Chain saw blade sharpening ?

art · Dec 7, 2000

Richard, Gordon gave an excellent post on this. We deal with Stihl and Husquvarna saws and there is differences in the saws and chains we use with them. Our perfered chain is the Stihl. As gordon said there are different types of chains and depending on what you are cutting and when you are cutting can make a big difference in chain life. Chains use different angles across the teeth. Rakers are important that they stay consistant to the tooth for height. When cutting frozen wood it is better to use a chain we call round ground or your more standard chain for maximum efficency. When it is warm the chizel tooth works the best. As Gorden said the square ground is the hottest chain but sharpening is difficult. One of the biggest enemies of the chain is dirt or foreign objects in the wood. It often only takes just touching the ground and the chain will dull. It is important to have sharp chains I would take the chains that you are using back to the guy that did it and ask him for suggestions to help you. Great price on that 044!

Von · Dec 7, 2000

Here is a photo of one of the chain saws that my grandfather gave me. Its a homelite 1000 with a 30" bar. This thing will give your S**t muscles! It will cut like anything, as long as your arms will last! Also got a 220v electric saw that they would use inside of the factory when preping logs for the two 30' veneer lathes. I had no place to plug it in and it was scary to use! so I sold it.

Von

Richard · Dec 7, 2000

Those ARE some nice sites. In between helping some of the damsels in distress here this morning, I've been reviewing them. This is driving me nuts. I DID look at price of 100' bulk and divided out and came up with a price that was between 3 and 5 dollars per loop. I can live with that. I'm aware there are other tools involved that would add to expense but over long haul, that idea might be a serious contender. Cost almost the same to roll a new length as it does to have it sharpened.

Yea, I REALLY think I might like that idea.

Richard · Dec 7, 2000

As far as questions on what kind of chain am/will I be running... (thinking...we need a "dumbfounded" emoticon face)

I have the standard Stihl bar, though I ordered another one from Labonville that I think is a Oregon Power bar or something.

Anyway, ALL my chains are Stihl and I presume them to be low kickback.

Chips, skips, kicks, clips, nicks and other...I have NO idea about them. They are flat on top of the cutting link, the "blade" of the cutting link is curved and I have no idea if they skip or not or chip or shread or other.

I'm betting (being "Joe Schmoe Consumer") that I bought the regular "run of the mill" chain and bar. Standard low kickback. I have NO idea if that means it can be "outcut" or "outlasted" by another, or if the ones I bought would emerge a victor from a competition. I don't know, didn't care (until now)...I just want them sharp, ESPECIALLY if/when I PAY someone to sharpen them. I'm a stickler when it comes to principle.

If I buy some bulk chain, what kind ought I look into? I'm not so much concerned on price. I'm primarily felling dead pine trees and an occasional cedar with some 2 or 3 inch saplings thrown in.

My downfall is once trees are down I'll trim them and THAT'S when I do the dirt grind. Now that I have Brutus, I'm simply dragging them to their fiery demise and my ground cutting has been reduced.

Do I want chip, shred, skip no skip, gold plated???

Need another dumfounded looking face planted right HERE ->_<-

dmccarty · Dec 7, 2000

Yet again TBN amazes me!

I have been wondering for the last couple of weeks about REALLY sharpening my own chains. Right now I have some hand files that I use to touch up the chains after about 90 minutes of use. This has made a difference and only takes a few minutes.

If the chain really needs sharpening, it managed to hit the ground or like last weekend, metal, I take it back to the shop and they sharpen for a couple of dollars. I did not realize how lucky I am to have a good shop that knows their product and how to sharpen a chain.

The store just changed owners but so far so good. I hope!

I saw a 12v chain sharpener in a catalog last weekend. I think it was Northern Tool. So I have been wondering if this thing would work. Anyone seen such a sharpener? I really would like to get a good edge on the blades without having to drop them off at the shop. I have three chains and two bars so I can rotate as needed but I would really like to do my own if it was not to costly...

The hand files do make a difference in keeping an edge on the chain.

Time for research....

Dan McCarty

Richard · Dec 7, 2000

Kubota-driver

Just hung up with probably the same dude at Oregon you spoke with. VERY helpful, VERY nice VERY willing to "talk my ear off". I was very (is that redundant??) impressed. He is sending me his catalog and stuff.

For essentially $200+/- (without shipping) I can buy a 100 foot roll of chain. That price includes THEM cutting it to length AND looping it so all I have to do is install it. That length of roll he told me would make about 23 loops of chain. Hmmm, 200/23=8.69 add in some shipping...sure beats 20/25 I pay for a single chain here. Now, I am currently buying Stihl chain and this is Oregon brand. Do I care??

scruffy · Dec 7, 2000

Dan,
I've used an old roller bar clamped in my bench vise for the extra chains for years. I place the bar in the vise, and lay the extra chain on it (when I have one) and sharpen it with a rotary grinder. Keep in mind, round files and rotary bits are sized for particular types of chain. Be sure to have the correct file/bit for your chain, and the teeth that you are sharpening on said chain. From there, it is a matter of experience, and maybe an old hand to show you the ropes and a trick or two.

richh · Dec 7, 2000

Gordon- looks like a dandy website for saw's and chain maints. You are sure a wealth of info on this stuff! I just carry around a file and keep it sharp. I do have a clamp on rig that I do use once in a wile to keep them squared up. What modle husky's do you run?
Rich

gordon · Dec 7, 2000

Thanks Mark and others, I've got a couple of hours running a saw and experimented with alot of different combinations of saws, chains and bars.

On the rakers I run 25 thousandths on my standard chains that I use for limbing-toping and I run 35 thousandths on my semi skip chains. Now thats me and what I use. It also depends on what chain your using as to how deep a cut is recomended with a certian type of chain.

Not to be understated alot of chains aren't low kickback and if you don't have alot of hours running a saw don't buy a chain unless it's low kickback!!!!!!!!! Do not in any way shape or form think that your a wuss for getting a low kickback chain. The more agressive chain that you buy or the deeper you file the rakers the better chance you have for a kickback. If you have ever had a saw kickback on you you will know the feeling of going from being in control to total loss of control in less than a second. Once you have seen a saw eat a pair of chaps you will learn two things----a pair of chaps are worth their weight in gold and never start the saw without the chaps. A pain to get used to wearing at first but it's like a seatbelt in a car or tractor it becomes second nature after awhile.

Man we are just scratching the surface on this issue---I haven't even gotten into different bars, air filters, spur sprockets, bar oils, chain breakers and spinners, also is it better to buy looped chain or roll.---/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Gordon

gordon · Dec 7, 2000

I do love my chainsaws!!! The Huskys I have now are two 51, two 272xp and a 288xp. Plus a couple of Poulans one I use just for junk cutting.

Let me guess Rich you run either a 371 or a 261 am I close???

I might not have a 4 in one bucket but I've got a couple of cuttin huskys---screamin demons!!! My hopped up 272 would surprize you at what it can do. It's out cut many a larger cubed saw!!
Gordon

gordon · Dec 7, 2000

Bird, you got me on that one what other info do you have?
Gordon

MChalkley · Dec 7, 2000

Gordon - How does the Husky 272 compare in size to the Stihl 044? What do you do to hop up a 272?

MarkC

gordon · Dec 8, 2000

The 272 box stock is 13,500 rpm max 4.4 cubic inch with a HS 260 Tillotson carb chain pitch 3/8" and a 058" bar groove thickness.

The 044 is 4.3 cubic inch and about the same max rpm I believe .

As far as cutting both very good saws I would never put down a Stihl even though my Huskys out cut them

On my 272 thats hopped up the two main things that I had done to it were getting it ported and the carb redone. Also running a max flow filter. I could have also had the head taken down abit to raise the compression alittle more but I didn't have that done. She screams!! I can't use this saw for topping just flat out in the log cutting or else she will run up two many rpm freewheelin and seize up. It's turned into more of a toy than a work saw. But I don't tell anyone else that. I also run a eight tooth sprocket if I'm cutting softwoods, hardwood I put the seven tooth back in.
Gordon

Rowski · Dec 8, 2000

I got a Husky 257 and love it! I like the decompressioner for starting. I do some cutting of wood mostly clearing back our feilds, not as much as most of you. Once I was watching some logging competition where the had a saw with a 2 cycle motor cyle engine 125cc?. They had to see who could buck up a peice of would the quickest, I beleive the time included starting.

Question-> Why do some like Huskies and some Sthil? It seems to me the Huskys have more rpms. The sthil seems like it is laboring (bogging down)???

Derek

TomG · Dec 8, 2000

Gordon: I've got a 257 myself. Can't say how much I appreciate using and maintaining it compared to one I junked. Every time I open it up I notice the quality of the castings and machining. Oh yeah, the case screws don't fall out of the cases either. Little design things--really great.

I got it with a 16" bar, which is right for most of what I do. I noticed that there are bar/chain combinations for it in the manual out to 22". I'm wondering if you know how well a 257 would work in softwood using a 22" bar, and maybe suggest a type of chain.

Bird · Dec 8, 2000

Gordon, I'm just going to have to call Country Home Products back. I ordered a new chain for the "Beaver Blade" on my DR trimmer/mower, and of course you have to thread it onto the blade and put the master link in (which came with the new chain). But of course the old chain had to have a link removed to take it off the blade to get it sharpened, so when I get ready to use it again, I'll need another link to put it back on. I called Country Home Products and was told it would be a lot cheaper to just buy a master link locally for a #41 chain (whatever that means). But the places I've asked about it didn't have such.

Bird

DFB · Dec 8, 2000

Bird, you should be able to get that masterlink at a tractor supply or small engine shop. you could always check a motorcycle shop too.

Richard · Dec 8, 2000

Mark,

Though I can't answer your question on H-272 -vs- S-044, I owned concurrently my S-044 and H-055 which I recently gave to Uncle in Law.

Some things I noticed on mine were the Husky seemed to start a tad easier, I LOVED the compression release button and I loved the kill switch on the Husky over the Stihl. I find the Stihl switch simply more clumsy than the Husky.

That said, they aren't the same saw and I love the way the Stihl cuts since obviously it's a bit larger.

Bird · Dec 8, 2000

DFB, thanks for the response; that's just what Country Home Products told me. I guess it's just my usual luck; I've been to 4 of those places and none of them had one./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird