Bucked some hickory

[DeanBrown3D]

Novaman - is the oil reservoir nearly empty aeach time you refill the gas? It should be around 3/4 empty.

Also with the chain cutters, do they feel sharp enough to shave with? Nice pin sharp point on them? Height nicely above the rakers? Are you getting fine dust when doing a cross cut or great hunks of wood chips?

 

[clearance]

Hand fileing a chain takes mucho practiseimo but well worth the effort when you do master it. Youll know youre good when you get a rip cut producing both spaghetti and meatballs add heat and Mister youre in for a fine lunch.

Yes, also oil holes on new bars are not always good, they can have paint in them, you need a small drill bit or a piece of wire to make sure, are you cleaning the groove as well? Tight but not too tight for the chain, when you pull it down if you can see the point of three drivers, thats good on that size bar.

 

[geofore]

hickory

I didn't see the right answer here so I'm thinking you guys don't cut a lot off hickory. The bark on a hickory tree is about the hardest thing you can cut in the wood to dull a chain. If that had been a shag bark you'd be touching up that chain a time or two before you finished the wood. Next to that your cutting a tree with a rot problem in the center and in hickory as the wood seals/hardens around such a rot. You should feel in the saw as you hit the wood that tried to compartmentalize, as if you hit a brick or a nail, it hardens that much. That's the nature of hickory and if you've ever cut locust or osage orange you'll feel it again and see it in the chain dulling fast. However these are three of the best, densest firewoods you'll find out there. The things you could do to get more life out of your chain in these woods are to lighten up on how hard you are pushing the saw through the wood. Let the saw do the cutting. Then instead of a 35 degree angle on your cutters change it to a 25 degree angle. It cuts slower but lasts longer in the harder woods till you get the light touch down pat then go back to the 35 degree angle. Use you axe/hatchet to remove the bark where you start your cut. Remember the bark is the hardest thing on the hickory for your chain to cut. It's the nature of the beast. You want the best hardwood for firewood then practice touching up your chain free hand out on the site or carry extra chains. The other tree I can warn you about is a gum tree. If you cut it up green no problem. If you cut it down and let it set for three days then try to cut it, it's like cutting rock. you can't even drive a 20d nail into it after it's sat a few days.
Yes, a dull chain can be expected when cutting hickory, it's a hardwood that is hard on chains. Then add on to that you're trying to cut through a hardwood that has started to compartmentalize around the rot and that's hard on the chain. I'm will to bet you're also trying to push that saw through the wood with extra vigor thinking it's the saws fault it won't cut faster, dulling the chain faster. Just my opinion on cutting hickory. If it were pine I'd say it's the saw, Hickory is a whole different animal.

 

[bugfart]

And if you are using a saw under 80cc you are killing it and yourself.

 

[NovaMan]

Lakeside53: Well darn. I cleaned the bar and oil hole with a toothpick, so I don't really see how that could be the problem. I'll take the bar off and make sure oil is coming out.

DeanBrown: The oil reservoir looked like it was maybe half empty after a tank of gas. The cutters no longer feel like I could shave with them. I don't know about the height above the rakers, but I assume it's good since the chain was new before I used it on the hickory. I was getting nice chips out of a cross cut, but then fine dust as it became more and more dull.

clearance: Good call on the chain tension. Do you adjust when it's hot?

Yes, a dull chain can be expected when cutting hickory, it's a hardwood that is hard on chains.

Whew, I'm glad it's not entirely my fault. Wow, I didn't figure the bark would be harder than the wood. Interesting.

bugfart: it's a 49.7cc 026, which is the biggest saw I have. Bucking 20" diameter hickory isn't really something I ever planned to do, and I might do it once or twice more in my life. I mostly just cut firewood to length, but this hickory is next door and it's free, so I couldn't pass it up.

 

[Lakeside53]

Bugfart's right - 20 inch hickory is way beyond the 026.. so take your time and expect a lot of chain sharpening...

 

[stihlfarmer]

Now I noticed you are running 3/8 chain on your 26 I run .325 on mine with an 18 and RM or RS chain on it and cut alot of hedge (osage orange) and hickory (both are plentiful here in MO) and some of the hedge I cut has been puhed around with my dozer and everything else (hedge posts are worth 40-50 dollars) I get along great with it this was all I knew before I got my 440 and I still like my 26 for hedge posts because you have to crawl around in the tree and it hadles wonderfully but all in all 325 chain might be a bit better than 3/8 on that saw just my opinion

 

[jp hallman]

Yes indeed, touch your chain up, in the field, before it gets too dull. On dirty wood that would be each tankful at the least. Just a few well placed strokes on each tooth. Check your depth gauges(buy a tool for this). That's my opinion. I agree, if you're enjoying it you're doing it right. Keep at it!

 

[stihlfarmer]

I agree on the RM chain being a very forgiving chain you can abuse the hell out of it before it lays down and then it sharpens in 3 strokes and I agree everyone should know how to hand sharpen

a worn out bar in a vise works great to hold the chain whil you sharpen it

We had tornadoes through this part of the country and RS chain is worthless in these trees that have been blown over they are just PACKED!! with dirt but the RM holds out real well really impressive

Has any one had any luck with Rapid Duro carbide chains? I know they are expensive butIf they worked well it ccould be worth if it for what I do