Why Does My Chainsaw Cut Crooked? 5 Common Causes If you’ve ever started a straight bucking cut and watched the bar slowly drift off to one side, you already know how frustrating a crooked-cutting chainsaw can be. At best, it ruins a clean log split. At worst, it’s a safety hazard — a wandering bar…
How Often Should You Sharpen a Chainsaw Chain? If there’s one question I get more than any other from homeowners just getting into chainsaw work, it’s this one: how often should you sharpen a chainsaw chain? I get it — it sounds like it should have a clean answer. Every 10 hours. Every tank of…
What Tonnage Log Splitter Do I Need? Every fall I get some version of this question from neighbors here in Montana: “Jeremy, I picked up a 6-ton splitter and it’s stalling out on everything I throw at it.” Nine times out of ten, they bought too little machine for the wood they’re dealing with. Picking…
How Tight Should a Chainsaw Chain Be? If there’s one adjustment I see homeowners get wrong more than any other, it’s chainsaw chain tension. I’ve watched guys show up to help with firewood on my Montana ranch running chains so loose they’re slapping around the bar, and others so tight the saw is straining just…
What Size Chainsaw Do I Need? A Simple Guide for Homeowners Every fall I get the same question from neighbors here in Montana: “Jeremy, what size chainsaw do I need?” They’re standing in a big-box store staring at a wall of bars ranging from 10 inches to 20-plus inches, and they have no idea where…
Logs rolling across your hardwood floor. Bark crumbling onto your area rug. Splinters every time you grab a piece of wood from a wobbly pile in the corner. If any of that sounds familiar, you need a good indoor firewood rack — and the right one makes a bigger difference than most people expect. I’ve…
Log Splitter Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right One I’ve split a lot of wood over the years. When you’re heating a Montana ranch house through seven months of winter, it stops being a hobby and starts being a survival skill. I’ve swung a maul until my hands bled, borrowed neighbors’ splitters that barely…
Chainsaw Maintenance Guide: Keep Your Saw Running Like New I’ve been running chainsaws on my Montana ranch for over two decades. In that time, I’ve put serious hours on everything from small electric homeowner saws to big professional-grade gas units — and I can tell you this without hesitation: the difference between a saw that…
Chainsaw Safety for Homeowners: PPE, Rules, and Best Practices I’ve been running chainsaws since I was a teenager helping my dad clear fence lines on our Montana property. Back then, the safety gear was a pair of leather work gloves and the hope that nothing went sideways. These days, I know better — and after…
Chainsaw Chain Guide: Types, Sizes, and How to Choose If you’ve ever stood in a hardware store staring at a wall of chainsaw chains wondering what the difference is — you’re not alone. I’ve been running chainsaws on my Montana ranch for over 20 years, and I still remember the first time I bought the…
