Did you know that a craftsman chainsaw with an 18" bar can cut logs up to 36" diameter? I know because the box says so. Take that, Stihl! I may have to buy one. pfft.
Craftsman chainsaws
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smokinj
Minister of Fire
Danno77 said:
it can if its got the horse power or a very softwood, and a little larger no tree is a perfect circle find the flat spot and you can get a little larger
I suppose. Or I guess you could always waste a bunch of wood by cutting wedges out until you could fit your saw in to cut through the middle. Either way, it's misleading. it makes the uneducated consumer think they got 18" of usable chain sticking out in front of the saw.smokinjay said:
smokinj
Minister of Fire
Danno77 said:
no thats not misleading I have done a lot of silver maples that where 56in.+ with a 28in. bar the only part that would be misleading does it have the horse power to pull it off. Surprising enough when you start your cut from over the top on the back side then down the front you will have 70 percent of that cut done then go to the other side and finish it.Again the only reason you couldnt pull it of would be the lack off horse power and not the size of the bar
CTburning
New Member
I cut up a 28"+ Red Oak with my old Poulon and an 18" bar. The chain was razor sharp and it did the job. It was a little slow cutting having the bar fully buried in the wood but it did the trick. The vibration on that cheap saw was a different story. Hands hurt just thinking about it but in a pinch it will get the job done. Most likely that Craftsman is a Poulan anyway.
I understand what you are saying about underpowered, but the truth remains that if you have a log that is a perfect cylinder then you can't cut all the way through no matter how you try if that log is 36" diameter and you have an 18" bar. there will be at least 2" in the middle you can't touch unless you get creative.
smokinj
Minister of Fire
Danno77 said:
lol sure you can! I do it on a weekly bases not try to start anything here its pretty common but more so with longer bars and a lot of horse power.With my 361 and a 18in. bar no hudge deal to do 36 in log. I have a 60in silver maple to do and I keep putting it off not because my longest bar is 28in. but I need better rigging. (and yes 60in. monster and I will bet 28 in. bar will do the job)You cant look at it like a perfect circle although it would still do it.
this one was a little over 56in. done with a 28 in. bar http://www.facebook.com/profile.php...file#/photo.php?pid=101161&id=100000000464379
well, I guess I have to take back what i said, because I just went and measured my bar. I can cut 19.5 inches with my 20 inch bar. if i took off the bumper spikes i'd be more like 20.25 (bar would be 20, but the chain sticks out from the nose even further).
I just don't remember this being the case, I always thought that the bar length was to the bolts or around there. guess I was wrong. I take back all the bad things I said about that craftsman saw box.
I just don't remember this being the case, I always thought that the bar length was to the bolts or around there. guess I was wrong. I take back all the bad things I said about that craftsman saw box.
unless it has a bumper link safety chain, which a sears saw likely has. Then you can't cut on the last inch or two, and it will push out towards you, out of the cut, as you cut down and the bumpers don't cut around the end of the bar.. Some reduced kickback chains without bumper liknks will cut full lenght and will bore cut.
just need to be creative.....
just need to be creative.....
mayhem
Minister of Fire
I have a Craftsman 18" chainsaw and I was so intrigued by this thread that I just went downstairs and measured. From the edge of the body to the tip of the chisel on the end of the chain is a hair over 17.75". Figure when you cut for a bit and the chain stretches out you'll snug it up to the full 18". You could cut a 36" log with it, though it may not be the best tool for the job...it'll get the job done.
FYI, I have used this saw on rare occasions to do plunge cuts and can verify that you can cut with the very tip. Its a royal PITA, but it does work even with the bumpers.
FYI, I have used this saw on rare occasions to do plunge cuts and can verify that you can cut with the very tip. Its a royal PITA, but it does work even with the bumpers.
Gooserider
Mod Emeritus
Theory says you should be able to get 2x bar length, which is supposed to be defined as the amount of bar exposed from the front of the saw body to the tip of the bar, so it doesn't include the mounting area that is under the side cover. It also doesn't allow for the bucking spikes - works nicely for me, as my Dolmar has a 20" nominal bar, but very aggressive spikes, so I really have 18" effective, which is also my target round length...
I actually find that doing 2x bar length or close to it is a bit of a pain mostly due to the challenge of getting the two cuts to line up, instead of getting the "spiral slice" effect. I prefer not to do more than about 150-175% of bar length, or about 30-35" w/ my 18" bar. Fatter than that (which I don't get that often) I will go ahead and break out the 28" second bar....
Gooserider
I actually find that doing 2x bar length or close to it is a bit of a pain mostly due to the challenge of getting the two cuts to line up, instead of getting the "spiral slice" effect. I prefer not to do more than about 150-175% of bar length, or about 30-35" w/ my 18" bar. Fatter than that (which I don't get that often) I will go ahead and break out the 28" second bar....
Gooserider
smokinj
Minister of Fire
unfortunately it happens often unless your willing to run with 42IN. bar or master it.Reach over the top side and this will set your kerf or groove if you run the saw at the top of the wood to a 90 degree you will not have a problem matching the back side of the wood.Gooserider said:
Thats the start of the cut now run the saw til its 90 degree with ground then work your way down, it will end up one stright line all the way around. It is possible to do more than 2 times the bar length
Attachments
Here's a fun trick to watch someone else try....
I had an uncle that lived up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I saw him take a 16" chainsaw, cut a 4" groove down a log probably 30"+ in diameter, fill it full of black powder, pack sawdust /mud on top of it, and lit it. Split it more or less down the middle... :bug:
He didn't have a craftsman....
I had an uncle that lived up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I saw him take a 16" chainsaw, cut a 4" groove down a log probably 30"+ in diameter, fill it full of black powder, pack sawdust /mud on top of it, and lit it. Split it more or less down the middle... :bug:
He didn't have a craftsman....
gpcollen1
Minister of Fire
Sounds a bit snobby eh...
My buddy and I, armed with a Husky with an 18" bar and a Stihl with a 20" bar, cut up some base logs of Norway Maple that were 30-40" easily. Why can't the Craftsman do it then?? My uncle and cousin only buy Craftsman and Poulan and have for years - he has managed with them. Maybe not the saw for me but oh well...
My buddy and I, armed with a Husky with an 18" bar and a Stihl with a 20" bar, cut up some base logs of Norway Maple that were 30-40" easily. Why can't the Craftsman do it then?? My uncle and cousin only buy Craftsman and Poulan and have for years - he has managed with them. Maybe not the saw for me but oh well...
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