I've split more firewood in my life than you would believe. But I have used a chainsaw much less. I enjoy splitting wood so I never complained any when we'd go on a wood safari and I end up with a maul and a water jug.

After this first winter on the farm I decided that I should get a decent saw. Feeding 2 stoves requires a good bit of wood and I needed to use my summer off to take care of most of it. My brother and partner in crime works construction and is buried this time of year.

So I started researching chainsaws in order to choose a decent saw.... BIG mistake.

In short order I found myself having funny feelings of deja vu. I'd never researched saws but it seemed like I had heard all of the bullshit arguments and degrading troll jobs many times. Then I figured it out.

I HAD heard it all before. About rifles. And knives. And pickups. And flyrods. And boots. And practically any other piece of outdoor equipment.

A rank amateur comes to a site and asks advice for buying a decent chainsaw to feed a fireplace part time this coming winter. Some jackass suggests a 17 pound logging saw with 8 horsepower and a 30 inch bar. (I wish I was making this up) All the usual suspects chime in that anything short of a full blown professional saw with a max power point of 11,000 rpm and an all metal chassis is a complete waste of money. Some more jackasses ignore the poor bastard's original end use statement and throw out more overpriced and overpowered irrelevant suggestions.

Sound familiar?

I wouldn't walk in the woods with anything less than a 300 Winmag in an all up 7 pound package. Think Cooper.

Why waste your money? Schnee's or Lowa's are the only two decent hunting boots.

You flyfish with something other than a Loomis? Snort.... I guess it's theoretically possible to catch a trout with what you have but why chance it?

And on and on. And on. And on.

I guess I'm just feeling feisty. But I have to say that I am tempted to wonder how many of these know it all's could even halfway keep up with the wood I cut, split, and stacked in the last few weeks. All with a midsize midpower midrange saw and a 30 year old 8 pound splitting maul.

There. Now I feel better.

Will