Chainsaw Chain

[don]

Is there a good discussion on chains in this forum?
I am looking to see what is a good brand of chain or are they all the same. Also, what type of chain is used on different size bars and wood. Is there a book on this? I asked this once before and ended up with one good opinion. I figuire there is more opinions out there. Finally, when is a good place to get bulk chain at wholesale in 50 or 100 feet rolls?Chainsaw Chain

 

[Tony Snyder]

Opinions, here are one.

I guess you would want to know what chain suits your needs and likes before you should want 50 or 100 feet of it. My guess is that you would be better off with loops.

I is hard to beat Carlton or Windsor, but then Oregon is good also.

If everyone could buy things wholesale in small quantities, there wouldn't be much need for distributors or us, or is it we, dealers.

The chain guru is out there, looking, and smiling, waiting for things to get interesting.

 

[treeclimber165]

If there was one perfect chain for ALL saws, we wouldn't have any other type. But different chains are used on different saws in different applications.
Are you just asking in general? Or for a particular saw? I use 3 different types/sizes of chain on 3 different saws. But I generally use Stihl chain because it seems to hold an edge a lot longer (therefore it lasts longer).

Please give a little more info and be a little more specific in your question. Asking for the 'BEST' chain is kinda like asking for the 'BEST' chainsaw. Whatcha wanna do with it?

You can also use the search feature to look up threads on chain. I'm sure there can't be more than a few hundred since this forum started.

 

[don]

Specific chain use

This specific job is for building and grounds on a church and they are going to put up another building. To do this they must cut down pine trees and a couple live oaks. (est. 30 cords) Also we need to cut up a couple of palm trees. The largest tree has a diameter of 6 feet. They have a large saw 066 and need the appropriate accessories to accomplish the task. They have a log cabin up in the mountains where the forest service tags a couple of trees every year to drop for firewood. The trees near the cabin are usually pine from 40 to 80 feet with a base diameter of 3 to 6 feet. We want to figuire out what kind of chain to cut up 5 to 10 cords of wood on soft pine and occassional hardwood every year. Figuire it would be best to buy in bulk and go from there. My experience is when I lived in Illinois and cut back brush and timber for a farm CO-OP of couple farmers and sold the wood for the fireplace. Ice storms create good money but towing/pulling people out of ditches with a tractor was easier money. Not much of this going on in Southern California.
Just allot of construction.

 

[Newfie]

Hi Don,

Like Snydert mentioned the major brands are all good chain. Many people have preferences based on their own experiences.

As for your other questions, there are many types of chain and pitches and gauges. What kind of saw? What length bar? I prefer 3/8 pitch, .050 gauge, full comp, round chisel. It's always worked well in many different situations on many different saws and bar lengths.

A site like Oregon.com has a wealth of info on chain styles and the various uses, etc,etc,etc...

You really could write a book on all of the variations. Check out some of the sites like Bailey's or Madsen's or Commercial cutters direct to see all of the chain they have available and what it can do. They sell chain in bulk rolls, but their loop prices are so cheap that I really can't see the hassle in making my own loops.(that's just me,I guess). The tools for assembly and the shipping for reels would seem to me that you would have to use a LOT of chain all the time to make it work financially.

Figure out which chain or chains you like before you buy a reel of anything. Hope this helps but with such a huge topic you can't do much but be general without specific use facts.

 

[Newfie]

Guess I type too slow. Your usage doesn't sound like a need for a reel of anything. Chains can be sharpened and rotated, I would guess 3 or 4 loops would do ya fine.

 

[treeclimber165]

WOW, that is a mighty big saw for occassional use. You could probably hire a licensed, qualified tree company for the cost of that saw.
At the small company I am working with, we have 9 or 10 saws between myself and the owner. The BIGGEST is an 066. I have been there almost 4 months and we do removals almost every day. I have pulled out the 066 for ONE CUT since I have been there.
I would recommend a couple more reasonably sized saws for your task. Unless you have a huge stump cut, the 066 will be too heavy and dangerous for your task. (On those pines, do you really mean 6' DIAMETER? or CIRCUMFERENCE?) For 99% of your tree work, smaller saws will actually be faster, easier and safer.

 

[Stumper]

I have used Carlton, Stihl, Oregon, and Techron(Homelite) Chain with complete satisfaction. I bought a partial reel of Sabre chain years ago and used it-not bad chain but seemed softer than the other brands and required more frequent sharpening. I believe that Blount (Oregon) owns just about everyone named except Stihl now. I agree with Newfie that you probably don't need chain in bulk for your usage. Wood doesn't dull chain much. If you keep the saw chain out of the dirt/rocks and learn to hand file, 1 loop of chain will cut an enormous amount of wood. I have come to prefer skiptooth chain for large saws/long bars since it takes less time to sharpen when you do slip up and dull the saw. Chisel chain dominates the market-it looks and cuts aggressively. However it also loses its 'fine edge' more easily The leading point on the tooth is suceptible to damage from foreign objects etc. I prefer old style chipper chain for the saw I use for cutting stumps and dirty wood.Happy cutting.

 

[Dennis]

chain arguments are like file arguments around here...someone says Oregon is the best..Others say Jonsered files...and someone else says Pferd...but lots dont know that Jonsered and Oregon are made by Vallorbe...Husky files are Pferd files...yet I get arguments about that as well...I believe its called "stump mentality"

 

[don]

Size of trees and economics

As far as hiring somebody. In the cities with the oaks you must pay an arborist registered with the city to drop the oaks (3 feet or higher). $500 each tree just to drop it. The oaks must be dead or you have to try and transplant them! There is a guy in a nearby city who cut down several oaks and they are fining him around a million dollars. They don't care about the pines. Then anyone can cut it up. Hopefully no tree lover finds out or else they will camp out in the tree (I am not kidding). One city has 6 planners and less than 10 acres of undeveloped land! Most quotes we get are around $1500 to $3500 a tree. Add that up for a dozen trees ! Stump grinding is $100 an inch. Yes the pines do get 6 feet across in the mountains and we cut one last year with a base of over 7 feet and that is not the circumference. We used a saw with a 24 inch bar to drop it and had to cut several wedges out to get a sufficient cut to drop it. It is difficult to find a saw to rent with a bar greater than 24 inches around here. The cabin is in the Los Angeles forest about an hour drive from the nearest town. As far as buying loops ... a 32 inches loop will run about $30 to $40 each and a 25 inch will cost $20. Figuire 3 of each and we are talking $150 to $180. Street price for a roll of 100 feet chain is around $200. Which is easier, the loops but the roll is more cost effective. So you use less than 50 feet of chain and sell the rest or just buy 50 feet of chain.

 

[fordclevo]

treeclimber165,

With regaurd to your 'size' post, I use an 89cc saw as the 'baby' 20" or less, and anything else is a 106cc, 111cc, 122cc or 137cc. I feel the bigger saws are better because 1) they can take more long hard work, 2) are faster, and 3) easier to sharpen and maintan. That said cutting up small branches 2" thick with an 89cc saw and .404" chain is overkill, clumsy, dangerous, and would be better done with a small saw.

don,

I agree about buying a roll of chan, its cheaper for me anyhow. One of the distributors here has a permanent deal: "buy a roll and I will cut and join it to what ever loops you want FREE" I get this deal everytime.

Fordclevo

 

[tony marks]

dont know if theres a way to go back far enough. but there was a post at one time that amounted to a short course in chains and their function and care. oops just remembered ,it was on garden tools forum.think walt was still there then

 

[Newfie]

Hi Don,

I have to chime in again. I deal with my local dealer for my saws and stuff I need right away, otherwise it is online or mail order to save big dollars. Your chain loop prices are comparable to what my local dealer charges. But Bailey's (HQ'ed in sunny Cali) has 105 DL 32" loops for $18.95, 84 DL 24" for $14.95. Madsen's and Commercial Cutters are also reasonable or cheaper all with fair shipping costs. Buying a whole reel may run into the problem of extra shipping for the weight. I think most of the mail order houses are selling a 100 ft. reel of oregon 72LG for about $220 plus shipping. As I said before there is also the added cost of the tools required to properly make up the loops. For me the math didn't work.

In any event, sounds like some fun cutting. I like the crash of big timber!

 

[Weatherby]

Don,

Just out of curiosity what type of pine are you talking about? Also for fairly good deals on loops of windsor chain up to 84 DL for 3/8", www.arbordirect.com has reasonable prices. $11.50 for 84 DL

 

[don]

Appropiate tool for the Job and tool cost

I agree with the extra cost of the right tool to connect the chain together is cost prohibitive. Also, there is an expertise to join chain and the concern of an chain coming apart because of poor workmanship. There are a couple of associates I know who have the equipment to join chain and would do it themselves or allow me to do it. I guess they join motorcycle chain. When it comes to safety I prefer to let the expert take over and help out. So why not get a tree pro to drop the trees? $12000 reasons.

As far as what this big saw 066 is going to be used for the wood with a diameter of 18 inches or more. Have a 25 and 32inch bar. We will use a Sears saw for the small stuff.

As far as 2" branches, wouldn't even use a saw because of kickback hazard. An axe works just fine.

Well gotta go clean the ashes off the car and get out of here. Los Padres fire is now over 6000 acres and the Golden State is having a goldin sunrise, ashes not optional.

 

[Stumper]

Don , I'd worry more about ax kickback than my chainsaw! Must be a matter of familiarity.
$100 per inch for stump grinding!!!!!???? I hope that is a typo? I'll load up and come to CA for $5.00 per inch and a guarantee of at least 800 inches.

 

[don]

Stump Grinding

No I am not joking. One guy quoted $100 an inch citing the time to go to the job and back. Insurance, city permits, risk of hiting or breaking something in the ground. What we will probably do is drop the trees and leave the stumps there until the geologist report concludes what to do with the foundation of the new building. When it is excavated we''ll have a dozer or backhoe rip them out and deal with any piping damage at that time since the pipes are around 40 years old ( and are near the end of their life anyway). I don't know if it would be worth your time dealing with the area bureaucrats. I don't know what kind of pine tres they are. The ones in the mountains are straight up with few small branches. The ones in town are much shorter with several very twisty branches. From far away they look like a live Oak but they are pine trees.

 

[toolmaker]

Don, look into commecial cutters out of New york. i just bought 4 loops of Oregon 72lp for $46.00 delivered for my MS460. About half the cost of local.