though, the majority of the stuff I'll be cutting up with be smaller and mostly pallets to begin with so I'll take your advice and go for the slightly smaller one(15")

I'll probably get told off for asking this but would a chainsaw be suitable for cutting through 25mm mdf sheets? I'm thinking that stuff would wreck the chain pretty quick.

[Daniël Bos]

MDF, depends entirely on wether you want to use it or not. A chainsaw is not really designed to cut long accurate straight lines in sheets of mdf but can if you really want to. It'll tear a lot at the cut though and leave you with a very rough finish.

Not sure about bar and chain wear, but providing it's clean I can't see it'll do that much damage.

Cutting sheets with a chainsaw does sound a bit like a job to do with an ambulance on standby though.....

[hippytyre]

I got hold of loads of MDF sheets when a local door manufacturer went bust and the liquidator gutted it out. It's just for firewood so it doesn't need to be cut up neatly, just small enough to fit in the fire. Seems a shame to cut it all up and burn it as this stuff must have cost a fortune. I also got a hold of loads of door moldings which I'm using for kindling, my joiner friend was nearly crying seeing me burn mahogany, teak and oak etc.

[spudulike]

MDF is carciogenic in its dust form - if you are using a log burner, it may over heat it - burnt many things in my past including my old kitchen but that is another story! I wouldn't be using one of the best groundsaws around for doing this type of work - I would buy some POS and keep the 346 for serious work

[hippytyre]

I just burned our old kitchen too, it was great! No need to cut that stuff up though, it was so flimsy i just broke it all up with my foot. The worktops weren't so easy but I ended up just cutting ridges in them with my dads mcculloch and them jumping on them.

I've taken this a little off topic now.... 346 with a 15" bar it is. Cheers for everyones input.

[Charlieh]

I just thought bigger is better

 

I plan on cutting up some trees that fell during the bad winds up here a few weeks back, some of them are huge and I figured the longer bar would make it easier to get through them. Your right though, the majority of the stuff I'll be cutting up with be smaller and mostly pallets to begin with so I'll take your advice and go for the slightly smaller one(15")

I'll probably get told off for asking this but would a chainsaw be suitable for cutting through 25mm mdf sheets? I'm thinking that stuff would wreck the chain pretty quick.

 

right this is a different ball game. Are the trees attached to the root plates still? is the timber under lots of tension? do you have any felling experience? which CS units do you have? if the answer to the first two questions is yes you want to be really really really careful as its not just a case of cutting through trunks it can be exceptionally dangerous doing storm damaged trees. IF your doing bigger storm damaged stuff then you want the a longer bar if possible so you can put yourself as far from the danger and use the saw and arms reach so your further from and hazards if the trunk shifts or springs up.

[hippytyre]

The trees are under no tension and are sitting flat on the ground, the roots are there on the trees but not attached to the ground any longer. I have no felling experience but my dad worked for the forestry for years and he'll keep me right. I can understand cutting these up can be really dangerous but I don't plan on cutting anything up thats sitting at a funny angle or under tension. All I want is firewood, I wont take any big risks just for that.

[Charlieh]

cool, just wanted to check as you would be supprised what some people will do, sounds like your fairly clued up and have some guidance as well, just didnt want to be advising someone on buying a saw to then have them go and tackle some big nasty windblow and have an accident

[hippytyre]

Your quite right checking and thats exactly why I signed up here before I bought anything, thanks for all the advice.

[Sam Thompson]

346 pulls a 15" well enough, but it flies with a 13". I wouldn't use a top of the range saw like the 346 etc. for "dirty" work (MDF, pallets etc.) Better with a B&Q bargain job for £50 and keeping the 346 decent. Get trousers, boots, work gloves, helmet/visor/ear defenders to go with it, even if you are only doing a little bit.