Gas or electric

[Michael Armstrong]

I'm in the market for a chainsaw. I've narrowed my decision down to a Stihl but am wondering whether to go gas or electric. I get most of my turning stock given to me but some of it needs to be blocked or cut into bowl blanks. I don't forsee myself going out into the countryside looking for wood but one never knows. I'm looking for recommendations on which to choose. Thanks!

Michael

 

[David Somers]

Michael,

I have both, an older Stihl O230, and an electric that I bought thinking it would have handy to actually use in the shop for blanks and whatnot. I assumed it would be quieter, more convenient, no fumes to deal with, less weight, etc.

After having it a year I gave it to a neighbor. It was underpowered, easily as noisy as the stihl though at a higher pitch that I found to be really irritating even with good ear protection, and didn't cut nearly as well. The chain oiling system was quirky, and all in all it drove me nuts.

I am back to the trusty Stihl. Starts when I want it, cuts what I ask it to cut, and does a good job. I give it the right fuel mix, keep it full of bar oil, the chain sharpened and the bar in good shape, and keep the spark plug and air filter in good condition and it seems to be a happy little machine.

So.....when I want to cut a blank I cut it outside so I don't fill the shop with exhaust and all those annoying wood chips. You would want wood chips anywhere near your lathe after all!! <grin>

Dave

 

[Michael Armstrong]

Dave:
Thanks for the info. It is an electric Stihl that I am considering in the mix. I don't know if there is a big difference between the different makes of electrics or not. I'd like to be able to cut in the garage 'cuz it can get just a little snowy, blowy and cold up here in Canada in the winter

Michael

 

[TurningDog]

i too have both and they both have advantages. I have a couple of stihls on the gas side. I count a 12" that doubles as a pole saw and is real handy about the neighborhood, every now and then I mention to one of the neighbors that some limb looks dangerous and they usually agree and say they wish they could get and I say I could do it for them. This is often how end up with that odd branch with the burl on it or that fresh cut piece of wood for this or that spindle work or a nice fresh piece of OO when I am out. Then I have an ms 170 with a 16" bar and a farm boss with a 24" bar. On the electric side I have a remmington 14" which does a good job but not very versatile and probably wear out far quicker that the gas not to mention the odd 49 link chain size and the fact the inexpensive 50 link model from bailey's doesn't fit it right.

The plus side of the gas is I can take it anywhere and do the same work as the electric around the house 2 or 3 times as fast. Down side it cost more and the price of gas isn't going down. The plus side of the electric is it is quiet and I can use it early in the morning or late at night and do it indoors. it was also very handy cutting 4x6 posts on for my deck. The down side is I only have 300 feet of extension cord and no outlet in my truck, it is slow cutting in comparison to the gas. The also don't tend top work as well if you don't use regular bar oil, unlike the stihl which often gets 30 weight oil on the bar and the electric seems to go through bar oil faster but that maybe model specific.

The other model specific problems you should be aware of is making sure you can get inexpensive chains and replacement bars, and sharpening sources. For me to get a chain from the local box store which is quite a ways down the road is $20 or $30 at my local full service hardware store, My saw was only $40. This was really a pain before I got my electric chainsaw grinder from HF as I only do a fair job with a file and the minimum I can get a chain sharpened around here is $10 + a dime per link. For my stihl on the otherhand I can order quality chains and bars from bailey's at a fraction of the price I can get them local either from the box store or stihl dealer.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Gas. Down south there you can still go outside to rough blanks, and it won't make a mess in the garage. Frozen stock cuts a bit tougher than non-frozen, and keeping stuff outside until you're ready to rough also keeps it fresh. Not to mention you can become a travelling wood beggar like the rest of us with your own gas saw. I swap split and seasoned wood for logs glimpsed on other people's woodpiles.

A "V" bench or a flat one and home-made dog makes relative precision possible, but it won't ever replace the bandsaw. Cutting at the knees or so is easier on this old back.

 

[David Somers]

Dave:
I'd like to be able to cut in the garage 'cuz it can get just a little snowy, blowy and cold up here in Canada in the winter

Michael

I didn't notice you were in Canada! Electrics are cheap enough, especially considering the cost of recovering from Frost Bite. Might be worth it. I forget what brand mine was, but it was sure not worth the $$ as cheap as it was. But then, I only see a frost on the ground here a few times a year so I don't have quite the same reluctance to open a garage door and cut outside as you might have!! <grin>

One thing I disliked on this saw was the bar oil feed was manual. It was a push bulb. It clogged alot. Really annoying. None of the other electrics on the shelves had an auto feed either. But I assume they are out there. And for some reason the noise on this one was nearly as loud as my gas saw, just a higher pitch and more irritating pitch as I mentioned.

You might check with friends and neighbors and see what they have for electrics that you might be able to dink with before buying.

When the snow starts to fly, throw some snow balls for me. I am a snow bunny from way back caught in the tropics. Don't get me wrong, I really like Hawaii. But I do miss winter and have to get a snow fix periodically to maintain my sense of rightness is the world. I will actually go all the way up Mauna Kea (13,000+feet) when it snows just to get a fix here, or try to go skiing on the mainland if I get the chance. Holler if you come out this way!

Good luck!

Dave

 

[Jeff Jilg]

I have two chainsaws. If I only had one, it would be a gas chainsaw.

Gas chainsaws are very powerful and their oilers work great. The power gives you the flexibility to cut little pieces or big pieces.

Electrics can bog down and I have also had problems with the oiler. There is one very nice feature about electric - you can use it in a closed garage and you don't have to worry about fumes. If you ever have a big piece of wood which has been cut into a blank for the lathe, then you mount it on the lathe and it is just slightly too large - the electric chainsaw is your answer. DAMHIKT.

In general, most electrics are made for light duty work.

 

[Hugh]

My vote would be for a gas chainsaw. More power.
I have never owned an electric saw though. But have tried one a time or two. Still like the gas saw. But then I love to go out into the woods and cut wood. You never know when that nice chunk of wood sits on the side of the road and needs to be cut into smaller chunks to get them into your truck. Hard to get with an electric saw. Gas is the only way to go. Keep it sharp and the air filter clean. It will last a long time.
Hugh

 

[Michael Armstrong]

Popular opinion has me leaning heavily toward the gas. The next question: is the 260 the saw or someone else recommended the 290?

Michael

 

[TurningDog]

Popular opinion has me leaning heavily toward the gas. The next question: is the 260 the saw or someone else recommended the 290?

Michael

honestly unless you are felling a lot of trees or people are rolling a lot of great big logs your way both of those are overkill. despite having a bigger saw I do most of my at home work with an ms 170 and 16" bar, and I cut a lot of wood I used somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 cords for turning, heating, barbequeing 250 days and running my smoker 320 days (i'm very popoular with the neighbors) last year and all of it came to my house in the form of larger logs and the ms170 cut most of it. I use the smaller saw primarily because of weight and vibration issues that wear hard on my joints, but it does a great job of it and if it wasn't for the ocassional need of my bigger saw I wouldn't own a bigger one.

 

[Richard Baker]

For light duty, indoor use, a good electric is the answer. Check out how the chain oiler works, as previously mentioned. I had to use a squirt can with the one I used to have. It was inexpensive, light weight, easy to start, cut surprisingly well, and lasted longer than I expected.

Note- have recently learned the difference between "anti-kickback" chains and real chains. The former is best for novices. The latter is better if you really need to cut some wood. Been wondering for years why "modern" chainsaws don't cut as well as they used to years ago (pre-antikickback chains). Now I know.

 

[Steve Worcester]

If you are going to use it in the shop, definitely not gas. Also a good reason to put a carbon monoxide/fire detector in the shop.

But it is rough to use an electric in the field, even with an inverter. As far as which Stihl to buy, same as a big lathe. You can use a 16" bar on a big saw, but you can't use a 20" on a small saw.

Antikickback chains - Stihl puts green links in the chain for the safety chains, which cut well, but the yellow linked chains will mow though the wood faster, but have much more potential for kickback.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Michael,

Not to be pushing against the flow, but you should note there is a big difference in electrics. The plastic-geared WENs and Remingtons that sell for $80 in the stores are of little value. The Stihl MSE 180C-BQ or MSE 220 or the Husky 316 are in a different class all together. They, however, have prices commensurate with small quality gas models, and must be run on No. 12 wire cords of not more than 50' to prevent degrading the motors.

You should note also that if you were planning on cutting stuff in your garage, you will, with gas or electric saws, be cleaning up the chain oil that gets thrown around during cutting. Something to consider.

As far as your choice of gas Stihls, I'd strongly suggest the MS 260 or 260 Pro. It will loaf through logs with a 16" bar and has the power to pull a 20" bar if you ever need it. The 290 is not balanced as well as the 260 IMO, and will just use more gas and oil. When (if) my 15-year old Stihl 023 ever dies, I will replace it with a 260.

m

 

[Jim Rutten]

I have 3 chain saws. Two Stihls and a remington electric. I got the electric one after an early snowstorm caused a lot of tree damage (unfortunately before I started turning). It worked perfectly for this. I don't remember the remington as being excessively loud and as far as the manual bar oil feed you could really hear a change in pitch of the cut when it needed more. My one and only gripe about it was if you sat it down for a couple of weeks all the bar oil would leak out.

 

[MichaelMouse]

My thoughts on bar length, assuming, of course, that you have the power available, are to get a bar two inches longer than the throw of your lathe. This allows you to rip blanks in greater safety, because there's no problem with burying the tip and risking kickback.

It's easy to saw round and round a large log with a shorter bar, but matching kerfs from either end can waste some pretty wood.