saw chain

L

Leif

What brands/styles of saw chain do you guys prefer. I realize that this is a question with a broad range of answers because of different wood and what not. Do you find that one brand is better than another at staying sharp. Round chisel, square chisel, semi-chisel, one better for climbing or ground saw, soft wood, hard wood (uhh-huhh-huhh, he said wood). I've only used Stihl and Oregon, curious if theres any reason to try windsor or something else. Maybe they just need to be sharp and forget the rest. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Leif there are subtle differences between brands but sharp remains the best answer to chain questions. Among the Full chisel chains I find Stihl to be the most aggressive cutter followed by Oregon then Carlton. Regarding hardness/staysharp I find the order to be Stihl then Carlton followed by Oregon. They are all good. I actually think that Stihl does have the best chain(I'm not a big Stihl chainsaw fan). They also charge the most for it. I run mostly Carlton but some Stihl and some Oregon. I like them all.
 
I've always run Oregon with the exception of one spool of Windsor many years ago. That's the only time that I ever had chains break apart. They would break when the tooth had plenty of life in them. Many times when we were just cutting wood. With Oregon the only time I had them break is when I hit metal or stones. I don't hold that against the manufacturer.
 
The major brands over here are husky, stihl and oregon. Since stihl chains mainly go with stihl bars and saws I newer really have tried them unless I most reluctantly uses a stihl saw. My personal favourite is the husky 1,3 pixel low vib chain. Runs great and in 15 years I´ve experienced breaking only once; when I cut into a sharp edged steel rod.
Svein
www.hogstogrydding.no
 
Well I wouldn't use Husky chain unless I had to use a Husky saw that was wearing it... Hahaha!

Over here in the states, Husky chain is Oregon, with differently-marked side plates. Unless Husky is actually producing their own chain over there, it looks like you're pretty much down to the two main choices we have.

You should try a loop of Stihl chain (though not any of the ones with the silly triple-humped "safety" side plates if you want to bore or otherwise cut with the tip buried) on your Husqvarna saw, you might just think it's better. The top plate of the cutter recedes at a shallower angle than on the Oregon/Husq, though, so your roller guide won't work on the Stihl chain unless you modify it (the roller guide :) slightly.

Glen
 
One thing I didn't know until a couple of years ago is that Stihl chain is pre-stretched. Why? When chain is made, it is made to an exact pitch. This is done to marry it to the sprocket. If it's off, the sproket gets eaten. If it's not pre-stretched, it will stretch when hot and after some use. Just an idea I wanted to share.

I like the low vib chain too. Stihl has also lengthened the lifespan of their chain with a longer tooth.
 
Mark, you're using that new Stihl low vib chain? How's that working out? Are you using the RS or RM? /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
I use sthil chain, I like the performace I get from it. I did try Oregon and Baileys but my local dealer gives a nice discount when buying bulk. After the discount the price is close to the others.
 
We use Oregon by the spool. In the past we ran with the premade chains from Stihl. But with all the different saw brands we have and the abuse our non arborist divisions put on them it was no longer cost effective.(what some people will do to a saw to build a driveway) /forum/images/graemlins/bigcry.gif
 
I started using WoodsmanPro chain with an ArborPro bar on my 020T this week. The chain doesn't have any anti-kickback junk on it. It was $8.95 for a 16" loop from Bailey's. So far, so good.
 
Anti-kickback

I'm reviving this thread to pose a question about that above-mentioned anti-kickback feature.

I've always used it, so don't know anything different. Is the difference huge? I cut small (up to 18" diameter) hard and softwoods, weekend-warrior style.

I'd like to cut faster and/or more efficiently; if I go to a chain without the anti-kickback stuff is it a really big deal?

I'm not scared, but I'm not reckless, either.

Thanks.
 
Re: Anti-kickback

[ QUOTE ]

I've always used it, so don't know anything different. Is the difference huge?

I'd like to cut faster and/or more efficiently; if I go to a chain without the anti-kickback stuff is it a really big deal?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it's huge. If you're familiar with the dymanics and causal instances of kick-back, and are able to mitigate those instances, you can get by without it. If you're new to saws, it might not be a bad idea, but if you know what you're doing, ditch it.

Jeff
 
Re: Anti-kickback

Avery,

Don't listen to what Jeff says.

The Anti-Kick-back doesn't interfear with the dayly routine and speed of cutting.

sh it happens when you least expect it. I really can't imagine why someone would be so <font color="red"> STUPID </font> to not use the safety stuff provided to us.
Don't think accidents won't happen to you. In the end (mostly at the end of a long day's hard work) the Grimm Reaper will come around. If it will take you all depends on the propper use of the available PPE and safety provided on the machinery.

A kick-back with a safety chain and a propper working Chain break is minimal. The same without all the safety features will cut your rope('s) in a split second.

Using the safety features isn't showing you are a scary s h i t a s s. It's showing that you want to live to tell. /forum/images/graemlins/swear_mad.gif
 
Re: Anti-kickback

The "safety" chains which have a raised side-strap link across from and in front of the cutter actually are pretty obnoxious in terms of pinching a few minutes extra cutting time each day. They're difficult to bore with and the extra hardware detracts from the chip-clearing ability in long cuts. Oregon makes such a critter as does Stihl with its RM2. I firmly believe they are the proper prescription for occasional-use homeowners.

Oregon also makes (and Stihl does now too, I see, and I believe Carlton does too) a chain with the drive link which has a raised top immediately preceding the cutter. In the case of the Oregon version, it's not much in the way and is probably a wise choice.

[edit: I singled out Oregon only because it's the only one I've used. The others are likely similar in performance. BTW, I've since looked up Carlton's offerings and they do make the bumper drive link version and the bumper side-plate type too -- http://www.sawchain.com/

So far as I know, the three manufacturers mentioned are essentially all there are right now.]

Bar noses with smaller radii are also less grabby than those with a larger radius and are thus a bit safer.

That being said, I personally prefer the Stihl bars with the large nose radius and their bumper-free chains but will refrain from making recommendations that others use them.
 
Re: Anti-kickback

I know that the world is a dangerous place, but "Kickback" is like such a big deal concerning chainsaws. The instruction booklet that comes with saws always has it as a important topic, along with all the colored warning tags, and the manufacturers go to major lengths to devise things to help prevent it, most of which have no usefulness to professional users. I don't doubt that there are a lot of injuries resulting from it, but it's like they are always in your face about it (the info. not the chain). Some people will get hurt changing a tire, you can't legislate against stupidity. "Don't be an idiot, think about what you are doing and hold the saw firmly", I think best sums it up. If you don't have experience, don't buy a saw over 35cc .........or something.
 
Re: Anti-kickback

Heh. I don't know why I'm not surprised to get wildly varying points of view...all of the information and opinions make the decision difficult but it's nice to look at it from different angles.

Glens, right now I run a chain that has the raised bumper. I really have no complaints about how the saw (Jonsered 490) cuts, but after talking to a friend who runs a pro chain on his Stihl Farm Boss I was just wondering.

Jay, I hear you. I work on a ship and some of the rules that have to be put in place in an attempt to protect people from themselves are laughable; they're all geared to the lowest-common-denominator (read: imbeciles).

Thanks, all. Now I'll get back to trying to figure out Wolter's signature...
 
Re: Anti-kickback

Raised bumper how? See http://www.sawchain.com/products/productdescChain.asp?SeriesID=1 where the first three are the same chain with basically none, mid-level, and max "safety", in order. If you were to stick your bar tip into a tree with the three of them, the first would just about pull itself in and the last would seem a lot like it wouldn't be possible to cut that way. The middle one is a good compromise.

If what you're using now is the third type, I sure wouldn't advise you to jump right into the first one; work your way up. Assuming of course that you don't already have a bunch of saw time under your belt and under various conditions.

Along with the greater ease of boring with the bar tip comes both greater cutting speed and the risk/tendency for the tip of the bar to "walk" along something it grazes, which is something to really watch out for.
 
Re: Anti-kickback

Use all the safety devices you can get. Don't get confused when people say 'safety chain', it's kickback reducing chain. There is no such thing as 'safety chain'. Kickback reducing saw chain is well worth the investment. I have been using chainsaws for 37 years and I still use it. Rotational kickback happens 7 times faster than the human can react. The smaller the radius tip on your bar, the less likely rotational kickback will happen. Remember what a saw chain does to get thru the wood, it removes it in chips. It does the same to flesh and bone.
 
Re: Anti-kickback

Norm,

With all due respect, I don't know what you mean by "faster than a human can react". It happens to me somewhat frequently, as I tend to cut forewood in bulk while stacked up, with a powerful saw. The point is that one should be ready for it, whether using so called "safety chain" or not. I'm cautious about it, but not afraid of it. When it happens I stop it before it does any harm, well before. Call it wreckless, but it works for me. It's a personal issue, if one feels better about using equipment that supposidly reduces the hazards at the expense of speed, definitely use it. I work with one wood cutting tool or another eight hours a day, everyday, have done so for many a year, and have a healthy respect for the hazards. There have been some close calls that I learned from. Perhaps it's a knowing your limitations thing. Safe cutting!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom