teach me

[Ramblewood]

http://www.arboristsite.com/images/smilies/chainsaw.gif
I am a firewood cutter with a new Stihl MS 441 w/25" bar and 3/8 RSC3 chain . We cut a lot of 25" - 36" hard maple and beech and I find the chain is "grabby" and will stall out without much warning . I am careful not to feed it in too fast but it seems REALLY touchy . The chain is still factory sharp and I am pretty good at doing my own sharpening although I stick to the basics .
What am I doing wrong ? I have used other saws this size on 30" hardwood without this problem .

 

[Metals406]

http://www.arboristsite.com/images/smilies/chainsaw.gif
I am a firewood cutter with a new Stihl MS 441 w/25" bar and 3/8 RSC3 chain . We cut a lot of 25" - 36" hard maple and beech and I find the chain is "grabby" and will stall out without much warning . I am careful not to feed it in too fast but it seems REALLY touchy . The chain is still factory sharp and I am pretty good at doing my own sharpening although I stick to the basics .
What am I doing wrong ? I have used other saws this size on 30" hardwood without this problem .

If the chain is that grabby, it sounds like the depth gauge (rakers) are set too low. . . Did you file on them?

 

[Ramblewood]

I have not touched it yet as the saw is brand new . It has Stihl standard chain and has factory edge .

 

[Metals406]

I have not touched it yet as the saw is brand new . It has Stihl standard chain and has factory edge .

Hmmmm. . . Odd. Lay a straight edge on the very tip of two opposing teeth and measure the gap from the straight edge (a file works for a straight edge) to the depth gauge.

Let us know what the measurement is. . . What's the top-plate angle?

 

[056kid]

sounds like it is duller than the ####ens or you have filed too deep into the gullet

Why is ####ins bleeped out LOL?

 

[redprospector]

Hmmm.
I have had a few (very few) new chain's in my life time, that a few of the cutters were "bent" farther out to the side. That makes em grab pretty good.
Stihl chain is stamped out, just like all the rest of them, and once in a while a few cutters aren't perfect.

May or may not be the problem, just something else to look at.

Andy

 

[Ramblewood]

Using my Oregon DURA - MAX quick check gage, it looks like a hair over.025 for the rakers . Top plate is factory 30 degree . I thought rakers too when I was cutting but would Stihl ship bad chain ?

 

[redprospector]

I thought rakers too when I was cutting but would Stihl ship bad chain ?

Ocasionally.

Andy

 

[huskyhank]

Since its all new gear I'll assume its to normal factory specs, unless you tell us its different.


Now ---


Do you mean its "grabby" as in the saw bucks and jumps when you're cutting?

Or

Its easy to stall the chain in the cut?

I bet its stalling you're talking about.

If you're burying the 25" bar in a big hard maple or beech I think you might be right at capacity for your 441 - let it feed itself in don't push hard. If you are using an 8 pin sprocket you might go to a 7 for a bit more pull.



.

 

[Ramblewood]

I will file the cutters and see if that brings everybody into the proper alignment . Sound good to you ?

 

[huskyhank]

.025 on the depth gages is right. I don't think you need to file any on them.

Read this:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=114624&highlight=bobl+sharpening

You might want to sharpen the cutters a little. Do they glint at all (edge rolled over or worn) or are they as sharp as a brand new chain?

How much have you cut with it since new?

 

[Ramblewood]

The cutters are bright and shiny . I dropped and limbed about 20 trees this weekend and never hit the dirt (snow !) and most of the time it was great . It was one 30" cherry I had to drop the gave me trouble . I had to put a plastic wedge in to jack it a bit and when the saw would dog out, it was hard to get it back to cutting . I had to take it out of the back cut and feed it in with the chain turning so as you can imagine, it kicked back a bit and the wedge is now a lot shorter !

 

[huskyhank]

Yep, I got into a bunch of 50" trees yesterday.
Cut 42 of 'em on one tank of gas and never sharpened my chain.









50"



tall

 

[056kid]

chain to tight? . .

 

[Ramblewood]

Could be . Because it is a new chain, I have to tighten it once in a while and then it gets put in the snow when I put it down (working in 2 feet of snow right now) so it cools it down too fast .

 

[056kid]

With a 25'' bar, your chain should just be tight enough to keep it against the bar while its cold. If the ties are hanging down a few millimeters, that is fine too. if your saw sounds like a gear drive, the chain is too tight..

 

[Ramblewood]

Ramblewood

I'm keeping it just right but as it stretches and cools, I have to adjust it . Once we start bucking the logs into firewood, I'll get a lot of practice with it and learn what it likes . Dropping trees doesn't give ether one of us much of a work out and I've only run about 5 tanks of fuel though it so far .

 

[huskyhank]

............

Dropping trees doesn't give ether one of us much of a work out and I've only run about 5 tanks of fuel though it so far .

5 tanks and no sharpening?

 

[skooter]

hi here is two things to check is the bar and chain getting oil and check and see if the cutter bar is pinched if the cutter bar is pinched it will cause drag on chain and can cause the problem you are having
just two things to check good luck skooter

 

[Ramblewood]

Except for dropping the trees, almost every cut is just small branches and it is just starting to throw a little dust . I won't use it again without sharpening and I realize I might have gone a little long . When I'm bucking with my little 029, I sharpen up every other tank but I was throwing good chips so I got a little lazy . It was 15 and blowing snow all weekend and humping saws and 50" chains through the snow was kicking my butt . Your point is well noted though and I will sharpen up while I watch the olympic biathlon I TiVoed today .