Did a dumb thing today...

[Burnham]

We've had a badoodle of high wind, cold weather, snow and ice this winter. Lots of downed limbs and a few trees here on our acreage. Today was pretty good weather, so M and I decided to buck up, haul, and stack in one of our woodsheds a smallish diameter (12" dbh) but tallish (70') red alder that the wind broke off at 7 feet above ground level and tossed across our creek.

In the process I managed to drop my hot and running Stihl 200 RH right into the creek, in 2 feet of near to freezing water. I did a dumb thing in setting it idling on top of an overhanging branch to clear some slash, and knocked it off into the water. It burbled a second or so sitting on the bottom, then died...no surprise .

I grabbed it out quick like a bunny. Toweled off the exterior, opened up the air cleaner compartment and turned it upside down to drain out a cup or two of water, toweled out all the moisture in there, removed the air cleaner, cleaned the outside and dried it off in and out.

I could see no sign of water in the fuel tank, so I topped that off with fresh.

Darn thing popped on the second pull, per normal cold start, then ran right as rain for another hour and a half of work.

Stihl rules .

 

[BOTS]

Glad its up and running Burn!

I luv me my 200RH...dont think I could go on without it...

 

[MasterBlaster]

I bet you don't do THAT twice!

 

[Burnham]

I sure hope not, Butch. I've run saws around and over streams and lakes more than a few times in my working life. First time I ever made that mistake. Hope to never do so again .

I agree, Scott. That 200 RH is an amazing saw. Pulls better than my 200T for some reason. Punches WAAY above it's weight class. I have a 361, an 044, and an 064. For work here at home, they all sit idle while the 200 RH gets the call, unless the wood is over 20 inches.

 

[MasterBlaster]

On a related note, I was TD'ing a weird tree that was leaning out over a lake. It called for some wild rigging (to keep it out of the lake) and I was all happy with myself, as was my boss and the customer. Towards the end, I allowed a limb to slap my face - no real biggie - we've all been there.

The only problem was I was wearing a new pair glasses, around 275 bucks... maybe a week old.

I was very upset.

lol

 

[Burnham]

In the drink, I suppose?

I lost a newish pair over the side of a boat once. Pissed I was, as you report .

 

[MasterBlaster]

In the drink, I suppose?

They sure it didn't fall up!

 

[Burnham]

Makes sense....

 

[MasterBlaster]

Man, I almost blew a blood vessel that day...

That day I worked for free.

 

[Burnham]

True dat. Glasses are costly. My trifocals run close to $500 these days.

Not as much what replacing my 200RH would have cost ...my biggest fear was what the hot saw body hitting the cold water might do in way of cracking the case. But all is well.

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's insane.

I shoulda been a spectacle salesman!

 

[stig]

Don't complain about the prices of glasses, Burnham.
They cost almost twice as much here.
Which is why I get a pair of prescription reading glasses made, every time I visit California.

I had to deal with a storm blown beech once, that was growing next to a creek and had lifted part of the bank when the root wad came up.
As I cut the log from the root wad, which is something I've done thousands of time, the saw was snatched and projectiled into the middle of the creek.
I put it down to having to balance in a tricky way in order to avoid being hit by the root wad or the log, as they separated violently ( couldn't be stupidity, right!)
Nothing for it but to strip off boots and pants and go wading in the thigh deep water to retrieve my beloved 064. ( Did I mention it was winter?)

Same thing as with yours. Shook the water out of it, pulled twice and went back to clearing storm blown trees.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I guess it happens, but I don't think I've ever heard of a saw not wanting to run from sitting out in the rain.

Me and another guy were cutting some steep banks around some rice fields once with mowers, powerful things that can get away from you. He tipped his over into the river, completely submerged it. No starting the thing after that. I almost did the same thing that day.

 

[Brocky]

Burnham, turn your frown upside down! It wasn't a mistake, it was an impromptu testing opportunity.

 

[gf beranek]

I've bucked so many windfalls out of the creeks and rivers. Guess I was lucky, out of so many, never to loose a saw in the drink. Though I must say to this day I remain most impressed with the capability of the chain, at the bar tip, to pickup and through water an amazing distance. 20 foot rooster tails! Oh, I've had some fun soaking my cohorts who would come in from behind with the rigging to pull out the trees. Quality time.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Dropped my new to me cell phone day after I purchased it the other day right into the creek we were working around. Ohhhhh I was upset. It sank and I fished around for it. Took too long to find it for my tastes. Screen came on when it broke the surface. I turned it right off, stripped it doen and set it up in the truck window where the defrost could get it. Amazingly, it came through.

 

[Chris E]

Glad she's ok. I fell in a pool with the 200t on my hip once, I was able to grab the side as I went in and hopped straight out. The saw was submerged around 1 second and barely got wet, its a stressful time though no doubt.

 

[Jed]

...my biggest fear was what the hot saw body hitting the cold water might do in way of cracking the case...

Yeah... they seem a lot harder to break than that. I can easily see a new cottage-industry of Stihl 200t preservation popping up soon--but this is to suggest that it's not already going on. What I'm suggesting is more like a Trump influenced "buy American," or "American made," type of phenomenon in which German products are rebuilt in America, by Americans for Americans, because Americans are too stupid to make anything right in the first place. But at least we're smart enough to recognize a good thing when we see it, and maybe even limp it along until it's technology is so hopelessly out of date that we're eventually forced to buy a real Swedish or German quality product again.

Man, with every new thing that I write, I succesively gain a more thorough realization of how big of an ass I am. ...sorry for breaking in gents... as you were.

 

[Jomo]

Whatcha talkin bout Jed?

America's burstin at the seams with unrealized mfg potential.

An umbilically fed two stroke chainsaw, no gas tank, oil tank or airbox n filter, push button pneumatic start.

Lightweight raw power fed all it needs umbilically, from the lift or crane truck's chassis, all the way out to you up in the air somewhere.

Yummier than Apple pie washed down with with bootleg whiskey n rye.

http://www.csunitec.com/saws/chain-saws/pneumatic-chain-saws

Jomo

 

[woodworkingboy]

I spilled beer all over my computer keyboard. Won't type the F word now.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Well guck that!

 

[Burnham]

Don't complain about the prices of glasses, Burnham.
They cost almost twice as much here.
Which is why I get a pair of prescription reading glasses made, every time I visit California.

I never complain about what it cost for glasses, my friend. If I'd been born before eyeglasses were available, I'd have starved to death...couldn't tell a rabbit from a rock at 20 paces, let alone hit it with a sling or arrow .

 

[FireFighterZero]

What are these "glasses" you speak of? The kind you put beer in when you are trying to impress the in laws?

 

[woodworkingboy]

I think you mean German in laws. Click your heels when serving.

 

[Steve Mack]

Ex cop/handyman from the local pub under priced me on a job a couple of years ago. He hired a polesaw to do it and ended up dropping it in the pool.

Think he got away with it though.