# Best chain to run in those dirty conditions ( stump grinding applications )



## AAASTUMPSERVICE (Feb 2, 2011)

I have a 028 super and a 660 magnum and have had the hardest time keeping the chain sharp. I understand i'm doing stump work and getting in dirt from time to time...is there any chain out there that can handle this type of work or atleast stay sharp long enough to finish the job? I asked the guy at the local stihl dealership and he recommended a carbide chain, i think that is what it was called? Anyways it was $150 for just my 20'' bar for the little 028. 

Any help would definitely be appreciated thanks a lot!!!


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## NCTREE (Feb 2, 2011)

try semi chisel or skip chain. the semi chisel is suppose stay sharp longer in dirty wood. Skip chain has less teeth so it take shorter time to sharpen. Otherwise try to keep itt out of the dirt


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## AAASTUMPSERVICE (Feb 2, 2011)

Ok thanks, when i go into the dealer again i will ask for some prices on the chisel and skip tooth chain. With the little grinder i have for stump grinding i need to cut off as much of the stump as i can so getting low saves me tons of time! I cant keep the saw out of the dirt.


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## husabud (Feb 2, 2011)

AAASTUMPSERVICE said:


> Ok thanks, when i go into the dealer again i will ask for some prices on the chisel and skip tooth chain. With the little grinder i have for stump grinding i need to cut off as much of the stump as i can so getting low saves me tons of time! I cant keep the saw out of the dirt.


 
Keep it out of the dirt. Try taking a shovel and going down on the stump( uh that sounds bad) kinda carving away the dirty bark. You'll leave clean wood all the way around and will keep your chains sharp longer. I've also used an ice chipper sharpened real nice, Like a giant chisel. It is only about 4 inches wide and takes longer, but gets into tighter spots.


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## tree md (Feb 2, 2011)

I carry extra chains in my saw box. Just sharpened 5 chains for my stump saw last weekend. I have my own grinder so it's no big deal to put a good edge on my chains whenever I want. Carry a couple of extras with you and just swap out when they get dull.

The guy that I first worked for doing tree work would carry a wire brush with him to clean dirt off of logs and stumps before making a cut believe it or not. It worked pretty well for keeping an edge on the big saws longer.


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 2, 2011)

i leave my stumps 5 to 8 " high and grind it do you have a small grinder


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## AAASTUMPSERVICE (Feb 2, 2011)

tomtrees58 said:


> i leave my stumps 5 to 8 " high and grind it do you have a small grinder


 
Ya I have an alpine magnum...it doesn't do that well in dirt or rocks and cuts slow...so I have to cut the stumps down as best I can.


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## tree md (Feb 2, 2011)

I leave mine about 2-4 inches depending on diameter and terrain. Chains are a heck of a lot cheaper than stumper teeth...


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## jefflovstrom (Feb 2, 2011)

AAASTUMPSERVICE said:


> Any help would definitely be appreciated thanks a lot!!!


 
Stihl makes a pre-made carbide impregnated blade for the Ms200 and I get them several times a year. A 16" carbide chain is $36.00 and that is money well spent. If you have to have one made for you it could cost.
Jeff


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## tomtrees58 (Feb 2, 2011)

alpine magnum that's not a stump grinder that's a toy


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## murphy4trees (Feb 2, 2011)

get a bigger machine, 

That said, if you can get a hose to the stump, wash them off before cutting. THAT is the ticket.. even if you don't wash it all off, when its wet, mud is far less abrasive to the steel..

Oh ya and id I mention, GET a Bigger Machine!


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## oscar4883 (Feb 2, 2011)

I run Stihl semi-chisel, skip chain on my stump saw. Takes dirty wood a lot better than chisel chain. I have a small grinder and if it is a bigger stump and I want to cut real low, sometimes I 'll shave the bark, or at least the worst portions, off with my axe.


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## CNBTreeTrimming (Feb 2, 2011)

Rapco carbide chain. Expensive but worth it. Cut through dirt ice whatever. Rarely needs sharpened.


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## Koa Man (Feb 2, 2011)

tomtrees58 said:


> alpine magnum that's not a stump grinder that's a toy


 
You would be surprised how fast that thing grinds with sharp teeth. Will match a 25hp grinder easily.

I've had full carbide Rapco chains before. I prefer to use skip tooth and either change them out and sharpen on my bench grinder later, or do periodic touch ups with a file. A real stiff broom, cut the bristles shorter if you have to, and a blower helps. But try to keep the chain out of the dirt. Even the full carbide will get dull much sooner rather than later if run in dirt. Once that thing gets dull, it is extremely difficult and time consuming to sharpen, even with the diamond stones. It is also easy to lose the whole carbide off the tooth. 

I speak from experience using Rapco carbide chains and as the owner of an Alpine Magnum.


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## AAASTUMPSERVICE (Feb 3, 2011)

I know I know I just got into this line of work and thaught this machine would be great....it gets in tight places it can get to each stump very fast and was told it can handle any size stump...well I was fooled I guess cause I did a 7.5 foot one and it was so much work went through 3 sets of teeth! It is so hard to use and keep sharp when the littlest pebble dulls out the teeth...I am looking for a new machine and possibly returning this alpine? I'm very disappointed about purchasing this thing.


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## Ax-man (Feb 3, 2011)

Try doing those stump cuts using only half throttle on the saw. My Sthil dealer put me on to this tip when we had to cut up some nasty creosoted poles. It worked like a charm. A person on another site mentioned the same thing for stumps and claims it works. I always forget to throttle down and by then it is too late and the chain is dull. The idea is to cut down on the heat being transferred to the cutters.

I have used carbide chain. Expensive for the mileage you get out of it. Carbide is ok for plain old dirt but hit a small unseen rock and it is done. Carbide is hard to resharpen. A member here who does milling uses carbide and suggests using a Dremel with a diamond wheel to sharpen this chain. I haven't tried this myself but it does make sense. To me it does anyway maybe someone will differ with this approuch.

I would rather clean-up around the bottom of a stump with an axe , wire brush it or do a plunge cut and bore out the middle before going around the stump instead of washing it and working in mud that is bad for shaft bearings on a grinder. Not to mention the mess it makes when those machines fling that stuff all over the place. Besides I hate working in mud.


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## Labman (Feb 3, 2011)

For small dirty jobs I spare my chain saw and use pruning blades in my recip saw. No way to do much of a job with it.


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## stumper63 (Feb 4, 2011)

Don't take it back, it's a great tool to have in the arsenal, but you do need a bigger machine. Keith is overly optimistic about it's potential for everyday use, but for the hard to reach stumps it's the best thing out there and it will make you money. But if you use it solely, you'll be old before your time. I used the 252 by itself for 5 years before I got the Alpine a couple years ago. I've been pleasantly surprised on how much work I've had for it. Get the word out to tree services that you can grind those formerly impossible to access stumps and you will see its potential.

Before you spend the big bucks on a 7015 like you've been talking about, unless you have the cash, start smaller, like a 252 or similar, get some decent teeth on it like a Sandvik or maybe Multi-tip, which I am just about to start using, and it will do you right. Some say it's too slow, and I agree if you've got endless money start with a 7015. But a big machine will be hard to get to alot of stumps here in the NW.

You can pick up a low-hour 252 for $7000 or so. I'm just about done with a 35hp conversion on my 252, we'll see what that does for production. Also other mods to the 252 that will make it alot faster, see other threads on that subject.

Stumper63


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## D_Sully (Feb 4, 2011)

i use a leaf blower to try and clean. with it being so dry here at the end of summer it would pick the grass up by the roots.(had to be careful in yards?!?)


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## derwoodii (Feb 4, 2011)

Agree best to avoid dirty old stumps with ya saws chain, but if you need to or see $ value in doing them Carbide chain will get it done. Real good for when ya stumpa can not get to the stump. 

http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/105193.htm


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 4, 2011)

NCTREE said:


> try semi chisel or skip chain. the semi chisel is suppose stay sharp longer in dirty wood. Skip chain has less teeth so it take shorter time to sharpen. Otherwise try to keep itt out of the dirt


 
This is what i would do in your setting, the cost of sharpening carbide would eat you alive. Semi-chisel is rounded and does not dull as fast as the pointy full-chisel. Also, rocks will break carbide cutters too, and the links are pricey.

Get a stiff brush and hatchet and take a little time cleaning up the inclusions on your stumps.

Lastly, buy bulk from a mail-order shop, like our sponsor Bailey's. It will be cheaper per unit, and changing out the chain can be faster then trying to regrind several cutters in the field. Then you can take the time to do it right on a vise, in the shop. Time is money when on the job-site, it is just time when you have a choice between watching Jeopardy and working on tools.


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## flushcut (Feb 4, 2011)

AAASTUMPSERVICE said:


> Ya I have an alpine magnum...it doesn't do that well in dirt or rocks and cuts slow...so I have to cut the stumps down as best I can.


 
Get a bigger machine you will be much more profitable. I have the 5.5hp US Praxis stumper that I use for shrub/junk stuff and a sc252 for the bigger stuff and would like to get a bigger one.


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## paccity (Feb 4, 2011)

i agree, get a bigger machine, you be able to do most all with both, i know money is tight but you have to spend money to make money. if i need to cut roots close to things i use a sawsal.


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## tree md (Feb 4, 2011)

paccity said:


> i agree, get a bigger machine, you be able to do most all with both, i know money is tight but you have to spend money to make money. if i need to cut roots close to things i use a sawsal.


 
I tried using my sawsall as well but just didn't have the juice to get done on most roots with two batteries. I have now sacrificed my 192T for that purpose... Again, you will need a good supply of chains.


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## paccity (Feb 4, 2011)

tree md said:


> I tried using my sawsall as well but just didn't have the juice to get done on most roots with two batteries. I have now sacrificed my 192T for that purpose... Again, you will need a good supply of chains.


 
i use a reg plug in type, if i have to use it i'm close to a plug in.


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## capetrees (Feb 5, 2011)

I might try it this year, the rep I work through told me to up the chain to a .404 to cut stumps and dirty wood. That would mean upgrading the bar and the sprocket but it might be worth it.


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## Bigus Termitius (Feb 5, 2011)

I'd keep the magnum and grab a 252....they are great machines. I would clean up good and run the semi chisel. Semi chisel always served me so much better on the ROW where dirty wood was the rule, especiallly in the river bottoms. No time to clean wood there. The trick for me has always been spare chains and staying out of the dirt. A small army surplus entrenching tool, or something similar always worked for me. Picking good angles, paying attention to your tip, and knowing when to pick another one saves time too.

I have a grinder in the "saw shop" and a small TV and DVD player. It's a great get away. Work on saws, have a couple of beers, watch an old movie. I usually factor in a little shop time for each job, so in a sense, I'm getting paid for some of that time.:wink2:


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## jefflovstrom (Feb 5, 2011)

*Big old dead oak.*

View attachment 171127
View attachment 171128


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## John Paul Sanborn (Feb 5, 2011)

I've always wondered if that was the opposite of a live oak?


Or is that an old and worn out joke


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