Chain in dirty wood

[Lobo]

Which configuration would you pick between the Stihl RM and RM2 in pretty dirty wood. This stuff is pretty well all below 12 inches but has been dragged in mud, gravel, dirt, water, you name it.

I plan on using .325 pitch chain probably 16 or 18 maximum length bar.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I use RMF on my stuff, so if you're in small diameter wood, I'd go RM. RM2 is safety chain. RM cutters do hold up really well in dirty stuff. A great deal of what I do is firewood out of DNR clearcuts, and dirty wood is the norm, and the RM cutter works great, and cuts really fast when sharp. Not RS fast, but I'm out there alone, so who am I racing?

Take care all,
Jeff

 

[Lawn Masters]

RM, i wont use anything thats a safety chain. razor sharp semi chisel non safety chain, with the rakers at about .030" and you'll probably be fine. what kind of saw are you using?

 

[SawTroll]

Rmc

RM is nice for cutting dirty wood.
I have never tried it on my own saws in .325, though, as I am having a love affair with the Oregon 95 VP.
There should even be a "low-wib" variant (RMC) availiable in .325 by now.

 

[bvaught]

RM and RM2 chain is junk. Find some RS or better and learn how to handle a chainsaw.

 

[P_woozel]

Skillset with a saw means nothing if the wood is packed with crap, unless handling the saw properly means not cutting the crap at all.

 

[Lobo]

Thanks for the replies everyone, the RS chain although it cuts great just looses its edge quickly because of the grit, dirt and crap which is why I was considering the RM for such dirty conditions.

I will pick up a couple of loops of RM or Oregon equivalent and give it a go, as I have always heard that RM was superior in dirty conditions and stayed sharp longer. Presently the RS needs filing after 1 tank or before. This stuff is small anyways, 3 '' to perhaps 10'' max. so it should do a good job. I've put a 8T sprocket on so the chain is turning faster which should also help the RM.

 

[Chainsaw Master]

A little trick to use in really dirty wood, is filing your chain almost 90% straight across, it doesn't cut quite as fast, but will hold its edge quite a bit longer, also leaving your rakers too high seems to help some

 

[Lobo]

Hi fishhuntcutwood,

I am not out there racing anyone either, Just want to ket the task done safely and easily as possible.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Hi fishhuntcutwood,

I am not out there racing anyone either, Just want to ket the task done safely and easily as possible.

I hear you there amigo. I'm the same way. I understand that the faster you cut, say with RS chain, the job should get done sooner, but I cut with RMF as I have to sharpen it less to maintain decent performance, and most of the wood I cut is less than 20", and the 3 seconds per cut I'd save using RS chain is not even worth the considerdation. RM will do you fine, and it gets the job done more easily than a faster chain, as you have to stop and touch it up far less, which gets you back home sooner. I wouldn't call it junk, but rather, the right tool for the job. We aren't talking about felling a clean 28" oak here.

Take care all,
Jeff

 

[IndyIan]

I read in one of Gypo's posts that, cutting so the chain comes out through the dirt instead of cutting into the dirt and pulling it through the cut saves the chain abit. I don't see sparks when I do it this way so it must be helping some.
Of course you need to have a clean side of the log you can get at for this but its something to look for.
Ian

 

[Lobo]

I wouldn't call it junk, but rather, the right tool for the job. We aren't talking about felling a clean 28" oak here.

Jeff

28 inch oak! Geez, are there any of those left around ?

18'' in almost anything around here is now considered good sized.

 

[Lobo]

I read in one of Gypo's posts that, cutting so the chain comes out through the dirt instead of cutting into the dirt and pulling it through the cut saves the chain abit. I don't see sparks when I do it this way so it must be helping some.
Of course you need to have a clean side of the log you can get at for this but its something to look for.
Ian

Indy you and Gypo are right, however this is not always possible.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

28 inch oak! Geez, are there any of those left around ?

Out here in WA, can't say as I've seen any, but back home in southern Indiana, they're still be had. Take a stroll through most any part of Hoosier Nat'l Forest, and you'll see what I mean. And I only used 28" to illustrate the need for an aggressive, fast cutting chain, over the milder RM we're talking about here.

Take care all,
Jeff

 

[bvaught]

Hmmm... didnt know RM would hold an edge longer. Perhaps its because it doesnt cut good to start with?

What do you mean about cutting through the dirt instead of into it? Do you mean to plunge from clean to dirty and use the top of the bar. Seems like this would sling the dirt away instead of pulling it into the sprocket.

 

[DarioMO]

Hmmm... didnt know RM would hold an edge longer. Perhaps its because it doesnt cut good to start with?

What do you mean about cutting through the dirt instead of into it? Do you mean to plunge from clean to dirty and use the top of the bar. Seems like this would sling the dirt away instead of pulling it into the sprocket.

I think it is because the angle of the edge is greater, thicker edge is more robust and won't dull as fast as a thin (chisel) edge.

Chisel chains cut better since it can slice through wood faster/better.

It all boils down to using the right tool for the job.

 

[glens]

Semi-chisel holds it's edge marginally longer because the edge is fully supported and/or because the drop-off in performance is not so steep as the working "corner" gets dulled.  Maybe a comparison between alkaline and ni-cad batteries would be in order: as the cells lose their potential, the alkaline will smoothly peter out to nothing while the ni-cad drops like a rock about 2/3 of the way through it's charge.

It can seem like a bit of extra work, but if cutting logs that have been dragged through the soil is on the agenda, I'll bring my brick hammer along and knock a 1" wide strip of bark off the side of the log my chain will be entering.  It does save time in the long run versus more frequent filings.

Glen

 

[bvaught]

I always use full chisel chain, you could call me a performance junkie. I have cut plenty of dirty wood, usually the wood has been hauled through a mud hole on the way to the house. I havent noticed a major problem with the chain getting dull real fast. I always carry new and or professionally resharpened chains in my saw box anyway. If need be I can just swap in the field, and sharpen later. A chain swap doesnt take 5 minutes. If you are really worried about time between filings and not too concerned about cut speed, why dont you buy a carbide chain? I would guess that it would pay for itself in the long run.

 

[Lawn Masters]

So does semi-chisel, or chipper chain for extremely dirty conditions. I prefer semi chisel for day to day work over full chisel because it is more forgiving in inaccurate filing, and it holds and edge for a long long time in clean and dirty wood.

 

[bwalker]

I use RM in a case like Lobo's. I also use a ax to clean as much of the dirt off as possible.