bar and chains

[vince]

can anyone tell me the best bang for your buck bar and chain for a ms 660. the RS chains are not the best in my opinion

 

[Simonizer]

can anyone tell me the best bang for your buck bar and chain for a ms 660. the RS chains are not the best in my opinion

I like the 32" Oregon bar with 75 JG Oregon chain.

 

[vince]

sorry for being ignorant but i am new to cutting why does everyone like oregon. I never used one i am just curious

 

[DanManofStihl]

I like the Stihl RM 2 with a windsor bar. I think that would be good for a 20 to 28 in and longer then that get a skip tooth chain.

 

[vince]

does the RM 2 keep a sharp edge longer. I notice that the 660 just eats chains so fast

 

[TimberPig]

If it's "eating chains" as you put it, then it is either being used very heavily, the chain is not being maintained properly, or you are hitting foreign material with the chain. With heavy use, chains wear faster than occasional use, and replacing chains can be expected as they only last so long. Improper maintenance or hitting foreign material, whether it be on the wood or hitting the ground, both lead to much shorter chain life than is possible. Stihl RS chain is one of the best, if not the best chains around, so your opinion that it is not very good, leads me to believe that you are either maintaining it incorrectly, or you are cutting dirt and other material that damages the cutters on the chain.

These two links might help you determine what the problem is, and how to correct it.

http://www.stihllibrary.com/pdf/SharpAdvice061301final.pdf

http://www.oregonchain.com/tech/ms_manual/ms_manual.pdf

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

...why does everyone like oregon.

Because it costs less.

And I entirely agree with TimberPig. One saw won't "eat" a chain faster than any other saw would. Chains do dull from normal use, but they dull and damage faster from improper sharpening or improper maintenance, and chains can experience accellerated wear from improperly matching the gauge, or the drive links will wear quickly from a worn sprocket.

I think Stihl RS or RSF is fine chain, and it's what I've relied on with not the first problem with it. JMO.

Jeff

 

[timberwolf]

3/8 RS could be a diapointment if cutting stumps or railway ties, other than that you won't find a better Stihl chain for the saw. Carlton xc works well too, lighter weight and maybe a bit softer (good or bad) file easy but looses the edg a bit quicker). The cheapest loops I can get local are Stihl brand, so for work chain that is mostly what I use

 

[vince]

well tell me what i am doing wrong because i can buy a brand new chain throw it on the saw and cut. I am careful to block up the tree with logs and so on and that chain will be quite worn by the time the day is done and i only cut for firewood for the winter at the cabin and it is mostly all poplar

 

[timberwolf]

Your waiting too long until sharpening, It is far better to just give it a light sharpening every couple tanks of gas, then wait until the edge is all hammered and then need to file the cutter back 1/16 of an inch. I dont think it is realistic to expect a chain to stay sharp for a days cutting, even if your careful.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Your waiting too long until sharpening, It is far better to just give it a light sharpening every couple tanks of gas, then wait until the edge is all hammered and then need to file the cutter back 1/16 of an inch. I dont think it is realistic to expect a chain to stay sharp for a days cutting, even if your careful.

Agreed. And even though you're careful to keep the wood off the ground, I can almost guarantee that if it's been on the ground at all, it's going to have some amount of dirt, rock, sand whatever embedded in the bark. All of this goes to dull your chain. Also poor sharpening technique (not saying you have this) can lend itself to a chain loosing it's edge quickly. The type of cutter is a factor as well. For example, Stihl RM chain will hold it's edge better than RS chain in dirty wood. I'm not the guy to explain the dynamics and geometry of different cutters, and how and why they work, but the round RM tooth is more suited to dirty wood. In fact, I use it in such, and use RS in clean standing timber.

Jeff

 

[vince]

thanks for the tips i am going to try a light sharpening every few hours.

 

[timberwolf]

If you are not comfortable with sharpening the chain in the bush or just dont like too, get 3-4 chains, cut until the chain just starts to slow down, then change to another chain. Do the shapening in the evening set up on a table or beter yet in a vice.

RS or any pointy cornered chisle chain dulles very easy, one touch to metal, stone or what ever and the point of the tooth bends over and just slows cutting right down. Round filed is bad, square filed even worse, the chain just plain quits cutting, you cant even push it through the wood.

 

[vince]

I usaully do carry a few chains. Is it better to sharpen my own chains with a file. I always take them to the dealer and they sharpen them for me. I always thought that was more convenient for me

 

[vince]

i totally forgot i just receiver in the mail from ebay a 33RSK-72 i haven't used it yet will i see a noticealbe difference in cutting. Is it a better chain?

 

[timberwolf]

Use the search feature on the site, you will find more about chain sharpening than a little. A bit of reading a bit of practice and you will be able to save time an money in taking your chains to get sharpened.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

i totally forgot i just receiver in the mail from ebay a 33RSK-72 i haven't used it yet will i see a noticealbe difference in cutting. Is it a better chain?

Better is a relative term. I'd call it a more aggressive cutter, better suited for clean, standing timber. It'll work for firewood useage, but I'd have to say if anything, it'll dull faster than regular RS in dirty wood. Never used it myself.

Jeff

 

[SawTroll]

thanks for the tips i am going to try a light sharpening every few hours.

You got a lot of good tips, so there isn't much to add.

I suggest that you make those "few hours" between charpenings quite short.
Sharpen at once if you suspect that the saw are cutting slower, don't count the time. Until you have got the "feel" for it, 1 to 2 tanks of gas could be a guideline though.

If you have little experience with hand filing, you could also try semi chisel chain (Stihl RM, not RM 2), as they dull a bit slower and also are more tolerant to filing errors.

Make sure that the chain is the same gauge as the bar.

 

[cunrya]

What Sawtroll said is very important as to file size, Use the right one a 32nd diference may not look significant, but will make a huge difference in the way the saw cuts and holds an edge. I cut alot of firewood too, and the chain dulls very quickly especially if your cutting stuff thats already down.

Two Tips, Get a stump vise (they really help with precision in the woods) and file your chain after every tank of fuel. If you do this it only takes 3 to 4 passes per link to touch it up. The time spent sharpening is saved in cutting, trust me! After you get good at it you should be able to file the chain (on a 20-24" bar) in under 5 minutes easily. A side note, I make one pass over the rakers every 3rd tank of fuel, chain always seems to run in the swwet spot just my .02

 

[SawTroll]

What Sawtroll said is very important as to file size, Use the right one a 32nd diference may not look significant, but will make a huge difference in the way the saw cuts and holds an edge.

Correct file size is of course important, but that was not what I tried to say.
I was referring to the thickness of the drive tangs on the chain, vs the width of the track in the bar. That is what is normally referred to as the gauge of bar and chain.....