Which type of chainsaw do people use for camping?

Talon from big W

From experience , I think you are wasting your time and money with a chainsaw for that sort of trip...there are lots and lots and lots of people doing exactly the same trip as you and just how much fire wood do you expect to see ?...there is not very much about unless you go of the beaten track and really search for it....better off to take a bow saw and an axe , but if you reckon that is the way to then any cheapy should do the job...just keep it sharp and keep it clean and it should be o.k.
We made up a fire container out of a spinner from an old twin tub washing machine...put a door on it , legs , a grate near the bottom for the fire and a grate on the top for a billy to sit on , we have a frypan that fits neatly on the top....a few hand fulls of twigs or small branches and we can cook up a feed and have a cuppa in very little time....cheers

It's definately you get what you pay for when it comes to chainsaws particually in relation to safety features, ease of use, speed & reliability, but............ in your case this saw is in all reality not going to see very much use so an elcheapo will do the job you are asking & more likely than not last you many many years.
Putting the brand aside you will find chainsaws are banned in many parks & reserves around Australia & unless travelling though the High Country I find are not generally required particually if all you're after is a bit of firewood. (Carry a multi purpose axe instead)
Which type of saw do I use? Stihl/Shindaiwa/Husqvarna.
Cheers Craig...........

Camped our way from east to west across the top and back again.
Had fires for cooking etc but never found the need to carry a chainsaw.
If you are into BIG camp fires then they might be the go but a good sharp axe and a bit of practice will keep you fed without a major burn up.

Kevin J

I take a bow saw, amazing how much wood you can get through, and how good the exercise is for you.

I have a 14" echo, more safety features than any other brand I believe, but you know, mixing fuels, running out of chainsaw oil, constant cleaning, ear muffs, eye protection, gloves, and keeping it away from your other stuff cause the chain on every chainsaw drops oil, i leave it behind.

Of course there are moments you would want one for trees across the road but unless your travelling high country, and there's not much around the Oz, take the bow saw.

I've been around Oz in 6mnths, never saw a tree across a road, in my opinion you just won't have time to get to those high country forestry tracks.

gday guys

this is why we always carry one with us..................its on our last gathering. we had 4 trees down after a storm,without it we would have been stuffed.Image Could Not Be Found

You don't need one once you leave the high country. Chainsaws are banned from many national parks. We carry a bow saw.

Big bow saw and a smaller one for light work.
Light weight (sharp) axe.
Chain for pulling.
Have demolished trees with that lot.

cheers

Have never carried a chainsaw, just a sharp axe. That is all you will need providing you keep your fires to a reasonable size ie enough to cook BBQ and provide some warmth without being a bonfire. As others have said wood is scarce in many areas. In northern parts and desert areas any wood that you find will be small enough not to need much cutting anyway.
Cheers,
Val.

Last year we camped at the De Grey river (WA).
Got the little McC chainsaw out to cut a bit of firewood, by mid afternoon had made over $100 cutting wood for other campers.
Its funny how the bowsaws vanish when there is someone with a chainsaw handy!
You wont regret getting a small cheap one
furph

I use a Stihl. bit more expensive but very good product - link follows

Stihl Chainsaw

Light and a real workhorse. Any one that only carries a hand saw does not go into heavily timbered 4 x 4 tracks or remote rarely used tracks. I have spent 4 hours chainsawing through fallen trees to progress a further 200 meters on a track to our camp at Archers Point FNQ. Handy to have and I carry one all the time, As stated above amazing how many people will love the fact you have one on board. Cheers Tony

Hi Wato,
You don't happen to carry a generator in your travels too?

If you do have a look at the electric chainsaws, some of these units go quite well!

Look at it this way, if you have a generator you are carrying fuel and an extension lead anyway so you may as well use them.

I'd look at Dave from P7Offroad's option of a rechargeable unit too. Couple of batteries and you'll power through the firewood.

Geoff

Hi Wato

Chainsaw has saved us more times than the winch and always carry one, recently researched this again and father Xmas brought me a Stihl miniboss MS170 for the car.

Normally I carry an 18 inch chainsaw but I needed something more compact that could do the job, Stihl is the most compact you can get and also a great but overpriced saw. ($360).

Mine actually fits in the rear mudguard hollow of my GU which has the cover panel removed and a special bracket made to hold it permanently.

For Firewood

Chuck a big bit on the fire and let it burn through ... push both pieces back into the centre and watch the process start again.

A bowsaw ... with a decent length blade ( more cut per push pull ) and as I have found ... a cheap, on special, tungsten tipped carpenters saw manages quite well ... up to 4" timber. Normally buy a new one every trip as they are a general use item around home as well.

Small but lots of grunt , Stihl MS200T , 3.6kg - 35.2cc -1.6 kilowattsis , most tree loppers / climbers saw of choice ,,, perfect for camping firewood , lots of places [read nat parks] have blanket bans on chainsaws , others state that the bar and chain must be removed from the body of the saw when in a nat park, the baby Stihl once the bar is removed is no bigger in size than a 6pk of stubbies so is very easy to pack / conceal ...... as for cost ?? the old " you only get what you pay for " comes to mind , and the Stihl will serve for a lifetime or 3 and still [pun intended] have a good resale value.

Despite so many telling you that you don't need a chainsaw, let me assure you bow saws are bloody hard work.

I bought one four years ago and my wife watched me labour with the bloody thing for a long time for little wood.

She told me to fling the bowsaw and get a chainy before I had a heart attack.

Invest $150 to $200 on a cheapie and be happy for evermore.

Don't forget the 12V sharpener though, a blunt chainy is as useful as hip pockets on your jocks.

Cheers,

Jim.

Howdy mate!
Re- chainsaws... I got an old McCulloc 'eager beaver' with a 12" bar on it, and it is bloody amazing! the amount of wood that it has powered through is surreal!
And, the wood was old greybox - tough wood!
but with a bit of patience I could easily get through 12 - 18" logs!
(you can pick these up at garage sales etc for about $50-)
As with any chainsaw, the chain will need to be sharp!
Have a HUNK-O-FUN on your adventures!
Cheers,
Mick

Wato

It depends where you are going in your six months around Oz.

I have never needed a chain saw in my desert travels. Firewood abounds. OK we have pulled down a few dead trees with snatch straps, but never needed to cut them.

If there is a branch or tree across the track you just drive around.

I started carrying a small bushman saw but have never used it either.

On extended remote trips your enemy is weight. A chainsaw, no matter how small, is going to be in the way.

If you are a day tripper in the high country then it certainly would be useful.

I own a Stihl Farm Boss because until recently I lived in the bush. Its always left at home.

Bob