Full Comp or Skip...what's faster?

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sneno77

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Sorry for another "noob" question, but I have a day off tomorrow and my FIL called me asking if I wanted to come down and cut wood w/ him tomorrow. One of the fir we decked for firewood last week has a nice straight section that's about 26" dia and he wants to do a head-to-head pitting his 2171 against my new 7900. I currently only have oregon full skip and full comp chains in my tool box and was curious what you guys thought would be faster in this situation?? We're both running 28" bars and the wood is dead/dry doug fir that will just about bury the bar. Both chains have the rakers down .03" and are freshly sharpened. I've cut the same wood w/ both chains (although not close enough together to notice the speed diff) and the 7900 won't bog w/ either unless you really stand on the dogs. :chainsaw:
 
Yes, the wood is sound. No rot. It was standing dead until last week when we decked it.
 
Thanks man.. I thought that might be the choice so I slipped it on tonight. Please explain not using the dogs? I've never raced before and just instinctivly go into the dogs....I'll make a conscious effort to "undog" tomorrow.
 
Thanks man.. I thought that might be the choice so I slipped it on tonight. Please explain not using the dogs? I've never raced before and just instinctivly go into the dogs....I'll make a conscious effort to "undog" tomorrow.
Dawged in you can only cut down then have ta pull out and re-set 'em, no dawgs means you are the dog :D (rock forward to 20degs down, pull back and down while still cuttin' down, repeat till log killed. :) (wee edit) don't know if it really applies to 'racing' per se but forward cut (center) backward side, ^ < like dat only a bit less :D

:cheers:

Serge
 
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Skip will keep your saw revs up and chain spinning faster, but you will have less cutters, so you will not always get a faster cut. Skip is usually used on long bars here in the long bar west so that the saw is not bogged down as much and you can make larger cuts. Big trees out here. You will also dull the skip chain faster than full comp.
 
I suspect the full comp will be fastest in this case, unless you use a lot of pressure on the saw.

Have to admit that I have never run a skip chain, though - so don't trust me....:greenchainsaw:
 
It sounds like the perfect opportunity to compare the 2 and work out what works best in that situation. :)

Get your FIL to time you with 3 passes on each chain.. then see if he can beat you with his saw. ;)

That way you get two chances to win, and still find out which chain works better :)

Cheers

Ian
 
If 26" of dry doug fir wont bog the saw while dogged unless you "really stand on the dogs", there is room for a lot of improvement in your chain.
To be fast you shouldn't dog in or rock the bar. You should keep the saw level and adjust the feed to keep the saw as close to the fastest cutting rpm as possible.
I think a properly sharpened skip chain would be faster in dry doug fir at 26" with a stock 7900.
 
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Just type in search skip chain. Test have been run on a 066 with skip and full comp.
 
If 26" of dry doug fir wont bog the saw while dogged unless you "really stand on the dogs", there is room for a lot of improvement in your chain.
.

I guess I should have qualified that statement. I've mostly used 044's for the last 15yrs and compared to my old 44, I can really "stand" on the dogs on the 7900 and still not bog it. I'm confident the chain is sharp...I spent the first 10yrs of my working life sharpening almost daily.
Thanks for all the replies...I definately have some learning to do on this racing thing.
 
In my experience full comp cuts faster in hardwoods like hickory, oak and locust.
 
Sorry for another "noob" question, but I have a day off tomorrow and my FIL called me asking if I wanted to come down and cut wood w/ him tomorrow. One of the fir we decked for firewood last week has a nice straight section that's about 26" dia and he wants to do a head-to-head pitting his 2171 against my new 7900. I currently only have oregon full skip and full comp chains in my tool box and was curious what you guys thought would be faster in this situation?? We're both running 28" bars and the wood is dead/dry doug fir that will just about bury the bar. Both chains have the rakers down .03" and are freshly sharpened. I've cut the same wood w/ both chains (although not close enough together to notice the speed diff) and the 7900 won't bog w/ either unless you really stand on the dogs. :chainsaw:

It's a strech to think you need Full-Skip on 28" bars, in 26" wood , my .02 cents,,,only if you can't 'tune' (spin) Full-Comp' chain or have 'smokingclutch' syndrome? There should not be a chip removal problim in Fir of that size.
 
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