Chain Saw Chains

Working with Wood

Chain Saw Chains


Anton Redman 15/12/2007, 20:55

Every other power tool I own has varying quality blades, bits etc. Broadly you get what you pay for and a decent circular saw blade now costs more than a cheap circular saw.  

Locally all chain saw chains seem to be the same. Are better quality items available ? If so where and what brands ?   

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Chris Head 16/12/2007, 8:17
What saw/saws are you running Anton?

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Anton Redman 16/12/2007, 8:51

STIHL MS240 for real work and a promise you won't laugh a Lydl own brand electric ( 3/8 53 links) but with an Oregon blade and chain . I have a good three years of clearing fallen trees / copicing for fire wood before I need worry about actually felling anything.

Many thanks

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Chris Head 16/12/2007, 15:14

The MS 240 is a good little workhorse Anton & don't be shy about the electric saw...they're great! The longer the bar the harder the saw has to work to pull the chain through the timber and the less power is delivered to the chain, really 35cm is the longest bar the 240 should have, imho, but you'd get away with 40cm I guess. To give you an idea, I have a 45cm bar & 'doctored' chain set up on an MS460 (76cc & mean with it!) and even that sometimes moans a bit!

I thought the 240 ran on .325? But it might be 3/8 picco, the 3/8 picco micro is a great chain too...I'm not a saw mechanic tho! The Stihl Rapid Micro .325 chain is a superb chain and suitable for the saw, depending on guide bar length (knives have blades Anton). Different chains have different performance characteristics Anton, it's quite a subject. It took me a few years before I really got to grips with balancing how much chain 'power' a saw could handle, chain types, bar lengths, sharpening angles for different jobs & species of timber etc. It might be better to pop into your dealer & ask his advice?

Don't forget to check bar & sprocket for wear and if you don't know already, learn how to sharpen properly. Be careful with those fallen trees, there's plenty of traps ready to get you just when you least expected it...as no doubt you know by now?

Good luck...can I come and play?

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Anton Redman 16/12/2007, 15:20
Many thanks. Feel free to visit if you ever come South. Probably not the right neck of the woods for a chain saw dealers most land round here is vineyard. Think I have the hang of sharpening now.

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Chris Head 16/12/2007, 17:52
Why thankyou for the offer Anton, you never know...

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Chris Head 21/12/2007, 21:45

And be careful...they can take your life in an instant.

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/2007/12/21/killed-by-his-own-chainsaw-89520-20261598/

Re: Chain Saw Chains


Anton Redman 22/12/2007, 8:11
The timber yard where I buy most of my structural wood, which mostly fells its own trees lost two workers in November.

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