Stihl RSC VS RSC3 Shootout..place your bets!

[mooseman]

My youngest son wants to learn to run a big saw. He is 17, 6' 200 lbs. and has been using an 024S for a good while, so I picked up a 20" bar and a couple loops of RSC (for me), and some RSC3(for him).
The saw is a Stih MS460 that I just put a dual port exhaust on (WOW!).
I have only done a couple of cuts with the RSC3, but I think this might be a closer race than you might think.
So, this weekend, I am going to run a test, both chains factory new. I'll cut and bore with both.
Care to make a bet?

 

[Evan]

same speed or so close you cant tell.

theyre the same cutters, rsc3 just has low vibe humbs

 

[mooseman]

Not quite. Same cutters, but RSC3 is safety chain. It has humps on the ties. They are both low vibe.

 

[willsaw4beer]

The worst thing with safety chain is when the rakers get below the humps and you have to file the humps. :censored:

 

[Evan]

RSC is yellow in my stihl book.

 

[Justsaws]

RSC is yellow in my stihl book.

That some sort of insult? My bet is they are both expensive.

 

[husq2100]

my guess is that the chain with the bumps on the ties (safety ramps) will not bore as smoothly.

Serg

 

[mooseman]

Yes, RSC is yellow, but RSC3 is green.
I did try a quick bore cut, and it's not bad..way better than I would have thought.
And yes, it will be a bit*h to file the rakers and humps, and they are not far below the rakers.

 

[dingeryote]

Yes, RSC is yellow, but RSC3 is green.
I did try a quick bore cut, and it's not bad..way better than I would have thought.
And yes, it will be a bit*h to file the rakers and humps, and they are not far below the rakers.

Got an angle grinder? They work great.:hmm3grin2orange:

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[SawTroll]

Not quite. Same cutters, but RSC3 is safety chain. It has humps on the ties. They are both low vibe.

You got it right!

I don't believe there will be much difference with new chain, unless chip clearing becomes an issue - the RSC3 will be more prone to that.

 

[pgg]

Safety chain is inefficient and drags, end of story. Grind the bumps down level with the sideplates, take down the rakers some, and re-file the teeth to a wider angle, they cut a bit better then

 

[dadouthat]

I'm not sure that I understand what "humps on the ties" means for the newer safety chains. The old RM2 had humps between the cutters, but the RMC3 hump is oposite the depth gauge. It's not something that you can just grind or file away easily. I also don't see how this hump will interfere with chip clearance. In my brief tests, I convinced myself that there is a perceptible difference between RSC and RMC3 but I wouldn't want to put a number on it withoug some carerfully timed tests. I look forward to seeing the the measured dfference between RSC and RSC3.

 

[SawTroll]

I'm not sure that I understand what "humps on the ties" means here. The old RM2 had humps between the cutters, but the RMC3 hump is oposite the depth gauge. It's not something that you can just grind or file away easily. I also don't see how this hump will interfere with chip clearance. In my brief tests, I convinced myself that there is a perceptible difference between RSC and RMC3 but that doesn't mean much and I look forward to seeing quantitative results.

Those bumpers (ramps really) take up some space - but is a much better design than having bumpers on the tie straps!

Stihl stole/copied the basic design from Oregon (LP etc), but they kept the large rakers from the RS/RSC, and made the ramps too large as well. :censored:

 

[SteveH]

Both chains brand new, I seriously doubt you'll notice a difference.

 

[Evan]

sorry didnt mean to insult anyone

 

[dingeryote]

sorry didnt mean to insult anyone

None taken, My saw is kinda touchy about such things though.

LOL!!

 

[dadouthat]

Where are all the persons from earlier threads who know from experience that all safety chain is junk? Now's the time to place bets!

 

[SawTroll]

Where are all the persons from earlier threads who know from experience that all safety chain is junk? Now's the time to place bets!

There actually is no "safety chain" out there, just chain with different levels of kickback reduction.
Some constructions work well, without reducing performance much - others are very bad cutters.

 

[dadouthat]

There actually is no "safety chain" out there, just chain with different levels of kickback reduction.
Some constructions work well, without reducing performance much - others are very bad cutters.

Understood, of course. Have you had a chance to do any timed cuts showing differences between--in order to avoid misunderstanding--any Stihl "yellow" chain and the comparable "green" chain? What I have heard is that there isn't really a big difference in performance but I don't know of any timed tests.

When I asked this question a while back, there were quite a few replies that said "safety" chain was all junk, that it threw sawdust and not chips, made plunge cuts impossible, and that no real manly man would use "green" chain.. No one seemed to have any actual data. That's why I look forward to seeing the results of some timed cuts..

 

[SawTroll]

Here is an updated version of an old post;

Kickback reduced chain is a more proper term than "safety chain", as no saw chain is really safe.

Just remember that the are some principally different types of such chain out there:

1) The chain with tripple-hump or just one large one, on the tie straps between cutters. These are the ones that really suck, slowing down cutting in general, and making bore cutting next to impossible.
Stihl RM2, PM1 and Oregon SL, VG belongs to this category.

2) Chain with a small ramp on the driver, directly in front of a narrow (not "bullet-shaped" like on Stihl RS/RSC and Oregon LG) raker.
The combined size of the raker and ramp is not much larger than the raker alone on the RS/LG, and I think you would be hard pressed to notice any slower cutting - maybe there will be a small difference in very long cuts.
Some even say that these chain perform better than LG/RS for bore cutting.
Oregon LP/LPX/BP/BPX/VP (++) belongs to this category.

Carton/Woodsmanpro also have variants of both types, but I suspect that the ramp on their "category 2" chain may be a bit larger than on the Oregon variants.

Stihl RSC3, RMC3 etc also is the same basic design, but they kept the large rakers of the RS etc, and made the ramp a bit large for my liking.

3) The somewhat bullet shaped (large and ramped) rakers on chain like Stihl RS/RSC/RM/RMC and Oregon LG/LGX etc were also originally conceived as a kick-back reducing feature - at least according to Oregon.

4) The most kick-back aggressive chain are those with only a narrow raker, and no bumps or ramps, like Stihl RSK.

In addition we have oddballs like the Oregon Vanguard (V), and I am sure there is more.

By the way, this is my post number 2000 here, and hopefully it makes some sence....