Grinding down depth rakers. Bad idea?

[CGC4200]

Thinking about grinding off safety tie straps on 2 of my chains

I have one new & another like new chain that fits my Poulan 4200
and would fit the 5400 if I swapped bars.The raker/depth gauge
I would leave as in or set as needed, looks like risky business.
Some of the newer anti-kickback chains have a ramped drive link
in front of and side by side with raker.

 

[woodyman]

With no rakers the saw would not cut,I think it was the anti-kickback tabs that were ground down.Lonedrake where are you in Becker?

 

[Lonedrake]

,I think it was the anti-kickback tabs that were ground down

That sound right!


I live close to Santiago.

Maybe I have my terminology mixed up?

In front of the teeth are the rakers/depth guage. The go up vertically from the chain and bend/curve over creating a a flatter spot which should be filed down as the teeth get shorter. I ground them down to where they curve over. I guess technically....they are still there....just 1/3 the width and height.

 

[edisto]

Check out this thread...it is a "sticky", meaning that it always appears at the top of the list of threads.

 

[woodyman]

That sound right!


I live close to Santiago.

Maybe I have my terminology mixed up?

In front of the teeth are the rakers/depth guage. The go up vertically from the chain and bend/curve over creating a a flatter spot which should be filed down as the teeth get shorter. I ground them down to where they curve over. I guess technically....they are still there....just 1/3 the width and height.

That is weird,I am 3 miles South of Santiago close to Co Rd 16&11.If you ever want to talk saws and have a beer PM me.

 

[CGC4200]

Going up & bending over

That sounds like an Oregon Vanguard chain.
It is the only chain I have heard of with depth gauge bent over on top.

 

[MCW]

That sound right!


I live close to Santiago.

Maybe I have my terminology mixed up?

In front of the teeth are the rakers/depth guage. The go up vertically from the chain and bend/curve over creating a a flatter spot which should be filed down as the teeth get shorter. I ground them down to where they curve over. I guess technically....they are still there....just 1/3 the width and height.

Thats good to hear mate and I think I know what you mean now. As mentioned I've run a chain with no depth guages and it just wouldn't cut period.

 

[arborjockey]

I was joking about go ahead and take them down all the way and video it but now that i come back to the thread no ones going to actually tell you how far to take them down. A "little bit" "A lick" I think I saw "couple of strokes" in there some where. i think a little bit is more then kinda but less then a lick after a couple of strokes No wait Wellll....most guys dont touch the rakers until the cutting teeth are past 3/4 worn. Then they give 1-3 strokes per sharpening. Problem w/ that is it starts ok but through time it gets uneven and can chatter. This happens when the teeth are smallest and dangerous. You have the home owners addition husky going into dry oak i would set them at .25-.30" if you get into pine .35
good luck be safe

 

[BobL]

That sound right!


I live close to Santiago.

Maybe I have my terminology mixed up?

In front of the teeth are the rakers/depth guage. The go up vertically from the chain and bend/curve over creating a a flatter spot which should be filed down as the teeth get shorter. I ground them down to where they curve over. I guess technically....they are still there....just 1/3 the width and height.

Which of these raker types (A or B) do you have to start with?

 

[Lonedrake]

I have the type A depth guages. Ground them down so they look more like type b....just shorter.

That sounds like an Oregon Vanguard chain

Thats it!At least its Oregon. Came with the bar.

That is weird,I am 3 miles South of Santiago close to Co Rd 16&11.If you ever want to talk saws and have a beer PM me.

That makes us neighbors! I just live up 11 on 41st street. Thats not you thats cutting some on the east side of 11? The beer sounds good to me I'll even bring the saw over!

 

[Anthony_Va.]

Welcome to the site!

I am originally from just south of you, Watertown~Delano area.

As for the depth-gauges/rakers, picture trying to plow with-out anything holding or keeping the plow from digging too far into the dirt?

The DG (raker) sets how thick of a cut or chip the cutter will take. There is a ton of information if you use the search function, but in a nut shell, you only want to take off a little of the DG as your chain cutters get shorter over it's lifetime of sharpening.

Thats a good analogythere!

So the guides (what I've always called rakers) are like draft control on the tractor. And filing them off is like droppin her all the way down and going at it. I have tried it with a plow as a lad for grins and giggles and it killed the tractor and kicked all three plow points out at the same time!!! Ahh to be young.

For real though, you cant cut without the guides man. Not gonna happen. Just say no to that.

 

[woodyman]

I have the type A depth guages. Ground them down so they look more like type b....just shorter.

Thats it!At least its Oregon. Came with the bar.




That makes us neighbors! I just live up 11 on 41st street. Thats not you thats cutting some on the east side of 11? The beer sounds good to me I'll even bring the saw over!

No thats not me I am east on 16 about a 1/4 mile on 85th.

 

[woodyman]

Thats a good analogythere!

So the guides (what I've always called rakers) are like draft control on the tractor. And filing them off is like droppin her all the way down and going at it. I have tried it with a plow as a lad for grins and giggles and it killed the tractor and kicked all three plow points out at the same time!!! Ahh to be young.

For real though, you cant cut without the guides man. Not gonna happen. Just say no to that.

I name my saws to if it makes you feel betterOne is McNasty and the other is Shredder 2 and there both ported.

 

[alpinecrick]

It sounds to me like drake cut off the anti-kickback feature, not the actual rakers. I've done the same on one of my chains, and it now cuts almost as good as RSC.

-Steve

Over the years, I ened up with a small pile of low kickback chains. Grind down the anti-kickback "rakers", file the rakers WELL, and they cut great..............

Of course, I run old Macs with lots of torque, so they don't have a problem pulling a chain through wood.........


Casey

 

[stevohut]

I cut the rakers down on my RSC chain and it was too wild. I ground them more then half off. My 460 will spin them like no tomorrow but it's scary. The chain will bind on you if you don't get the revs up. I don't use them anymore. Now I use my chains with the factory grind for the depth gauge. Keep the chain sharp and your good to go.

 

[arborjockey]

No thats not me I am east on 16 about a 1/4 mile on 85th.

Its me you hear?? Im on Queen kalama off Alii drive on the big island.. I just run a bigger saw then most

 

[woodyman]

Its me you hear?? Im on Queen kalama off Alii drive on the big island.. I just run a bigger saw then most

When I call the cops about the loud noise next time I will know where to send them now:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Gatsby174]

Well first off, I don't recommend running a chain with no rakers! But, if you have an older torque monster and don't mind changing clutches prematurely you sure can make them scream by taking the rakers off! The main reason guys used to do this was that they wanted the saw to go faster since they're were only turning 8-9k rpms. My uncle logs in extreme northern NY, tons of huge old growth. He used to take the old torque monsters and take the rakers off. He's the boss, and didn't let anyone else use his saws either. Having said that, it will put undue stress on the crankshaft too. My dad has an echo 750 evl and with a 20" bar used to run no rakers when I was young. The main problem with it is if you don't file them even, the chain will cut uneven. The new high revving saws don't have the torque needed to move the chain, like others have said, so keep the rakers on! Honestly, the way my 361 is set up now, it almost cuts too fast for me to see the log move before the bar is pinched! I also put a 16" bar and 8 tooth sprocket on mine. A properly set up newer saw will cut circles around an older saw every day of the week!

 

[woodyman]

Well first off, I don't recommend running a chain with no rakers! But, if you have an older torque monster and don't mind changing clutches prematurely you sure can make them scream by taking the rakers off! The main reason guys used to do this was that they wanted the saw to go faster since they're were only turning 8-9k rpms. My uncle logs in extreme northern NY, tons of huge old growth. He used to take the old torque monsters and take the rakers off. He's the boss, and didn't let anyone else use his saws either. Having said that, it will put undue stress on the crankshaft too. My dad has an echo 750 evl and with a 20" bar used to run no rakers when I was young. The main problem with it is if you don't file them even, the chain will cut uneven. The new high revving saws don't have the torque needed to move the chain, like others have said, so keep the rakers on! Honestly, the way my 361 is set up now, it almost cuts too fast for me to see the log move before the bar is pinched! I also put a 16" bar and 8 tooth sprocket on mine. A properly set up newer saw will cut circles around an older saw every day of the week!

Many years ago when I was cutting pulp wood I took the rakers down all the way on my Husky 162SE and it would not cut,it just booged down and that was 6 to 10 inch red pine.

 

[Gatsby174]

IDK why yours wouldn't cut with the rakers off? I took one of the old chains with the rakers filed down and used it on the 750 evl just for giggles a couple years ago and it definetely cut faster than the chain with the rakers on it! Either way, I don't have any need or want to run a rakerless chain now!