Its Oregon Vanguard chain, and I use it if the saw comes with it. I won't buy a new loop, and I would only take a free loop if it was new. You have to file the depth gauge from the inside out, and .025 to .030 seems to be the sweet spot. I have never kept one on long enough to wear one out. Its full chisel, so it cuts well when sharp, supposed to be low kickback, which I don't argue with, but I don't test it either. Someone here even sent me a Vanguard chain on a saw that he had square ground. It just seems/IS a little slower than LPX IMHO. And it also seems that when you get past the 60-70% wear mark on the cutter, it stops cutting freely, and if you take the gauges down more than .030 it gets real grabby. Thats been my experience anyway. Oregon seems to be full of ideas when it comes to chains, as the Power Sharp idea is back from them.
So If I understand this you back file it down with a a round file? It seems like it could be time consuming and a hassle. Do they still sell this stuff?
Thanks for the info on this