Harbor Freight $45 Chainsaw?

I just received a Harbor Freight mailer showing a 14" electric chainsaw for $45. I'm not looking for anything industrial strength but I am tired of using a manual pruning saw for cutting down medium branches on the three trees I own. It won't see a ton of use, it's only $45. Anyone have a problem to report on these?

Thanks!

David

Can it be used as a hammer when it breaks?

The reviews on it are quite good. And, at $45, it's hard to go wrong. Little electrics are darn convenient for all those piddly pruning jobs and the like. As long as the extension cord can reach.

Chain is probably lousy. Going with a non-safety type chain would likely greatly increase its cutting ability.

Go ahead and get the sharpener as well. The newer one is quite a bit better than the older (and still sold) cheaper one. I have the old one, it does a darn good job, for what it is. It pays for itself by the 3rd sharpening.

Sharpening files too. A quick dressing of the teeth every half hour or so will keep you cutting quickly and easily.

I had one, and it was loud. Really loud. Louder than gas. My tree trimmer buddy tried to help but no luck.

Joey

wtf is a safety chain?

I have a small electric pruning chain saw and just cut up a bunch of railroad ties with it. No sharpening of the old blade, and it cut like a champ. They are amazing little workhorses.

Grtechguy wrote: wtf is a safety chain?

the kind that can't cut E36 M3?

The chains you buy at Home Depot and the like. Where anti-kickback is paramount. Color code on them is usually green.

Good chains you get at Stihl dealerships and the like. Where cutting wood is paramount. Color code on them is usually yellow.

I've never used anything other than "safety chain", but I'm just a weekend warrior with a chainsaw.

The best tip I've found is to know how to properly sharpen the chain. I think I've thrown away 3 or 4 good chains over the past four years that I could have saved.

I knew how to sharpen the chain, but I didn't know that you have to file down the depth gauges as well as the teeth wear. I'd sharpen the chain and it still wouldn't cut because the depth gauge and the tooth were the same height, so I would throw it away and buy a new one.

Oregon makes a nifty tool to set the depth gauge at the proper height.

http://www.chainsawsharpenertips.com/chainsaw-depth-gauges/

foxtrapper wrote: The chains you buy at Home Depot and the like. Where anti-kickback is paramount. Color code on them is usually green. Good chains you get at Stihl dealerships and the like. Where cutting wood is paramount. Color code on them is usually yellow.

So THATS how those guys on the logging shows go through a tree like hot butta.

In reply to spitfirebill: That and modded competition super saws, depending on the show

100hp chainsaw.

spitfirebill wrote: So THATS how those guys on the logging shows go through a tree like hot butta.

By and large, yes. The right type of chain, and really sharp, and you will fly through wood. I've finally learned you cannot emphasize that really sharp concept enough.

If you have to push the saw, it's dull as snot. It should pull itself into the wood, even upside down.

The more you file the depth gauge down, the faster the saw will cut. It also could kick back.

Any saw can kick back. And it's not a function of raker depth.

Speed of cut is a balance between how fast the chain can move, and how deep it cuts. Big saws with strong engines can take deeper bites than a small engined saw. All other things equal.

Make the chain take too big a bite and you just stall the saw.

Generally speaking, the saw, at full throttle, cutting wood, should be working hard and not at peak rpms. If it's spinning fast, the chain isn't digging in. If it bogs or stalls, the chain is digging in too deeply.

In reply to foxtrapper:

The only reason that I mentioned kick back after filing the depth gauge was the Mennonite lumberjacks that showed me how to file it down warned me of it. I have had a saw kick back on occasion, but I was cutting with the tip. They also told me where to get Oregon chains that do not need to be altered. With the proper chain my Stihl 028AV throws strips of wood 1"-3" long.

Bringing this back on topic. I don't know about the HF one, but I do have a small electric I bought at HD about 5-6 years ago. It's perfect for cutting up small to medium branches, which is what I need 95% of the time. It can handle 2-5" no problem. I have done 6-8" a number of times, but it's not ideal. It's great, it works every time, you never have to worry about hard starting due to old gummed up gas in the carb. I highly recomend something like it as an only, or even in addition to a larger gas powered one

I've got a 16" electric from amazon. Something called "earthwise" or something. Fantastic. Cut a fallen tree in my yard like a champ.

I have a 14" Craftsman electric that I use for pruning, etc. It got a real test when Sandy left me with this:

It was a little difficult since the diameter of the tree was almost double the length of the bar but it got the job done and paid for itself many times over. I pocketed the check the insurance company sent me and sold the wood for $150.

Nothing to add regarding whether it works or not for what you want, but I think fellow GRM'er wae used the HF one to cut up his Christmas tree inside the house one year.

If you have a sawzall get a pruning blade, it works really well, just move back and forth like a hand saw.

Hal wrote: I have a 14" Craftsman electric that I use for pruning, etc. It got a real test when Sandy left me with this: It was a little difficult since the diameter of the tree was almost double the length of the bar but it got the job done and paid for itself many times over. I pocketed the check the insurance company sent me and sold the wood for $150.

I have a 14" Craftsman electric saw, too. I bought mine used at a garage sale for $40 two+ years ago. The chain likes to come off the bar, and could probably use a sharpening at this point. At that time I think the HF saw was around $69 or so, so with 20% off still $55 plus tax.

One of those things that makes you wonder how you lived without a chainsaw before. Don't know about the HF saw, can't go wrong with $40.

For small jobs the electric do well, just tighten the bar/chain up before use and keep an eye on the bar oil. I hope the OP figured it out by now tho.

wtf, they make electric chainsaws? Perhaps its a city dweller thing.

Might ought to check your local HD/Lowes. I was just at Lowes earlier this evening looking at chainsaws. Found a name brand (Poulan) electric chainsaw w/14" arm for $49. Not really a heavy duty one but probably better than the HF one.

Might end up with that one or the next size up soon. Had 6 trees cut down in my yard and I have to clean up. Was at Lowes picking up another pole chainsaw attachment for my weedeater body, just stripped a gear inside the one I have. Probably should have just bought that electric one but don't think the arm is big enough for some of the logs I have to cut. And the gas Stihl chainsaw I have hates me. Every time I try to use it I can't pull the rope, like it's got a liquid lock. Pull the plug and it pulls fine. Re-install the spark plug and it's locked back up. Someone else tries and it works for them. Just tried again today and it did it again.