Anyone use semi chisel saw chain.

[Hoobie]

I have been running full chisel saw chain but am thinking of trying semi chisel. I understand that it is a bit slower but is more forgiving of dirty and frozen wood. Doesn't dull as fast.
Anyone have experience and thoughts?

 

[RandyT]

Your expectation are basically in line with how it performs. Most smaller saws at least in the USA come from the dealer with semi-chisel, and the really small saws have chamfer-chisel which kind of looks like a cross between the two chains. Dirty wood or having a high risk of hitting the dirt, semi is a better option.

 

[ericm979]

I have some that I use for extra dirty wood, like cutting stumps flush. No matter how much I dig around the stump and brush off the dirt there is still some. But for cutting normal wood I prefer faster cutting full chisel, even if it goes dull faster. I am pretty good about keeping it out of the dirt.

 

[Hoobie]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think I will run semi chisel on one of my saws.

 

[ning]

I'm curious as to why semi-chisel lasts longer - I assume that's "longer" as in "can cut more logs" and not "lasts more hours" because since full chisel "cuts faster" in terms of more logs per hour.

I recently got full chisel chains for my saw and I have to say coming from semi chisel I'm stunned at the speed difference. I'm not a big strong guy (strong enough but no hulk) and a faster cutting saw for me means I'm holding a heavy dangerous tool for less time, which is definitely worth it in safety.

I'm trying to be mindful of dirty wood especially as I was working through a pile of logs I had collected; some had obvious gravel embedded in the bark so I took a hatchet and cut away the bark near the paths that the chainsaw would cut through.

 

[RandyT]

I'm curious as to why semi-chisel lasts longer - I assume that's "longer" as in "can cut more logs" and not "lasts more hours" because since full chisel "cuts faster" in terms of more logs per hour.

I recently got full chisel chains for my saw and I have to say coming from semi chisel I'm stunned at the speed difference. I'm not a big strong guy (strong enough but no hulk) and a faster cutting saw for me means I'm holding a heavy dangerous tool for less time, which is definitely worth it in safety.

I'm trying to be mindful of dirty wood especially as I was working through a pile of logs I had collected; some had obvious gravel embedded in the bark so I took a hatchet and cut away the bark near the paths that the chainsaw would cut through.

The answer is in the different shape of the cutters. The semi is a question mark shape which doesn't have any sharp points so the damage is spread over a larger area before significant lose of cutting ability.. Full chisel comes to a square point which is the secret to its cutting speed, but if that point gets damaged it will loose speed and cutting ability even if the rest of the cutter is sharp.

 

[Hoobie]

The answer is in the different shape of the cutters. The semi is a question mark shape which doesn't have any sharp points so the damage is spread over a larger area before significant lose of cutting ability.. Full chisel comes to a square point which is the secret to its cutting speed, but if that point gets damaged it will loose speed and cutting ability even if the rest of the cutter is sharp.

And I find just a small blunting of a few of those tooth points takes a lot of filing to bring them back. And then all the rest have to be filed to keep them the same length.

 

[2515R Dude]

1. I run semi for a couple of years now. For me speed is not important, and i did not notice any difference, besides you gain time on cutting, you waste it on sharpening.

2. The length of teeth has no difference in cutting ability IMO. When i sharpen (by file) i run the file as needed for a particular tooth. if one got hit by a rock and needs 7-8 passes, it gets it, if the next one needs only 2-3, it will never get the fourth. If a chain is OK and one tooth is badly damaged or on the end of its life, i just remove it. I just check the rake height. Never noticed any difference. Unless you are a logger who cuts wood for a living, you will not either. Saw also does not have a caliper to check how long the tooth is.

 

[Skeletor]

Over the years I’ve kinda changed my mind in the subject and prefer semi chisel now unless I’m just trying to go nuts on a fast cut. I got some hopped up saws. The durability for me far out weighs the slightly longer cutting time.

 

[5030]

Time for a carbide tipped full or semi chisel loop. They are expensive but will last and last. What firefighters use when cutting through shingles on a burning house. On my saws I run either 325 or 404 full chisel but then I do breathe on my saws as well. Takes some grunt for full chisel, especially with the large ones I use. Only my top handle arborist saw has a small chain and it's full chisel as well.
I threw my files away (in the drawer if anyone wants them I have a bunch). I grind all my chains now and I also grind chains for all the local arborists around here. I have 2 chain grinders, one is just for grinding chains and the other is set up for cutting depth gages and they both run CBN wheels so they never need dressed. The CBN wheels come with balanced aluminum rims and while not cheap, I've literally ground close to 500 loops so far and not a sign of wear either. I also grind commercial chipper knives.

Like I said, if you have a dirt issue, get yourself a carbide tipped chain. They do have to be sharpened with a diamond wheel however.

Kind of an offshoot from owning a machine and fabrication shop.

 

[dodge man]

I’m not big at watching YouTube videos but Project Farm did one testing chains. I liked the way he did the testing.

 

[xyz123]

Semi might do what you need. What most folks use for dirty or sandy wood.

But if you run into something like I did this year. Carbide was only thing that make it cake work for me. Not the cheap china made carbide ones either that come apart easily.

You need diamond coated files to sharpen or to make it easier diamond dremel in size needed or diamond grinder wheel.

 

[repete]

In the fire service we ran "Terminator" chains by Rapco for roof ventilation. As 5030 pointed out, a conventional chain would only last minutes. These chains did not cut, they ripped through the material because there was no passing of the chip through the link.
It was always amusing to watch a new firefighter try to cut a 12" tree. After he got frustrated, we handed him the "tree saw" and success.

 

[xyz123]

In the fire service we ran "Terminator" chains by Rapco for roof ventilation. As 5030 pointed out, a conventional chain would only last minutes. These chains did not cut, they ripped through the material because there was no passing of the chip through the link.
It was always amusing to watch a new firefighter try to cut a 12" tree. After he got frustrated, we handed him the "tree saw" and success.
View attachment 1338667

I wondered about that bullet design one too for FD. I figured it does same thing as that one. Rips not cutting.

I'll grab the pic of one FS in my group.

 

[Snobdds]

If I'm cutting dirty wood, I just use .404 chain. It will stay sharp a lot longer than .375 or .325.

Old timber guys knew what they were doing...

Small chains became a thing when weight for a saw became a thing. Prior to that men just ran huge CC saws and big chain. I suspect they did more cutting per hour than we can today with smaller, lighter, and faster cutting set-ups.

 

[airbiscuit]

I love chisel chains. Most of my chainsaw work anymore is making/maintaining trails. Lots of cutting off stumps at ground level. I've always "heard" how bad chisel chains are in dirty wood, but honestly, they don't seem any worse than semi chisel chains. Dirty wood does dull chains, but when that happens, I hand file them to (mostly) bring them back. After 5-8 repetitions of that, I get it sharpened at the shop.

 

[Skeans1]

If I'm cutting dirty wood, I just use .404 chain. It will stay sharp a lot longer than .375 or .325.

Old timber guys knew what they were doing...

Small chains became a thing when weight for a saw became a thing. Prior to that men just ran huge CC saws and big chain. I suspect they did more cutting per hour than we can today with smaller, lighter, and faster cutting set-ups.

There’s still places that run the long bars on the big cc saws but even then it’s not uncommon to see 3/8 instead of 404, the saws just don’t have the torque that they use to when from the early days they have speed.