Husqvarna 565 chain questions

[norry]

I've been cutting wood with a Stihl 026 for years now. I love the saw, it works great, but I have an 18" bar on it and some of the wood that I am cutting is just too big for it.

After thinking and thinking about getting a Farmertec 372xp knockoff for what would have come to $300+ with a bar and chain, I ended up finding a Husq 565 with a 24" bar for $400. The seller said it had come with a safety chain, which he had taken off to put a full chisel chain on, but that he'd include both. Powerhead looks great, doesn't look like it's had much use.

I'm a firewood guy, not a professional arborist, so I put the safety (semi-safety, if I understand the number correctly) chain back on.

The bar oil was completely empty when I went to fill it up, and the chain that came mounted to the saw looks like it could have used some oil (no?) --



I went to put the other chain on, which is a Husky 46:



It cut, poorly, for about a minute before the bar cover came off and it threw the chain. I stopped, looked back at the references (I could have sworn I saw it as 0.058 somewhere, which is what the bar wants) and found it's 0.050. Grr.

Well, clearly I either need to change the bar or the chain. What I want to end up with is a 24" setup with low kickback chain - I know, the pros here are all groaning, but I don't do this for a living and I'd rather respect my limits. What's the best (or least bad, if you prefer) setup to get that done?

Thanks in advance for your time, and your patience with a firewood guy's question.

 

[Andyshine77]

There's a lot to digest here.

First, don't get the mindset safely chain is magically safer than non, it's really not. Learning how a saw can kick-back and how to deal with and prevent it, this is much more important and a must, no matter what chain you use.

Second, the chain pictured above is incredibly dull. With or without proper oiling, if you use the chain as is, it will generate so much heat that it will just burn the oil off. The bar oil reservoir needs to be filled up each refueling.

I recommend Stihl "RS" or "RM" chain. RS is full chisel, RM is semi-chisel. Husqvarna C83 is good chain, too. Obviously, you'll have to run the correct gauge bar and chain combination.

 

[huskihl]

I would take a look at your bar and see how close it is to needing replacement. The 050 versus 058 gauge kind of depends on what area you are in. I’d walk into your dealer and see which gauge he stocks. Some husky dealers primarily stock 058 and won’t sell 050. Around here, Stihl dealers usually stock 050.
As long as your chain is sharp, cutters are similar in length and the depth gauges are set properly, the 050 chain will run and cut straight in your 058 bar for now until the chain is used up.

 

[Karrl]

A sharp chain with properly set rakers is the safest option always. It’s like in a kitchen. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. If you’re starting a cut on a log a sharp chain will direct itself down into the log. Safety chains cut ok when new and sharp but they’re harder to get the rakers right as the chain wears down. Especially since there’s a million different raker designs on safety chain.

Congrats on the new saw btw, I think a 60-70cc saw is the perfect size for cutting firewood.

 

[norry]

There's a lot to digest here.

First, don't get the mindset safely chain is magically safer than non, it's really not. Learning how a saw can kick-back and how to deal with and prevent it, this is much more important and a must, no matter what chain you use.

Second, the chain pictured above is incredibly dull. With or without proper oiling, if you use the chain as is, it will generate so much heat that it will just burn the oil off. The bar oil reservoir needs to be filled up each refueling.

I recommend Stihl "RS" or "RM" chain. RS is full chisel, RM is semi-chisel. Husqvarna C83 is good chain, too. Obviously, you'll have to run the correct gauge bar and chain combination.

I had tried to feel the edges, but it sounds like that wasn't sensitive enough. It certainly did not cut well at all, which goes with what you're saying. What tipped you off that it was so dull, just from the picture?

And I do agree that there's no magically safe chain. But from my limited understanding, low kickback chain basically takes smaller bites because it can't advance as quickly through the wood. It does seem to me that it would follow that a kickback would be less violent. Not the case?

Oh, and while I'm asking dumb questions: you can interchange Stihl and Husqvarna chain? Stihl seems to list its chains as 25 inch. Same size as what Husqvarna is calling 24 inch, since they both seem to be 84 link?

I would take a look at your bar and see how close it is to needing replacement. The 050 versus 058 gauge kind of depends on what area you are in. I’d walk into your dealer and see which gauge he stocks. Some husky dealers primarily stock 058 and won’t sell 050. Around here, Stihl dealers usually stock 050.
As long as your chain is sharp, cutters are similar in length and the depth gauges are set properly, the 050 chain will run and cut straight in your 058 bar for now until the chain is used up.

How do I tell how used-up the bar is? It isn't old at all (paint on the sides looks pretty much new) but I'm a little concerned by the damage on the chain's drive links. What would have caused that? It doesn't really show up in the picture but occasional drive links are slightly deformed and won't pass through the bar smoothly anymore. Probably best to toss that chain, I'm thinking, but I don't want to ruin its replacement.

I don't think the bar itself was damaged by it, because I tried passing the original chain along it and it went freely. But what messed up the drive links? Just lack of oil from burning off, as Andyshine77 was describing? Or something else?

A sharp chain with properly set rakers is the safest option always. It’s like in a kitchen. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. If you’re starting a cut on a log a sharp chain will direct itself down into the log. Safety chains cut ok when new and sharp but they’re harder to get the rakers right as the chain wears down. Especially since there’s a million different raker designs on safety chain.

Congrats on the new saw btw, I think a 60-70cc saw is the perfect size for cutting firewood.

Thanks, it's definitely the nicest saw I've ever used. It has considerably more oomph than the Stihl 026 even though the 026 always felt pretty strong to me.

And I agree on that it should be sharp. My dumb move on not realizing how dull the chain was.

Thanks again for the comments, everyone. I learn something every time I come here.

 

[huskihl]

I had tried to feel the edges, but it sounds like that wasn't sensitive enough. It certainly did not cut well at all, which goes with what you're saying. What tipped you off that it was so dull, just from the picture?

And I do agree that there's no magically safe chain. But from my limited understanding, low kickback chain basically takes smaller bites because it can't advance as quickly through the wood. It does seem to me that it would follow that a kickback would be less violent. Not the case?

Oh, and while I'm asking dumb questions: you can interchange Stihl and Husqvarna chain? Stihl seems to list its chains as 25 inch. Same size as what Husqvarna is calling 24 inch, since they both seem to be 84 link?



How do I tell how used-up the bar is? It isn't old at all (paint on the sides looks pretty much new) but I'm a little concerned by the damage on the chain's drive links. What would have caused that? It doesn't really show up in the picture but occasional drive links are slightly deformed and won't pass through the bar smoothly anymore. Probably best to toss that chain, I'm thinking, but I don't want to ruin its replacement.

I don't think the bar itself was damaged by it, because I tried passing the original chain along it and it went freely. But what messed up the drive links? Just lack of oil from burning off, as Andyshine77 was describing? Or something else?



Thanks, it's definitely the nicest saw I've ever used. It has considerably more oomph than the Stihl 026 even though the 026 always felt pretty strong to me.

And I agree on that it should be sharp. My dumb move on not realizing how dull the chain was.

Thanks again for the comments, everyone. I learn something every time I come here.

The chain was probably thrown off and the drive links smash into the cutters and chain catcher and will deform the drive links. It happens. Flat file them off and run it.

Sounds like you have a relatively new .058 bar. I would probably keep it on there if you can source .058 chains locally.

 

[Philbert]

And I do agree that there's no magically safe chain. But from my limited understanding, low kickback chain basically takes smaller bites because it can't advance as quickly through the wood. It does seem to me that it would follow that a kickback would be less violent. Not the case?

Not the case. ‘Safety chain’ is a terrible name for it: it will cut off your arm or leg as easy as a tree limb, and not feel bad about it.

The correct term is ‘low kickback’ or ‘reduced kickback’ chain. Depending on the design, these chains typically have additional bumpers on the drive links or tie straps, that ‘fill in’ the space between cutters as they pass around the upper part of the bar nose (the ‘kickback zone’).

Properly sharpened they will bite off as much wood as a similar pitch cutter on a standard chain.

Low kickback chain may cut slower in two situations:
- if/when bore cutting with the nose of the bar (since they are specifically designed to not be aggressive there); and
- when cutting with longer bars (28”+?) , since the bumpers on some chains can reduce chip clearance.

But if you are cutting firewood, your chain is properly sharpened, and you are not burying your 24” bar in the wood, you should get good cutting performance.

Some bumpers can also provide a smoother cut in smaller diameter branches, which is where the design originated.

Philbert

 

[Bearcat22lr]

Some bumpers can also provide a smoother cut in smaller diameter branches, which is where the design originated.

Philbert

Never knew that, that's interesting.