depth gauge dumb question

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Nope. As far as I know the only thing you need to watch out for is that the amount of depth is the same. Stihl gauges are generally .025" or .65mm (did I say that right?). So make sure the Oregon is the same amount of "drop" and you should be fine.

You can get various depth gauges from Stihl but the .025 is the standard. They also have .026, .030, .031 and a few others listed but difficult to actually obtain, which I believe are for harvester chain. I have several of them to check against my progressive filing, done with an angle finder.
 
As long as the actual depth is the correct amount, it matters not how you gauge it. Thirty thousandths is thirty thousandths. The only problem is those "rakers" that won't fit through the slot in the filing gauge, such as with the Oregon flop-eared raker or the old Tri-link chain.
 
lambs said:
Nope. As far as I know the only thing you need to watch out for is that the amount of depth is the same. Stihl gauges are generally .025" or .65mm (did I say that right?). So make sure the Oregon is the same amount of "drop" and you should be fine.

You can get various depth gauges from Stihl but the .025 is the standard. They also have .026, .030, .031 and a few others listed but difficult to actually obtain, which I believe are for harvester chain. I have several of them to check against my progressive filing, done with an angle finder.
Click to expand...

Oregon also made an adjustable
depth gauge.
 
The standard Oregon and Stihl gauges are pretty useless, on anything but new chain, as they are not progressive. To maintain the angle of attack (of the cutters), the rakers need to be progressively lower, as the teeth are filed back.
The only progressive raker guides I know of is the Husky ones and the Carlton FOP - and both those also has the advantage of setting each raker to each individual cutter.

Edit; Forgot to say, the Husky one has an advantage over the FOP - it has a choise of two settings, HARD and SOFT (wood). HARD starts out at .025 (the normal spec for .325 and 3/8" chain), and SOFT starts out at .030. I mostly use the SOFT setting, and the FOP doesn't give me that option.
 
Last edited:
IMHO, by far the easiest way to set depth-gauge height is with a Granberg File-N-Joint. Just swap in a flat file for the round file. Very precise tool.
 
Never had a Stihl depth gauge, but I find the Oregon one a bit frustrating. Besides I like my chains a little more aggressive. At least .028" to .030".
 
galde said:
As long as the actual depth is the correct amount, it matters not how you gauge it. Thirty thousandths is thirty thousandths. The only problem is those "rakers" that won't fit through the slot in the filing gauge, such as with the Oregon flop-eared raker or the old Tri-link chain.
Click to expand...


Who wants to use chain like that anyway - just find a dumpster for metallic waste (if the Tri-link actually is made out of metal). Whatever it is made of, it just is Chicom crap! :taped:
 
Thanks for the help,always having my chains sharpened by a shop but they started to screw them up by taking to much off, so i am looking at buying a used usg grinder to do my own, so i might be asking some more questions on the grinder but this site has a lot of good threads already.
 
fastpapa said:
Thanks for the help,always having my chains sharpened by a shop but they started to screw them up by taking to much off, so i am looking at buying a used usg grinder to do my own, so i might be asking some more questions on the grinder but this site has a lot of good threads already.
Click to expand...

Well, it is very easy to mess a chain up with a grinder, if you don't know exactly how to use it. Get some files instead, and learn how to use them!
 
I personally like the Husky depth gauge on Stihl chisel chain using the hard side, soft is chip chucking good time time but will throw smaller wood and knots at ya. The chain has to be tighter than usual if done on the bar or the tooth can rock up and you'll take too much off the raker.
 
Sagetown said:
Never had a Stihl depth gauge, but I find the Oregon one a bit frustrating. Besides I like my chains a little more aggressive. At least .028" to .030".
Click to expand...

The standard Stihl one is as useless as the Oregon one for setting rakers, but I still keep one around, as they are fine for cleaning between bar rails, cleaning oil holes in the bars, and measuring rail wear (or actually depth).
 
CTYank said:
IMHO, by far the easiest way to set depth-gauge height is with a Granberg File-N-Joint. Just swap in a flat file for the round file. Very precise tool.
Click to expand...

I have picked up many similar (Oregon) units cheap at yard sales.
One is has a flat file in it all the time. I just swap out the complete sharpener.
 
SawTroll said:
The standard Stihl one is as useless as the Oregon one for setting rakers, but I still keep one around, as they are fine for cleaning between bar rails, cleaning oil holes in the bars, and measuring rail wear (or actually depth).
Click to expand...

Same here.

I did get several of the Stihl gauges so I could easily approximate the adjustment in the field by hand if needed. I've read on AS that a number of members run at .030. But I couldn't get a depth gauge beyond .031, and had to get the dealer to order it for me. What I found out is that my preference is for something beyond .030. I usually look for around 6 degrees of drop from the cutter to the depth gauge, and unless the chain is almost new, .030 is not going to produce that. Of course, it isn't progressive.....

FOP is pretty good but doesn't seem to fit Stihl chain too well unless it's RS chain.

Haven't tried a Husky gauge yet, that is probably next.
 
The Husky roller file is great once you get it figured out. Simple, fast, accurate, inexpensive.

Sharpening the teeth.

yrazare3.jpg


Filing the rakers.

py7eqyzu.jpg
 

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