The chainsaw thread...

[Powder Ho]

The angle of the top plate changes the aggressiveness and durability. More angle is more aggressive and more square is more durable. Dad is running more aggressive because he was always cutting clean, green, softwoods. I am going more durable because of cutting all kinds of firewood.

The stone and grinder are definitely for this chain; however, I need to keep fiddling. There are a few adjustments on the grinder itself and then the main adjustments are on how the stone is shaped itself, I am using Simington’s stone shape right now, but may change it. There are two diamond dressers with adjustable angles. One is for the top of the stone and the other for the side.

Square can be filled in the field with a square file, hit it’s a PIA especially trying to get the same angles as the grinder. I would rather swap chain. A few minutes of swapping the chain and keep cutting fast

There is the conventional wisdom that square dulls faster, but I think it’s a push. Dirt dulls the chain equally fast, what is different though it the break ability. A square tooth chain running fast through wood and then hitting wire or rock can break right off, especially on a chain that has been ground a lot.

https://youtu.be/IqTfvxFDo5g?si=7pVYSrT1PLUmReK0

Lots of YouTube coming up now. People are getting hip to square.

Handle the rakers just like round. A few swipes every grind. There are raker and gullet grinders but they are expensive and not too worth it.

Back in the day we made sure everyone had a raker guide, they're pretty cheap and help keep the chain cutting efficiently.

[Hood26]

Back in the day we made sure everyone had a raker guide, they're pretty cheap and help keep the chain cutting efficiently.

for sure on the guide. I use one.

[cat in january]

The echo 4910 chainsaw has been discontinued and replaced by the 4920. The 4910 is very similar to the 501 with some cheaper parts like a plastic handle. Anyways Home Depot still has some. Normally I would not recommend buying a saw from them, but they are cleared out from all the dealers. This is a nice 50cc saw that you can open up with a very simple muffler mod. I like the saw and wanted to pass on the heads up.

[Buster Highmen]

My old Husqvarna 340 is acting weird.

After 4 or 5 cuts, the chain tightens up to the point where I have to reset the bar. I never had this happen before, it used to get looser.

What gives, gurus of the wood?

[BCMtnHound]

Bar tip worn out?

[Buster Highmen]

Bar tip worn out?

Is there an algorithm to determine that?

[Meadow Skipper]

Haven’t heard of that issue but start by taking the bar off and clean everything in the adjustment mechanism and tightening stuff. Clean out the groove in the bar of all the chips and sawdust - go deep with some thin piece of metal.

Might have to clean out the clutch and drive sprocket.

Does the tip sprocket need cleaning and lube?

If you’ve taken the bar off recently did you put it back together correctly? All the right parts in the right place and orientation? Washers/nuts and such? Can you move the bar up and/or down when you think it’s all tightened?

This is kind of a reach, but is the chain brake mechanism fully functional and correctly adjusted?

Another reach - did you throw the chain recently? Sometimes the drive links can get damaged causing drag in the groove on the bar.

If none of that works might want to try a new chain to see if that fixes things…and maybe a new bar.

I’m sitting in DEN, trying to get home in spite of delayed flights, so this is a welcome diversion.

Edit: when the saw is put together, adjusted, and ready but not running can you pull the chain smoothly along the bar? That might ID a tip problem.

[Meadow Skipper]

One more: is the chain oiler working, not plugged or anything?

[Buster Highmen]

Haven’t heard of that issue but start by taking the bar off and clean everything in the adjustment mechanism and tightening stuff. Clean out the groove in the bar of all the chips and sawdust - go deep with some thin piece of metal.

Took the bar off twice, cleaned out some of the sawdust as well as I could with a screwdriver, reset it with the proper tension (enough slack (thanks to JR Bob Dobbs) so that the groove teeth stayed in the groove, but a little bow in the chain). Lubed it each time. Started up fine and seized with tight chain after 5 8" cuts through hemlock.

Might have to clean out the clutch and drive sprocket.

Some sawdust remained, didn't have a waterpick, flamethrower or pressurewasher on hand.

Does the tip sprocket need cleaning and lube?

Lubed it twice.

If you’ve taken the bar off recently did you put it back together correctly? All the right parts in the right place and orientation? Washers/nuts and such? Can you move the bar up and/or down when you think it’s all tightened?

I think so. Did this twice as noted above. Didn't have access to a maul.

This is kind of a reach, but is the chain brake mechanism fully functional and correctly adjusted?

I think so. After the fixes, it cut fine for 5 or6 cuts, then the chain tightened again. I'm not wearing boat shoes.

Another reach - did you throw the chain recently? Sometimes the drive links can get damaged causing drag in the groove on the bar.

No.

If none of that works might want to try a new chain to see if that fixes things…and maybe a new bar.

New chain as of this morning. Headed to the bar shortly.

I’m sitting in DEN, trying to get home in spite of delayed flights, so this is a welcome diversion.

I do my best to divert, as evidenced.

Edit: when the saw is put together, adjusted, and ready but not running can you pull the chain smoothly along the bar? That might ID a tip problem.

Yes. After each of the 2 reassembles, the chain pulled fine.

Oiler might be plugged, but oil is draining.

[Meadow Skipper]

To check the oiler function rev it up while pointing the bar at some paper or something (without touching) and you should see some oil spray or splatter on whatever you point it at.

[Buster Highmen]

To check the oiler function rev it up while pointing the bar at some paper or something (without touching) and you should see some oil spray or splatter on whatever you point it at.

Wife declined.

[Meadow Skipper]

Wife declined.

[XXX-er]

Haven’t heard of that issue but start by taking the bar off and clean everything in the adjustment mechanism and tightening stuff. Clean out the groove in the bar of all the chips and sawdust - go deep with some thin piece of metal.

Might have to clean out the clutch and drive sprocket.

Does the tip sprocket need cleaning and lube?

If you’ve taken the bar off recently did you put it back together correctly? All the right parts in the right place and orientation? Washers/nuts and such? Can you move the bar up and/or down when you think it’s all tightened?

This is kind of a reach, but is the chain brake mechanism fully functional and correctly adjusted?

Another reach - did you throw the chain recently? Sometimes the drive links can get damaged causing drag in the groove on the bar.

If none of that works might want to try a new chain to see if that fixes things…and maybe a new bar.

I’m sitting in DEN, trying to get home in spite of delayed flights, so this is a welcome diversion.

Edit: when the saw is put together, adjusted, and ready but not running can you pull the chain smoothly along the bar? That might ID a tip problem.

I do the maintenance schedule ^^ every day of operation

but I'm pretty sure STOP is to run the saw until it doesnt run then fuck around with the screws on the carb and then post on TGR " Fucking husky/ sthil/ your saw of choice, how come this fucking thing doesnt run ? "

and I've seen guys who should know better show up with a saw and a bunch of parts from the saw store to start rebuilding the saw on the tailgate

I found a dakine builder's pack on-line so i'm excited about that

[Hood26]

Chain tensioner might be worn out.

Bar nuts might be worn.

Nose sprocket could be worn or the whole bar.

Hopefully something simple. Good luck at it.

[Bronco]

New chain as of this morning. Headed to the bar shortly.

I once purchased a chain and ran it acting like this. Turns out the new chain had the wrong drive link. Might be worth a check.

[Meadow Skipper]

I once purchased a chain and ran it acting like this. Turns out the new chain had the wrong drive link. Might be worth a check.

Hmmm .325 vs 3/8. Check that.

[Buster Highmen]

Hmmm .325 vs 3/8. Check that.

metric or english?

It's weird, this has never happened before, the chain used to get looser as the day went on.

I'm having the old chain sharpened, will try using it once I get it back. I do need to do a proper clean with a brush of the works.

[Meadow Skipper]

Make sure the hole in the bar that takes the oil into the groove isn’t plugged.

[Buster Highmen]

To close stuff up: I cleaned the thing super well and found impacted sawdust on the back of the bar.

Chipped that off, brushed out the sprocket chamber, picked out all the little pockets of goo.

Reassembled with a slightly saggy chain, it worked great this afternoon.

[bodywhomper]

Gotta love it when a good cleaning makes stuff work again!!

Anybody heard/used the new stihl hexa saw chain? I gotta an earful about it today at a shop. Supposedly, one of the Calfire units may start carrying them because of cutting chains and durability. Interesting looking files.

[bodywhomper]

dp

[Meadow Skipper]

This isn’t really about chainsaws, it’s just a light-hearted moment with a chainsaw in it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Wildfire/co..._this_happens/

[Cruiser]

Oh dang

[Phall]

Picked up a used Greenworks 80v 18" bar saw at a thrift store with battery + charger for $100, things bigger than I need for a truck saw, but the deal was right!

[XXX-er]

Not a huge electric fanboi but thats ^^ where I could see owning an electric, for a truck its going to be cleaner & no storage of fuel issues



I read some online beta about that Sthil Hexa chain, its a different profile of chain & file, apparently its a tinny bit faster, might be smoother , I have 3 conventional chains/ files/ filing jigs ( will they work?) so I probably wouldn't be jumping ship to Hexa right away if I was still cutting wood and its a Sthil product so it will be interesting to see if other users adopt Hexa



Some advanced user feedback I found :

" I bought a Hexa kit a few weeks ago. It was 2 X 66dl 063 Hexa chains, a file and a handle in a box.

Yes, to sharpen it you will need the hexagonal file.

My initial thoughts were that it's easy to sharpen and that would probably be its selling point, but after letting 2 other people try it I'm not so sure now.

Cutting speed is faster on small saws because it cuts a smaller kerf. I have used it on a 390 and a 361 and it was faster. Using it on a dolmar 7900 it cuts the same speed as RS. If you have customers that use 3/8 on a 261 they will probably like it.

The biggest difference for me is that it cuts smoother. RS chain, in the hardwoods I cut, chatters a lot when new and when sharpened to the recommended angles. To avoid it I file with a 10 degree down and have the side plate at 80 degrees otherwise I end up with numb hands by lunchtime.

Hexa doesn't do this anywhere near as bad as RS. It's not quite as smooth as RSL but close.

I cut with it all day yesterday just blocking firewood and it's working well. I'm about to start clearing a fence line today and will be cutting for the next 4 or 5 days to finish the job so I'll report back after that. It's a good mix of small saplings and trees up to 25 inches or so plus whatever larger stuff has fallen down so should be a reasonable test. I have a loop of Hexa, 1 RSLF and a RS chain I got yesterday so I'll swap between them and see if there's much difference. "