Chainsaw Not For Short Fused Brain

[brahmburgers]

warning, Don't read this if you get bored easily. Includes some rants and technical info/

Earlier, I bought a 2nd hand Homelite Chain saw from a Frenchman in Bkk. As soon as I rec'd it in the mail, I found there were chainsaws available new in C.Rai for half the price I had just paid. Maybe they were for sale all along, but I didn't notice them. Indeed, I thought chainsaws were illegal in Thailand, but now I find they're legal, but only with a little 10 or 12 inch bar. I tried the Homelite, cut down a few dead trees with it. It didn't run well, and finally the pull rope mechanism died. You can't get any Homelite parts (Made by Sears in US) in Thailand, so that was that. Today I bought a new chainsaw made in China. I know tools made in Europe/Japan/US are better quality, but they cost twice as much, and I'm a tightwad. The shop offered me longer bars than the stock 12 incher, but I opted to try the little bar for starters and later, put the 22 inch bar from the dead Homelite on the new saw. I get to the site, am all ready to cut a big branch off a tree which is in the way of a 150 meter zip line I'm building. Can't start the saw. It has gas, and it started in the shop. Am frustrated, because I've worked with chainsaws for the past four decades. I keep trying to start it. My elbow and wrist are hurting, and my brain is getting fried.

There's an on - off toggle. In typical Asian manufacturing style, the indicators are small and barely legible, even with magnifying glasses, but I can detect the word STOP at one end of the toggle, plus a six sided shape which would seem to indicate a stop sign. Let me pause to ask at this time, what does the word STOP mean to you, in relation to a toggle switch? Yup, that was what I though also. You would think it means; 'OFF'.

But let's remember, this is a machine made by a Chinese company, so STOP doesn't necessarily mean 'off.' My 20-year old Laos worker got the saw going by switching the switch to STOP. Ok, that's solved. Then I'm back up the ladder, got my earplugs in, my safety glasses on, turn the reprehensible machine on, and commence to cut the darn tree. It just nicks the bark, doesn't cut. I take a look at the chain. It's put on backwards. It could cut Swiss cheese, but not wood. Some additional expletives come booming forth from my mouth, ....including something about Chinese should stick with technology they know something about, like tofu. Then that was it for the day. I put the saw away and went on to other things.

Incidentally (brace yourself for a bit of political commentary): Let's not fear the Chinese too much as adversaries in warfare. If they don't know 'on' from 'off' and they can't put a chain on a chainsaw correctly, I wouldn't worry too much whether they can fire missiles on target.

[JurgenG]

I bought a 2nd hand Homelite Chain saw from a Frenchman

Today I bought a new chainsaw made in China.

Have you ever heard about something called "common sense"?

[goldfinger]

" I take a look at the chain. It's put on backwards"...

Thats the model for the professionals, they dont cut from top to bottom, but from bottom to top...

[Farma]

I tagged along with the brothers in law a few weeks ago when they went shopping for chainsaws. We went to a few shops selling mainly chinese made ones and was surprised that even the salespeople warned them off buying them. I'd always thought they were illegal too but all the shops said a blade under 12" is legal. Anything over that needs a licence.

The shop they eventually settled on had a good variety and they bought a 12" Talon made in Taiwan for 6.500. The salespeople in that shop also warned them off buying Chinese. They were interested in the Makita on display at a little over 12,000 and a few sideways glances at me told them I wasn't coughing up the extra to buy it. The Talon seems to be doing ok

[IsaanAussie]

I have a 24in Stihl saw sitting in a box back in Australia, I would give my back teeth to have that chainsaw here.

[xen]

I have a 24in Stihl saw sitting in a box back in Australia, I would give my back teeth to have that chainsaw here.

It is a toss up between Sthil and Husquava for chainsaws . Everything is just a toy in comparrison. Altho i once had a electric Makita chainsaw which just kept on going especially when sawing thru hardwood sleepers and deadwood which is much harder to get thru than green wood.

Perhaps somebody could explain why chainsaws with a bar longer than 12 inches are illegal ? I never knew that . Is it to stop illegal logging or to stop assalts in crowded picture theatres ?

[moench]

for 6 month ,i had been in nong khai and i saw in front the bus terminal at one shop a yello paint chainsaw and the saleman told me ,this is a thai product .i cant remember the name .some one saw like this one at another shop in thailand(verry cheep)

[gotlost]

I have a 24in Stihl saw sitting in a box back in Australia, I would give my back teeth to have that chainsaw here.

It is a toss up between Sthil and Husquava for chainsaws . Everything is just a toy in comparrison. Altho i once had a electric Makita chainsaw which just kept on going especially when sawing thru hardwood sleepers and deadwood which is much harder to get thru than green wood.

Perhaps somebody could explain why chainsaws with a bar longer than 12 inches are illegal ? I never knew that . Is it to stop illegal logging or to stop assalts in crowded picture theatres ?

The 12 inch rule to my knowledge came into effect a few years back and it was just about 2 years ago I started to see chainsaws for sale. The 12 inch law is for anti logging.

[drtreelove]

According to my information, chainsaws are not illegal in Thailand, but logging, even cutting of individual protected trees or cutting any trees in certain circumstances or locations is illegal.

In spite of what the salesman tells you, legally all chainsaws are required to be registered with the Royal Forestry Department, no matter what size the powerhead and bar, but enforcement, like with some other laws is up to what you are doing and where and who happens to see you or report you. You should be expecially aware of this if you are cutting teak or other protected trees on or off your own property, and if you are doing commercial work of any kind or cutting trees on public land. Chainsaws are prohibited in National Parks, don't even take it in to cut firewood for you camping adventure. Only saws 12" and under are available for general sale, although larger saws are available in some shops or by special order.

Attached is the Chainsaw Act of 2002 and an English translation. Read as "power saw act" instead of "electrical saw".

Issan Aussie, I hear you, yearning for your Stihl. I have the same feeling about my Huskys sittin in the US. But I"ve been pretty happy with the Makita for limited use. There is a Stihl dealer in Bangkok and some shops can order them. A friend told me he saw some on sale in Chiang Mai.

And remember like my foreman told me the first time I took a saw up a tree. "Remember Don, it doesn't care what it cuts!"

Work safe and be happy.

Electrical Saw Act English.pdf

Thailand Chainsaw Act of 2002.pdf

[IsaanAussie]

Hey Treelove,

Yeh, "Farm Boss" big engine mid size bar, made to cut trees up to about 24" diameter, real gum trees, not the saplings here. I had an open fire in my house in Australia and ready access to fallen trees in a rural enviroment. Many a weekend spent with car, trailer and saw out gathering firewood. Happy memories of days past. Here, no trees and no winter need for instant warmth past a few early hours of the morning. Really no need for me to have it here. But it would be nice anyway....

Isaanaussie

[drtreelove]

The 12 inch rule to my knowledge came into effect a few years back and it was just about 2 years ago I started to see chainsaws for sale. The 12 inch law is for anti logging.

The 12" thing is definitely some kind of legal restriction, but I haven't seen anything definitive about the actual ruling. I did a tree care consultation for a resort on an island in SE Thailand; we couldn't find a tree service in Thailand to do the technical rigging and specialized hazard reduction pruning that I had recommended, so I hooked them up with a company from Singapore that came in with trained climbers and technical tree work skills. They brought their own equipment, but were stopped from bringing in larger chainsaws.

[Badbanker]

Actually all normal European chainsaw brands are available in Chinatown Bangkok.   I was quoted 8,000 baht for a Stihl with a 12 inch bar 2 weeks ago.   I was also led to understand that "larger bars and longer chains" are also for sale in "other" locations!

A 12in bar is perfect for trimming our fruit trees and no I do not want to become an illegal lumberjack.   I also do not want any of my staff to do any moonlighting and the saw will go back to Bangkok with me after the weekend.

BB

[Chalard]

On 7/18/2010 at 7:05 PM, Badbanker said:

Actually all normal European chainsaw brands are available in Chinatown Bangkok.   I was quoted 8,000 baht for a Stihl with a 12 inch bar 2 weeks ago.   I was also led to understand that "larger bars and longer chains" are also for sale in "other" locations!

A 12in bar is perfect for trimming our fruit trees and no I do not want to become an illegal lumberjack.   I also do not want any of my staff to do any moonlighting and the saw will go back to Bangkok with me after the weekend.

BB

What exact part of Chinatown sells them...  i want to buy a proper one, not Chinese rubbish...

[kickstart]

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/stihl-ms180-i170322080-s212340748.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.29.1c3c382f3A0blQ&search=1

 

Try this from Lazada, Stihl chainsaw .

[Rimmer]

Ten year old topic

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