So for an experiment I swapped chain with fella at work both runnin same bar and chain. His chain was at least half worn and on my saw cut just like they ment too. Now puttin my chain on his saw and strait up his cutting like ****. So it's definitely the chain not the bar. I've checked rakers on both saws multiple times.
Its just not that simple.
What's not to say his chain on your bar wouldn't start to wear funny in a few days and adapt the same problems?. One thing I've learnt is not to count anything out and think it "can't be". After 29 yrs I can't pinpoint every problem down to exactly one cause. Mostly its a combination. Example: I don't use a square grinder but hand file round chisel. All my angles,depths and cutting edges are equal. I don't run my chains much over half with Oregon chain. Usually the indicator is a significant difference in chain thows. It could be fine one day and the next morning with in a few hours I realize its time to pull it.
The other reason that happens around the same estimated time is it starts to hardly grab a section of cutters on one side. Like a slight surge & miss. Its notiable to me but it is still cutting fairly fast and straight. It will progressively get worse to the point its not running straight and it binds using the dogs.
Sometimes its a dusting on one side. Sometimes I stop and tighten up the chain and put my best work into it, the rakers, cutting edges and gullets and its way worse and I have to change out the chain.
To clarify: I'm not saying I diligently flip my bar every morning and my gullets don't get out from time to time. That would be BS. I'm saying for best result's, flip your bar everyday. I work in a lot of rain so sometimes I'm not doing gullet work every time. The rain is the main reason I have used mainly Oregon chain & aggressive files. Most all the other advantages goes to Stihl chain.
Everyone is all about the harder plating. Harder filing is a disadvantage for me. Harder stihl chassis and drivers is a plus plus.
Its my belief through my expirence that a raker gauge is excellent when the cutters are even or close to even for the chain to cut properly but its effectivness is lost when shorter cutters follow longer cutters. (I would welcome someone to test that). I can however run a stihl chain down. Besides what was just mentioned,I believe its because the chassis doesn't wear on an angle at the rate the Oregon chain will as well the Stihl is of a lower profile which would also decrease the distance the leading edge can lean out. I'm not sure if the lower profile cutters gives the stihl tooth less gradual slope but if it is less then the chain would be less again affected by shorter and longer gauged teeth (teetor totter effect)
When I said I would try to fix a Oregon chain by setting the raker on uneven teeth and I would lower my high gullets (more hook to match the others) and sharpen and I said it is often worse? Stands to reason that the chain that just had the rakers set then it should be better? In some cases it may improve but once trouble starts the least forgiving thing to do is file a hook in it. Minimize chain hook too low if a rakers = less disturbance = less wear= less trouble.
This post is little to do with how to file your chain but about even wear.
One thing I have never tried because its not 'worth my time' and that's filing the long cutters even with the short ones on a chain I pulled off. I believe the damage is on one side of the chassis and is beyond return? Perhaps its the myth if the raker gauge and It can be fix?
Guys that run a smother square chain & flip their bars once a day, grind the teeth down evenly and use a good raker gauge, never have a problem as long as the chain is sharp. They can run Oregan chain right down to the rivet. Its defiantly achievable by found file but you have to duplicate the same mentally. This means just because its cutting straight doesn't mean you are not contributing to damage on one side that you will pay for around the corner. I know I'm guilty of that.
There is some myth busters you can test and you will positively know more than me...er..um.....that's, if you can sharpen a chain..haha.
