need good chainsaw chain

I bought two Logger truck loads of oak logs. They have been cut for a fair while and the wood is pretty dry. My Carlton chainsaw chains aren't even lasting a full gas tank before they are dull.

I just found the original Stehl chainsaw chain and I'll try that tomorrow.

I need to buy a couple chains to get this job done. Anybody recommend a saw chain that will hold an edge in this situation?

Reply to
Karl Townsend
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Stihl?? :) :) From yer tool rental place. Sposed to be really good. You'll pay retail-plus, but they should have'em. Or mebbe from a big Landscaper/Tree service; might give you a break.

-- Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY Ever-preparing for The Grand Insertion Party Nominee, IPPVM Independent Party of the Proctologically Violated®© (M)asses "That's proly not a hemorrhoid you're feeling.... " entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie, all d'numbuhs "Karl Townsend" wrote in message news:Gg91h.14664$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

Wow, that is a lot of work!

How are you sharpening the chains? Are you seeing any dirt in the place you are cutting? Most places that sell chain saws will have good quality chains. At least that is true here in Central Oregon.

My chains get dull cutting juniper trees because of the dust that collects in the bark. It is all volcanic and sometimes will make sparks when hit by the steel chain.

Even so, one chain will last for a couple of pickup loads unless I hit some farmer's nails or fence wire.

Paul

Karl Townsend wrote:

Reply to
pdrahn

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message news:Gg91h.14664$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...

Unfortunately, if that oak is well dried you'd be better off with a king-sized chop saw than a chain saw.

That oak will be much harder to cut than Aluminum.

If you have a water source available at the woodlot, you might try using it as a "coolant" in hopes of softening the wood as you cut. Dunno if it'll work, though.

On my old McCulloch, I'd, sometimes, have to sharpen the chain 1-3 times to cut through 30" thick oak that'd been down for a while. [Didn't matter whether I was using an Oregon or a McCulloch chain, either.]

Reply to
RAM³

"Karl Townsend" wrote in message news:Gg91h.14664$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...

I was getting ready to make a similar post. My chains made by Oregon (bought at Sears) are fine for cutting pine but aren't lasting on the couple of oak trees I've got to cut up.

Hopefully someone with some experience with commercial grade chains can chime in.

Steve.

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Reply to
SteveF

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It's a loggers mail order supply place. I buy quite a bit of stuff from them - all of it excellent quality. Saw chains run a third of what I would pay locally. (Appx $11 vs $32) They carry Oregon and their Woodsman store label. Give them a call with your saw brand chain size, # of drive links, and drive tooth thickness, they will get the right chain for your saw. Note: I am not affiliated with Baileys in any manner, just a satisfied customer.

Envy on your oak, mine is 'grit filled bark' lodgepole pine - about 6 cords a year. I touch up my saw chains every tank of gas - just a couple of strokes seem to be enough - and a thorough going over between loads.

If you have any dirt/sand/mud on the log, remove it with an axe or keep the dirt side toward the saw. That helps to keep most of the dirt from being carried into the saw chain.

Reply to
John Miller

You need a good circular "buzz saw" for that job. Aboyt a 42 incher on a 50HP tractor ought to do the job

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

Back in the 'sixties and 'seventies, when Dutch Elm desease took out thousands of Elms in Ontario, we felled the trees with a chain saw, and cut them to 4 ft lengths green (or as green as we could catch them, being dead.) We then let them sit/dry for a while before cutting to stove length with the buzz saw. Splitting was best done at about 10 below.

Reply to
clare at snyder.on.ca

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Makes carbide tipped chain, not sure how they are to use or sharpen. Love to have one on my O75AV but Oregon's work well enough for me..

ED

Reply to
ED

I'm going to order one of these. Anybody else tried one?

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

Fill yer boots Karl,

I lost pretty much all interest at the feedback and comments page where they were waxing ecstatic about the price at 5 to 10 times the cost of steel chain.

I'd figure on buying maybe 4 chains of standard build for that job, and probably wearing out two completely, with a little life left on the other two.

You might be able to write them off against the business, though, that can make the difference.

I am certain that they work very well, I just have no real use for one at that price.

But I'm a cheap sonofagun most of the time.

Had I a job to write it off against, I'd probably be pricing out the

100' roll. :-)

Cheers Trevor Jones

Reply to
Trevor Jones

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:15:16 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Karl Townsend" quickly quoth:

You'd best check prices first. Some folks mortgage their homes to be able to afford carbide chain.

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

I'll price one tomorrow, if they are under $150. I'll get one. I may go higher if I can't start getting some production out of my wood cutting. I don't have all month to do this job.

FWIW, I don't buy ANYTHING I can't write off. What's the point?

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

Give it time. Chinese will bring it down to few bucks per foot.

Reply to
Boris Mohar

I've got Oregon chain on my Shindaiwa and it performs really well. Not sure of the model as my power equipment place makes them up from the bulk spools, but it's a non anti kickback chain. When I got my saw it came with one of the safety anti kickback chains and the folks at my power equipment place said I be much happier with the non safety chain and they were absolutely right. The non safety chain gets through a log about 4x as fast as the safety chain and I expect also saves gas and bar oil in addition to time. The time saved also makes it that much easier on the carpal tunnel as do good anti vibration gloves with the gel foam pads.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

Yep. I've used TCT chain on a couple of saws. Got one hanging in the shed right now. It's expensive but if you're cutting hard dry wood, it's worth it. Here in Australia we have ironbark which weighs around

1.2 grams/cubic centimetre - ie it sinks in water. Its stress grade is way high and it's impossible to nail once seasoned. Great stuff. Blue gum is similar but a nail gun works. Mostly. A carbide chain cuts through it where a steel chain goes blunt, smokes, burns and dies before the tank is dry.

My advice - pay the money.

PDW

Reply to
Peter

I have one on my Stihl saw (use it for fire department stuff, cutting car bodies, venting the roof and cleanup work) Works real good BUT NOT CHEAP. I have used it in wood and it cuts ok but not very fast. It also doesn't like shocks to the teeth, knocks the carbide off. Sharpen it with a diamond wheel in the chain sharpener.

Reply to
Steve W.

HOLY S**T! $1600 for a saw chain? Do you X-ray your logs first to make sure there's no nails, etc. in them? Hmmmm... I see a business opportunity, here. I could probably braze carbide chips onto a saw chain in half an hour. $15 chain + $20 carbide bits + 1/2 hour = $1600? Sounds like a winner to me!

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

Maybe you just need more HP, Karl: See

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for a machine that might do the job!

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006 22:18:08 -0600, with neither quill nor qualm, Jon Elson quickly quoth:

That's for a 100 foot roll of carbide chain, Jon. ;)

Reply to
Larry Jaques

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