1-22-2012 - here is a look at my current saws. and a t a look at them individually. my first is a 370 echo i believe . my smallest is a 346 cc, and this is a 370 cc. it has a roller tip sprocket nose. it is a powerful chainsaw and quick cutting with an aggressive chain. i use this chainsaw for blocking out carvings being careful where that tip is pointed at least away from me. with our type of cutting it can come up out of the wood and back at you in a heartbeat , especially with that power. just bought a new chain for it and it seems like it is running great.                  
         second in line is my stihl farm boss ms -290 i believe is the model number. very reliable easy starting wood hog. it has a 20 inch bar capable of doing major cuts to large trees , and is all i want to handle would rather cut huge blocks out of any larger wood. just bought a new bar and chain and that set me back 90 dollars. might have found it cheaper on line , but lately the cost of shipping is prohibitive and cheaper to go to dealers to purchase smaller quantities of supplies you need. this is a saw that i can stand a log on end and rip it lengthwise straight as an arrow if everything is cutting well. with the new bar and chain all is well.
       the third in line is the husqvarna .i think it is about 370 cc also or somewhere around there. it is also a blocking saw. after i first bought it , i wasn't that impressed with it. it starts different than an echo or a stihl , but it does start good, and now i am getting a feel for it . it  seems to have potential as a carving saw. it has a high tinny sound to the engine. making you want to check the fuel -oil ratio and make sure it is ok. it is a high rpm / high speed engine liking the high revving work load better. at lower rpms where most of my carving occurs , dont think it would do as well. in fact i know it doesn't. but then it is not set up to carve with a carving bar. think i would take the other echo over the husky for carving. blocking would be good for this saw. light easy to handle capable of small blocking jobs easily.
      my last chain saw is the 346 echo and this is my second carving saw exactly like this. it is a good light size and is outfitted  with a dime tip carving bar, 12 inches long. this allows me to cut in tighter radius' and allow more detail in my carvings. it is a hard nose bar and this is an added safety factor when using regularly. it is easy starting and runs a little rough when cold . cold blooded is another term for how it acts when started. you have to feather the throttle going on and off till it warms. this and the 370 is similar when starting. to get this saw set up you will need to invest at least 500 to get something similar. buying a used one and swapping sprockets will get you one cheaper. you still need 1/4 in. chain to carve with.
      if you have this much involved you also need a chain shapener and will show you a pic of that tomorrow, to keep your chains sharp. they run so much better when chains are sharp. you can sharpen by hand but every once in awhile you need to dress up your chains on a regular grinder to keep them even and prevent jumping when bar comes in contact with the log. also you need to file the rakes . now if all of this sounds strange . then step back from the saw and dont touch it till you read and understand more. you need to know your saws inside and out. and a lot of information is available online just for the taking. and i learn something new all the time about chainsaws . i have been cutting wood since i was 18 years old. my first saw was a mcullock 10-10-a , a mccullock 10 with an oiler . i grabbed it and headed down an old lane on the farm cutting trees for firewood. going to make a fortune. still working on that one. young and dumb but fortunately i learn quick and never have been hurt. a couple of nicks but that was about it. falling trees is something else .
     if you dont know how to fell trees as they say , dont . dont even try. you can die. what may not seem like a big tree represents a lot of energy if cut wrong and splits up the trunk wrong and hits you. or is cut off and seems to fall ok till it hits something and is suddenly chasing you out of the woods. make sure you have a clear path and look overhead for widow makers. hopefully you will just find a tree expert and buy logs off him and all this information will be useless to you. i understand that sometimes you have to get your wood where you can to carve but planning goes a long way when it comes to your safety. try not to be impulsive anytime with a chainsaw. never hurry and always be safe. look around up sideways and behind if you have to . but be safe.

      and if you sit your chainsaw down on a stump so you dont have to pick it up so far, as you are tired , and you leave it running because another ten minutes of cutting will allow you to finish that carving you have been working hard on. and if it just so happens to vibrate towards the edge of the stump and want to drop onto the ground while running. let it. dont be like me and grab for it and end up with a handful of almost running chain. i dropped the chainsaw anyhow . stupid me forgot to shut it off, and then instead of letting it fall tried to grab it. sliced me good but not enough for stitches. but enough to make me remember next time.