A better chain for an EGO 1800

[dogfoo]

I bought an EGO 1800 for occasional, light duty use when I'm headed to my out-of-town property with the wife and hounds in her SUV - and I don't want to pack a gas saw and associated fuel/oil. Not cheap, but it's still a homeowner saw, so I expected to be fully underwhelmed. The EGO has not disappointed in this regard. The few times using it I was wishing for my Husq 372XP.

Yes, I could have bought a better battery saw. But since I really don't want to be using it much, I chose to save the additional funds for my next gas saw.

With the whining complete, here's the question: This saw comes with a cheap (and required for homeowner use) anti-kickback chain. I figure the saw might do better with a better chain. Has anyone else run something similar - 3/8 pitch LP, 0.050 width, 62 DL - and had good luck?

Thanks,
dogfood

 

[dankas]

...I have to use an EGO at my sister-in-laws in hotanddry central Texas as she's worried about a fire... works fine on taking down the invasive Chinaberrys there & making firewood for them. Oregon makes EGO's chains I believe & they'll work fine - I opt of the one without the double-raker (safety chain...) as the power of the unit - in good hands - can be controlled quite well.

Sorry I don't have a chain # for Oregon ... I've a Stihl MSA-220 battery unit I use to supplement my gas saws doing restoration work for limbing, trimming & small felling and recently switched them over to a chain that has worked quite well from Saw Salvage - Travis Creek in PA. Take a look...

https://www.sawsalvage.co/products/...-chisel-chainsaw-chain?variant=44690472206554

(you might have to fish down the list to find your spec. but its there...)
Best!

 

[OM617YOTA]

I ground the safety straps off the low kickback chain for my 80v Kobalt. When I finally run out of chains I'll buy non-safety chain, but it'll be awhile.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

The safety chain doesn't make much of a difference unless you're bore cutting.

 

[Bullseye T&L]

@Haywire Haywood is spot on. Safety vs non-safety chain doesn't always mean there is a huge difference in cutting speed unless your bore cutting. Semi vs full chisel is where you'll see the difference. I suspect you're looking for something in full chisel, and don't worry too much about whether it has the safety straps or not. I run a Stihl 201T and 241cm that use Stihl 3/8P .050 full chisel with safety straps (green strap chain) that flies through wood. It's the 63PS3 model chain. It was a huge bump in cutting speed over the semi-chisel (63PM3) that came on them. Just don't run it in the dirt. The non-safety version of the 63PS3 is the 63PS. I've run both and both are respectable. I've also used full chisel chain from a company called Archer and it is also pretty good. It was the 3/8P .043 full chisel non-safety, run on a Stihl 193T. Boy did it wake that saw up.

 

[dogfoo]

So I finally tried the full chisel from Travis Creek and it certainly cuts better. As you guys noted, maybe that's strictly because it's full chisel - and the safety bumps themselves aren't that much of a deal. I wasn't bore cutting and not going to with this saw. Or maybe the original chain itself really wasn't all that great.

I still don't like the battery saw ... doesn't look right, doesn't feel right and doesn't sound right. But I'm an old dog and admittedly I don't find a whole lot new interesting these days. I'm sure I'll get used to it for what I'm going to use it for - which isn't a whole lot.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Franny K]

The safety chain doesn't make much of a difference unless you're bore cutting.

New as opposed to sharpened back bumper drive link chain can plunge (I guess bore would a falling technique) fine. Try the Husky sp21 or Stihl 61pmm3 on the Stihl shaped bar.

I suspect many battery chainsaws use the same shaft with two flats on the drive sprocket. The mini .325 has 7 teeth.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

It can plunge, but the bumper is supposed to reduce kickback from accidental bar nose contact by reducing bite there. It shouldn't plunge cut nearly as well as non-safety chain because it doesn't take as large of a bite.