Carbide chain ?

[sb47]

I’ve been thinking of trying a carbide chainsaw chain but there very expensive and I was wondering if anyone has used them and are they worth the money.
If they do dull can they be sharpened?

 

[mattaggie]

has to be sharpened with a diamond wheel. I too am interested if they are worth it.

Carbide tipped saw chain STIHL Picco Duro in comparison - YouTube

 

[user 64030]

I wouldn't go the expense. Requires a diamond disc (I think) to sharpen. They do dull. If you really need one they are worth it (kinda sorta) but for the price difference you can have an awful lot of loops sharpened and in the cycle.

If you are in fire/rescue or some other hazard environment where the chain has to work regardless then maybe yes, but for the average cutter just looking to avoid sharpening, a total waste.

Go buy 5 loops of whatever chain you use carry 2-3, and as you swap take them in to be sharpened at a shop (if you want to avoid sharpening).

I know I am about to cut some trees in the back of my lot, they used to be on a farm fence-row and have woven wire fencing throughout... I am hoping to give my dealers 460 Rescue demo-saw a test run when I cut the bottom 4 feet of stumps. :msp_sneaky:

dw

 

[tolman_paul]

I haven't used a carbide chainsaw chain, but have used carbide in other applications. Carbide is very hard, but also brittle. If you are prone to hitting rocks or metal imbedded in the wood you cut, then you will chip the teeth in the chain. The other thing is to keep the tooth from chipping the tooth needs to be ground to a less agressive angle. I just don't see in a chain carbides benefits outweighing it's downsides.

 

[mortenh]

Specialized chain for specialized purposes

A carbide tipped chain is a specialized chain for specialized purposes.

It is NOT for normal wood cutting, but for rescue services or for cutting in "polluted" materials.

Even newly sharpened, a carbide tipped chain will cut nowhere near as fast as a regular chain, as it simply does not get as sharp an edge.

Furthermore, you can not resharpen easily in the field.

And, it is MUCH more expensive.

Add all that up, and it makes no sense using carbide tipped chains. Unless, of course, you believe your special needs will outweigh all of the above.

 

[phillipmc]

Back when I lived in Easter NC and on the Vol FD we would get called out during hurricans to clear fallen trees in the road. 1st we used a carbide tip chain and decided soon after it would be best to get normal chain for those situations and install it just before the storm made land fall use it and after the storm switch back to the carbide. Made all the difference in the world

 

[user 64030]

A carbide tipped chain is a specialized chain for specialized purposes.


And, it is MUCH more expensive.

Exactly, and by much, I think my dealer said $250 for a 20" loop.

dw

 

[medic8852]

We've got 'em on our ECHO QV-8000 saws on all of our engines and trucks at the firehouse. I can't say that i've noticed that they cut any better than a good sharpened chain when going thru wood, however, thru shingles and and such they do pretty good. The teeth are prone to chipping and breaking. I was doing our daily start-up and inspection on one the other day and noticed several teeth chipped away and most otheres that were intact, were dull. We just replace the chain. The bar is only a 12", so that 80cc saw will really make it rip, but the chains are around $175. If you are cutting straight wood, IMO, I wouldn't bother, as i don't believe they'll out cut a good, properly sharpened chain. If you are cutting other materials that are "polluted" as mentioned by mortenh, then they may serve you better.

 

[Gngyoung]

Don't do it!!

Been there, done that.....

Search for carbide chain threads here and you will see my detailed experience as well as others. I'd second the advice given above to save mega bucks by buying three steel chains. If you're cutting dirty wood, go for the semi chisel cutters versus full chisel.

It's also more expensive to get carbide chains re-ground..... You can sharpen steel,yourself. Hoping for a more durable chain can also be a false economy.... I completely dulled and chipped almost all teeth on a rapid duro stihl chain in two lousy cuts in dirty wood..... I changed to a semi chisel stihl chain on my ms362 and its still on the same loop of chain.

My two cents worth.....

 

[sb47]

Well I think I’ll just stick with the regular chains. Sounds like a waste of money for just cutting wood. Thanks that just saved me a lot of money.

 

[zogger]

We've got 'em on our ECHO QV-8000 saws on all of our engines and trucks at the firehouse. I can't say that i've noticed that they cut any better than a good sharpened chain when going thru wood, however, thru shingles and and such they do pretty good. The teeth are prone to chipping and breaking. I was doing our daily start-up and inspection on one the other day and noticed several teeth chipped away and most otheres that were intact, were dull. We just replace the chain. The bar is only a 12", so that 80cc saw will really make it rip, but the chains are around $175. If you are cutting straight wood, IMO, I wouldn't bother, as i don't believe they'll out cut a good, properly sharpened chain. If you are cutting other materials that are "polluted" as mentioned by mortenh, then they may serve you better.

Do you guys, or have you ever, sharpened them by hand? I am wondering if a special diamond file (if that exists)might work. Reason I ask is I have the same QV drop nose bar and a beat on chain I'd like to use once in awhile cutting real dirty stuff (otherwise that sits in the box of spares). As in branches pulled from the creek, etc. I know of no place around here who could sharpen them with a grinder. Only two saw shops and neither has that capability. It's no biggee, but I thought what the heck, might as well see if it could be sharpened and used once in awhile. I clear the creek once a year and it just eats up any sort of regular chains.

 

[sidehillgrowler]

tips break off

I've used both Rapco and Stihl carbide chain they cut great but will not hold up in hardwood. The tips break off where they are brazed on. I spent a lot of money hoping they would work because the wood I was cutting is extremely hard and dulls chains quickly. Best chain I use now is Stihl it is really good chain.

 

[tolman_paul]

Any decent sporting good store that carries knives will have a selection of diamond sharpeners.

The problem is even with a diamond sharpener it'll take you forever to hand file the chain. Especially because you are more likely to chip the teeth than round them and hence have to take off quite a bit of material.

Carbide really is best with abrasive materials and high temperature cutting environments where you aren't so much concerned with the tooth staying sharp, rather you want a material that doesn't get eaten away by what you are cutting, or pulverizing in some cases. Because of carbide's brittleness you cannot shape it into a chisel type shape as it'll just chip almost immediately. The tooth angle has to be more of a 80-90 degree side plate angle to survive, which makes it a less effective cutter in a chainsaw.

 

[Fred482]

Back when I lived in Easter NC and on the Vol FD we would get called out during hurricans to clear fallen trees in the road. 1st we used a carbide tip chain and decided soon after it would be best to get normal chain for those situations and install it just before the storm made land fall use it and after the storm switch back to the carbide. Made all the difference in the world

Same here, we usually have some amount of time after setting up traffic control. We then swap the rescue chain for the woodcutting chain(s) to remove the downed trees/limbs. We also have issued chaps for each saw. The SOG is to wear them whenever doing non-emergency work with the saw. That includes clearing roadways. Rescue ops are still done in full turnouts. The equipment is restored immediately after the call. This seems to work fine for us.

Two of my Captains and myself (B/C) carry saws equipped with wood chains in our response vehicles, strictly for roadway clearing tasks.

 

[spindrift7mm]

Do you guys, or have you ever, sharpened them by hand? I am wondering if a special diamond file (if that exists)might work. Reason I ask is I have the same QV drop nose bar and a beat on chain I'd like to use once in awhile cutting real dirty stuff (otherwise that sits in the box of spares). As in branches pulled from the creek, etc. I know of no place around here who could sharpen them with a grinder. Only two saw shops and neither has that capability. It's no biggee, but I thought what the heck, might as well see if it could be sharpened and used once in awhile. I clear the creek once a year and it just eats up any sort of regular chains.

Zogger give a dremel w/diamond bit a try. Should work for touch up,those bits are pricier than stones but not bad. I have'nt tried it yet but will this winter when things slow down abit. My buddy has a concrete outfit and uses a saw for cutting roots in his forms,he want to go to carbide but the sharpening is an issue. If that don't work I'll suggest Oregon power sharp and just eat up alot of chains which you could for the price of carbide.
Good Luck Ken

 

[zogger]

Zogger give a dremel w/diamond bit a try. Should work for touch up,those bits are pricier than stones but not bad. I have'nt tried it yet but will this winter when things slow down abit. My buddy has a concrete outfit and uses a saw for cutting roots in his forms,he want to go to carbide but the sharpening is an issue. If that don't work I'll suggest Oregon power sharp and just eat up alot of chains which you could for the price of carbide.
Good Luck Ken

Good idea, once I get a dremel that works! As it is now, I just use whatever is my most worn out homerenter class chain(s).

 

[Gngyoung]

Eze lap worked but slowly

Not sure if I'm busting any rules here but eze-lap sells a chainsaw sharpener (google it) that can be used with a Dremel or drill. Does it work? Sure..... But how much time have you got? I have one hanging in my shed.... It took me a long time to re-grind one tooth and after a half hour I had three teeth done and promptly gave up. It might have taken all evening to sort out that carbide chain. But my point is, if you have the time to spend to regrind a carbide tooth, then you have more free time to maintain a steel chain. The diamond stone above will take you a long time to sharpen a hard/brittle carbide tip. Bottom line- carbide is good for must have rescue purposes where a life is in the line and it has to work ( those are 300 plus dollar loops by the way, not the ones under discussion) but if you're just cutting wood, use steel. If you don't want to bother sharpening steel chains, then trust me you will not bother with carbide chains.

Go figure....

 

[user 64030]

.... If you don't want to bother sharpening steel chains, then trust me you will not bother with carbide chains.

Go figure....

Excellent point. I cannot see the point of carbine less cutting efficiency, harder to sharpen, higher initial as well as long term cost. Seems a loose/loose for the OP... UNless lifes are on the line then buy the top dollar carbide and cut whatever needs cutting.


dw