# Anyone use Electric Chainsaw?



## macdad (Jul 26, 2009)

Curious if anyone uses an electric chainsaw.  I need something to cut logs into shorter lengths.  I used a hand tree saw on some Oak I got from my dad, and it took forever.  It was also a total pain in the shoulder 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






How well does a saw like this work?  
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...358&lpage=none

Will it cut through hardwood logs well?  What is the max diameter that it could handle?  If anyone could give some input, I would appreciate it.


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## daddio (Jul 27, 2009)

i have an electric remmington and it does a great job i don't do any real heavy cutting but i have dropped several persimmon trees in the yard about 7-9" around and that's a pretty tough cut. but for small jobs it works great, of course the limitations are ya need to be close to a plug. also for me i went electric with the chainsaw and weed eater cause it's so nice to just put them in the shop,and not have to worry about them cranking after the winter is over,no gummed up carb or plugs and fuel to mix up , just plug it up and hit the switch!! i love it!!


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## pops6927 (Jul 27, 2009)

I got one a few years ago at Sears to trim trees around the house and it works great, also have used it to cut up 1/4 sawn logs into smaller pieces for starting wood fires in the fireplace (cut in half, then chop them into smaller kindling-sized pieces with axe).  It was inexpensive and easy to use.  It was a 14" 1.5 hp McCulloch, here's the link:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ctric+chainsaw

Still available, too!

Pops §§


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## tn_bbq (Jul 27, 2009)

Yes.

I too have one of those cheap (<$50) electric chain saws.

I've definitely gotten my money worth.  Cuts branches, small trees and shrubs just fine.


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## ericjeeper (Jul 27, 2009)

They are more dangerous than a gasoline powered saw. They work excellent when you are near a plug like mentioned above.These electric saws do not have a "clutch" so even a pair of safety chaps might not stop the saws., They have a lot of torque when the trigger is held.
 They will for sure get a small job done. But please be careful. They are a tool and not a toy, even for 50 bucks.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 27, 2009)

I've used several models of Homelite gas powered saws for over 30 years...used to harvest/cut our own firewood. I now have a small Wen 14" electric for around the house.

As mentioned above, excersize due caution, especially if the bar does not have a tip guard or chain brake. Use the recommended personal protective equipment and in any case, avoid over-reaching, cutting while on ladders without a spotter, or other situations which could cause you to slip or fall. Keep bystanders clear of flying wood cuttings and away from the possible path of the saw. If trimming a tree, use a tag line to guide larger limbs when they fall as needed, to avoid damage to structures.

I have had a few close calls with saws over the years...still have all my fingers, toes, limbs and both eyes. Avoiding the bad stuff is top priority.

Maybe more info than you need there, just lookin' out for ya, friend.

Good luck

Eric


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## hell fire grill (Jul 27, 2009)

I have an electric saw, that I use at the house. I like to use it because it dont need to be restarted every time I need to use it for a couple of seconds and I can operate it with one hand with the safety disconnected.


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## justpassingthru (Jul 27, 2009)

I used  Makita 16" electric chain saw to cut these up, works fine and has an "anti buck" feature that stops the chain.  



Oh yeah, one more thing, I use cheap cooking oil to lubricate the chain.

Gene


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## travcoman45 (Jul 27, 2009)

Got a rimington fer free, use it ta cut up smaller stuff fer smokin.  Works alright, right tool fer the job though, it won't cut huge logs but does perty good.


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## macdad (Jul 27, 2009)

Thanks to all of you for your input and concern.  I couldn't wait.  I bought one!  It works really well for what I need.  I got the oak log all cut up and split.  Now I just need to let if season a bit longer, then I can test it in the smoker!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





JustPassingThru, you use cooking oil as chain lube?  Does it run through too quick?  Have you had any problems with things gumming up?  It would be nice to know I could use this in a pinch.

Thanks again,
MACDad


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## justpassingthru (Jul 28, 2009)

To tell you the truth I kinda stumbled on to it, ...I forgot to buy chain oil.  

After I was finished I got to thinking about how the regular chain oil might taste when I used it for smoking, don't really know if it will affect it or not, but here cooking oil is about 4x cheaper than chain oil.

I used 1 liter to cut all of that and no it didn't gum up, after I was finished I just blew it out with an air hose.

Gene


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## planeguy (Jul 28, 2009)

Yea - I had one from Sears as I only needed it to cut a stump down because I am too cheap to pay for stump grinding. Lets just say it didnt work too well (still have all my fingers and toes, my boot on the other hand didnt make it)  I resorted to some gasoline and just let the stump burn out and I hacked the rest out with an ax.


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## walterwhite (Aug 31, 2009)

That's a very risky way to handle a chain saw. 

You don't really have full control and if the saw kicks, the blade can go where you really don't want it to go.


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## guymistery (Sep 21, 2009)

I use a 16" Poulan Electric saw with Stihl Bioplus Oil to lubricate it.

http://www.stihl.com/isapi/default.a...us/default.htm


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