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OT: Chainsaws

8893

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I used my mother-in-law's chainsaw today for about an hour to cut up around 30' that was ripped from the top of one of our oaks and thrown into the yard and road.

I am officially a candyass. I haven't been this drained and physically exhausted since I spent an hour with a rototiller last year.

I'm in reasonably good shape for my age; I work out at least five days a week. But power equipment kicks the crap out of me.

I had long pants, a long sleeve shirt and baseball cap and I was soaked literally from head to toe. Even my baseball cap was dripping wet.

I had to lie down on the ground for like ten minutes when I was done just to gain enough energy to walk back down the driveway. Then I had to lie down on my bed for around twenty minutes after showering to be able to have the energy to get dressed.

I had trouble holding my electric toothbrush for the full two minutes.

Hats off to those of you who do this stuff with any frequency.

Once again I have confirmed why I am a believer in specialization, and paying people to do work you don't do.
 
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The heat and your lack of doing that kind of work regularly can kick your ass. Hydration is key.

I split a big pile of wood about 6 weeks ago with a wedge and sledgehammer. I was sweating more than I used to running full court games for hours. It sure felt good though to look at the pile of usable wood afterwards. If it cools off enough later we will reap the rewards of that work tonight.
 
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I chainsawed a bunch of wood today once the linemen got it off the line. I'm a candy ass too. Luckily for me, my chain came off and I took it as a sign to stop. I'm beat as right now. I think I'm going to sand the big pieces and urethane them, and use them as seats around the fire pit...splitting that doesn't seem fun...
 

Dove

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I used my mother-in-law's chainsaw today for about an hour to cut up around 30' that was ripped from the top of one of our oaks and thrown into the yard and road.

I am officially a candyass. I haven't been this drained and physically exhausted since I spent an hour with a rototiller last year.

I'm in reasonably good shape for my age; I work out at least five days a week. But power equipment kicks the crap out of me.

I had long pants, a long sleeve shirt and baseball cap and I was soaked literally from head to toe. Even my baseball cap was dripping wet.

I had to lie down on the ground for like ten minutes when I was done just to gain enough energy to walk back down the driveway. Then I had to lie down on my bed for around twenty minutes after showering to be able to have the energy to get dressed.

I had trouble holding my electric toothbrush for the full two minutes.

Hats off to those of you who do this stuff with any frequency.

Once again I have confirmed why I am a believer in specialization, and paying people to do work you don't do.
Maybe you should have had your mother in law take care of it.
 
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Isaias dropped a neighbor's 60' Birch landing in between his pool and his fence. Unfortunately, a very large branch feel i my yard taking down a pair of 20' Birch trees plus a 10' Maple with it, which combined to take-out about 30' of my fence. I chainsawed, stacked, and hauled brush for about 3 hours today and am only about 1/4 done. Just enough to put up a temporary fence in the gap to keep the dog in the yard (I have no illusion that the deer and bear will laugh at me). I'm beat and have drank a gallon of water since. As its going to get hotter this week, I plan to let it be (and hope some of the brush goes when the neighbor clears the main tree in his yard) and wait for it to get cooler out. May also need to replace the blade and chain on my chainsaw as my little 18" Husqvarna got pinched pretty good tacking part of the main branch, which had to be 24" wide, and may need to replace the chain and blade.
 
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Yeah, you're not alone on this! I'm 28 and in fine shape but using my chainsaw for a prolonged period of time still kicks my ass like no other household chore. Really feel it in the forearms afterwards. Been out there every day since the storm working on the myriad limbs that fell in my yard.
 

Chin Diesel

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I used my mother-in-law's chainsaw today for about an hour to cut up around 30' that was ripped from the top of one of our oaks and thrown into the yard and road.

I am officially a candyass. I haven't been this drained and physically exhausted since I spent an hour with a rototiller last year.

I'm in reasonably good shape for my age; I work out at least five days a week. But power equipment kicks the crap out of me.

I had long pants, a long sleeve shirt and baseball cap and I was soaked literally from head to toe. Even my baseball cap was dripping wet.

I had to lie down on the ground for like ten minutes when I was done just to gain enough energy to walk back down the driveway. Then I had to lie down on my bed for around twenty minutes after showering to be able to have the energy to get dressed.

I had trouble holding my electric toothbrush for the full two minutes.

Hats off to those of you who do this stuff with any frequency.

Once again I have confirmed why I am a believer in specialization, and paying people to do work you don't do.

DJ Khaled is proud of your persistence brushing your teeth.
 
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You really need to have a really good chainsaw with a sharp chain if you live in a place where you need to clear fallen limbs/ trees. However, I am concerned about your reaction. Even though you state that you work out 5 times/ week, I believe you should have a cardiovascular evaluation. I agree with paying people who are experienced, but sometimes when an emergency arises and you can't get someone right away or your egress is blocked, you need to be able to act on your own.
 

8893

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Maybe you should have had your mother in law take care of it.
The fact that it was her chainsaw was definitely the kicker. She had to give me a quick lesson beforehand.

It was a humbling experience. One of the benefits of having three daughters is that I am used to them by now.

I’m feeling much better. It’s amazing how well a couple of Advil work. And a few cocktails.

I expect to be sore tomorrow.
 

8893

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The heat and your lack of doing that kind of work regularly can kick your ass. Hydration is key.

I split a big pile of wood about 6 weeks ago with a wedge and sledgehammer. I was sweating more than I used to running full court games for hours. It sure felt good though to look at the pile of usable wood afterwards. If it cools off enough later we will reap the rewards of that work tonight.

I have a wedge, sledgehammer and axe and have enjoyed using them over the years as a great and productive outlet. For some reason I seemed to enjoy it most during and after Giants games.


You really need to have a really good chainsaw with a sharp chain if you live in a place where you need to clear fallen limbs/ trees. However, I am concerned about your reaction. Even though you state that you work out 5 times/ week, I believe you should have a cardiovascular evaluation. I agree with paying people who are experienced, but sometimes when an emergency arises and you can't get someone right away or your egress is blocked, you need to be able to act on your own.

Thanks for your concern. I didn’t mention that I was also hauling the limbs and logs into a gulley on our property so they would be out of the way, including launching several of them off an incline and dragging others so they would give me more space for the rest. I think that took as much out of me as anything. It was humid and I was drenched, and my lower back is cranky to begin with so this really exacerbated that. That’s the reason I had to lay down; I felt like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz when he needed oil. I’ve had a recent enough cardio exam to not be concerned.

ETA: It is a Stihl chainsaw with a brand new blade. Not a big chainsaw, but plenty for this job.
 
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88 I love your honesty and humility. I took apart three trees today that came down on Tuesday. The trick is having the right saw. Too big and it’s heavy and tires you out. Too little and you can’t get through the bottom portions. A good 18” Stihl is worth it. If you’re not going to wear chaps than wear shorts. Jeans ain’t stopping the chain blades.
 

Chin Diesel

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I have a wedge, sledgehammer and axe and have enjoyed using them over the years as a great and productive outlet. For some reason I seemed to enjoy it most during and after Giants games.




Thanks for your concern. I didn’t mention that I was also hauling the limbs and logs into a gulley on our property so they would be out of the way, including launching several of them off an incline and dragging others so they would give me more space for the rest. I think that took as much out of me as anything. It was humid and I was drenched, and my lower back is cranky to begin with so this really exacerbated that. That’s the reason I had to lay down; I felt like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz when he needed oil. I’ve had a recent enough cardio exam to not be concerned.

ETA: It is a Stihl chainsaw with a brand new blade. Not a big chainsaw, but plenty for this job.

So basically we won't ever see DH post a video montage of your yardwork after a verbal commit.
 
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Isaias dropped a neighbor's 60' Birch landing in between his pool and his fence. Unfortunately, a very large branch feel i my yard taking down a pair of 20' Birch trees plus a 10' Maple with it, which combined to take-out about 30' of my fence. I chainsawed, stacked, and hauled brush for about 3 hours today and am only about 1/4 done. Just enough to put up a temporary fence in the gap to keep the dog in the yard (I have no illusion that the deer and bear will laugh at me). I'm beat and have drank a gallon of water since. As its going to get hotter this week, I plan to let it be (and hope some of the brush goes when the neighbor clears the main tree in his yard) and wait for it to get cooler out. May also need to replace the blade and chain on my chainsaw as my little 18" Husqvarna got pinched pretty good tacking part of the main branch, which had to be 24" wide, and may need to replace the chain and blade.
Husqvarna is an excellent brand, had one years ago and it went through big logs like butter.
 

8893

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88 I love your honesty and humility. I took apart three trees today that came down on Tuesday. The trick is having the right saw. Too big and it’s heavy and tires you out. Too little and you can’t get through the bottom portions. A good 18” Stihl is worth it. If you’re not going to wear chaps than wear shorts. Jeans ain’t stopping the chain blades.
I think this one is 16”.

I mostly wore the pants and long sleeves because I am insanely allergic to poison ivy and the area where I had to drag the pieces is loaded with it.
 
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I highly recommend wearing at least jeans to cut up trees due to the poison ivy concerns as well as getting scratched etc. by brush. It also keeps the chips, sawdust and bar oil off your leg which sticks well when sweating. But most important for novices is that most saw injuries occur when cutting up brush and stressed tree tops from storm damage. Chaps are a very smart thing to put on for cutting up tops and brush. Do it if you have them! When you are bucking up firewood it is a much safer more open cutting activity and are less likely to cut yourself. A sharp blade also lessons the chance of injuring yourself. Try your best not to get the saw chain into the dirt. Cutting up a tree and hauling/stacking brush is a serious workout so do not feel bad about being gassed. Add in the sun beating down and the humidity. If it is not your normal workday it goes up another two notches. Work safe out there. When you are real tired injury chances go up. Stop and drink water/take a break. The other good thing about wearing jeans is if you walk on a yellowjacket nest you will get a few less bites.
 

Hans Sprungfeld

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Maybe you should have had your mother in law take care of it.
Occam's chainsaw.

I never pulled the cord on a chainsaw without noting that I could do tremendous permanent damage to my body if I did stay conscious and attentive. That in itself can be exhausting.

Guys who climb trees in harnesses and wield a large blade power tool have a very different skill set from what I have.
 
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I think this one is 16”.

I mostly wore the pants and long sleeves because I am insanely allergic to poison ivy and the area where I had to drag the pieces is loaded with it.
Don't even touch any ground or dirt that is within about 10 feet of a poison ivy vine coming up from the ground. Years ago I learned that lesson the hard way planting bulbs.

Also, years ago my neighbor was rushed to the hospital after burning a pile of poison ivy brush and breathed in the smoke. If you think having urushiol (the chemical that is in poison ivy, oak and sumac) on your skin is bad enough try it inside your lungs.
 
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I had two good sized limbs fall in my front yard. I could just about move them a few feet at a clip. My brother in law gave me a battery operated chainsaw that wouldn’t cut through a paper bag.

Spent two hours hand sawing them into movable lengths and dragged them into the woods.

I ain’t doing a thing today.
 
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I think this one is 16”.

I mostly wore the pants and long sleeves because I am insanely allergic to poison ivy and the area where I had to drag the pieces is loaded with it.
16" is good for homeowner. Not too long not too short. I have a Stihl 16" gas powered. It is excellent and I use a low kickback chain. Be sure to keep the chain sharp. I am glad that you are okay and dragging limbs into or out of a gulley on a hot humid day is certainly a great stress test! Take care and be careful.
 

Dove

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I had two good sized limbs fall in my front yard. I could just about move them a few feet at a clip. My brother in law gave me a battery operated chainsaw that wouldn’t cut through a paper bag.

Spent two hours hand sawing them into movable lengths and dragged them into the woods.

I ain’t doing a thing today.
You should buy a small Echo chainsaw. I use mine once/year. Great tool to have.
 
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Made in West Germany. Heavy and interested in a newer quality saw. 13C7F7A3-C372-4C27-AB45-5B2D147D4A6B.jpeg
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

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Used a jigsaw and clippers as I had a TON of smaller stuff. Left with piles of twigs everywhere until I can commandeer lawn bags
 
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The other good thing about wearing jeans is if you walk on a yellowjacket nest you will get a few less bites.
[/QUOTE]

My kids tease me about wearing my socks over my pants legs. Yes, I am may look like a dork; but, after several instances of jackets trying to fly up my pants, I really don't care what I look like.

And I agree about being safe overall. If you are feeling light-headed and you arms have gone to jello, take a break. A chainsaw is an unforgiving tool even when used properly. As soon as I saw that my blade was pinched, I shut down the motor. Maybe a harder to get loose; but its better than having the chain break and snap back at you. Didn't some poor soul in Newtown die the other day using a concrete saw to cut-up a tree (not smart) and it kicked back hitting him in the neck?
 
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