chain stretching

[mjdtexan]

I have the Husqvarna 455 Rancher that I bought because of Hurricane Ike. I am constantly going through chains. My neighbor who only speaks spanish (which I no comprende) looked at my chain and said, "no good". He leaves and comes back with a chain from Stilh. The package says, "Oilmatic 3 Saw Chain. 20" Saw Chain 33RC3. Drive Link = 72. Guage = .050". Pitch = 3/8.

Well, it certainly cut better but once again I stretched it all the out in a matter of two days. I am cutting alot of oak trees. I know they are a hard wood. If I may, I have a couple of questions.

1. How long are chains supposed to last?
2. Is there a "professional" chain that I can buy or is the Stilh chain my neighbor brought over it?
3. I admit that I never have sharpened a chain and dont know how. When should I be sharpening, how often, and what is needed to do so?
4. Will this saw take a bigger bar?

Thanks in advance for any answers I may recieve.

 

[ShoerFast]

Welcome to the site.

Stihl chain, in my opinion is the best chain you can run.

It is my guess that your saw is not oiling enough and your running a hot chain?

Most saws run about a tank of oil to every tank of fuel, give or take.

Running the best oil you can will help with limited oil flows.

 

[mjdtexan]

Welcome to the site.

Stihl chain, in my opinion is the best chain you can run.

It is my guess that your saw is not oiling enough and your running a hot chain?

Most saws run about a tank of oil to every tank of fuel, give or take.

Running the best oil you can will help with limited oil flows.

That was actually the first thing that I thought of. It is using almost a tank of oil with a tank of gas. I always make sure it has oil in it. What would be the best oil?

 

[taplinhill]

If you have a 20" on a 455, I would stop there. You can get a 24", but I wouldn't recommend it. Are you running out of adjustment on your tensioner? If you are it sounds like you have a dull chain without enough oil on it. A chain will stretch the most when it is new, but the cutters should wear out (from sharpening) before it stretches to the point where you can't use it.

 

[TDunk]

For me at least, a 455 rancher and a 20" bar doesn't put out quit enough oil, but i have my oilers cranked so that's just my opinion. When your cutting through hard wood and have a good sharp chain, you can easily tighten the chain every fill-up. If you have to tighten every 15 min. then there's a prob.

 

[SteveH]

Yes, you should learn to sharpen chains. A well [properly] sharpened chain is as good as a "larger" saw for what you are doing [compared with a professional cutter who's taking down 5' diameter giants]. Sharpening is a learning process. If you know someone who knows, get them to show you. Check the past forum discussions here on sharpening. Stihl is as good a chain as you'll find. It is also fairly hard steel and sharpening takes a smidgen longer to get done, but then it also takes longer to dull. Many of us sharpen each time we use the saw, or just after, whatever. When you get good, it will take, even by hand, a few minutes to do one entire chain. Like, five minutes, give or take. The conditions under which you cut, such as is the wood clean or have wind-blown sand in the bark or etc., will determine how critically dull the chain gets and how quickly.

Chains can last for years. I have six of them I've been using for over seven years, and only one of them is near its end. Again, depends on the conditions of cutting, whether you hit a rock or nail or lots of sandy wood. Every time you sharpen, you remove some metal. But with a Stihl chain, you can get many sharpenings. I don't cut all that much, probably run 20 tanks of gas thru the saw a year, for firewood, but that's not an uncommon amount of use for the homeowner, I don't think.

I have no experience with Huskies and can't tell you about bar length.

 

[The Lorax]

Are you sharpening the chain at all during the 2 days cutting?
When you say stretching do you mean the chain is hanging loose from the bottom of the bar?
All chains will loosen to a degree from new.
Are you cleaning the bar groove? is the roller nose clean and easily turned?
When you tighten the bar nuts do you lift the nose of the bar?
I would make sure all the above are done and the chain is sharp during the entire days cutting, maybe think about getting a few chain loops and changing them out during the days cutting.
Baileys have a 20" 3/8 chain for 10.95 which is a very good price.

 

[mjdtexan]

Yes, I am running out of adjustment on the tensioner. Yes, I will learn to sharpen chains. Yep, I am haveing to stop and adjust the chain all the darn time. My non speaking neighbor does know how to sharpen them and I will get him to show me. I'll give him a rooster.

Are you sharpening the chain at all during the 2 days cutting?
When you say stretching do you mean the chain is hanging loose from the bottom of the bar?
All chains will loosen to a degree from new.
Are you cleaning the bar groove? is the roller nose clean and easily turned?
When you tighten the bar nuts do you lift the nose of the bar?
I would make sure all the above are done and the chain is sharp during the entire days cutting, maybe think about getting a few chain loops and changing them out during the days cutting.
Baileys have a 20" 3/8 chain for 10.95 which is a very good price.

No, I have never sharpened a chain. Yes, I do lift the nose of the bar when I tighten the bar nuts. What are chain loops?

Hey, I certainly appreciate every one of yalls knowledge.

 

[The Lorax]

Chain loop is a premade chain, chain also comes in rolls of 25' 50' and 100' and you can make your own chain loops out of that.

 

[taplinhill]

How much adjustment do you have to start with? It almost sounds like you may have the wrong bar or wrong length chain.

Is the oil making it on to the chain? If the oil hole in the bar is plugged it will just ooze around the mount.

And a loop is a chain. (Lorax beat me!!!)


_______________

 

[greengoblin]

i would suspect that you need to keep your chain sharp to avoid the stretching as the trees a probably full of dirt after a hurricane. Especially since you are needing a new chain every two day and cutting oak. I would recommend buying 4 chain for it....cut with each one a half day and take the two you cut with in every day and get the sharp ones back.

 

[The Lorax]

I started not knowing much about chain sharpening at all, and am still pretty much a novice compared to many on here.
BUT with a little reading and the help of an Oregon type filing jig that clamps on to the bar I can get chains pretty good, good enough to keep me happy.
I took my chain in exactly twice to a shop with a grinder and was left with about 1/3 of the cutter left! after that I swore I would learn to sharpen myself.
It takes a while but you will have a Eureka moment and from then on it will make sense.
Buy 4 or 6 chains from Baileys @ 10.95 a chain + the sharpening jig and a few files and just start filing.
I made a tool from an old hacksaw blade that I ground into a hook I use this for cleaning the bar groove out, clean the oil holes in the bar and rinse the lot with a little kerosene.
make sure the roller nose of the bar is running free and is not filled with sand and crud.You need to lube this as well.

 

[Jonny Quest]

PM me. You can bring your gear by and I will look at it.

JQ

 

[Mountainman]

My guess is that dirt may be the culprit. Do you cut all the way through to the dirt, and let the chain hit the dirt? That's one habit I would break first if you are doing it.

I put a new loop of Stihl 33RSC on an 044 a while back, ran 8 tanks through it, and never had to re-tighten the chain.

There may in fact be several habits that you could change and resolve the issue.

 

[mjdtexan]

My guess is that dirt may be the culprit. Do you cut all the way through to the dirt, and let the chain hit the dirt? That's one habit I would break first if you are doing it.

I put a new loop of Stihl 33RSC on an 044 a while back, ran 8 tanks through it, and never had to re-tighten the chain.

There may in fact be several habits that you could change and resolve the issue.

I am guilty of this. What other habits would I need to change?

I have discovered that I can sometimes put the bar under the limb or log and cut to avoid pinching the bar sometimes. Is this a bad habit?

30RC is the most popular WoodlandPRO chain sold here at Bailey's. Chisel cutters work well in softwoods and hardwoods. 30RC works best in clean cutting conditions, where there is limited contact with dirt and other abrasive materials. Chain is .375 pitch, .050 (1.3mm) gauge. 30RC fits saws using Oregon 72 and Stihl 33 series chain. Best yet, it's made in the USA!

Is this the right chain for me, its the $10.95 chain but I noticed the pitch is different. It also says its for the Stihl 33 series chain. The Stilh chain box that my Stihl chain came in for the Husky saw says its a 33RC3 chain.

I am assuming that one pitch is better than the other. What I have now is a 3/8th pitch

 

[GVS]

The Lorax is right.The chain fileing jig is a God send.When you are done sharpening all the teeth are the same.

 

[mjdtexan]

Ok, I got to looking at the saw alot closer today. I found where the oil is supposed to come out, its clean. So, I got to looking at where the bar picks up the oil up, dirty as all get out. Just clogged up. So, that made me look where the chain rides, just full of crud.

So, I learned that I should check these things every time I pick the saw up.

I learned that I need to learn chain sharpening, lesson tomorrow from neighbor.

I still have some questions and I will post them when I get there. My biggest question now is can you change the drive sprocket on a Husky 455 Rancher to run a different pitch chain?

I truly thank yall for getting me through that. I would have continued to stretch chains. Thank Yall.

 

[Jonny Quest]

Your 455 Rancher is a .325" pitch, correct? Yes, you could change your saw to run a 3/8" (.375"). However, there is nothing wrong with a .325" pitch chain on the smaller saws.

You may also think about changing to a rim sprocket if your Rancher has the spur sprocket. If you do change over, you will need a new bar to match the new pitch. My personal preference is a 16" or an 18" on a smaller saw. Just my 2¢.

JQ

 

[mjdtexan]

Your 455 Rancher is a .325" pitch, correct? Yes, you could change your saw to run a 3/8" (.375"). However, there is nothing wrong with a .325" pitch chain on the smaller saws.

You may also think about changing to a rim sprocket if your Rancher has the spur sprocket. If you do change over, you will need a new bar to match the new pitch. My personal preference is a 16" or an 18" on a smaller saw. Just my 2¢.

JQ

Cutting equipment
Chain pitch .325"
Recommended bar length, min-max 13"-20"

From Husqvarna's website

Yes, it is the 325 pitch. I may have a problem. I just noticed the box for the chain my neighbor brought over says 3/8 pitch. I ran this chain on my saw. Did I hurt it. Shoud the sprocket have any indentations on it?

What is the difference between a rim sprocket and a spur sprocket?

 

[husky455rancher]

my 455 is .375 are you sure yours is .325?