Cutting fire wood

Always thought our wildlife had enough to deal with, ( Cats,Fox's etc), without some other large animal coming along and dumping their house on a fire.
Dave.

There are 2 models, I had the more powerful one. R18RS. It lasted about 40 cuts then died. Ryobi said it's not for cutting trees and firewood. I pointed out that the specs in the manual said 200MM max thickness. They said that is pine and intermittent use only.

I thought it was going to be a good alternative. It's not up to the job.

The one shown is the RRS1801 that's worse.

thats interesting, I've had my ryobi demo saw for 5 years and flog it, never missed a beat of course, you must have got a bad one, or two! or something.

I have the exact model pictured and would NOT use it as a chainsaw replacement. Takes a long time to get through most wood. I thought it would be a good option so I got one and even got a longer blade for getting through larger logs. It takes far too long to get thru forearm sized pieces of gum (Stuff you would collect and want to cut down for fires).

As mentioned by Boobook... It's not up to the job.

As with any bladed power tool the quality of the blade plays a huge part, the ones shipped with the tool are generally average at best, I buy the good quality demolition blades, they work great.

I use my Ryobi reciprocating saw in preference to the Ryobi chain saw. Flog it on up to 120 mm dry gum. The chain saw works well on green timber. Warranty on Ryobi 18 range is now 6 years.

The latest model Stihl battery chain saw has a much thinner chain and I will look carefully at that one if I ever break the ones I have now.

Iza

Which Husqvarna do you put your 22" bar on Big Fish?

Its an old hardwood 55. Sorry its a 20inch bar. Years ago I had 5 Huskies. One had a 52 inch bar. I used to cut firewood. The one I have now is at least 20 years old, has cut many tonnes of wood and still performs extremely well.

I have 11 chainsaws ATM, but that 50-60cc range leaves me cold I'm afraid.

I have 2 x polesaws, just in case one breaks (everyone who uses chainsaws to put food on the table needs a working polesaw)

5 x Top Handles - what can I say, I like top handled saws!

1 x 70cc saw (good saw)

1 x 78cc saw (excellent saw!)

1 x 92cc saw (very good saw)

1 x 93cc saw (good saw)

I used to love going out into the paddocks and cutting wood. A lot of redgum, yellowbox and some other gum. I had (in conjunction with a mate) 2 x 120cc, 2 x 90cc, 2 x 65cc. Not one of them ever let me down . Went through a lot of chains and on the long barred saw we just swapped a chain over in the field rather than hand sharpen. Hand sharpened all the chains....still reckon you get a better cut than with a bench set up. Some go with stihl some with the huskies. I,ll pick a huskie anytime. Its tough work at times ...we used a hand splitter and cut about 6 tonne a day between us. Couldnt do it now though...lol. Only downside is I,ve got arthritis a bit in the knuckles (white-knuckle) and the cooler nights in Cairns make them ache a bit. I,ve been using a product called ZEN for when they get sore. Thankfully living here in the warmth helps tremendously. Could never go back South!

Hi Bigfish

If you are cutting 300-400mm timber for a campfires, you must have some ripper fires.


I only cut that size timber at home and then hand split it into halves and quarters for our home slow combustion heater.

For our campfire needs, I only cut timber no more than around 20cm, as that size will still take a long time to burn.



Cheers




Stephen

Carry a splitter as well and as you say trim it down to 100-200mm diameter. Normally a few sitting around the fire so yes...we need good wood and sometimes quite a bit if it gets cold. Normally heaps of wood where I go...if not then no fire...no problems. Common sense used .

Post up some pics of what you were cutting Big Fish. I'd love to see them.

Sorry Kevin. I dont have any photos. Been 20 years since I moved from Vic to Cairns. Had quite a few redgum logs that were 2 meters in diameter. The big Husky cut biscuits about 400mm long and we just grabbed splitter and split wood from the outside edge , going around till there was no more to split. I actually enjoyed it very much. Didnt have to make many cuts to get a few tonne of wood!

Ah, the penny has finally dropped! (for me)

I couldn't work out why you were so keen on Husqvarnas, or big 120cc saws!

20 years ago, we had 80 series Landcruisers too!

The world has moved on Big Fish. We use smaller chainsaws that would put your old 120cc saws to shame blocking down a big tree! They're light, fast & will cut your 2M diameter tree quicker, and they're fun to use.

.
Kevin...... "11chainsaws"???....C'mon, 10 is enough for anyone!!! Lol

Nope! Sometimes have to pool chainsaws with other contractors on big jobs.

And I don't even burn firewood. I definitely don't take a chainsaw out bush.

I'm currently looking to buy another saw, just for palms.

I have 4 hedge trimmers too (shock horror lol!)

Thats a pet hate of mine.
People will only clear a track to only get their 4wd through or just make a bypass track.
And then when they claim to clear a track for the fire trucks benefit , the truck has no hope in hell getting through because they have only made it wide enough for a small car to get through.

No dig at frank
But just in general.. vic high Country observation .

Yes, mm, more than once we have widened the gap. Most times it would not have been difficult to do it right in the first place.

I hear you!

I reckon they clear the track just wide enough to get their 4 foot wide Suzuki 4wd through!

Mountainman with all the laws and crap today you can probably still get fined for track clearing or just bringing a chainsaw into a park. Also every little bit you move means a bit less the fireies have to move when they need to so it makes their job a bit quicker or are we obligated to spend most of our time completely clearing tracks. Some of the timber gets quite large and most don't have the gear to remove it or are putting themselves at risk of being injured doing so there are a lot of different scenarios to consider so as mentioned something is better than nothing unless you have a lot of spare time to just drive around clearing tracks at your own expense.

I'd think about a reciprocating saw carefully because they are not as good for cutting upwards i.e. when a tree etc is laying a track or when a fallen branch is under downward force then you may need to from bottom up such that you don't jam the blade by cutting to far down.
Its also harder to apply pressure on the blade into the cut.

I guess mainly due to maintenance required on our 4wd property I would probably clear several trees a week and for a long time it was petrol saws
but as per other posts on this site we moved to battery chainsaws some years ago when the technology made them practical.

I have used the Aldi garden line brand which is 36v with 14" bar and this seems to have been a good compromise between power required and weight/battery life.

While not as powerful the battery saw means you can get more work done because it doesn't need to be started which becomes tiring in petrol saws after a few dozen cuts.

The battery saw can be recharged from our Patrol and its much safer in that it can be positioned in tricky areas (even overhead) without a motor running.

P.S. 36v is about right for this stuff, 18v doesn't quite have power weight balance and while unlikely 54v and higher begins to have electrical saftey issues

I use a small inverter (300W MSW) and the proprietary Victa charger. I have enough battery capacity and solar support for an occasional recharge. The solar I have for the fridge anyway and the others take up no more room and are lighter than a can of fuel for a 2 stroke.

Hi Alloy c/t

We have a pure sine wave inverter permanently mounded on the side of the frame of our rear draw system.

It charges everything from camera batteries, computers, the rechargeable battery on our reciprocating saw and anything else that need 240v to charge it.

We just plug what ever in when travelling in usually witching less than an hour, the item is fully charges and ready for more action.



Cheers




Stephen

Ryobi have a charger that plugs into the car. Chargers up to 18v batteries, so I suppose it's just an inverter set up for its batteries.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-one-14-4-18v-dual-chemistry-car-battery-charger_p6210405
So no fuel fumes or oil leaks with a reciprocating saw.

Tony

My Makita 18V batteries charge easily from a 300W inverter plugged into a good battery with good wiring.

Whats an "Axe". ?
Dave.

As the original post says "Our forefathers used a axe" still can't see any reason not to use one today, also keeps the rediculously large fires that some travellers insist on having in check.

Maybe we need to instigate some serious training upgrades?

Suggested course -

1. Axes, their methods of construction, their operation, and care of

2. Safety around axes

3. Important things to avoid when using axes

4. Storage of axes to prevent accidental use, or theft

5. What to do, if you injure yourself with an axe

6. How to remove splinters from body parts

7. How to select axe handles that don't produce splinters

8. How to treat blisters caused by excessive axe use.

There will be a need for an assessment of the education levels of the trainees to ensure that trainees are educated to a suitable level, to enable them to grasp the intricacies of axe use.

This may mean some trainees may not make the grade. Do not consider this course rejection as a reason to become depressed.

It is not uncommon for potential trainees - particularly those brought up in the power saw era, to be totally overwhelmed by the amount of information needed to be acquired, to enable them to become fully-qualified axe-users.

Thank you for your attention.

Cheers, Ron.

As you have pointed out a serious OH&S issue, perhaps would be easier to just not let people not trained already, loose in the bush. I feel that a "Trained" person with a axe can gather sufficient wood for a fire quicker than most will get their chain saw going let alone find and cut their firewood.

Ah... Ron N, you neglected to include a weight training programme, in the weeks prior to being permitted to actually lift or, dare I say, swing an axe, without risk of injury.

.
Phil, you don't take a Makita lawnmower?

Good point Allan.
But unfortunately my wife is the owner of the lawnmower and hers is a Bosch 36V that she got for mothers day a few years back :-)
(Its true!)

Brave man! :)

We had one of those, Ron. They were in regular use by contract wood cutters in the Western District of Victoria in the 50's and 60's. Ours had an optional " log grip" that stopped the smaller logs flying back and taking out the operator's legs.

Why contract wood cutters? At the time in that district there was still a lot of land clearing to be done. The contractors paid the farmers for access to timber, then sold the cut timber as fence posts and also as fuel for the local butter factory. (Not all the timber was green. A lot of it was standing dead wood and fallen dead limbs from the ring-barking programs of the 20's - big red gums.)

Ironically, in that district in more recent times many farmers have replaced much of that tree cover, partly due to government incentives (carbon credits or whatever) and partly due to a realisation that the land had been over cleared in days past.

Was also a brand around at the same time called a Hargon, just as dangerous and was responsible for a few deaths. Were popular amongst railway sleeper cutters. Have seen some powered by Subaru water cooled flat four motors, very powerful and also very quick.

I remember two brands were popular in our district, Ronaldson-Tippett and Coopers. The generic name for the device was " swing-saw".

"Widow-maker" might have been more appropriate.

Ian - That's right, although the name was spelt Hargan. They were called either the Hargan Barrow Saw or the Hargan Mobile Power Saw.
These were powered by a BSA motor, and I think they were the first on the power saw market, in 1949.

These things were also known as a drag saw, and a swingsaw - probably because they swung around, when you least expected them to!!

HCVC - Hargan power saw

Another version was built by Mobilco (no relation to Mobil oil). The name came from Mobile Industrial Equipment Ltd Company.
I've seen Douglas's and Mobilco's, but I've never seen a Hargan.

Hargan power saw in action

Mobilco built a range of models - the Junior, the Model M, the Model B, the Bush King, and the Model C, are just some that I can remember.

This bloke has a Mobilco, but it's had so much modification, including a re-power, that it hardly resembles the original Mobilco.

Modified Mobilco power saw

Mobilco saw - 1952

Mobilco Bush King - 1953

Cheers, Ron.

.
There are some fearsome looking weapons there Ron.
If one of those horizontal blades jammed, the whole machine would likely swing around.

The forestry industry use some circular sawblades in their machines but they are well shielded and the operator is well away in a cabin.