Posted: 4/16/2009 9:20:09 PM EDT
I can't seem to locate the old thread, and all Google searches for it that link back give an error from the forum. Doh! one of those not a paying member things I guess 
Anyways.. A while back I bought a Stihl MS 310 and had a lot of questions that folks here more than readily answered. Today I found out more of the answers myself.. Originally when I purchased the saw it came with a 20" "green" label bar and chain. Recently I ordered a 25" bar and six chains for it via eBay (three 20" chains and three 25" chains). When the shipment arrived and I unpacked them, I found that the bar and all chains were "yellow" tagged
Giving the new 25" bar and a "yellow" chain a test drive gave me even more respect for the saw. It cuts 20" logs like butter, but it is also more "grabby" and very prone to push back at you if the top cut closes on the bar (use your wedges!). Fortunately I did not have a brush with kickback (mainly due to advice here), because I was more than conscious where the tip of the saw was at every moment. And yes, due to prior advice I received here on the forum, I have a pair of chaps and wear them anytime that the saw is used (along with gloves, ear and eye protection) 
Great tool if used properly, if not blood lubricates the chain better than oil (so I'm told, and never want to find out!)
c0 ____________________________ Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. Tpass.org |
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Giving the new 25" bar and a "yellow" chain a test drive gave me even more respect for the saw. It cuts 20" logs like butter, but it is also more "grabby" and very prone to push back at you if the top cut closes on the bar (use your wedges!). Fortunately I did not have a brush with kickback (mainly due to advice here), because I was more than conscious where the tip of the saw was at every moment. Learn tension in the wood...Once said tension is relieved, wedges are a useful item, but not a necessity... |
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We just had a hell of a time here around Atlanta with trees falling down on power lines. A large pine blocked the entrance to our fire station, so I had to limb it and buck it, because Roads and Drainage was busy with the other eleventy billion calls around the county. I got the saw stuck twice, and had to use another saw to cut it out one of those times. After that, I was down on hands and knees trying to determine if anything was pushing up on what looked like a cantilevered log before cutting from the top.
I will reinforce for newcomers to the subject- DO NOT cut when you're tired. As your body gets tired of holding this saw out in front of you, you start to get sloppy. You start resting it on things, slinging it around once the cut it made, and generally practicing stupidity instead of safety. When your back and arms START to tire, take a few minutes of rest. The constant sound of the saw makes your brain tired, too, so wear ears. |
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I work with Disaster Relief thru the Southern Baptist Convention and we go all over Arkansas and them midsouth (so far) helping folks get trees off or out of their houses.
Sthil sets up and does free service/shapening at the larger disasters for our groups (on Sthil saws) I prefer to take a little longer w/my cuts and use the green "safety" chain. I like the predictable way they feel and the greatly reduced kickback. I use the yellow chains if I have a lot of "logging" type cutting (ie firewood) and have controlled cuts, but when fighting twisted, blown up, splinter bombs ready to go off from storm damage, I like the green chains personally. |