When to use skip chain?

[Marky Mark]

I was talking to a lazy logger and he made mention that he uses semi or full skip chain when he is logging. At what bar length do you begin to use these chains for cutting?

 

[BlackSmith]

I use full skip on my 55 w/18" bar as well my 044/24" bar Mark...just cutting farwood tho...

 

[lawmart]

hey, I use skip on my 394, 37" .404 and 395 28" 3/8.

My bid gust tried skip on his 372, 24" 3/8 . he says its great, we got our chain guy to oder it so once i am done my stock i will be odering some for my self.

Lawmart

playsafe

 

[BlackSmith]

I was going to order a 100' reel of carlton full skip but I've cut 12 cord with the 55 and only hit it with the file once...at that rate I'll just get it a loop at a time...real happy with it

 

[Dennis]

Most of the buckermen in our area use skip chain year around...(no matter the bar length) .but especially this time of year...trees are being drug through the mud/slush and are abundant with dirt...after being moved around on the landing with the skidders and forwarders.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

This is an "in the field" question, and I'm out there day after day, so I'll give some input.
In actual cutting of clean wood with a stock saw, they even out when cutting wood about 36" or so.
The most important thing is how dirty the wood is. The more you are dulling the saw, the better the skip tooth is. We run skip on 24" and longer bars. Some days I wish for full comp, others I wish I had one tooth on the whole chain.

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[bwalker]

If you are cutting alot of dirty wood use Stihl or Carlton semi chisel chain. It will stay sharp much longer than skip and will not cut as rough either.

FWIW I have never heard of or seen a logger run skip around here. It cuts slower and rougher in hardwood of average size.

 

[rbtree]

I run full comp on 16-24 inch bars, semi skip on 24-28, full skip on 32 and up...this is .375 chain. i'm looking for .325 skip chain for 20 -24 inch bars...the full comp has too darned many cutters for softwood cutting. Takes too long to hand file too.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I like semi over 20".

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by rbtree
the full comp has too darned many cutters for softwood cutting. Takes too long to hand file too.

I need to go to skip it takes me forever to hand file a 36" loop... i bet your 60"er is a bugger.

 

[tony marks]

dang ,im learning something here..
wont apply to what little i do now but very interesting. ben do think they use full compliment up there more cause the ground is froze and so get less dirt on the wood..
by the way any o u big outfits need a fella to walk along behind the crew picking up,,an sharpening dull chain.
be like riding the rear when driving cattle..pickin up strays and breathing dirt.

 

[John Ellison]

I used to use semi skip and full skip in SE Alaska on 32" and up bars in softwood. After moving here and being in much smaller smaller softwood and occasionally hardwood, I've switched to full comp. Smooth cutting! Maybe just old wrists, but I would rather sharpen or change chains than worry about too many teeth to sharpen. But , now I usually am running a 20" bar and am not cutting dirty wood. Full comp is a lot better for limbing too. IMO

John

 

[stihltech]

skip

Great stuff in softwood, but , what it does to bearings in hardwood!

 

[jokers]

I`ve always used full skip on bars longer than 32" because that`s what conventional wisdom dictated, but then I picked up a roll of Vanguard(dirt cheap) .063 3/8s full comp that will fit the 34" bars I have and found that it cuts faster in hardwood than the full skip. I rarely have the need for longer bars and don`t find the filing to be an issue with full comp. I can imagine the rules change when you get to the west coast bar lengths.

Russ

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

Skip tooth chain is very rare around here. Then again a bar over 24" is also very rare.

 

[Ryan Willock]

I run oregon full skip simi chisel for my landing saws because I am constantly wacking mud and rocks packed in the bark from skidding. Try having to recover a chain after EVERY tank of fuel because of the mud I run full comp when its dry out. I use full skip for 28'' and longer but I will use either or on my 24''s.