Popular Mechanics does a chainsaw test and comparison

[lowroadacres]

I found this tonight as I was leafing through the new Popular Mechanics.

here is the online version.....

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/outdoor-tools/4283685?click=img_sr

At the very least it is an interesting read.

 

[Skier76]

It's dated October 2008? Maybe they've done and update but just haven't posted it yet.

 

[Lucky Phil]

I read that article last night at the dentist's office, and the saws online aren't the same ones that were tested in the actual magazine. The Poulan, McCoullach and JD weren't even in the mag.

 

[lowroadacres]

Alright alright....

I should know better than to post when I am exhausted.

I glanced at the link after searching the pm.com sight to try to find the hard copy article on line.

Maybe I am trying too hard to make it to 100 posts.

If anyone finds the link to the newer article I guess feel free to link to it.

For most of us it won't inform us a whole lot anyways because unless I have missed something after a couple of years of being around the hearth.com forum most of us tend to be "show me" types.

For me a saw is a little like the "gottenwood" thread ...

Use the saw you have or can afford, take care of it, and when the time comes upgrade to the best saw you can afford that fits your needs.

Like the difference between owning a renting a woodsplitter I know folks who organize their wood cutting to the point where they are able to manage by renting a saw once or twice a year.

 

[smokinj]

Alright alright....

I should know better than to post when I am exhausted.

I glanced at the link after searching the pm.com sight to try to find the hard copy article on line.

Maybe I am trying too hard to make it to 100 posts.

If anyone finds the link to the newer article I guess feel free to link to it.

For most of us it won't inform us a whole lot anyways because unless I have missed something after a couple of years of being around the hearth.com forum most of us tend to be "show me" types.

For me a saw is a little like the "gottenwood" thread ...

Use the saw you have or can afford, take care of it, and when the time comes upgrade to the best saw you can afford that fits your needs.

Like the difference between owning a renting a woodsplitter I know folks who organize their wood cutting to the point where they are able to manage by renting a saw once or twice a year.

Thats all good for the 2-4 cords a year I would use an electric one for that, but if your using lets say 10 cords a year and to get 3 years ahead you need 30 cords. Oh and the debate is on! lol 4 more.....

 

[lowroadacres]

Given that we used to churn through as many as 10 cords a year using a roughly installed Olsen wood electric furnace in a leaky old farmhouse I can't imagine using an electric chainsaw or not owning my own saw. I do know people that are that "managed" in their planning their lives that they are able to get away with it. With our current set up I have no idea how many cords we will go through. I do know that we are being much more discriminating about what we are going to be burning in the stove as compared to the furnace.

In hindsight I am amazed at how disorganized we were and at how ill prepared we were for the 8 winters we heated with that unit. Good thing I liked climbing a ridiculously steep roof and cleaning a chimney regularly.

I know people who have done the math, or so they claim, and they buy every single stick of wood that they put through their stoves because they claim that their time, their energy and owning a saw cost more than buying the wood. Some days I am not so sure I disagree with them except for the fact that I like cutting wood, I would need to exercise anyways, I do not get taxed on the "value" I find in the wood, and I know what I am burning and have control over it this way.

To top that off there is a friend of mine who has patented a "log" made out of a substance that requires no wax or binder of any sort that burns hotter than hot and his hope is that there are people who will quit using wood and use only his product in their wood stoves or fireplace inserts.

He has been working on this thing for years, and yes I have tried a small number of them but I have not been converted.

Bottom line again for me is to use the saw I have, burn the wood I can find as close as possible to home, and to keep trying to do it better as we go.

I see that the fog is lifting in our little corner of the world so I had better rip myself away from the computer for a while to get some outside work done.

 

[smokinj]

Given that we used to churn through as many as 10 cords a year using a roughly installed Olsen wood electric furnace in a leaky old farmhouse I can't imagine using an electric chainsaw or not owning my own saw. I do know people that are that "managed" in their planning their lives that they are able to get away with it. With our current set up I have no idea how many cords we will go through. I do know that we are being much more discriminating about what we are going to be burning in the stove as compared to the furnace.

In hindsight I am amazed at how disorganized we were and at how ill prepared we were for the 8 winters we heated with that unit. Good thing I liked climbing a ridiculously steep roof and cleaning a chimney regularly.

I know people who have done the math, or so they claim, and they buy every single stick of wood that they put through their stoves because they claim that their time, their energy and owning a saw cost more than buying the wood. Some days I am not so sure I disagree with them except for the fact that I like cutting wood, I would need to exercise anyways, I do not get taxed on the "value" I find in the wood, and I know what I am burning and have control over it this way.

To top that off there is a friend of mine who has patented a "log" made out of a substance that requires no wax or binder of any sort that burns hotter than hot and his hope is that there are people who will quit using wood and use only his product in their wood stoves or fireplace inserts.

He has been working on this thing for years, and yes I have tried a small number of them but I have not been converted.

Bottom line again for me is to use the saw I have, burn the wood I can find as close as possible to home, and to keep trying to do it better as we go.

I see that the fog is lifting in our little corner of the world so I had better rip myself away from the computer for a while to get some outside work done.

Sounds organize to me! problem with Buying from dealers is you don't know what you have til its to late. Your friend has a great plan and if constant could be a big hit if the price is right.

 

[Lucky Phil]

I hope I didn't come across as being cynical to your post; I wasn't. The saws in the mag are all more expensive, with the Stihl being rated the best. I'd already bought a replacement saw for my Poulan wild thing, which is working out well for me. I don't burn much wood, just use it to keep my wife warm in her basement office mostly. I, too, enjoy cutting and splitting wood, and spent more on the new saw and splitter this year than I really needed, but they should last me the rest of my lifetime.

 

[SolarAndWood]

...I would use an electric one for that...

now that would be a sight. next thing you will claim is you'd ride a moped around on Friday nights because you don't have to go that far.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I know people who have done the math, or so they claim, and they buy every single stick of wood that they put through their stoves because they claim that their time, their energy and owning a saw cost more than buying the wood. Some days I am not so sure I disagree with them except for the fact that I like cutting wood, I would need to exercise anyways, I do not get taxed on the "value" I find in the wood, and I know what I am burning and have control over it this way.

The crowd stands up and cheers!

 

[lowroadacres]

@ Lucky phil....

No worries on the cynicism level from my end...

Out in the "real world" I am involved as a chaplain and as an aspiring politician. I can tell you about cynicism that would make your hair stand on end.

When it comes to brand and price comparison's I am pretty low maintenance. Even with vehicles I have never worried too much about brand although I drew the line at not buying a really nicely priced Lada Niva Cossack 4x4

Anytime we can do something for ourselves, in spite of how tired it might make us, I find that the satisfaction level more than compensates. The fact that we cannot... YET!... be taxed by any level of government for our own sweat is a very good thing.

Whether it is our massive garden, or butchering meat at home, taking care of too many chickens or of course the cutting, splitting, stacking or restacking (which I need to do today as a stack shifted yesterday due to the combination of a heavy rain and the natural lean that happens as it seasons) there is nothing that compares to warming one's own house with their labour.

 

[smokinj]

@ Lucky phil....

No worries on the cynicism level from my end...

Out in the "real world" I am involved as a chaplain and as an aspiring politician. I can tell you about cynicism that would make your hair stand on end.

When it comes to brand and price comparison's I am pretty low maintenance. Even with vehicles I have never worried too much about brand although I drew the line at not buying a really nicely priced Lada Niva Cossack 4x4

Anytime we can do something for ourselves, in spite of how tired it might make us, I find that the satisfaction level more than compensates. The fact that we cannot... YET!... be taxed by any level of government for our own sweat is a very good thing.

Whether it is our massive garden, or butchering meat at home, taking care of too many chickens or of course the cutting, splitting, stacking or restacking (which I need to do today as a stack shifted yesterday due to the combination of a heavy rain and the natural lean that happens as it seasons) there is nothing that compares to warming one's own house with their labour.

A firewood tot-en meat cutting politician/Chaplain....I bet you do know a little about cynicism!

 

[lowroadacres]

It wouldn't be so intense, the cynicism that is, if it didn't already run in the family!

Maybe I should step outside of my home office and go do some wood stacking therapy.

Funny enough though, one of my sources for meat called this morning and I am picking up some fresh pork this evening.

Depending on the amount I will be starting some simple bacon, freezing some ribs and likely setting some aside in the freezer for sausage making when I get home from a ten day road trip.

 

[smokinj]

It wouldn't be so intense, the cynicism that is, if it didn't already run in the family!

Maybe I should step outside of my home office and go do some wood stacking therapy.

Funny enough though, one of my sources for meat called this morning and I am picking up some fresh pork this evening.

Depending on the amount I will be starting some simple bacon, freezing some ribs and likely setting some aside in the freezer for sausage making when I get home from a ten day road trip.

Thats pretty cool, How is the bacon processed?

 

[lowroadacres]

Ah... one of my wood piles that fell victim to wind and rain yesterday is back in some semblance of a stack!

At this time of year I keep the bacon reaaaaaly simple....

I trim the bacon up into some semblance of square so we can slice it later...

Then out comes the Morton's tenderquick...

The Tenderquick gets worked into the pork ....

Into the plastic containers in the fridge....

A few days from now we rinse off the pork and freeze it.

Then whenever the hankering for bacon and eggs hits, out it comes from the freezer.

Come fall and through the winter we will often smoke the bacon as well but for this time of year we keep it simple.

 

[smokinj]

Ah... one of my wood piles that fell victim to wind and rain yesterday is back in some semblance of a stack!

At this time of year I keep the bacon reaaaaaly simple....

I trim the bacon up into some semblance of square so we can slice it later...

Then out comes the Morton's tenderquick...

The Tenderquick gets worked into the pork ....

Into the plastic containers in the fridge....

A few days from now we rinse off the pork and freeze it.

Then whenever the hankering for bacon and eggs hits, out it comes from the freezer.

Come fall and through the winter we will often smoke the bacon as well but for this time of year we keep it simple.

Thats is pretty simple I thought it would be much harder....btw congrats on 100

 

[lowroadacres]

Very good bacon probably is more complicated

So focussed on the day and on the discussion.. I guess I did reach 100 hundred today.

I feel soooo soooooo fulfilled?

Actually as silly as it sounds, this forum is one of the saner places in my world at times.

 

[smokinj]

Very good bacon probably is more complicated

So focussed on the day and on the discussion.. I guess I did reach 100 hundred today.

I feel soooo soooooo fulfilled?

Actually as silly as it sounds, this forum is one of the saner places in my world at times.

Lol you have alot to offer and look forward to 1000

 

[lowroadacres]

Hmmmm. A thousand posts? I had better get at it!

Thank-you for the encouragement. There is lots going on for us right now with work changes, busy family times, taking care of the yard and most importantly taking care of aging parents. Getting into a groove with posting and connecting with Hearth.com is very relaxing thing for my headspace.

What I have to get better at is the idea of taking more pictures as I go in our projects and in our wood cutting.

This morning I am trying to get motivated to skid my way down what is likely a very muddy path to the woodlot.

Much of where I am cutting (and where I am planning to cut) is blocked off right now with the neighbour's wheat crop and with high water from the river which has crested three times this year. The highest crest being a week ago which is extremely rare for our part of the world.

Once the crop is off and the water recedes there will be areas that are currently dry that we can get into more easily. As well, once the mornings and evenings start feeling cool then it will be easier to motivate the rest of the family work crew to do some all hands on deck cutting days.

 

[smokinj]

Hmmmm. A thousand posts? I had better get at it!

Thank-you for the encouragement. There is lots going on for us right now with work changes, busy family times, taking care of the yard and most importantly taking care of aging parents. Getting into a groove with posting and connecting with Hearth.com is very relaxing thing for my headspace.

What I have to get better at is the idea of taking more pictures as I go in our projects and in our wood cutting.

This morning I am trying to get motivated to skid my way down what is likely a very muddy path to the woodlot.

Much of where I am cutting (and where I am planning to cut) is blocked off right now with the neighbour's wheat crop and with high water from the river which has crested three times this year. The highest crest being a week ago which is extremely rare for our part of the world.

Once the crop is off and the water recedes there will be areas that are currently dry that we can get into more easily. As well, once the mornings and evenings start feeling cool then it will be easier to motivate the rest of the family work crew to do some all hands on deck cutting days.

Yep eveyone love the Pic's and you can learn a lot your self from them as well. The family helping for me doesnt come into play until the furnace is up and running. I stock everything for it and they keep it going and empty the ashs. I was bless with all girls even the cat a girl. (But they do a good job feeding the beast)