Best boondocking gizmo so far...

[garyhaupt]

Is the 12,000 Warn winch I have on the front of the truck. Past weekend saw us at a lake campsite up above Lake Chelan in Washington. Huge wind came up overnight and a large tree was downed blocking the road out. I carry a good pruning saw, so that was in play, then was able to get an angle position. Got it moved around with the first set-up and was able to snap it at the cut on the second.

Much of my travels tend to be in out the way places...no cel, etc. So..for me? a great piece of gear. Second time in use.


Gary Haupt

[Gjac]

beemerphile1 wrote:

Gjac wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
Our 16" electric chain saw is very useful. In a campground it is stealthy and doesn't attract attention. (I only cut downed, dead wood)

I can run it with the generator or an inverter that I connect to the truck. The inverter is a Harbor Freight MSW 2000/4000 and does the job providing I don't force the saw.

Do you have a 12v starting battery in your truck. Is the inverter the limiting factor or is it the battery?

The Harbor Freight 2000/4000 MSW inverter can overload if I load the saw too heavily. Sometimes I get in too much of a hurry and push into the wood rather than just letting the saw work.

My truck has dual 12v batteries but the engine is allowed to continue idling and has a large 220 amp alternator.

Thanks for posting this info, I often thought about trying this but only have one 12v battery in tow car.

[beemerphile1]

Gjac wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
Our 16" electric chain saw is very useful. In a campground it is stealthy and doesn't attract attention. (I only cut downed, dead wood)

I can run it with the generator or an inverter that I connect to the truck. The inverter is a Harbor Freight MSW 2000/4000 and does the job providing I don't force the saw.

Do you have a 12v starting battery in your truck. Is the inverter the limiting factor or is it the battery?

The Harbor Freight 2000/4000 MSW inverter can overload if I load the saw too heavily. Sometimes I get in too much of a hurry and push into the wood rather than just letting the saw work.

My truck has dual 12v batteries but the engine is allowed to continue idling and has a large 220 amp alternator.

[Gjac]

beemerphile1 wrote:
Our 16" electric chain saw is very useful. In a campground it is stealthy and doesn't attract attention. (I only cut downed, dead wood)

I can run it with the generator or an inverter that I connect to the truck. The inverter is a Harbor Freight MSW 2000/4000 and does the job providing I don't force the saw.

Do you have a 12v starting battery in your truck. Is the inverter the limiting factor or is it the battery?

[beemerphile1]

Our 16" electric chain saw is very useful. In a campground it is stealthy and doesn't attract attention. (I only cut downed, dead wood)

I can run it with the generator or an inverter that I connect to the truck. The inverter is a Harbor Freight MSW 2000/4000 and does the job providing I don't force the saw.

[time2roll]

garyhaupt wrote:
Is the 12,000 Warn winch I have on the front of the truck.

Mine is just a light weight 10.5 MileMarker. Never moved a tree with it.... yet.

[profdant139]

Unfortunately, I think we will see a lot more downed trees than we used to -- the bark beetle is everywhere, and dead trees are falling like dominoes. Worse yet, all of those dead trees make great fuel for forest fires -- more downed trees.

[garyhaupt]

Yeah..bow saw..that is what I carry. The actual name went out of my head..not pruning saw.

I dom't really want a battery saw...I just liked the idea. In all my years? First time I ever was blocked in.


Gary Haupt

[profdant139]

I bought a new powerful electric chainsaw (corded). Works great! Unfortunately, my generator is not quite powerful enough to run it.

So I still carry a bow saw in the back of my truck. I have had to use it a couple of times on downed trees on forest roads, but nothing bigger than a foot in diameter, so far.

[Gjac]

garyhaupt wrote:
Does anyone have any experience with a battery operated chainsaw? I see a Black/Decker 10". Will it do more than bushes?

Gary Haupt

I used a relatives 10 in saw once, it is helpful to cut the wood into smaller sections so you can drag it to the extension cord for my Black & Decker 14 in chain saw. The battery does not last very long. I looked at a newer Stihl electric which had a better battery life but was much more expensive.

[garyhaupt]

Does anyone have any experience with a battery operated chainsaw? I see a Black/Decker 10". Will it do more than bushes?

Gary Haupt

[Gjac]

I use my electric chain saw all the time to cut firewood but only once to remove a fallen tree. I just cut it in small enough sections to roll them of the way. It is also a good way to exercise genset.

[Boon_Docker]

My two best gizmos are a heavy duty tow rope and a gas chain saw. Use them quite a bit out boon docking in the mountains and foothills (firewood and moving downed trees).

[garyhaupt]

riven1950 wrote:
Yeah, just be really carefull as stated before using a winch / snatch block. A local guy here just got out of the hospital because he and a friend of ours were improperly using a cable / block. As I am sure you know, can be very deadly.

There are a few really good YouTube vids on proper winch usage. I got a two day 4x4 course, courtesy of the US Gov't thank ya'll, and they didn't spend a bunch of time...but they sure stressed the blanket on wire and staying out the line of fire. That and stay out of the area once the beer comes out.

YouTube..type 'safe winching' or 'winching safely'.

And then find someone that actually knows what they are doing and run out the line and do a few pulls with instruction.


Gary

[riven1950]

Yeah, just be really carefull as stated before using a winch / snatch block. A local guy here just got out of the hospital because he and a friend of ours were improperly using a cable / block. As I am sure you know, can be very deadly.