"Mike Marlow" wrote in message ...

John Grossbohlin wrote:

I hadn't mentioned it here previously but it occurred to me that if I
got a big chain saw I could also use it for an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill.
I figure that if I can reduce a log into pieces I can handle I can
finish sawing it on my 36" Crescent bandsaw. I think an MS 461 would
fill that role pretty well... The two big trees would be the first
ones to go as they appear to be sound. There are a bunch of other
large ash available on neighboring properties that I'm sure I could
get for the asking as the Emerald Ash Borers have attacked them too.
Being in an area not accessible to a bandsaw mill those trees would
otherwise end up as firewood.

Oh just admit it John - you just want to have the biggest chainsaw on the
block! A perfectly sound reason for buying one, I might add...

As fate would have it, to help with my decision making I priced the Stihl
MS461 at the shop where I got my MS271. Last evening I happened to look at
Craig's List and a new listing showed up for a "like new" MS461 in a town
about 35-40 miles away. It turned out the guy bought it at the end of 2014
and then promptly split up with his wife and moved into an apartment. As
such he no longer needed the saw to cut large trees for firewood to heat the
house (which the wife got). He also happened to be coming to my town
today... With that, without leaving the house I got an MS461 with less than
two tanks of gas through it, plus 2 new-in-the-box chains, for over a 1/3
less than the local shop's quote. Other than some wood chips on the chain
the saw looks brand new...

Worst case I can probably cut the two big problem trees and then sell the
thing without it costing me anything... or I can set it up with an Alaskan
Saw Mill kit and still be into it for a couple hundred less than the price I
was quoted for the new saw alone. Funny how that worked out... Merry
Christmas to me!