Oregon or cheaper saw chain sources?

[tomstrees]

Who do you use for chain saw chain, Oregon or is Laser/Cutter's choice good enough? Chisel or semi?

 

[Reach]

We buy only Stihl brand, we’ve tried cheaper chains over the years and found that they were cheap for a reason. We also only buy full chisel, specifically the Stihl RSK chains for all of our larger saws, as they’re so much more aggressive than anything else we’ve found.

 

[evo]

Stihl... they last twice as long as it’s much harder steel. Now if you teaching a greenie, go Oregon.

 

[Birdyman88]

Stihl if possible. Oregon if you can keep from running it in the dirt. Dollars per cutting time, it's probably a wash, but not having to sharpen at 4:00 cutting up a big tree is worth more than the difference in the chain price. I am running Archer as an experiment on a 193T, but it is a backup to a 2511T and a 201T. It is full chisel .043 narrow kerf. So far I have no complaints and the cut times are what I would expect from full chisel. Stihl full chisel is the stuff though. Cut times are easily half of semi-chisel and I can hit the dirt.

 

[Merle Nelson]

I believe Baileys Logging Supply house brand chain is made by Carlton. I have found it to be a little harder and better performing than Oregon - and it is among the cheapest. Baileys also sells Stihl at pretty good deals. If you are just checking prices on roll or loop deals on Stihl chain - Madsons is usually way down on price.

Yeah......Stihl full chisel for having a saw perform.

 

[tomstrees]

I ordered a couple loops of twenty inch chain, one Oregon and one with good reviews. I don't do a lot of cutting these days. A few hours here or there.

I am a little surprised that Stihl makes chain loops good for a lot of other saws, like Huskys. When in a pinch where do you go for saw loops, Lowes or Home Depot? The local shops are too expensive and cater to the weekend warriors. A local kid has a sign on the street that he sharpens saw chains, but the last two jobs I brought him, a recoil and another minor problem I ended up having to pick up not fixed. I went to a guys shop for a little work on a Jonsered and he ended up taking the chain down to a near terminal state and didn't fix the saw. I hate to deflate a man's self confidence or business practice, you end up just having to move on.

 

[evo]

I ordered a couple loops of twenty inch chain, one Oregon and one with good reviews. I don't do a lot of cutting these days. A few hours here or there.

I am a little surprised that Stihl makes chain loops good for a lot of other saws, like Huskys. When in a pinch where do you go for saw loops, Lowes or Home Depot? The local shops are too expensive and cater to the weekend warriors. A local kid has a sign on the street that he sharpens saw chains, but the last two jobs I brought him, a recoil and another minor problem I ended up having to pick up not fixed. I went to a guys shop for a little work on a Jonsered and he ended up taking the chain down to a near terminal state and didn't fix the saw. I hate to deflate a man's self confidence or business practice, you end up just having to move on.

Personally I don’t get it, I can fix a rocked chain in the felid well enough to get it cutting again in under a smoke. After I just bring it to a bench to get it perfect.
It just seems like too much headache to take them anywhere..

 

[27RMT0N]

Seriously. I carry enough saws with me I usually just grab a different saw if I rock a chain, otherwise I keep a spare sharp chain for every saw in the truck. I never sharpen on site, just prefer (and do a better job) on my vice at home.