Finally got a real test for the DN361

[EastwoodGang4]

skip chain.

In your opinion what advantages do you see with the semi chisel skip chain. just curious to see if it's worth buying one for firewood cutting.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

There are 2 instances that it's good to use skip chain. One is with big saws and long long bars. The cutters are cutting from the time they enter the wood till the time they exit, and on really long bars, the chips build up to the point that they hold the cutters out of the wood. Skip chains have more space between the teeth for chip buildup.

The other instance that you might use skip chain is when you are using a bar that is on the verge of being too long for the saw. Fewer cutters in the wood take less power to pull and the saw doesn't bog as badly.

The disadvantage as I understand it is that they are grabbier, aren't as smooth in the cut and are more prone to kickback than full compliment chain.

Ian

 

[GASoline71]

And how would you know????

Let's just say I know this guy.....

Gary

 

[manual]

There are 2 instances that it's good to use skip chain. One is with big saws and long long bars. The cutters are cutting from the time they enter the wood till the time they exit, and on really long bars, the chips build up to the point that they hold the cutters out of the wood. Skip chains have more space between the teeth for chip buildup.

The other instance that you might use skip chain is when you are using a bar that is on the verge of being too long for the saw. Fewer cutters in the wood take less power to pull and the saw doesn't bog as badly.

The disadvantage as I understand it is that they are grabbier, aren't as smooth in the cut and are more prone to kickback than full compliment chain.

Ian

I'll go with that,
I have been seeing some loggers going with a full skip on a 20" bar lately.

 

[SawTroll]

I'm not sure I understand. I inquired whether the narrower tip was weaker (or unsafe) when plunging, i.e., wouldn't recommend it be done on a regular basis.

Are you saying the narrower tip is not safe for plunge cutting or its just slower when used to plunge cut? I checked width of both bars just before the radius (with the chain on) and the Stihl is 3.875" and the Windsor is 3.50". It appeared there were the same amount of cutters counted within the radii of both bars.

Thanks. Greg

The narrow tip is slower and safer.

 

[Crofter]

The narrow tip is slower and safer.

Yep, but the reasons are not simple. Larger diameter tip sprocket the more effective at converting stored energy of engine/chain momentum into kickup/kickback energy. (longer lever) Oregon Engineer where are you?
Regarding boring speed, someone else too, mentioned interference of rakers being more on smaller nosed bars. The sharper you bend the chain the more the forward projecting bullet nose of the raker rises in relation to the cutter height (reduces or eliminates normal raker clearance) If you want to see the effect of raker nose profile, try Oregon LP (has bumper link and no projecting bullet nose on its rakers) and will still bore cut well with a narrow tip and compare it to chains such as the LG which has the bullet nose on the raker and can be hardly forced into the wood on a small tipped bar.
I expereimented a bit with altering raker profile to improve boring and speed cutting with bar burried cuts. It totally removes any of the kickback safety features and should not be done without knowing full well the results, but it does give you a good understanding of what the manufacturers have done to try to keep us from hurting ourselves.

 

[Lakeside53]

I'll go with that,
I have been seeing some loggers going with a full skip on a 20" bar lately.

Some guys do that arouhd here too... (but not many "loggers" use 20 inch ) They like the high chain speed and the quick sharpening... I run a full skip on my 28 / 066... and it can sure pull a full comp just fine at 32...

 

[SawTroll]

Franks statement is just the reason that I made that referense to raker shape in post #17, but I was too lazy to go into detail.

Guess who I originally learned it from........ :greenchainsaw:

Btw, Stihl RS, RM etc has the same raker shape as the LG, not the LP, and act accordingly.

 

[Greg Lees]

Franks statement is just the reason that I made that referense to raker shape in post #17, but I was too lazy to go into detail.

Guess who I originally learned it from........ :greenchainsaw:

Btw, Stihl RS, RM etc has the same raker shape as the LG, not the LP, and act accordingly.

What about Oregon DG? I normally run Stihl RS, but I got a couple of loops of DG to try with the Windsor bar since the large oak I'm going to use it on is on the ground, but still alive. (The roots were undercut by a stream that flooded quickly.) Thought the semi-chisel would stay sharp longer under those conditions.

Greg

 

[timistall]

Just unboxed my new EHP361 and compared it to my 5100 and 372xp. Not too much heavier than the 5100, slightly longer body(will not fit in older Husky case) Much lighter than the 372. Didn't think I'd go back to Stihl. Has 20" bar, most likely will be the one saw job when I don't have room for others. I think I have winner. Runs great, hard to bog down in all sizes of wood down here in the "South". May try 24" w/skip later.

 

[SawTroll]

What about Oregon DG? I normally run Stihl RS, but I got a couple of loops of DG to try with the Windsor bar since the large oak I'm going to use it on is on the ground, but still alive. (The roots were undercut by a stream that flooded quickly.) Thought the semi-chisel would stay sharp longer under those conditions.

Greg

DP corresponds to LP, and DG to LG, for raker setup.