Firewood? (1 Viewer)

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I'm working on this years heat, no wood- no heat and I'm 66. It beats paying for a gym pass...

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I have a wood lot about 1/2 mile from the house - there is a lane heading back there. The Kubota does all the heavy lifting - no truck involved. At this time I've got my process down to this: (many trees but not all already down.)

1) Fell tree
2) Cut trunk to the longest length I can skid up to the house
3) Buck to length in the meadow
4) Split
5) Stack in the meadow to season
6) Move seasoned wood to the shed
7) Move wood to rack on the front porch as needed
8) Move arm load at a time to the rack next to wood stove
9) Move into wood stove
10) Shovel ashes
11) Dump ashes in woods

Putting my Industrial Engineering hat on - I may physically touch a piece wood 12 or so times before it's burned to ash. There's better processes with less handling, but that's what I've got right now.

An outdoor boiler opens up all kinds of possibilities but thats' now for me right now.

It is however work I enjoy.
 
It is however work I enjoy.

^^^^^

Yeah, but then...some folks like stepping on broken glass or taking cold showers while chewing on tin foil. ;)

Just kidding....there are aspects of it I like too. But it does become more difficult as the years pass.

Keep after it......!
 
An outdoor boiler opens up all kinds of possibilities but thats' now for me right now.

Try to figure in a boiler as soon as possible, they are great and save so much work. The younger you are the more time you have to let it pay for itself. Here's an old picture of mine, if I can pick a piece up, it will fit in the boiler...

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Another load of wood. Mostly lodgepole again, with one big fir in the middle.

I definitely need to get a bigger saw, the MS290 is nice but it struggles on some of the bigger trees, I will probably step up to a MS362.

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Another load of wood. Mostly lodgepole again, with one big fir in the middle.

I definitely need to get a bigger saw, the MS290 is nice but it struggles on some of the bigger trees, I will probably step up to a MS362.

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Nice load of wood. If moving 'up' in a saw you might consider a 391.
Going up the ladder to a 362 is not really that much a gain IMO.

IF your 290 is stock...you could do a muffler 'mod' and then re-tune the carb. Have it so it just 4 strokes out of the wood but cleans up in wood. You'd be very close to a stock 362.
 
Nice load of wood. If moving 'up' in a saw you might consider a 391.
Going up the ladder to a 362 is not really that much a gain IMO.

IF your 290 is stock...you could do a muffler 'mod' and then re-tune the carb. Have it so it just 4 strokes out of the wood but cleans up in wood. You'd be very close to a stock 362.



My buddy was using a 362 yesterday when we were out cutting, it is by far a better saw than the 290 is. I haven't done the muffler mod on the 290 yet.


I'll look into the 391 prices and specs also.


For what it's worth I'm asking my 290 to do a lot more than it's designed for, it has a 28" bar and 3/8" RS3 chain. That model is reccomend to have like a 16"-20" bar and the smaller .325 chain.


But no one likes bending over all day to buck wood.
 
Nice load of wood. If moving 'up' in a saw you might consider a 391.
Going up the ladder to a 362 is not really that much a gain IMO.

IF your 290 is stock...you could do a muffler 'mod' and then re-tune the carb. Have it so it just 4 strokes out of the wood but cleans up in wood. You'd be very close to a stock 362.


According to the specs the 362 is the bigger saw of the two.
 
I've had a 362 for 6 years or so. Couldn't be happier. Pricey but I feel so much better felling with it. 25" bar.
 
My buddy was using a 362 yesterday when we were out cutting, it is by far a better saw than the 290 is. I haven't done the muffler mod on the 290 yet.


I'll look into the 391 prices and specs also.


For what it's worth I'm asking my 290 to do a lot more than it's designed for, it has a 28" bar and 3/8" RS3 chain. That model is reccomend to have like a 16"-20" bar and the smaller .325 chain.


But no one likes bending over all day to buck wood.

Yes a 28" bar on the 290 is just asking too much of it, but I agree no one likes to bend over for very long and a longer certainly helps with that.

You can run skip chain on it and do a muffler mod, both would help....but honestly it sounds like moving up to a more powerful saw is the way to go.
 
but honestly it sounds like moving up to a more powerful saw is the way to go.


Luckily that was my plan anyway!

For what I paid last winter in LP I could get a heck of a saw, so dropping anything under $1800 I would be money ahead. With that being said, getting a 362, or even the 441 or 461, wouldn't be a hard thing to talk the wife into!
 
According to the specs the 362 is the bigger saw of the two.

Of the three, the 391 is the larger saw (per cc), but the 362 is marginally more powerful and weighs about a pound less.

362 is a 59cc saw. 391 is a 64.1cc saw.

The 362 is a PRO saw, the 391 is a mid-grade saw and the price difference is probably about $175.00 most places.

They both have the same fuel/oil capacity (very little difference).

So it really comes down to what you need/want the saw for. If you don't use a saw everyday....a mid-grade saw will serve you perfectly well. IF most of your saw needs are for 'bucking' wood for firewood....the extra weight (1 lb.) can actually be helpful.

The bhp ratings for both saws are 391: 4.4bhp and the 362: 4.7....pretty much a wash...except the 362 probably has a better 'powerband' due to the porting being different. The 362 will be easier to work on (when needed). The 391 (after the warranty period has expired) can be 'woken up' with a muffler mod and carb tune, the 362 is pretty much there already from the factory.

If you just like the better quality/performance of a PRO saw (even if not needing it) then the 362 is your Huckleberry.

Either saw would pull a 25" bar (full comp chain) in softwoods) regardless the printed specs.

Whatever you choose...in the end, you will be happier than with your 290 for any wood over 15" diameter. And especially so if you need to 'fell' a tree (standing dead wood). Blow downs don't make any difference...but the extra power (if you need to race up to your holding wood) can be a critical factor for safety's sake.

Keep on cuttin' and be careful.

Flint.
 
Luckily that was my plan anyway!

For what I paid last winter in LP I could get a heck of a saw, so dropping anything under $1800 I would be money ahead. With that being said, getting a 362, or even the 441 or 461, wouldn't be a hard thing to talk the wife into!


441 would be huge leap up in power (pro saw to boot). 70cc saw is probably more than what you need but provides ample power for anything you'd want to cut up for firewood or fell.

For my purposes, firewood and removing blow-downs (mostly hardwoods) here on the ranch, I have a variety of saws from limbing saws up to 103cc and 48" bar for larger stuff. But most of my cutting is done with a 24" on a 65cc (ported) saw and I have the luxury of being able to STOP when I want to and go at again the next day. So any extra weight/power is really not a concern to me. I'd rather have too much than too little.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll make the correct decision and as long as the 'Wife' is O.K. with it, you can't really go wrong.
 
Let me start by saying I have issues. After a long winter weekend of cutting wood in the swampy woods half mile from the house I packed er up and headed in. Went to use my 362 about a month later couldn't find it.

Took a ride out to the woods and there it was half submerged in water. Wouldn't run. Cleaned the rust off the magneto made sure the gap to the coil was right and it has run great ever since. Awesome.
 
Let me start by saying I have issues. After a long winter weekend of cutting wood in the swampy woods half mile from the house I packed er up and headed in. Went to use my 362 about a month later couldn't find it.

Took a ride out to the woods and there it was half submerged in water. Wouldn't run. Cleaned the rust off the magneto made sure the gap to the coil was right and it has run great ever since. Awesome.

Better hope your's isn't a Female saw....because it will NEVER forget or forgive you. If a Male saw...it will probably just rib you about it from time to time. ;)
 
And for you firewood cutters. IF you don't already have one (or two) a 'Pickeroon' is a real back saver when it comes time to move/load wood.

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Luckily that was my plan anyway!

For what I paid last winter in LP I could get a heck of a saw, so dropping anything under $1800 I would be money ahead. With that being said, getting a 362, or even the 441 or 461, wouldn't be a hard thing to talk the wife into!

I moved from the 310(same series as the 290) to a pro level Husky 562XP. The difference is pretty nice. Faster Revs, more power, better anti vibe.... with that being said, my XP is a cantankerous wench and my next saw will be a 441 or 362.
 
^^^^^^^
Somebody has a shed full of wood.


I've had all mine cut since this summer, but I need to get busy splitting it. I have enough small 'round' wood to last the first few cold snaps, but now that its cooler weather...there just isn't any excuse for me not to get the rest split up and stacked.
 

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