Last July we had lots of trees out by the roots, broken limbs and even some trees that just split. This pin oak is one that split.
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This pin oak was growing where we cut off some pines last year. There is another one about the same size right next to it but the wind did not get to that one.
Naturally, pictures don't do this justice but this is what we have. The tree at the height where the saw rests is 5' from the ground. It is not a big tree and it surprised me that it went down. Also, being pin oak, there is a lot of work getting all the limbs off. This was made even harder because almost all the limbs were frozen to the ground so basically I had to cut a couple limbs then cut off about a foot or 2 and move that out of the way so I could move on to the next.
Most probably know how I hurt my back this fall and that the Ornery one has been after me to get a lighter saw. I was considering a Stihl 250, thinking I could use that for the small trees and for cutting up the limbs. Funny that one guy at the saw shop said he did not like the 250 because it was hard starting. First time I've heard that one. But a neighbor knew what I had been considering so today he brought his 250 for me to try. I really had not wanted to cut today to give the back a few more days rest but now I just had to get out and get busy.
The saw is lighter than the 290 for sure but I possibly could go to a lighter saw yet. Perhaps it is because I had to cut so high that it made things more difficult too. Once I got the tree limbed, the bucking of the tree really went fast and super easy. There was a full chisel chain on the saw and he had just sharpened it. I was surprised just how well it cut and how much power that little saw had.
We got only one trailer load so it was a lot of cutting for a little bit of wood but like my wife said, it is darned good wood! No picture of the trailer load but one picture has the atv and trailer in it.
So my first impression of the 250 is that it is a really good saw and not that much less power than the 290. It is about 3 lb lighter so that is a big plus. This one has a 16" bar and that is probably what I would buy if I get one. So now I've even thinking about a 201 which weighs less than 9 lb. Time will tell.
This pin oak was growing where we cut off some pines last year. There is another one about the same size right next to it but the wind did not get to that one.
Naturally, pictures don't do this justice but this is what we have. The tree at the height where the saw rests is 5' from the ground. It is not a big tree and it surprised me that it went down. Also, being pin oak, there is a lot of work getting all the limbs off. This was made even harder because almost all the limbs were frozen to the ground so basically I had to cut a couple limbs then cut off about a foot or 2 and move that out of the way so I could move on to the next.
Most probably know how I hurt my back this fall and that the Ornery one has been after me to get a lighter saw. I was considering a Stihl 250, thinking I could use that for the small trees and for cutting up the limbs. Funny that one guy at the saw shop said he did not like the 250 because it was hard starting. First time I've heard that one. But a neighbor knew what I had been considering so today he brought his 250 for me to try. I really had not wanted to cut today to give the back a few more days rest but now I just had to get out and get busy.
The saw is lighter than the 290 for sure but I possibly could go to a lighter saw yet. Perhaps it is because I had to cut so high that it made things more difficult too. Once I got the tree limbed, the bucking of the tree really went fast and super easy. There was a full chisel chain on the saw and he had just sharpened it. I was surprised just how well it cut and how much power that little saw had.
We got only one trailer load so it was a lot of cutting for a little bit of wood but like my wife said, it is darned good wood! No picture of the trailer load but one picture has the atv and trailer in it.
So my first impression of the 250 is that it is a really good saw and not that much less power than the 290. It is about 3 lb lighter so that is a big plus. This one has a 16" bar and that is probably what I would buy if I get one. So now I've even thinking about a 201 which weighs less than 9 lb. Time will tell.
![[Hearth.com] Christmas Eve cutting](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/86/86336-150d2c4ed2457e6eed87d3041a3b318b.jpg?hash=3BCvOmiIpM "[Hearth.com] Christmas Eve cutting")
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