Timberjack!

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old greybeard

Burning Hunk
Oct 29, 2018
178
PA
Just cut up my biggest tree yet. 22” 25’ locust blowdown. Bought a PA made Timberjack just for this job, worked fantastic. Best tool I’ve bought since my Dolmar 510, which ripped thru it btw with a 18” blade. This might keep me cutting wood for a extra 10 years.
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Those are handy. I rolled over an irregular 36" log with one the other day, I am sure that thing weighed more than a car. I don't always take mine with me into the woods, but when I do I find that it makes a nice stand to lift the ends of logs for bucking.

I have a 64cc Dolmar that has been my daily driver saw for a few years. Been a really good saw so far other than some initial kinks (it's an easy starting saw once you get to know it, but I flooded it every time I tried to start it cold at first).

Also, that is a really enviable amount of locust!
 
A great tool! A cant hook on steroids.
I had one with a nice wood handle. You could pull a pin and remove the little stand and still have a cant hook. I used it that way for several years, building log cabins, and now I have lost the little stand.

So I just use it as a cant hook for cutting firewood. I wouldn't crank up the chain saw if I didn't have my cant hook.
 
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I am impressed how light it is as well.
It is a good bit of locust, my 2022 firewood. Burning maple this year, already tired of the amount of coals. Have enjoyed locust in the past in a old stove, hope it burns well in a tube stove.
 
Those are handy. I rolled over an irregular 36" log with one the other day, I am sure that thing weighed more than a car. I don't always take mine with me into the woods, but when I do I find that it makes a nice stand to lift the ends of logs for bucking.

I have a 64cc Dolmar that has been my daily driver saw for a few years. Been a really good saw so far other than some initial kinks (it's an easy starting saw once you get to know it, but I flooded it every time I tried to start it cold at first).

Also, that is a really enviable amount of locust!

I have the same saw, and I have flooded it the last two times I've used it. I have had to take out the spark plug and air it out - then it starts. And once going it starts easy. How do you avoid this initial flooding?
 
With my 510 as long as I choke it, pull until it grumbles, about after 3 pulls, turn off choke, usually starts and runs next pull.
 
I really could have used that thing today. I went dead wood hunting today, and scored a lot of red oak laying on the ground. I had to rely on my huge pry bar way too much. I can see one of these in my future.
 
A pry bar? Forget it! You are back in the Dark Ages.
Get a cant hook or timberjack, get it today!
 
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A pry bar? Forget it! You are back in the Dark Ages.
Get a cant hook or timberjack, get it today!
Dark Ages! LOL I can only imagine how much it would make my life easier. Speed it up so I can cut and gather more, and not subject my wife to my groaning in the evening. Well, not as much groaning anyway. :) The thought occured to me to make a cant hook for my pry bar, and have a multi tool.
 
I have the same saw, and I have flooded it the last two times I've used it. I have had to take out the spark plug and air it out - then it starts. And once going it starts easy. How do you avoid this initial flooding?

From cold, pull the choke out all the way, give her two pulls, choke in all the way, pull until she starts (usually 1-3 pulls depending on the temp).

My Echos like you to pull with the choke on until the engine catches once. That plan will flood my Dolmar almost every time.

There's a halfway notch on the choke control. I used to use it, but I've had better luck without. The above method works reliably on my saw.

If you do flood it, you can turn it over and dump out some gas with the spark plug removed, faster than waiting for evaporation. But you won't need to if you quit using the choke as much.
 
I am impressed how light it is as well.
It is a good bit of locust, my 2022 firewood. Burning maple this year, already tired of the amount of coals. Have enjoyed locust in the past in a old stove, hope it burns well in a tube stove.
I burn a lot of locust in a tube stove. My first year I was burning 18mo CSS locust and though I got by it wasn't great. Since then I have been burning it after at least two summers in the stacks and its much better. I try to keep a softer species around to mix in when getting going from a cold start.
 
+1 on the softer species mixed in. Just cut up a hemlock thats is about as big. Have really enjoyed being able to use hemlock and pine in the tube stove, my 11 acres is 45% or so hemlock. Learned you have to cut it and split it quick, rots fast. Burns fast and hot.
 
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I don't really do cold starts (maybe 2-3 a year), but I always keep a cord of pine ready to go.

Not only is it great for short hot fires, but it's good filler wood if you get behind on your hardwoods (ready in just 1 year), and it's also great if you end up with a stove full of hardwood coals (lay some tiny pine splits on top, burn on high).

I think I heat a lot more effectively with a mix of hardwood and softwood in the toolbox.

Be careful scrounging dead standing softwood, they turn into sponges (and usually right at the base where the ants got at them) faster than you'd think.
 
I don't really do cold starts (maybe 2-3 a year),
Take it to the Blaze King thread :mad:. Actually I'm just jealous since my firebox is pretty small and burn times aren't anything to write home about. Consequently many cold starts, basically daily.
 
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Thanks jetsam, I'll try this 2-pull with choke out, then choke in method.
 
Thanks jetsam, I'll try this 2-pull with choke out, then choke in method.

That's just my saw, but I haven't modified the head from factory specs (shockingly), so I assume others will behave similarly.

I used to think of that saw as temperamental before I figured it out... now she never gives me trouble.
 
Take it to the Blaze King thread :mad:. Actually I'm just jealous since my firebox is pretty small and burn times aren't anything to write home about. Consequently many cold starts, basically daily.

Line up a King install for next time your wife is out of town, then you can make fun of my little 2.5 firebox and my tiny 24 hour burn times! ;lol
 
Line up a King install for next time your wife is out of town, then you can make fun of my little 2.5 firebox and my tiny 24 hour burn times! ;lol
That would be quite the change but as it would end up in the middle of the living room that would require some pre-approval ;lol. My insert gets 6 hrs maybe 8 depending on your definition of burn time, sooo in no position to be making fun of anyone anytime soon.
 
That's just my saw, but I haven't modified the head from factory specs (shockingly), so I assume others will behave similarly.

I used to think of that saw as temperamental before I figured it out... now she never gives me trouble.

I have a Stihl 025 and I have to start it the same as you. First start, I have to put on choke, pull a few times still it wants to start, then off choke to run position, 2 or 3 cranks and it runs like a beast. Unless it sits for a while, or runs out of gas I put switch on run and it cranks up. If I run out of gas, I usually have to start with choke. Took me a while to figure that also. I would flood it and have to pull the spark plug and let it dry out. Once you know the sequence you've got it made.
 
I thought this thread was about a timberjack?
 
Hey you can't use your timberjack if your chainsaw won't start because it is flooded - this is the connection (I think).
 
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I burn a lot of locust in a tube stove. My first year I was burning 18mo CSS locust and though I got by it wasn't great. Since then I have been burning it after at least two summers in the stacks and its much better. I try to keep a softer species around to mix in when getting going from a cold start.
Same here...I put some 4 year oak on the bottom row then load up with locust...fires off everytime!
 
Just cut up my biggest tree yet. 22” 25’ locust blowdown. Bought a PA made Timberjack just for this job, worked fantastic. Best tool I’ve bought since my Dolmar 510, which ripped thru it btw with a 18” blade. This might keep me cutting wood for a extra 10 years.
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I have same model...actually a pair of them and they will hold a tremendous amount of weight!