Been a wood and stone carver (strictly chisels and some pnuematics) for years now and have been steadily finding myself behind a chainsaw in regards to the wood carving. I currently have a very simple Husqvarna 137 - believe it's been discontinued for at least 2 years now... Just wondering what direction i should go in for a new and improved saw. how powerful an engine - where to get bars - what is most adaptable (size and load). anything you may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. thank you
Hi Adam......
I'll try to be of help. Alot depends on what you're trying to do.
For a couple general considerations....I think an important factor as
far as brand of saw goes, look for a good dealer in your area that you
can rely on for parts and service. I am partial to Stihl, but that is
largely because as I got started, there are two good Stihl dealers here.
Stihl also puts out good carving chain and bars now.....but a few posts
back you'll see that Oregon is now selling carving bars. You have
sculpting experience, so if you can afford a professional duty saw
you will likely be glad you went that route. A pro duty saw will
handle the hours, have less vibration, more power relative to the
weight of the saw, etc. I'm not saying other brands are not as good,
they are all just tools, and quality tools pay off. You will of course
want the right size of saw(s) for what you're doing....you didn't
mention what size of wood projects you're getting into.....but in any
case you will want a saw for detail and finer shaping. Hope this helps,
Gary
A Husky 346xp 18" standard bar for average roughouts and a 12" dime tip on a Redmax or Echo and a 16" quarter tip or toonie tip on another 346xp will do all but real big stuff.