Getting a chainsaw. What to think about?

Im currently working on a tiki log that has taken me way to long. I´m impatient.
For my next bigger project I´m thinking of getting a chainsaw to do some of the bigger cuts and raw carving. I like to see results fast with what I´m doing.
It has to be an electrical because of the indoor workspace that i have.
What should i think of when buying one? Lenght of the sword (don´t know if it´s called "sword" in English), Number of watts, Is more expensive really better?
I´ve read something here about chain-oiling. manual or automatic?
The brands I have to choose from is most certainly not the same as you have in the US, but some general directions would be nice.

Thanks!

There are many people here more qualified than I to andwer your question, but I will add my bit of change to the discussion....

Start with your budget and get the best you can afford. When I got my chainsaw the thing I was most concerned about was the weight of the beast. I got a 14 inch electric guy from Black and Decker and I am very happy with it. It is long enough to work most of my wood stock, powerful enough to carve what I am carving, and light enough that I don't aggrivate my carpal-tunnel after a few hours of work.

I don't know if you have a big-box hardware store like a Home Depot or Lowes, but if you can find a place that has many to choose from go and play with several models and see what feels OK. Pick one up and carve an imaginary log and see how it feels. Carry it around the store a bit and see how long it takes to get heavy.

And, when you do finally pick one out, get some good gloves and a face shield.

Good luck. Post lots of pictures. Keep us updated.

I did just that earlier today. :)
Stood and carved an imaginary log at the hardware store comparing weight.
Thanks for your input.

Do yourself a favor and go to http://www.baileys-online.com

They are Chainsaw experts! They are a great resource for learning what you need to know, safety and cleaning and everything you should do and most don't bother to.

I thought i knew the answer to this one would be the same as other carving tools - the more money you spend the better the product.
From what i've learn't, it may not be true.
The trick to a good chainsaw is a sharp chain,but, I have now burn't out 2 main sprockets on my stihl electric chainsaw, where my freinds at the saw mill use the cheaper electrical saws and they swear by them being almost throw away when they go wrong and cheaper in the long run.
Then again not many chaep saws will fit carving bars either.

Bohemian>> I see that they carry husqvarna as one of the leading brands. You can´t go wrong with a Swedish manufacturer making everything from sewing machines to guns.
They don´t seem to have much on electrical chainsaws though.

cheekytiki>> Is a carving bar really necessary? How much was your stihl saw?
The ones I´ve been looking at that seems to have the right weightpoint and are reasonably light are in the price range of 80-90 pounds.

c'mon c'mon! So many skilled carvers at TC.
No more advice or input?

This may be obvious, but get a saw that has a rear handgrip,
vs one that doesn't.

My saw has auto-oiling, and I've never used one with manual oiling. The auto seems more no-brainer, which I like. :wink:

'Swords' are called bars over here.

I don't use the saw anymore. When I was using them, they were all electric because they were much quieter (Neighbor factor) and easier to control (Me factor). The torque wasn't the same as a gas motor, but, the outcome was basically the same. One other thing I noticed about the electrics was that there was no kickback (Major flesh eating behavior of the saw) as a result of poor approach to the cutting surface.

I switched to the lancelot and some outrageous burrs and life has never been the same.

McTiki

OK OK OK, Check out the "In Line" motor chainsaws.
Here is a Husqvarna: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200311025_200311025

Here is one from Makita:http://www.amazon.com/Makita-16-Inch-Electric-Chain-UC4000/dp/B00004TI0N/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/105-8579633-8503606?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1182948805&sr=1-2
And another one:http://www.amazon.com/Makita-14-Inch-Electric-Chain-UC3500/dp/B00004TI0M/ref=sr_1_12/105-8579633-8503606?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1182948805&sr=1-12

The "In-Line saws seem to be easier to handle making curving cuts to the left since they don't have that big motor hanging out there.
Of course if you want to carve cement and concrete go for the big guys here
Concrete chainsaws for when you want to go carve your local bridge pilings:
http://www.amazon.com/ICS-853PRO-15-Concrete-Masonry-Hydraulic/dp/B000GOWAX0/ref=sr_1_61/105-8579633-8503606?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1182949056&sr=1-61

What ever you do, just go out and get a saw. If you start out with a cheap one then by the time you get comfortable with it you should know more about what you want. On the other hand a better saw will produce a much better handling experience and may make the difference as to weather you continue carving or not. After you get lots of carving experience you will find that while some saws are better, they ALL cut faster than you can by hand and any saw will work.
I think Aarons Aku has the inline Makita if you can get in touch with him, he will be glad to relate his experiences with it.
Hope this helps.

I just started to carve in the last year. I had a great little electric Echo that I got at home depot with a 10" bar, It was great for as much detail as I was ready for but still kicked around a bit. It died a few months ago and I have not been able to find another, discontinued. So I sold off a few Tikis and bought the Echo CS-306 Carving package from Browning, It comes with a great video on how to carve a....frog and something else they said was a Christmas tree but looked like a ....never-mind. With it's tapered bar it really is sweet and allows me to achieve great detail. ( Actually I kinda like "Sword" over bar ) I use a gas Poulan 2150 with a 18" bar for the bigger stuff. A friend hooked me up with a grinder and the lights came on. the devil, or in this case the Tiki, is in the details . My carvings took a quantum leap in their appearance and peoples interest in them. I don't really sell many. I mostly carve for myself and as gifts, but as I improve and these guys start piling up I may have to part with a few guys to pay for one of those Husqvarna's.

Here is a guy I still need to finish off with some detail work and polish up a bit. Not very traditional but fun. I really would like to get to Coontiki and collaborate with some of the more advanced guys. I suppose as I get more into it a will wind up with a set of hand carving tools, move from palm to some real wood and not rely so much on power tools. Evolution Happens.

I burned up 3 different electric saws before I went to a gas Homelite, then a Poulan. I work on BIG wood most of the time and find the gas much faster. I have no neighbors so noise isn't an issue, though. If you aren't used to a chainsaw, the biggest thing I would recommend as far as safety, besides the gear, is to get into a thought process of thinking of where your legs and knees are before every cut. One split second of contact does a LOT of damage. Other than that, good luck with your carving!

For the best chainsaw for carving go to http://www.chainsaw.net and go to x-treme gear.
The first and only saw to come from the factory set up for and made for carving.
All the best carvers are using it.
Carve well and safe,
Brian

I worked for a tree biz years ago.
We used many different saws.
You can't go wrong with an Echo saw
starts every time, light weight.
The husqvarna was ok.
If you could get it started.
The Husky got alot of rest if you know what I mean.
These are gas saws I talk about.

I like to use a cheapo Craftsman 16 in electric chainsaw with a carving bar. They are light and if they burn out Sears replaces them with no questions asked. Just be sure to get the extended warranty.

Will