chain suggestions, pretty specific use

[gjk5]

I have a mountain property here in CO, started doing some clearing today using a friends saw (I think it was a Stihl 290?), it was less than optimal. Knocking down 60' aspen and brushhogging trails with his tractor was pretty fun though!

I would like some direction on which chain to use on my saw for this specific application:

Stihl MS362
Almost exclusively standing or downed dead aspen (MAYBE some spruce or pine)
felling and bucking (most bucking on ground)
almost zero green wood
will buck into piles and bring in splitter
clearing trails and hunting meadows

I am relatively inexperienced at this but know basics.

Occasional scrub oak cutting to clear trails, may actually buy a pole saw for the little ones, my girls got beat up on the Ranger this weekend.

any input appreciated.

 

[Spectre468]

The MS 362 C-M is a great one saw plan. I would use RM or RS chain for your application. Just remember that it will be a little big for the small stuff and a little small for the really big stuff.

 

[treesmith]

RS chisel for clean wood, RM semi chisel for dirty/very rotten wood. RM takes dirt better and is easier to sharpen, RS cuts a lot quicker if its sharp.

 

[CTYank]

Definitely semi-chisel for dealing with any abrasives. It's a few percent slower, on the first cut, than chisel. Toss in a bit of dirt, and that flip-flops real quick, with advantage to semi. When chisel goes dull, even in clean wood, it's like someone flipped a switch.
To help keep you from taking off the edges by putting the bar into dirt, you'll likely want a cant hook or such. With that, you can make a bunch of cuts most-way through, roll a section of log, finish the cuts.

 

[gjk5]

thanks for the input folks.

Probably will buy a log jack and some wedges, RM sounds the way to go as more than half of these trees will be downed already, some for quite a while as we get to the less used trails. Almost all the rest will be standing dead, may have to take down a couple live aspen on the main road to my place.

I don't mind buying another chain for the standing dead and few live if it will make an appreciable difference though.....

 

[treesmith]

One chain is never enough

 

[gjk5]

I have a couple that came with the saw (pawn shop special, think I paid $300.....) but the one on it is dull and the package one says 25".

I would ideally like a couple styles for immediate use and a backup for each.

 

[gjk5]

also: going to rent a splitter, do any of them break down to 4's or 6's? sorry if a stupid question, they all seem to just split in half on the rental website.

 

[CTYank]

I have a couple that came with the saw (pawn shop special, think I paid $300.....) but the one on it is dull and the package one says 25".

I would ideally like a couple styles for immediate use and a backup for each.

One set of skills that will serve you very well as a sawyer are those involved in bar & chain maintenance, especially chain-filing. Once you learn the importance of touching up a chain every tankful or two, or when the saw spits dust rather than chips, those filing skills will really pay dividends. Life will be much easier on bar & chain, engine and you. Dull chain is dangerous.

Buying new chain, forget bar length #. Mfgs use a rubber ruler there. Info you need: pitch, gauge, # of drive links (#DL), and cutter type (e.g. chisel, semi-chisel). Often those #s are etched into the bar.