Big Rodders

I have owned a CS 350WES for 10 years and it is the saw I use the most. I also have an Echo CS5100, Tanaka ECV4500 and Husky 365 plus a number of other saws going back to the 70s, no longer used due to absense of chain brake. The CS 350 is light at 3.5kg and it's 35cc engine produces 1.5kw. I prefer its lightness and lower power when picking away at a large pile of tree surgery output. I feel safer using a lower powered saw in these circumstances, where the clutch will slip sooner than with a larger saw and thereby perhaps avoiding an incident. I have cut hundreds of tons of wood with it and the only replacement has been a brake band nine years ago. I use top quality oil, mixed at 40:1 and fresh mixed every litre using a syringe to measure. I also empty the carb and tank overnight. It's on its original spark plug. I accept it is possibly slower than a more powerful saw but it's lightness, greater economy and perceived increased safety makes it a joy to use for this old codger. Also, Echo invented a numbe roc implements we now take for granted - the strummer and pole saw for a start. I understand that they sell more product world wide than Stihl. No doubt more experienced wood men will hold different views but that's my tuppence worth!

My apologies to Little Green Woodchopper. I have just deciphered his comment of 3 Dec regarding DFM so all the Brownie points go to him for first suggesting this simple and cost effective idea.

Just stumbled across this thread. Nobody has mentioned 1200 gauge damp proof course black plastic. A large roll, can't remember it's size, costs about £30 and does a number of stores. I have used it for over 6 years and it is still useable. Preferred use is to stretch it across a light timber frame to ensure air movement between the top of the logs and the roof. Also, it has survived the heavy storms experienced in West Donegal. It is light and manageable by one person, cheap, versatile, reuseable and non conspicuous (if that's relevant)

Don't know how to put up pictures on this site - I have just joined! Check out Gumtree NI, where I have it advertised, although I am having second thoughts about getting rid of it due to it's efficiency and agility (I put a set of wheels on it, which transformed its usefulness). It's just that the nature of throughput I now process limits its use to about 20% of my work and I was thinking about putting the money towards an old tractor. Hakki Pilke now only make PTO and 3phase electric versions so my model is now becoming rarer. Hakki Pilke has left a You Tube video demonstrating my version, despite the fact it is discontinued in th EU.

Yorkie - my approach to larger diameter wood is to ring it thinner. If I cannot lift rings by myself I leave them to one side until there is another person in the yard and get them to help me lift them onto the splitter bed and split them into 2 or 3 to enable me handle them by myself thereafter. Occasionally, I split them in two on the ground with a wedge and sledge hammer. I should mention that my vertical splitter is an 8 1/2 ton Thor. If I can lift it, it will split it. It has never failed.

Rowan Lee - that's me you are talking about! Yes, I ordered a Thor Kombi 13 ton Magik from my mate Alan in Michael Large's and it is due in mid month. The Italian factory is supplying me with a pneumatic tyred variation of their trolley as small solid wheels are just a non starter with a 365kg item. I will fit a 3rd wheel adaptation with a welded on winch (£17 on e-bay) and hopefully that will be the business when a tractor is not available. My purpose in joining this thread was to introduce the subject of electric power. My preferred process is to split beside the final seasoning location, which invariably means power is close by. I invested in 60 metres of H06 six mm squared cabling some years ago, which provides very reliable and safe power from any ring circuit. Electric power is very efficient, clean, quiet, cheap compared to petrol/diesel and, crucially, can be used under cover. In the case of the Thor 13 ton Magik the speed of the electric version is comparable to the petrol one. I imagine the same would apply to other manufacturers.

I have no practical experience of horizontal splitters but have viewed hundreds of YouTube clips on the subject and cannot understand their attraction. There seems to be much more handling with them and Rowan Lee's point on accuracy is very valid. I operate a Thor vertical and much of my work is producing neater sized logs for smaller stoves. When splitting say, 12 inch rings, I split it 3 times, turn it 90 degrees, then split again 3 times giving me 16 logs which I scoop up in one armful and deposit in its final resting location for seasoning. I can't imagine a horizontal being as accurate or as efficient. With longer billets, surely it is easier to lift one end to split vertically with the bottom end being at ground level than having to lift the entire log onto a horizontal position. An interesting debate.

I purchased an Ecofan some 12 years ago - the UK importer advised at the time it was the first he had supplied to Ireland! My stove is half recessed into the chimney breast and my aim was to reduce the heat being absorbed into the breast. it worked for a number of years but then failed, I think because of overheating, despite there being a bi-metal strip on the bottom to lift the fan up in such circumstances. I suspect I frequently over fired the stove. I don't have any scientific evidence to prove any claims but I certainly could detect the difference in the flow of warm air at say 7 feet up and 2 feet out from the stove. The fan certainly was a great conversation piece for any visitors and was generally met with initial disbelief. I replaced the fan with large round sea boulders, which now absorb the heat, act as storage heaters and are great for airing socks and other unmentionables.

It is surprising Miker's comment about a skip chain was not picked up and progressed. I understand many Americans use a longer bar and full skip chain on a lighter smaller saw for reduced weight when transporting by foot in the woods, reduced pressure on the engine and reduced sharpening time. I calculate that a 36inch 3/8 full skip chain has as many teeth as a 28 inch standard chain. I understand that semi and full skip chains are no longer available in Europe, but they can be be landed in the UK from the States for about the same as ready made standard chains sourced here.

I have owned a self powered HakkiPilke Eagle for some years in addition to a Thor electric splitter to process logs for personal use. It is run by a Honda GX160 5.5HP petrol engine, which turns a 700mm saw at one end of the shaft and a 100mm auger at the other. While it is advertised as capable of processing 270mm diameter wood I don't bother trying anything bigger than 200mm max. It is extremely efficient and capable of considerable throughput for many hours of continuous use. I consider the auger to be quicker than a hydraulic splitter but it doesn't like knotty wood. Saw benches and augers require extreme respect and in my view have greater potential for injury compared to using a chainsaw with a log horse and a hydraulic splitter.