Carbide tipped chainsaw chain
- Thread starter Railomatic
- Start date
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I am new to the site, but I have been using Stihl brand carbide chains on my company's firewood saws. Mostly Stihl 290's & a couple 460's... I personally have started to use my personal saw (661 c-m) with a steel chain more often than not, for various reasons. We cut about 12-14 tons of wood a day, each. 5 days a week, for three months straight in the fall to sell. one cut after another until the pile is gone The wood is mostly oak, locust, sycamore, and ash.
The reason I decided to use my own steel, instead of carbide was for a couple reasons...
I hear all these story's of people cutting rocks and metal with a carbide chain, and I can't see it happening.
I ruined a full loop of Stihl 16" carbide chain on the first cut with it last year.
Every carbide cutter on the left was broken beyond repair by hitting a single drywall screw embedded in a log. I finished that cut with a steel chain, including hitting another screw & it just needed a quick hand file and hit the rakers to cut better than new again.
This is not a one time ocurrance, and we regularly have the cutters snap off, or shatter without any sparks or warning whatsoever.
I used to cast blame for dipping it into the dirt, or into the gravel, dropping the saw in the truck, Ect.
I am not sure the real reason, and I don't blame people anymore as I do it myself while doing none of those things. Debris (other than fine dirt or sand) in the wood with a carbide chain is a pretty expensive lesson to learn on your own dime.
That said, we have been able to go a full season on a single chain per saw in the past & if you are careful with what you cut.
I use husqvarna brand chain oil, and carbide chain tends to stretch past the point the tensioner can compensate before it slows down considerably- cutting clean dry wood. My steel chain is lucky to go a half day without a touchup, but I can get a full season of cutting circles around carbide in productivity, often halving my time spent & cutting the same amount of wood each day, out of just two steel chains. Again, if I am careful & keep them sharp.
The reason I decided to use my own steel, instead of carbide was for a couple reasons...
I hear all these story's of people cutting rocks and metal with a carbide chain, and I can't see it happening.
I ruined a full loop of Stihl 16" carbide chain on the first cut with it last year.
Every carbide cutter on the left was broken beyond repair by hitting a single drywall screw embedded in a log. I finished that cut with a steel chain, including hitting another screw & it just needed a quick hand file and hit the rakers to cut better than new again.
This is not a one time ocurrance, and we regularly have the cutters snap off, or shatter without any sparks or warning whatsoever.
I used to cast blame for dipping it into the dirt, or into the gravel, dropping the saw in the truck, Ect.
I am not sure the real reason, and I don't blame people anymore as I do it myself while doing none of those things. Debris (other than fine dirt or sand) in the wood with a carbide chain is a pretty expensive lesson to learn on your own dime.
That said, we have been able to go a full season on a single chain per saw in the past & if you are careful with what you cut.
I use husqvarna brand chain oil, and carbide chain tends to stretch past the point the tensioner can compensate before it slows down considerably- cutting clean dry wood. My steel chain is lucky to go a half day without a touchup, but I can get a full season of cutting circles around carbide in productivity, often halving my time spent & cutting the same amount of wood each day, out of just two steel chains. Again, if I am careful & keep them sharp.
