Chainsaw for Long Forest Roads?

The chainsaw stuff you listed is more for serious wood cutting, not the occasional trail object. I believe that is what the OP was asking for. Milwaukee is small enough, light M18 Battery will last & if not bring the charger you have 120V to recharge it!

 

You could lighten the load out, for sure, but I would at least bring the safety gear. I'm also running a medium gas saw (CS-590), so my perspective is a little different vs. using the small battery ones.

Most of that fits in a small Home Depot toolbox that I just pack as well, whenever I bring the saw.

 

Tight areas (think branch impaled between your frame and axle).

 

This surprised me, so I looked it up. I just watched 3 YouTube comparison videos and the Silky Saw won every time.

The Corona looks like a way better value option, though.

Edit: I did find another review where the Corona won. I guess the results are inconsistent at best.

One thing worth noting is that Silky makes folding saws big enough to cut through a decent size tree. The blade on the KatanaBoy is almost 20", so you really don't need a chainsaw.

 

@Rocko9999 , here's a nice quick demonstration of a Silky Saw in action.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Il1TmEieIpc?si=RCP-HTHU9rN-i0zF

 

I found a few videos at the time that lead me to buying the Corona.





Bear in mind I know next to nothing about overlanding/bushcraft/woodworking, but I've cleared enough trees from trails. I start camp fires with a propane torch.

 

It seems like the Corona is a better deal if you just want something small. I still think the KatanaBoy is a better solution for those who don't want to carry a chainsaw. I guess it comes down to a person's needs.

 

Sold!

 

Assless chaps?

 

All chaps are assless. That’s what makes them different than pants.

 

And a couple bags of QuickClot, especially if you don't have much chainsaw experience.

 

You're right! I never really thought it through.

I guess the expression should be "pantless chaps".........which is exactly what I'm wearing right now

 

Man, I couldn't imagine what a Warden would do when presented with a cat extricating a 4Runner in a cool set of those ass less chaps. The things that get generated on here is wild.

 

I remember back when clearing 4 wheeler trails I had a 18 volt Craftsman Sawzall type weapon/Tool with a 5-6 tpi blade and two batteries. We could clear some ground over a couple of trips over a trail. Volunteer so we did not get held to any type of standards!

 

I use my Stihl 290 saw most of the time on the farm, but I also have an EGO saw as well. It does an amazing job and can use either the smaller or larger batteries. My wife can handle it just fine and it will cut down 8-12" limbs with ease.

 

Stihl
No need to go big. We ran 064, 046, hot saws with 36" bars in my old fire crew days. Whatever length of bar comes stock will be the best balanced, add wrap around bar and larger dogs for ease and safety. Skip tooth, chisel chain.

 

I’m a huge fan of Chainsaw.

 

I have an old poulan from the late 90’s that’s been deemed a piece of shit by everyone for years. It always needs something, leaks bar oil but is easily repaired in minutes and always starts. I keep that one at my home which it doesn’t see much use and have a good solid high mid range Stihl for the house in the woods. I picked up an electric no name 8” for the occasional small cuts that works great. I wouldn’t be afraid of a poulan unless you were using it to make a living.

 

It's always weird when you hear about one brand being owned by another. I have had no issues with my Husqvarna whatsoever. To be fair, it generally gets used about twice a year. But, it has always started even after sitting all winter. I should probably put a spark plug in it one of these years.

But, I guess I would personally avoid the Poulan if I expected it to constantly need work.

 

I often camp and hike on long forest roads too, and having a reliable chainsaw has saved me from getting stuck more than once. I use a Husqvarna 460 Rancher. It's known for its power and reliability, which makes it perfect for dealing with fallen trees blocking the road.

Husqvarna chainsaws are robust and built to last, making them a favorite among professionals. The 460 Rancher has a powerful performance and is reliable for heavy-duty work like forestry and large-scale land clearing.

However, keep in mind that getting service and parts can be challenging in some areas. If you're looking for more options, you might want to check out other good chainsaw brands on https://www.boomandbucket.com/blog/best-chainsaw-brand. This can help you find the best fit for your needs and ensure you're well-prepared for any obstacles on your trips.

 

I bought a Stihl 271 Farm Boss about a month ago from Ace Hardware. They had a tough time getting it to run and I used it 2 times before it stopped running. Took it back and they could not get it run. They said they would call me when they got it running right. 3 weeks later and still waiting to hear from them. Chainsaw was $499.

 

That's surprising to hear, they always seem to have folks that know what they're doing, but maybe they ran out of easy parts to swap. Or, they could be waiting for replacement parts (3 weeks isn't really that long).

Who's paying for the warranty work, Ace or Stihl? If they are going through the Stihl warranty process, you might need to ride it out. A chainsaw only has so many parts, so it should just be a matter of time until they fix it, or discover it's unfixable (and hopefully Stihl would replace, but I don't know).

 

Schlappepple, I bought the 2 year warranty, so, it should be covered by Stihl. This saw is brand new

 

I would expect them to take care of you. They are probably the most reputable brand of chainsaws. Husqvarna is the only other brand I would buy.

 

Just sold my Poulan Pro 16" bar. Had it for several yrs. Worked great, but for how much I used it I decided to get the Milwaukee M18 16" saw. Ordered 2 M18 8.0 from Wally world Sun for $93.39 be there Monday. The best $$$ I found prior was $140 ebay 2 pack. That'll give me 3 & 1 5.0 Have Blower/String Trimmer also. Very happy W/those 2 so I expect I'll be the same W/chainsaw too.

 

I've never carried a chain saw, but I carry a maul, wedge, hatchet and sometime an axe. Also a small handsaw.
I don't single vehicle camp in really remote areas, either, for both safety and companionship reasons. My friends and I coordinate equipment and logistics. We also research our trails and potential camp areas and plan accordingly. (Much easier now that it was 30 years ago before the Internet).

 

I've had most wood cutting tools at some point.

It's hard to beat a small electric chainsaw for clearing trails and roads. Most of the time, a small electric will be all you need and if you need a gas powered 18" or larger chainsaw you're probably going to be using it all day, meaning when the size of tree is down that requires more cutting power, a lot of trees are down (a storm came through and didn't drop one tree, it dropped many). Probably best to find a work-around than keep going.

I've spent the better part of a day cutting and winching to be the first through a trail and road, and now, if it isn't the small fallen trees that a small electric chainsaw can make quick work of, I find another way. I've carried both, at the same time, and I almost always reach for the 12" electric when I need to clear trail.

 

I was a field geologist for over 30 years. Worked in Montana, Idaho, and all over the west. When I started out we would be issued a pick-up truck and a map and told to go find something (more or less). The trucks we had in the NW were usually outfitted with a chainsaw. I can honestly say that in all those years I rarely used it to clear a road, I agree with Aceandeights, we usually looked for a go-around if it was more than one tree or if it was one, just chained it up and pulled it away. Interestingly, was out this weekend camping in the Oregon Cascades with my daughter, came around the bend on a forest track and there was a fire scar with about a dozen trees across the road. We turned around, found another road and where we would have come out on the first road, there was a pickup truck parked, blocking the road anyway. I would have been extremely pissed-off if I had made it across the burn scar only to be blocked by an immovable obstacle.

 

Finally got my chainsaw back from Ace Hardware. I bought it 6-15-24 and it wouldn’t idle, so, took it back to them about a week later. Got it back today and haven’t had a chance to start it yet.