skip chain

[sloth9669]

Whats the point...i see people say it cuts faster but with less teeth how could it unless you upped your rpms on the saw....also understand the point when long bars are on so it does not dog down. ?? what info am i missing about skip chains..

 

[IchWarriorMkII]

Skip chains have one cutter per 3 drivers on the length of the chain. They allow for longer bars to be pulled with smaller motors making less horsepower, compared to full comp chain. This makes skip chain attractive to small saw mfgs putting 18" or 20" bars on 35-40cc saws.

Skip chain offers much better chip clearance as well, so 24" and larger bars (at least more commonly in softwoods) will run skip and can be ran with 60cc saws and up.

Skip chain doesnt cut any faster, it cuts slower and rougher than full comp. Even if you run a larger sprocket on the saw, its still slower. You are right on that part.

 

[computeruser]

+1 on IWMkII's post.

The thing about effective cutting speed, though, is that the cutting speed issue is more a theoretical comparison than a real one. Sure, more cutters = more cutting, but does net production stay the same when the additional cutters start pulling RPMs out of the peak range, or where you have to work to finesse the saw to keep it from bogging on chips or from the drag of cutters cutting? Obviously it depends on a bunch of variables - the powerhead, the wood, the user, the chain type and condition, etc. - but I can assure you that there have been instances where I used full comp and skip side by side in the same wood and got faster production with the skip than the full-comp.

 

[Cut4fun]

On my 066 with skip square and full comp square, no other changes with 32" bar in 23" green softwood spruce. The skip was faster then full, Chip clearance is the only reason I could come up with.
But if you are just everyday cutting, you wouldn't have been able to tell the difference except with a stopwatch and when it came time for a touch up. Longer time to sharpen the full.

 

[Cut4fun]

Here was some chain testing, skip, full comp, full comp with raker's taken down more, semi-chisel full comp. Videos are not in the above order. So read which chain is being run in video title.

Overlook all the blipping, I do that in all my videos now after a site member complained about people blipping saws, so I make sure I do extra blipping to just get on his nerves.:hmm3grin2orange:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG_TJRrsY18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21GX7mLg_gA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naHdKSIOTEg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urZCndDIIdo

 

[Mr. Obvious]

I believe skip chain is what the happy ones use in San Francisco:rockn:

 

[2dogs]

Skip is pretty muchly all I run. It cuts faster and has far fewer teeth to sharpen. If you hit a rock or metal and really dull the cutters you will be glad to not have to sharpen a full compliment of cutters. It isn't near as safe to operate since the kickback potential is much higher and it is very aggresive and grabby with small material and probably should not be run by novices. I can't speak to performance in trees east of the Sierras.

All my .325 is full comp and I have 4 or 5 loops of 3/8 full comp for brush work.

 

[Al Smith]

I think it just boils down to chip clearance .I have both skip and full comp and on the larger saws running 36" bars I see little difference in hardwood.However on the smaller 80cc saws I own,I do see a difference in the power level running 28" to 32" bars.

Skip is most likely the rule of thumb for the west coast and softer trees out yonder.The deal about only half the cutters to sharpen never made much sense to me.You either file a bunch at a time or file twice as often,six of one,half dozen of another.

 

[Slamm]

I have always heard that the skip chains were slower, but the times I have used them I really like how it cut and thought or felt, they were much faster to sharpen. I had a 24" stock 660 bucking up a whole landing of red oak and I swapped between the skip and full comp and I was sure the skip was faster. I agree with an above poster who said it may be due to the fact that either due to skill or saw size you don't bog the rpm's down, but I think the saws fly with skip chain on them.

Provided I didn't hit anything, I didn't sharpen the skip anymore than the full comp., but when I did sharpen obviously it was twice as fast.

I bore cut all my trees so I feel the skip provides better clearance and skip chain seems to bore a lot better than full comp.

None of my experience is scientific just seat of the pants, but I do like the skip chain.

My .02 cents on the subject,

Sam

 

[sloth9669]

yes or no ??

Using a 036 pro and soon 441 to cut all hardwood logs ranging from 8-28 inches. using full chisel with 20 inch bars.... should i try or change to skip ? or not worth it ?

 

[GASoline71]

20" bars... not worth it.

Run skip on the 24" and longer.

However... I run skip on everything... including my 20"ers... cuz I'm lazy and hate sharpenin'.

Gary

 

[BC_Logger]

I with Gary and Im a PNW guy so ....:chainsawguy: skip

 

[Gologit]

The only time I'd run anything but full skip would be on a landing saw. Bumping knots always seems a little quicker with full comp.
And all the sharpening gives the landing man something to do while he's resting.