On Thu, 31 Dec 2015 15:35:26 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:19:13 -0500, "John Grossbohlin"
wrote:

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message ...

Leon wrote:


I think you vastly under estimate what an electric can do if you
believe that they are only good for a small limb a couple of times a
year. I have owned both and in my yard I would choose electric over
gas if both were sitting on my work bench and ready to go.


Turn of a phrase, and a matter of perspective I guess. I would consider
most of what you do in your yard to be small work a couple of times a year,
compared to putting up a season's worth of firewood. Remember - I do own
an electric chainsaw as well as my two gas saws, so I do appreciate what it
can do. With that said - it would in no way keep up with even the small
gas saw in cutting through something like a 10" limb.

This "capacity" thing is true of pretty much all of power tools...

I'm now debating whether I should buy a bigger chainsaw as I've got a couple
big trees to cut down and my 18" Stihl MS271 (about 3.5 hp) seems
inadequate. Both are about 36" in diameter at chest height, one an ash and
the other a maple. I'm looking at the Stihl MS461... about 6 hp and will
take much longer bars. It's not inexpensive but it would cost way less than
hiring a tree service to take down those two big trees and I'd have it for
other serious tree cutting. I took Game of Logging training, have done a
lot of studying, and have felled quite a number of trees so those big ones
look to be reasonable tasks to me... except for the capacity of my MS271
that is. I've taken down trees taller than those two but not as big in
diameter...
When the financials make buying a new toy an "investment", go for
it!!!

I'm rarely shy about buying a tool needed for a single job but this is
one place I'd strongly consider a rental.