I learned alot in my first year like save your money and buy a good decent saw don't get the cheapest ones, though they do work good to learn on but don't last long or at least didn't me. It didn't take me long to pick it up and run with it, main thing was getting the balde tension just right without snapping blades after that I guess I had a knack for it.
What improved my skills was getting the flying dutchman blades and stopped using those from lowes, yes they do work and cut but don't seem to last long and with the FD blades the quality of cut went up, plus getting a better saw really kicked up the skills adn improvment.
I haven't touched my saw in the past year, after using it for so long and was really enjoying it and made some decent money with it, but my current job now drive a dump a truck takes alot of my times its not uncommon to work 60 plus hours a weeks didn't really have time to saw, now work been slow so funds for wood and blades has run out and I guess to say I am in a funk, having depression is a bugger. Right now my saw is in a closet covered up in hopes I get bitten again to dig it out and saw again. Just hope I didn't burn my self out of scrolling.
