Chain for Australian hardwood

[rogue60]

Do they run the bosh ignition or sem?
As I’m sure you know, they are unreliable, if you’d like a Phillips capacitor for the foggysale fix if it is a bosh ignition, let me know I’ll send one your way.

It ran good the last time I used it but that was a few years ago now.
If the coil chits itself I give up lol
The Stihl dealer here can't even plug in a 661 to tell ya what wrong with it... Ya just get a blank look if ya say apparently they need this update version 3 coil solenoids ****.

 

[Mike Gudgeon]

It ran good the last time I used it but that was a few years ago now.
If the coil chits itself I give up lol
The Stihl dealer here can't even plug in a 661 to tell ya what wrong with it... Ya just get a blank look if ya say apparently they need this update version 3 coil solenoids ****.

Doesn't the Stihl rep ever come to town? Might be a good bloke to know if the local bloke's no good.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

It ran good the last time I used it but that was a few years ago now.
If the coil chits itself I give up lol
The Stihl dealer here can't even plug in a 661 to tell ya what wrong with it... Ya just get a blank look if ya say apparently they need this update version 3 coil solenoids ****.

haha all good, if the ignition is Bosch and it does crap itself if you are happy to cover the postage, send the ignition my way and I’ll do the fix for you

 

[Dennisthemenace]

This was /is a great thread fellas, good info and discussion and no bitchin/sarcasm/in - jokes like you sometimes see elsewhere.
Cool pics and fantastic Dad stories from rogue60.
I learnt a lot from this and a bit later thread "sharpening after hitting a rock". Cheers

 

[Oldroanio]

Any advice for chain on an ms 271 cutting up dry delagatensis, regnans and obliqua?

 

[davidwyby]

Always enjoy a good aussie thread. I am another californio in the desert cutting 20 year dried up euc. Fun challenge for sure.
Hiya @rogue60

Here’s some of my cutting, more on my channel. I’m still learning, but the fastest cutting so far was .404 full chisel. The longest lasting raisman semi chisel in the video. 3/8” square ground is looking promising.

 

[davidwyby]

On maintaining sharpness: I have found .404 to hold up much better. Search YouTube for redbull661 .404…he tests it definitively.

I have some discontinued oregon dpx semi chisel 3/8” Multicut/Duracut which is triple chrome plated for longer stay sharp. Out of the box cutting performance seems slow, but it does seem to stay sharp. I am going to try putting some hook in it and see how that does. Maybe also modify the safety humps into chip sweepers - rakers.

Regarding chain speed : I believe slower speed will increase sharpness longevity - but here’s a funny thing. A .404” rim sprocket is the same diameter as an 8 pin 3/8” sprocket…so the chain speed of .404” would theoretically be faster than 3/8”-7pin.


I have found that the euc is so hard that it is hard to get a bite, and the chain can be a little more aggressive than i originally thought for hard wood…but if you get too aggressive, big chatter! Here is a sample of that:

Something I learned from @rogue60 is not to get too aggressive with the rakers, and use the dogs to exert a little pressure to settle vibrations from the hard wood. Fast softwood cookie cutting method of sharpening aggressively and dropping the rakers and letting the saw pull down through the wood doesn’t work as well.

lastly, here is some factory Stihl square ground 3/8”. It shows promise for speed, smoothness, and stay sharp. Square is not supposed to stay sharp in dirty wood, but on the other hand the working corner is much more supported than on full chisel round filed. It can also be sharpened for speed or stay sharp angles.

 

[davidwyby]

@Ted Jenkins I would much like to get together and compare notes…I know of no other saw heads in SoCal.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

@Ted Jenkins I would much like to get together and compare notes…I know of no other saw heads in SoCal.

David I am pretty easy to contact. Google Firewood in Lake Arrowhead, Twin Peaks or Google T Jenkins & Co. PM is also OK. There is Tim in Hemit who has been around a long time, but he does not do much chainsaw work. I am open for ideas on most any thing. I have thousands of cords but difficult to connect with the right situations. Thanks

 

[GoldField]

That combination used to be common here as well- when we were still able to use a chainsaw in anger against Native trees.

Think most all of the Gums in California came from the guy that designed Golden Gate Park and other plantings within the San Francisco region, then they probably just gathered up the Gum Nuts and scattered them around the State.

Enjoyed reading all the posts in this thread. There must be a story behind Trains' avatar.

One thing for certain, if you're not proficient in sharpening a chain, keep cutting the eucalyptus and you will be. "Necessity is the mother to invention." Sharpness of the chain is everything in my opinion, and by the way, I think eucalyptus is one of the best firewoods.

Regarding the California eucalyptus, whether they come from the genetically same stock or not, the climate along the coast (Golden Gate Park) is dramatically different than the climate found in the inland valley and the high desert area. I would suspect that these very different climates probably create some variation in the density of these eucalyptus.

A few weeks ago I was cutting some of that "eucalyptus cement". Still have some of that red dust scattered throughout the back of the SUV. Looking forward to getting some cold weather to start burning it.

Again, great info in this thread.

 

[davidwyby]

From poking around SoCal it seems the climate where the wood dies has more to do with how hard it is. If there is moisture such as in the mountains or the coast it doesn’t get as hard as it does baking in the desert…all woods are hardened here. See the crystallized sap.

 

[davidwyby]

I’m working on dreaming up a simple field hardness tester, should be interesting.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Enjoyed reading all the posts in this thread. There must be a story behind Trains' avatar.

One thing for certain, if you're not proficient in sharpening a chain, keep cutting the eucalyptus and you will be. "Necessity is the mother to invention." Sharpness of the chain is everything in my opinion, and by the way, I think eucalyptus is one of the best firewoods.

Regarding the California eucalyptus, whether they come from the genetically same stock or not, the climate along the coast (Golden Gate Park) is dramatically different than the climate found in the inland valley and the high dessert area. I would suspect that these very different climates probably create some variation in the density of these eucalyptus.

A few weeks ago I was cutting some of that "eucalyptus cement". Still have some of that red dust scattered thru out the back of the SUV. Looking forward to getting some cold weather to start burning it.

Again, great info in this thread.

I often tell Australian boys that I know much more about cutting Euc then they do and of course they say what they want. However California has the widest array of hardwoods and Euc that will rival any place in the world. I have cut Euc in several central to Northern Cal places with several in between. There is not any thing that compares to dried Euc in our desert communities with twenty plus years of blowing sand in the heat of the summer. It takes plenty of sharpening and patience to fill up a truck. Because Euc is so plentiful and does not decay it is often a very cheap alternative to Live Oak. I would have to say it burns fine even though you can not cook with it. Thanks

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I often tell Australian boys that I know much more about cutting Euc then they do and of course they say what they want. However California has the widest array of hardwoods and Euc that will rival any place in the world. I have cut Euc in several central to Northern Cal places with several in between. There is not any thing that compares to dried Euc in our desert communities with twenty plus years of blowing sand in the heat of the summer. It takes plenty of sharpening and patience to fill up a truck. Because Euc is so plentiful and does not decay it is often a very cheap alternative to Live Oak. I would have to say it burns fine even though you can not cook with it. Thanks

BUT- you have never cut Eucalyptus IN Australia though eh?

 

[Ted Jenkins]

BUT- you have never cut Eucalyptus IN Australia though eh?

I never said I have not cut wood or Euc in Australia. I have a whole slug of relatives from down under. How about cutting acacia which is also pretty and hard. Thanks

 

[rogue60]

Amateurs lol
There is no secret to cutting Aussie hardwoods.
Clean timber a correctly sharpened chain and touched up after every tank of fuel.
Dirty timber yeah sharpen more if you have to you do what it takes.
If someone's hand filing is lacking they will suffer cutting Aussie hardwoods. No one here carries 10 spare chains with them to swap out they actually just learn how to and be good at hand filing it's basic stuff.
See the pattern here yeah learn how to be fast and efficient at filing.
I better add I'm not an idiot and do not recommend everyone throw there filing guides in the bin just because I don't use guides lol... If someone gets satisfactory results using filing guides keep on doing what works for you a sharp consistent chain is what the goal is use whatever gets you there.
Softwoods or hardwoods contaminated timber with dirt/dust/sand and **** will trash dull chains fast has nothing to do with the hardness of the timber.

 

[rogue60]

I often tell Australian boys that I know much more about cutting Euc then they do and of course they say what they want. However California has the widest array of hardwoods and Euc that will rival any place in the world. I have cut Euc in several central to Northern Cal places with several in between. There is not any thing that compares to dried Euc in our desert communities with twenty plus years of blowing sand in the heat of the summer. It takes plenty of sharpening and patience to fill up a truck. Because Euc is so plentiful and does not decay it is often a very cheap alternative to Live Oak. I would have to say it burns fine even though you can not cook with it.

California has some of our softer hardwoods and you find it tough going? or is it that the timber has sand and crap in it you find tough going?.
Imagine if you actually had to deal with some of our hard hardwoods lol
And just a reality check Australia is the home of Australian Eucalyptus forests what little Euc California has is a joke possibly some of the worst examples of Eucalyptus in the world I'd ask for a refund myself.

 

[davidwyby]

@rogue60 some of the logs from the euc pile I was originally cutting must have been dirty, dull in one cut if I got lucky and didn’t hit a nail. But lately the square has been holding sharp pretty good in the ones I’ve been cutting. Luck of the draw I guess in how that were handled and where they sat.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

California has some of our softer hardwoods and you find it tough going? or is it that the timber has sand and crap in it you find tough going?.
Imagine if you actually had to deal with some of our hard hardwoods lol
And just a reality check Australia is the home of Australian Eucalyptus forests what little Euc California has is a joke possibly some of the worst examples of Eucalyptus in the world I'd ask for a refund myself.

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It would be great if we could get a refund on anything but we will not. Australia has some very beautiful Euc forest that Californians could only dream of. Anybody that would complain about cutting in the Australian forest are just plain wrong. I hear very often about how some guys use chisel bit chains from time to time. That alone should tell the whole story on the situation. The desert Euc that we have does not even come close to the trees that are grown in and around communities that are not in the desert. My biggest point has always been that the clean hardwoods are so easy compared to the very very dry wind blown desert Euc trees. A chisel bit chain of any brand will last less than five minutes before it is completely useless. Thanks

 

[splitpost]

Interesting read fellas