Reddit mentions: The best chain saw accessories

Hello fellow cheesehead!

I agree with the others here that a sprinkler is not where you should start. I made a conscious effort last year to monitor rainfall totals and used a sprinkler whenever there was less than 1" of rain per week. It helped keep my lawn a bit greener than the neighbors who didn't water, but not a huge difference.

If you're just getting started, I would recommend some other purchases first:

1. Collapsible Gardening Bag - cheap and doesn't take up much space when collapsed. I use mine all the time for weeding or collecting fallen sticks/rock/etc before mowing.
   
   
2. Broadcast Spreader - if you're going to be throwing down fert, pre-emergent granules, or seed and have a lawn of any size, I think a broadcast spreader is a worthwhile investment. If you have a bigger lawn, you might opt for a larger one, but this model works fine for my average-sized lawn.
   
   
3. Stand-up Weeder - this was for my wife whose knees aren't great, but I've used it a few times and it works fairly well.
   
   
4. Mower Blade Sharpener - Some people like taking their mower blades to get professionally sharpened, but this hand tool is pretty inexpensive and gets my blade pretty sharp. You'd be surprised how much of a difference a sharp mower blade can make.
   
   Other than that, my only other piece of advice is to not neglect pre-emergent and grub preventer. Pre-emergent has saved me a ton of weeding and the one year I didn't use grub preventer I lost a sizable patch of lawn near my mailbox to grubs, which now I need to seed this spring.
   
   Good luck with the lawn this year!
   
   
   

Allright, here goes.

What I would do is aim for [something roughly this shape](https://i.imgur.com/gwSfsSJ.jpg]

What I'd do is cut according to this sort of plan and use an anglegrinder with cut-off disc to chop the tang out (marked in red), then use a dremel (Marked in blue) for the fine cuts. I would then round off the shoulder of the blade with a round chainsaw file to remove the risk of stress raisers.

Once there, I'd use a Warding File to file in the little notch step down at the bottom of the tang, from a rough squared-out cut , to become a round circle along its length. That's going to become your Pein, when the whole thing is assembled.
I'd then put that pein part in a flame - ideally a blue gas flame, wrapping the blade in a damp cloth to ensure its not getting hot. you'll ideally want to get that part glowing red-hot. What that'll do is completely blow the temper on that part of the tang, so its no longer hardened at all. that'll let you pein it over later.

Then I'll take two pieces of steel, curved into arcs and I'll clamp them down, and start to drill the centre - that will depend on the blade of course, but what you want in effect is a slot, for your since its from a blade that's probably going to be a () shape, or maybe even a <> shape.

you'll use that warding file to slowly widen the drilling, taking it from two holes side by side into a rectangle, then widening it and shaping it to match the blade cross-section. Once that's done, repeat on the second one, to sit on the other end of the tang. For it, you will probably want to use a small 4-inch square-cut file to get that to fit. You want to use a square so that the pommel end guard doesnt swivel around at all.

that's then topped off with a little pein block which serves a double purpose - it makes it easier to repair if it ever has a problem (just file it off and put a new, smaller block on) and, as that part of the tang was filed round, you just need a drill to make a round hole, instead of a rectangular hole. (also a small pein is easier to do - just clamp in a vise and hammer over like a rivet. Having softened the metal by getting it glowing red earlier, you can probably do this part cold, so no torches needed.)

lastly, I'd then make a two-piece wooden grip, the bread around the tang in a sandwich, in effect, out of beech or similar hardwood (though poplar should do for that, and its easy to carve out the slot for the tang in.

I'd make that a bit thinner than you expect it to be - over-bulky grips are a common mistake - Glue it together, and wrap it in fine cord with hide glue and then I would follow this fantastic tutorial guide from Peter Johnsson to wrap a section of fine vegetable-tanned leather round it, wrap that in cord, and have a beautiful leather hilt at the end.

Ive had good results with This one from Stihl, but it was cheaper at Ace (just make sure you check the size). First time using it, even on my overused chains its nice and sharp. It even comes with a nice instruction set if your just learning.

Use this. It makes the process easy and almost foolproof. This is the Stihl version but a generic for $18 is just as good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HY90LAE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_je8TCb3WSA9J4

here is some more info. there is the Haddon Lumbermaker style mill which turns your saw into a miter saw... works best for cutting beams. then there is the alaskan style mill which makes it more like a bandsaw and works well for slabs. if you already have a big chainsaw, you can be milling pretty decent boards up to the size of your bar minus 6" or so for <$200. if you need a big saw too, you'll be closer to $1000 ish. it's slow, hard work but gets the job done. you can also get to logs out in the woods that would be inaccessible for a bandsaw mill. if you want to make a lot of boards it's better to rent/buy/contract a bandsaw mill (Woodmizer, Logosol, etc) these go much faster, are more accurate, and you waste less wood with the narrow kerf (0.035 bandsaw vs 0.375 chainsaw)

Doesn't really matter, this isn't a precision job. Just sit on the ground, hold it against your knees with one hand and file with the other if you have to. Have any clamps? Clamp it to a table. Better yet (if you can't install a bolt-in vice) get a vice that just clamps onto a surface. <$30 for a decent quality once.

Might buy a cheap balancer while you're at it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VYKS1Q/

Yes. Just get one specified for stihl mount. Make sure that you get the correct pitch to match your sprocket. Either 3/8 or .325. Info should be on the current bar. Otherwise you'll have to look on the sprocket. Make sure to get a chain that is correct for the bar/sprocket. You'll need the pitch, gauge and number of links to be correct.
Oregon 105671 20-Inch Replacement Chainsaw Bar and Chain Combo for Stihl https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CFPXPU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BOIVDb6KR9SRT
This is a bar chain combo if your sprocket is .325. You could go for a shorter bar but I wouldn't go any longer than 20" on a 280.
Edit
That chain on that bar is a low kickback chain. Good for novice but less than stellar performance.

That's what I used, it was a little rough trying to control my drill while I was running it over the blade. I feel like it did pretty good, but then I did a second pass with one of these to get it razor sharp: Smith's 50603 Mower Blade Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VTO5N2G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Jj6-Ab31GKD3A

Gotcha - there is a circular saw blade attachment for the brush cutter (vs the usual triangular brush head) that may do exactly what you want - easier to control, designed for saplings/roots, and less bending over.

Check out this thing - best of both worlds and built for a straight shaft trimmer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015N8AV02
If the link is broken, search for Forester chainsaw tooth brush blade.

I use this device from Oregon and I’ve had good results.

I like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-Chainsaw-Chain-H48-115-501842815/dp/B006IRJTLU/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?keywords=chainsaw+chain+36+inch&qid=1566611798&s=gateway&sprefix=chainsaw+chain+3&sr=8-14

Logosol Farmers M8 Chainsaw Sawmill https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WEXRSHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zb4QBbBWH01EA

No thats not what I was thinking.

This one is more like what I was talking about.
https://www.amazon.com/Granberg-Chain-Mill-Model-G777/dp/B000AMFY90

Its on my list this winter. Wanna do metal inserts for the "rails" so to speak that run on the top of the tooth. Was thinking about remixing this, but for my chain type. https://www.amazon.com/STIHL-EASY-CHAINSAW-CHAIN-SHARPENER/dp/B00HY96EW8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=stihl+2+in+1+chain+sharpener&qid=1568828521&sprefix=sthil+2&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A29W26556V1CFW&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE0UzFLQkpTSzhGUFcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyODI1NjkxSlZNSUtNMTcyRzRRJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MjQwMTcxTjJUNU43NTAwSjVRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

In case you want to back out of your fishing expedition, they're on AMZ for 10 bucks.

I use a dremel and a guide.
https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-A679-02-Attachment-Sharpening-Gardening/dp/B003BIFMK6
Dont forget the balance.
https://www.amazon.com/Stens-750-042-Blade-Balancer/dp/B000VYKS1Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526449071&sr=8-1&keywords=lawn+mower+blade+balance

Also, here's a link to what will probably be the cheapest engine you'll find. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FNDJB9C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.an8BbC9Z10T9

https://www.amazon.com/OrangeA-Chainsaw-Portable-Aluminum-Planking/dp/B073WW2F3J

Have you seen these before? I think its a gimmick.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T2BH5V8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2uxzDbJTBH3J5

Here's one being taken apart

Here's a company that sells the sort of elastomer valves found in these little pumps

it's basically the same as a petrol prime pump, You can get primer for chainsaws/lawnmowers etc for a couple bucks to see up close how these sorts of pumps work.

Also, chain saws lubricate the chain with oil. You should be seeing oil on that chain.

Go buy a chain. They don't last forever, and they don't cost all that much.

https://www.amazon.com/CS-300EVL-0015304-CS-330EVL-CS-330MX4-ESC-2000/dp/B007S0ECG8

blade balancer

A basic needle file set
and some chainsaw files in different diameters.

Most local hardware/lowes/HD etc will have these so no need to order online and wait

And is it just the little orange knob that broke? If it's just the peice of plastic you should be able to find one to replace it with. Worst case scenario you need to replace the whole carb, which is like I mentioned.

heres a link to a $15 carb that you will be charged $60 for from a Stihl dealership. It's literally two bolts. Buy the HIPA adjustment tool with it.

A wood stove is my only source of heat so I have quite a bit of experience in this area. Here's some pointers.

Wear all the safety gear. Chaps, glasses, gloves, hearing protection. I cant stress this enough. I have seen the damage a saw can do to a shin. Not pretty.

Use a grease pencil and a stick cut to length to mark your logs before cutting. If all the pieces are the same size they stack MUCH nicer than if they are random lengths.

Sharpen your chainsaw before you use it. This is the best sharpener I have ever used Every time. Also sharpen it if the tip hits the dirt (keep the tip out of the dirt). A log jack will do wonders for your chain. The chain will stay sharper (again keeping it out of the dirt) and it keeps the end of the log up in the air and will prevent the chain/bar from binding.

Get a moisture meter like [THIS]
(https://smile.amazon.com/General-Tools-MMD4E-Moisture-Digital/dp/B00275F5O2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1518026049&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=moisture+meter&psc=1) one and make sure you are only burning wood less than 20% moisture content. The meter is especially important if you run short and end up purchasing wood. Wet wood suuuuuucks. Lots of smoke/creosote and not much heat.

Seasoning really begins when the logs are cut and split. Whole logs laying on the ground dont season well.

Last, if you've never dropped a tree on your own, get help. It's more complicated than it looks and you can get hurt badly especially when cutting down trees that are dead or have rotten spots in them.