GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Bill Grey · 23-02-2012, 07:41 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

"Malcolm" wrote in message
news

In article , writes
In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:

You have probably heard this before but, if you find manual sawing
difficult, you do not have the strength to use a chainsaw safely.

Oh I can saw well enough but currently i have three 4ft high piles of
very large logs in the garden from an oak, a mulberry an apple and a
silver Birch and the thought of sawing by hand, umpteen logs is a bit
daunting timewise, I need to cut them to about 12 inches long.

It looks soooo much easier slicing through them with an saw. Too thick
for my stihl hedgecutter though.

Eh? From the point of view of a bowsaw, "very large" is above 12"
in diameter (or 9" for smaller saws). And no plausible hedgecutter
will even approach that! Once something gets above that, it's worth
paying someone to do it, even if you have a chainsaw, as it needs
more than ordinary skills.

If most of those branches are 6-9", I would guess 3 days of 4 hours
each (with breaks to do other things) for a decent bowsaw, but
probably still 3 days and over half the time for an inexperienced
chainsaw user. Remember that, if you get even slightly tired, a
chainsaw changes from dangerous to lethal.

I'm still trying to work out if you have a chainsaw, Nick, or have used
one of the smaller (c.30cm) modern electric ones, and therefore have the
experience to back up the advice against them that you are giving. I have
an electric chainsaw (plus reinforced gloves and helmet with earmuffs and
vizor, of course) and I also have a good bow-saw, and I use whichever one
is appropriate for the job in hand. I think it perfectly reasonable for
someone who is finding that a bow-saw is not coping to use a chainsaw. The
advice given here on getting a smaller electric one and on maintenance has
been good and to the point and from obvious experience of them. And as far
as muscle use is concerned, different ones are definitely involved, though
obvously with some overlap.

--
Malcolm

Having recently felled a fairly tall Birch of diameter about 8 to 10 ins, I
cut into logs with my chainsaw (electric).. No way would I have considered
my bowsaw for such a task.

Bill