New Husqvarna 346XP Yikes

[JimR]

Rapid Micro is semi chisel and does stay sharp longer. All semi chisel will stay sharper longer than chisel. Also doesn't get as much damage if rocked. I use a lot of RMC, it's good stuff, but so it the Oregon equivalent.

I do know all about rocking a chisel tooth chain. I hit a baseball sized rock once inside the crotch of a Rock Maple. I can only assume that a kid a long time go put the rock there and that the tree grew around it. That rock wiped my chain out real good.

 

[Bluegill2]

I do know all about rocking a chisel tooth chain. I hit a baseball sized rock once inside the crotch of a Rock Maple. I can only assume that a kid a long time go put the rock there and that the tree grew around it. That rock wiped my chain out real good.

I started using semi chisel when I moved here 22 years ago.
These Ozark hills are covered with rocks.

 

[NIXON]

But @ $16 a pop, I'll stick with the locak stihl dealer who makes my 24" loops for $20

You have a very kind dealer. Mine wants >$25 for a loop of Rsc . But then he's the reason I went Husq. As opposed to buying Stihl . Total jack wagon .

 

[LD1]

Even $25 for a 24" loop aint bad. For any "good" chain (stihl being one of them), I consider $1 or less per inch of bar a good deal. So $25 for a 24" aint too bad. But if he is a total "jack wagon" of a dealer, I dont blame you for bailing ship. Allthough Dolmar would have been a better choice

 

[Bluegill2]

Yeah, a buck a bar inch ain't bad, especially from a Stihl dealer. My local one here runs just under that.

 

[NIXON]

Even $25 for a 24" loop aint bad. For any "good" chain (stihl being one of them), I consider $1 or less per inch of bar a good deal. So $25 for a 24" aint too bad. But if he is a total "jack wagon" of a dealer, I dont blame you for bailing ship. Allthough Dolmar would have been a better choice

I occasionally buy a chain or two from them . Rsc is just hard to beat . As far as Dolmar , we just don't have a dealer in the area that stocks them . As I understand it, they are a quality saw ,but their marketing lets them down.

 

[defed]

this is going to be a bit off topic, but does anyone know where i can find a chart that estimates the # of cords in a certain size tree? or anyone have a method they use besides cutting it down and stacking? obviously there are many variables involved (height, crown size), but you'd think after enough time, someone would have come up w/ an average based on diameter.

i did find one or 2, just curious if anyone here has ever done such estimating and how you do it.

example: 15" DBH = .4 (full) cords

 

[JimR]

this is going to be a bit off topic, but does anyone know where i can find a chart that estimates the # of cords in a certain size tree? or anyone have a method they use besides cutting it down and stacking? obviously there are many variables involved (height, crown size), but you'd think after enough time, someone would have come up w/ an average based on diameter.

i did find one or 2, just curious if anyone here has ever done such estimating and how you do it.

example: 15" DBH = .4 (full) cords

I know my Forester walked our land back in 2010 and said that there were about 300 cord that needed to be removed to clean up the storm damaged trees. He figured it out by the diameter and number of trees. I don't know his calculation of how he did it. I can only assume that it was a close estimate and not a real count. Like you said, there are too many variables. My thought would be that the figure would be low to make sure that the logger got what he had paid for.

 

[LD1]

No I never knew of any good formulas.

It also makes a pretty big difference weather it is a tree in the woods or one in the open. Ones in the open have more wood for given DBH cause they have WAY more branches. Trees in a woods (mature woods) dont have many branches down low.

 

[defed]

i'm a former timber buyer/forester, so i know how to estimate board feet, but i've found so many varying opinions on how many board feet actually make up a cord! using board feet would also be a low estimate, i think, since it doesn't take into account all the limbs, just the merchantable logs.

i think i've seen 1500 board feet to make a solid block 4x4x8, 500 board feet to make a stacked cord w/ air gaps, and any thing in between. i only ask because i have some junk wood that i was cutting and giving to my buddy, and his dad said he'd pay something for some of it. i'm talking $20/face or something, so it doesn't need to be precise, but it would be nice to know if a 20" tree would be roughly 1 face, 3 face, 5 face?

 

[DarkBlack]

Legitimate question. Should be a thread on it's own though? Don't want to diminish the 346 wonder saw

 

[LD1]

Well, I've been cutting wood for awhile, and can usually guess pretty close just by looking at a tree, but the trouble is that I just go by looking and dont actually measure the DBH when done. All I know is that when looking at a tree, it dont look nearly as big until it is on the ground. And again, it all depends on just how many branches and how small you cut them to. (IE: woods tree or fencerow).

Since I mostly clear fencerows, and their are sizable branches down low, It usually takes a 20" tree to make a full cord. And remember, double the diameter, and the area (volume of wood) goes up by a factor of 4 just for the trunk.

So...A 20" tree will have about 4 times more wood than a 10" tree. And a 40" tree will have about 16 times more wood than that 10" tree.

We cleared a BIG ash tree that blew down in a fencerow. It yielded between 7 and 8 cord. It was 48" diameter So by that, a 24" tree would be 1.75-2 cord and a 12" tree would be ~1/2 cord.

Again, this isnt really science and their is no good way to do it. So this is just my observations.

 

[defed]

Legitimate question. Should be a thread on it's own though? Don't want to diminish the 346 wonder saw

yes, i thought it should, but since we already had some good traffic going here, thought i might get a quick reply.

 

[defed]

Well, I've been cutting wood for awhile, and can usually guess pretty close just by looking at a tree, but the trouble is that I just go by looking and dont actually measure the DBH when done. All I know is that when looking at a tree, it dont look nearly as big until it is on the ground. And again, it all depends on just how many branches and how small you cut them to. (IE: woods tree or fencerow).

Since I mostly clear fencerows, and their are sizable branches down low, It usually takes a 20" tree to make a full cord. And remember, double the diameter, and the area (volume of wood) goes up by a factor of 4 just for the trunk.

So...A 20" tree will have about 4 times more wood than a 10" tree. And a 40" tree will have about 16 times more wood than that 10" tree.

We cleared a BIG ash tree that blew down in a fencerow. It yielded between 7 and 8 cord. It was 48" diameter So by that, a 24" tree would be 1.75-2 cord and a 12" tree would be ~1/2 cord.

Again, this isnt really science and their is no good way to do it. So this is just my observations.

the other thing i find is that ppl tend to use cord and face cord interchangeably. sometimes i can tell which they mean, sometimes not. i presume you are referring to face cords?

what i have been doing for my buddy is, i cut it up in manageable lengths, 4'-8' long for smaller stuff and 16" lengths when it gets too big. then we throw it in the truck w/ no real idea how much is there. he cuts it up how he wants at his leisure. but if i tell his dad $x/face, i just need a closer idea how much he is getting.

 

[LD1]

No I was talking full cords. I think it is more of a regional thing, but around me, we dont deal in face-cord, rick, rack, or whatever.

Rarely do I even see that when people advertise firewood for sale.

So...@16" cut length, IMO, a ~20" tree would be about 3 face cord.

 

[defed]

No I was talking full cords. I think it is more of a regional thing, but around me, we dont deal in face-cord, rick, rack, or whatever.

Rarely do I even see that when people advertise firewood for sale.

So...@16" cut length, IMO, a ~20" tree would be about 3 face cord.

those #'s look close to one of the charts i found. 22" = 1 cord (3 face @ 16"), 12" = .3 cords (1 face @ 16")

seems around here, ppl SAY cord but sell (mean) face. i've never seen a pile of word for sale that was 4x8x4, or advertised as $300/cord and then sell 16" lengths for $100. online, ppl seem to mostly refer to full cords.

thanks for the input, guess i'll just have to cut em down and see what i can figure out!

 

[LD1]

It all depends on how many of the limbs you cut also. I know some people dont even cut the rounds. If it doesnt need split, it is brush for them. So that means they leave everything over ~5-6"" diameter behind. Me...I cut down pretty small. I cut down to 2" or so. Two reasons, I sell wood, so why leave it behind. And second, the wood I do burn is in the shop, where I dont keep a fire going all winter. So lots of starts. The small stuff takes light quick and produces the most heat the fastest. A stove full of 2" rounds will heat the building up faster than being full of big split stuff. (obviously the big stuff would last longer though)

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I am with LD1 I cut firewood down to about 2" limbs because the branches are denser wood and burn well typically. That's if they are straight enough to stack. The smaller stuff goes into the chipper. It is really hard to estimate a standing tree accurately. Ballpark it for the estimate or just sell by the 8' truck bed load with or without sideracks.

 

[defed]

i cut everything! i often have to yell at my buddy because he leaves too much good stuff on the branch.

 

[Tollster]

Just picked up anew XP346 yesterday. Its an upgrade from my 20 year old 51, that been a fine saw,but figured it was time to upgrade. I don't need a beast and settled on what I thought was a good midsize with room to spare should I need the xtra power. We closed on 13 acres and the 51 was giving me a workout. I am clearing pines and mostly softwoods of various size and saving the hardwoods. Looking forward to seeing if it makes life a little easier,as well as on my back.

I'll keep the 51 as a back up,but after reading all these post, perhaps its better left at home