# chain saw fuel



## dirtman (Sep 15, 2011)

I may be able to live without a truck or car and I can probably find something to run my generator on but there is no way I can live without a chainsaw. I'm staring 65 in the eyeballs and I'm never going to be able to man a two man saw. I cut and burn about 25 face cords a year. I know that gas with ethanol in it will not store long even with Stabil added. Could you burn coleman gas in a chainsaw. What else might work?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I hope you get an answer for fuel but remember in days past people simply didn't heat as much of the house to comfortable conditions. Cabins were small because they could be heated easier cutting fuel requirements. If your prepping is taking you so far as to imagine a loss of gasoline supplies then you'll have to consider your standard of living too.


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## rideatrail (Jan 30, 2011)

Here is a new product I just heard about on Friday, suppose to stabilize ethanol gas for 2 years. Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment - HOME I have not tried it just passing this along


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Put a bunch of bucks into a PV system and run a electric chain saw. . .?!?!

I have not tried to use my Remington on my system . . I know it would work . . . . . 

. . BUT . . the power difference would turn a "days worth" into a week.........


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Stockpile some boat gas that's available at marinas. It's the same as the middle grade. No ethanol means no problems with 2 stokes. Figure how much you'll need and fill a couple of drums if necessary. Use Pri-G to keep it fresh.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

How long will a stock pile last? Both in terms of Gallons per year and years!!??


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Ross said:


> How long will a stock pile last? Both in terms of Gallons per year and years!!??


That's where planning comes in. How many gallons of gasoline do you use for 2 strokes per year? How may years do you think gasoline may be hard to find? Do you think gasoline will available some time after a SHTF event?

Can you cut wood using armstrong tools and methodology?

What I would consider an adequate supply wouldn't work for someone else or would be too much for another.


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## Guest (Mar 18, 2012)

My plan is to have 4 years worth of firewood put away, out of sight of the road. When TEOTWAWKI hits, the sound of a chainsaw will draw zombies like flies. I hope to keep my head down until the zombies have gone to their final reward. This may take 2 or 3 years, then I will start using the chainsaw again. I have a stash of gasoline that I keep fresh by filling the truck from it every three months and refilling the stash with fresh. Keeping the gas fresh with Stabil may not work. Plan B says that there will always be a small amount of gas available on the black market and the chainsaw doesn't use much.

If the end doesn't come in my lifetime, I expect there will come a day where I am too feeble to cut wood so I will have a 4 year supply ready to go.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I'm really thinking stockpiling firewood is a more viable alternative.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

And there ya go!  Posting at the same time!


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## Ky-Jeeper (Sep 5, 2010)

I've seen an propane tank driven weed eater. Question is how efficient is your wood burning system?


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

BE surprised how much you can cut with a properly sharpened crosscut. And you don't have to go fast. And if things get to that going may be nothing else to do but cut and feed yourself. And we know cutting like that can keep you warm

The other thing i been wondering about is why someone hasn't tried to build a large rocket stove to heat with. You could shove and 8 or ten inch log in one end and heat the place. Maybe only have to cut 6-8-10 ft long. Save a lot cutting


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Nimrod said:


> Keeping the gas fresh with Stabil may not work.


My experience with Stabil is it's good for about a year (55gal drums). 

PRI-G is good for 4-5 years.....maybe more, that's the limit of my personal experience with it.


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## dirtman (Sep 15, 2011)

Darren said:


> Stockpile some boat gas that's available at marinas. It's the same as the middle grade. No ethanol means no problems with 2 stokes. Figure how much you'll need and fill a couple of drums if necessary. Use Pri-G to keep it fresh.


I didn't know the gas at marinas was ethanol free. I live in marina land. It usually only takes me about 4 gallons of gas to cut the wood I use each year. If push gets to shove I will probably cut down on the amount of space I heat. We built this house when we had five kids at home. Now we have way more space than we need. I'm guessing that however things go someone is going to come up with alternatives for fueling commonly used tools. I'd like to see a four stroke chainsaw that ran on propane, but it probably couldn't produce enough power to work well.


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## Lynx (Feb 25, 2012)

Here is a site that has ethanol free gass

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

There is tiny wood burning stores that take 6 inch long and no bugger than 4 inches round. 1/2 cord usage is reported.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

Masonry heaters are very efficient users of wood. The mini-ice age a couple centuries ago created a wood shortage in Europe. They had to figure out more efficient ways to burn wood.

Masonry heaters allow you to burn fast and hot without overheating the house. This allows you to extract the max BTUs from the wood. Less pollution, too!


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## Ky-Jeeper (Sep 5, 2010)

dirtman said:


> I didn't know the gas at marinas was ethanol free. I live in marina land. It usually only takes me about 4 gallons of gas to cut the wood I use each year. If push gets to shove I will probably cut down on the amount of space I heat. We built this house when we had five kids at home. Now we have way more space than we need. I'm guessing that however things go someone is going to come up with alternatives for fueling commonly used tools. I'd like to see a four stroke chainsaw that ran on propane, but it probably couldn't produce enough power to work well.


I think your correct on the propane power. Vechicles have around 10% less power if memory serves me. Anyway check SolarGarys site out. He hangs out at the alt energy forum here at H.T. Diy solar heating is very affordable for supplmental heating.

BuildItSolar: Solar energy projects for Do It Yourselfers to save money and reduce pollution


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## dirtman (Sep 15, 2011)

I built this house with passive solar in mind. I have about 300 sq ft of glass in the south face. I just didn't take into account that the sun seldom shines in the winter in this neck of the woods so all that glass just milks heat out of the house instead of adding it. We do have in-floor radiant heat on both stories which I heat with a wood boiler plus alot of thermal mass in concrete and stone interior walls. Anyway there is a station about 8 miles from here that is listed on the ethanol-free site. That will work for awhile.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

That Pri-G sounds good. Real gas with Pri-G might mean you could extend your stockpile by 4 or 5 years replacing a year at a time or if things are bad get busy and stockpile 6+ years of wood. I've seen huge roller blinds for glass walls, probably very expensive but if you use heavy curtains on the inside you should save some heat!


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## reubenT (Feb 28, 2012)

I have thought a lot about it, because I know it's only a matter of time and something's gonna blow, it has to, I'm watching society go down-down-down, it can go down a long ways but serious upset has to happen someday, and when it falls it'll go fast and hard. Because very few people nowdays know what to eat if the grocery store doesn't have it. I have several crosscut saws, have used them a bit, but I sure wouldn't want to cut all the firewood we use that way. (I have much respect for those who had to, and I have heard of long ago in a pinch dragging a whole log in the house and sticking the end in the fireplace) My latest plan is a wood fired tractor with a generator on it, or built into a flywheel if I get around to making my own generator. And get a couple of the highest quality electric chainsaws I can find. Makita sounds like a good one according to internet user comments, even though there are several more expensive ones. (I have a couple old Makita power tools and they take a beating and keep running) Then all I need is bar oil which I can store a few cases of easy enough. And a little lube for the tractor engine, which any kind of oil will do but i'll get a supply of special steam oil for it.


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## dirtman (Sep 15, 2011)

I've tried a couple electric chainsaws just to cut the logs to stove size but they both burned out in a pretty short time. The thing about hand saws is you have to know how to sharpen and set them. My father was a cabinet maker back in the day and I still have many of his old saws and planes, but to work well a saw has to be sharpened pretty often. As far as chains go. I bought a sharpener from Northern Tool last year and it is great. Works as well as an Oregon sharpener at less than half the price. Also when my old Stihl gave up last year I bought a Husquvarna 460 to replace it. Not as good a saw in my opinion.


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

Gasoline stored in 30 gal drums then placed in 55 gal drums, with sta-bil added, will last up to four years.
Diesel stored the same way will last up to ten years.
I thought that a diesel tractor turned into a saw mill would help cut a log into blocks, with a splitter attachment would also help. If you keep 4 years of wood split and your diesel keeps for ten years that would be a big plus. The tractor would also be used for gardening.
Wood will also be used for cooking and jerking food also all year long. Not just used for heating.
One gentleman said he was 65, maybe someone in your area is younger and looking for somewhere and someone to buddy up with.
I don't believe one person or one family will last with all the threats.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I've been told that aviation gas keeps for several years.

You could also rig up a stationary engine to burn either homemade methane or wood gas.

By NW MI do you mean the upper peninsula?


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