My first lunched chain

[precaud]

Was bucking some logs last night with the PS401 and an hour or so in I noticed smoke coming off the bar. Touched it and WOW that sucker was hot. Chain was throwing a nice line of oil, so not that. Can a bad sprocket do this? Let it cool, made another cut, and smoke again.

Examined the chain tonight and voila, 16 teeth were badly damaged, most of them on one side. In many years of cutting I've never had this happen. Must have been an embedded rock or a nail.

Amazing how much heat this generated. Nice to have a spare ready to go.

 

[Dadatwins]

16 cutters is a lot, learn to tune your ear to the different tones that the saw makes while cutting. Also look at the chips coming out the back of the saw. Embedded nails/metal make a pinging sound, concrete sort of a thud and then saw will throw powder. PS 401 is a nice saw, I have an older one and it still works great. Always good to have a few extra chains.

 

[Peacock]

Not to mention that 16 cutters will spark pretty much like the 4th.

 

[precaud]

16 cutters is a lot, learn to tune your ear to the different tones that the saw makes while cutting. Also look at the chips coming out the back of the saw. Embedded nails/metal make a pinging sound, concrete sort of a thud and then saw will throw powder. PS 401 is a nice saw, I have an older one and it still works great. Always good to have a few extra chains.

The bar was completely buried at the time, and I live on a busy street, so it's no surprise I didn't hear anything.

What chain do you run on your 401?

 

[adkranger]

16 cutters is a lot, learn to tune your ear to the different tones that the saw makes while cutting. Also look at the chips coming out the back of the saw. Embedded nails/metal make a pinging sound, concrete sort of a thud and then saw will throw powder. PS 401 is a nice saw, I have an older one and it still works great. Always good to have a few extra chains.

Yup, when you get in tune with the tone the chain is making in the wood you can limit the damage by imbedded hardware, rocks, concrete, etc.... May make the difference between three or four teeth and twenty. I've run into all sorts of crap, horseshoes(sure wasn't lucky for me), sickle blades, fence posts, rocks and even a peavey cant hook. All them damn old timers hangin' their implements in the tree for storage.....:bang: :bang:

 

[andrethegiant70]

I learned the hard way that when you hit "resistance" you stop and look carefully at the cutters. I tried to push through it. It took me an hour and a half to put that chain back in order (36in bar). A rock will "smoke" like concrete but I suppose it could depend on the rock.