custom felling spikes
- Thread starter snuffbandit
- Start date
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HuskStihl
Chairin'em for the sound
What are you gonna use and how ya gonna do it?
snuffbandit
addicted to chainsaws
I'm going to use carbon steel and leave it untempered so I don't Crack the case from the leverage. I'm going to use a plasma cutter to cut out the general shape, the a spindle sander and a flap disc on an angle grinder To refine the shape and a drill press to make the holes for mounting them onto the saw
Deets066
Firewood hack
Hope it works out for ya, why you want em so big?
snuffbandit
addicted to chainsaws
When you use a big aggressive spike compared to a normal spike it's hard to go back to a normal one. And it makes for cutting the notch easier
snuffbandit
addicted to chainsaws
Finished up the spike on monday and damn does it work good. But like normal I shead a bit of blood on this project haha. 
go big or go home baby
imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
Properly sharpened saws with a very extended lower spike tend to get bogged all the time. Bigger isn't always better.
This has been my experience as well.
jetmd
ArboristSite Operative
Everyone has their preference. I personally like big dawgs. and the best part is you did it yourself.
A day spent in the shop beats sitting on you ass watching some stupid TV show.
A day spent in the shop beats sitting on you ass watching some stupid TV show.
imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
On the other hand though, if you don't know how to sharpen a saw properly then much bigger spikes could certainly be the thing for you. Seems safer than standing on top of the saw while cutting after all.
Maybe you should learn how to handle the saw so you don't bog it out. The size of the dogs has nothing to do with how a saw runs. Here in the west we have trees with very rough, thick bark. Big dogs help hold the saw to the tree especially when putting in a Humboldt. That does not mea I bog the saw. Each situation demands the sawyer pay attention to what he is doing. There is nothing macho about big dogs. They just help professionals do the job better.
On the other hand if you don't know how to use them then stay away form big trees with rough bark.
I can't comment on the "looks".
HuskStihl
Chairin'em for the sound
The bottom cut on a Humboldt or Swanson face is a PITA with "too small" dogs. I got a set of laser cut ones from Nate (metals406) for my 394 that are great
I think the comment on big dogs causing the saw to bog down is because of leverage that a large lower spike can create. A friend had a Husq. 359 for a while and it had large AM bucking spikes that I just could not get accustomed to. At first I thought something was wrong with the way it ran(powerless dog), then realized that it was leveraging into the wood and basically stalling out the clutch. The saw ran great if you didnt allow the spikes to get into the tree and catch etc. Anyway, it seemed like it took more concentration and actually more work to run it because it had to kept away. Obviously not all of the oversize spikes cause this or they wouldnt be as popular as they are, and maybe this combo I ran just wasnt set up correctly and it has jaded my view on them. I do think they look nice and agressive. My 2 cents if its even worth that!
It is good that you are looking at the reasons the saw was bogging. Big dogs on a home owner saw make no sense.
BTW a few months ago I ordered a set of dogs off ebay for my MS261. They didn't look to be too big but they were. I ended up switching them for the dogs already on the MS361. The 261 is a good fit for the Stihl dogs but the 361 may need to get yet another set, still too big.
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
Actually they do bog saws in many Australian hardwood species. Ultra sharp spikes tend to sit on top of the bark, bite in once the chain grabs, the spikes then penetrate the bark, and pull the saw into the cut too fast - it's like an elastic loaded saw if you get my drift (hard to explain). Had it happen numerous times on a ported 390XP with some imported spikes from the US (can't remember the name but they were the 5 spike version). Horses for courses and I'm well aware you do need long spikes on certain species that you cut. Threads about this have been posted before many years ago, probably by me
They were also that sharp that they slowed production down by sticking in TOO far!
imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
Awwww c'mon 2 dogs you just finished a post saying nothing wrong with bigger dogs and it's the operator, now you're saying your dogs are too big?
We don't have the 5" bark that you guys can get, but plenty of granddaddy radiatas with 3"+ of crumbly flakey bark. Longer dogs help there, but anybody who has ran a saw with a very extended lower dog that was much further south than the original will agree it turns a sweet saw into a pig. Especially if your saw is actually sharp and self feeds. You end up having to keep the saw off the dogs just to make it usable.
I've trialed a bunch of aftermarket dogs because the smaller single dogs that come on some saws aren't up to the task and the stihl dual dogs are $$$ here. Most guys go way overboard when making aftermarket dogs, and make them out of the wrong material too so they bend often. I've thrown out more than a few. To be honest, I think the stihl big dual dogs really have hit the sweet spot on the lower spike though the middles could do to be a little longer. If someone made exact aftermarket copies of the stihl duals out of decent metal that didn't bend, I think they'd clean up nicely.
snuffbandit
addicted to chainsaws
here in mn a larger dog with semi sharp teeth is the way to go considering all the trees around here either have a thin and weak bark or they have racks for bark, i just needed somthing that would get through the bark on soft woods and stick good to hardwoods. having the lower spike with more leverage is a plus in my eyes as it causes you to focus more on how the saw looks feels and sounds more than if you had the stock spike and therefore keeps you more aware and safe.
