Going Green – BioPlus™ Bar and Chain Oil

Starting in 2010 Saco Treeworks is switching to Stihl BioPlus™ bar and chain oil. The new oil is vegetable (not petroleum!) based and is 93% biodegradable within 3 weeks. This is a good thing for both chainsaws and the environment. Bio-plus offers excellent flow characteristics at low temperatures, has a high flash point and, yes, it smells good! More importantly, it is less harmful to humans, animals, micro-organisms and plants which is especially important when working near lakes and streams. Although it costs twice as much as conventional bar and chain oil, we are excited about this new product and hope to see our customers (and competitors) switching to it in the near future. BioPlus can be special ordered from Lucy Hardware in Intervale, NH.
Read More...Top 10 Knots for Treework

1. Bowline - An endline attachment point that is easy to untie.

2. Running Bowline – A slipknot for pulling trees and lowering limbs.

3. Bowline on a bight – A midline attachment point that is easy to untie after heavy loading.

4. Butterfly - A midline attachment point that is easy to untie after light loading.

5. Clove Hitch – A semi-secure hitch for raising tools and lowering limbs.

6. Blake’s Hitch – A friction hitch for tree climbing.

7. Valdôtain Tresse – An extremely responsive friction hitch for crane work and tree climbing. Also called a French Prusik. Not for beginners!

8. Prusik - A general purpose friction hitch. Often used as an adjustable midline attachment point.

9. Sheet bend - For tying together two ropes of equal or unequal diameter.

10. Timber Hitch – For attaching a block or lowering device to a tree.
Read More...Firewood Ratings
SPECIES |
SEASONED WEIGHTPOUNDS PER CORD |
HEAT PRODUCEDMILLION BTUs PER CORD |
Ironwood (Hop Hornbeam) |
4,016 |
27.3 |
Black Locust |
3,890 |
26.8 |
Apple |
4,100 |
26.5 |
White Oak |
4,012 |
25.7 |
American Beech |
3,757 |
24 |
Sugar Maple |
3,757 |
24 |
Red Oak |
3,757 |
24 |
White Ash |
3,689 |
23.6 |
Yellow Birch |
3,689 |
23.6 |
Tamarack |
3,247 |
20.8 |
Paper Birch |
3,179 |
20.3 |
Gray Birch |
3,179 |
20.3 |
Black Cherry |
2,880 |
19.9 |
American Elm |
3,052 |
19.5 |
Red Maple |
2,924 |
18.7 |
Pine (Jack, Norway & Pitch) |
2,669 |
17.1 |
Eastern Hemlock |
2,482 |
15.9 |
Red Spruce |
2,482 |
15.9 |
Poplar |
2,290 |
14.7 |
Butternut |
2,100 |
14.5 |
Willow |
2,100 |
14.5 |
Balsam Fir |
2,236 |
14.3 |
White Pine |
2,236 |
14.3 |
Basswood |
2,108 |
13.5 |
Arborvitae (White Cedar) |
1,913 |
12.2 |