Raker height for modified saws.

[Crofter]

How do you fellows running the smaller modified saws arrive at your fastest raker clearance. After you have pushed your max power into a higher rpm range do you find they will not cut as fast with a standard 25 or 30 thou clearance. In other words do you have to unload them by reducing raker clearance in order to let them RUN.

Frank

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Frank, I have always used 25 thou. as standard, but have lately used 20 thou., I find it is less wear and tear on everything.
However, I understand that some cutters use a lot more in the woods, such as 35 thou and more. EHP just keeps filing them off till the saw slows down without pushing on it.
John

 

[066 stihl]

I run 18-20 thous. raker clearances on small modified saws.

Ricky

 

[tony marks]

then ehp does somthin else, so it dont slw down anymore.. myself i find it really depends on other variables ,,but if i had to pick.. on my smaller cc saws it would be 20 also..any saw would have really over rev in cut to get me above
25.. an none do . but i am getting a good high rev in cut.. thats the idea aint it.. tried the 8 tooth 3/8 with 325 and 63 gauge on 16 today with my 962.. wanted to give the manufactures idea a look see. ..but didnt have any square chisel for it..
so not a fair comparisom.. im back to
7 tooth 3/8 square.. who ever set this saw up knew what was fast..
but they didnt have square filed

 

[Crofter]

I wondered if raker clearance could have an effect in what Dennis and Jokers were talking about in finding that the saw cut faster with a richer mixture. I am sure Dennis would be taking that into consideration but makes me wonder if that chain had fairly coarse raker setting.

Frank

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Frank, it's a good point to ponder, but unfortunately Jokers, nor Dennis can file, or grind.
John

 

[Jacob J.]

Sometimes if I want to slow the boss down, I point his "beek" in the other direction.

Then I could put him to work cutting "culls" on the landing, where he's most effective.

 

[tony marks]

i kinda go with wht i believe ehp said.. u get thing holdin 11.500 or more in heavy cut ,,i gotta think that would test the durability of the saw .. better keep it at an point where it gets old with u.. jmo

 

[jokers]

but unfortunately Jokers, nor Dennis can file, or grind.

That`s true John, but someday I may grow up, and if I do, I may learn to file or grind or maybe I`ll just send all of my chains out via the postal service. I`ve seen a few places who advertise on the net.

Russ

 

[ehp]

well it depends onpower and the wood you are cutting
on our popular that is quite hard the fastest time set-up for me on a 3120 stroker is a 12 tooth gear .050 chain filed at a wild angle to most of you and rackers set at .038
now with a 13 tooth and less racker it was just a bit faster but i use this saw also as a stock app, and it would not pull a 13 as good so i made a happy medeum.
i know most guys like rackers above .025 and if you are cutting soft wood that works well but i donot like the feel of it and i would sooner let the saw cut than me push because if you push your switches will be longer out of the wood which adds time
now racker height has to go with your tooth's angle also but that will turn in to a pissing match so i will leave that alone
but i can say this for sure on 3/8 chain none of the guys that are winning the big shows are using under .025 racker most are at .027 to .032 and some are like me and woodland which are more and woodland lowers his more than mine
now on what Dennis G said , he is right on the money on being richer to cut faster , gypo you seen that so you should understand that
my 346 works better and is faster at 600 rpm's below what husky says to set it at , this 281 only turns 12100 rpm's out of the wood and turns 10800 in the wood , if i set it at 12500 like it says to i turn 9000 in the wood with no torque, to me it doesnot matter what rpm it is out of wood but in the wood itdoes matter alot
this 357 is turning 14400 out of the wood and close to 11000 in the wood with a .032 racker on it, if you got the power you might as well use it

 

[ehp]

now i also believe you can waste alot of power just on gearing but the same can be said for under gearing a saw
on under gearing - if you under gear a saw to the point that you are pushing to hard on a saw with the rackers cut , you are applying alot of pusher between the chain and bar which takes power and has nothing to do with cutting wood so instead of having 34 horsepower out of your 346 just to cut wood now you have lost 6 horsepower just to you pushing so hard now you are down to 28 which is going to hurt you
now on what John said that i just keep cutting the rackers until the motor slowed down, when he was here yes i did that becuse i didnot have a bigger gear for those small spline 346's
if i had one i would of geared it up for sure because it would of cut faster again because i was pushing to hard on it but had to because i was over rpm ing the saw an the rackers were gone by this point
you have to find the place where the saw cuts as fast as it can and you can still control it