What chain brand YOU buy when u need one now (not online)

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What chain YOU buy when you need it now (not online)

  • Oregon

    Votes: 13 28.9%
  • Husquvarna

    Votes: 2 4.4%
  • Jonsered

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Stihl

    Votes: 29 64.4%
  • Tractor supply (country line)

    Votes: 1 2.2%

  • Total voters
    45
  • Poll closed .
I'm just a firewood cutter. I've bought a lot of my chain from Baileys (Woodland Pro) so I don't really know the brand. There are a couple of local saw shops. I don't know for sure what brands they sell but they both sell to a lot of pro loggers. I'm sure whatever they sell must be okay.
As it sits now I have more chain loops than I will ever use and a couple of reels just in case.


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As far as I know they are Carlton. They have become my go to. I keep 5 or 8 extra loops on hand since I cut firewood too and can go through that many in a day hitting nails or iron bars (found a 2 in square bar with a brand new chain the other day). The semi chisel ones will chop though small nails and you wont even notice. I sliced through a small steel cable the other day and I only saw sparks, looked at the chain and there was no any visible damage. Dulled for sure but did not look like it had hit a cable. I am trying to convince a local dealer to start carrying them, but nobody buys semi chisel or anything but Stihl or Oregon 72LGX in 3/8ths pitch. Very good chains for the money (Carlton) and I like how big the cutters are. They seem to last longer vs. the Oregons I was running.
 
I get free one time used only Oregon chains in 16 20 and 24 for husky saws 3/8 50 alot of times I will break a 20 and make a 60dl loop for my mac's and the 24 are the correct number of drive links as my 029 super with the 25 inch rolomatic es so I rarely buy chains but when I need 404 I would get Oregon as I don't use 404 very often
 
Used to be. Now, some are Carlton, some are Tri-link.

Philbert
All the ones I have in my garage say Carlton on the tie straps, they came in Woodland Pro boxes. Regardless of brand I have been happy with all the chains I have used. They all cut the same after a couple filings for me.
 
It's a cost benefit thing - I buy Stihl files because they are cheap and good and I can get them at the local ACE. I use them on other chains, and it only takes a couple of swipes to keep them sharp. The only Stihl chains they have there that fit my saws are some 62DL 0.050" gauge lo pro with horrid looking safety thingys, and I'm sure not paying extra for those.

i'm not convinced that sithl chains are better than oregon/carlton. i've seen no hard data to support these clains and i haven't observed it "in the wild." some guys think that if it has a stihl trade mark it was sent from heaven but to me stihl chains aren't significantly different except they tend to have more anti-kickback features, are a little heavier (i think they are all built as .063 with the ends of the drive lins reduce in thickness for .058 and .050)
 
"What chain brand YOU buy when u need one now"


STIHL does not sell .325 narrow kerf chain. STIHL's PS3 chain is the only full chisel 3/8 low profile chain available. PowerSharp is unique to Oregon. Some ECHO saws have odd driver link counts (e.g 57DL instead of 56DL), so you have to find an ECHO dealer if buying on short notice.

In my part of the world Red Mountain do a full chisel no lumps by the rakers 3/8 x 1.3 Lo Pro chain. I don't know who manufactures it, as Iv'e never got around to using it, as I was given approx 45 ft of PS in odd lengths so that"s still being used/made up into loops 50 & 55 Dl's for the small Oleo Mac 244F I use for sawing my split fire wood They also do a selection of bars & their top of the range is a rebadged Sugi non laminated " Jobbie" but the web page you used to get was the "pits"& the main dealer guy in my part of France is a waste of space so I gave up before I ever got to the ordering stage





Philbert
 
Have Blount/Oregon solved their out of the box "chatter/vibration" on 91VXL I had quite a few problems (the rep knew about it )some time back, but as I was given some PS chain ( see post#49 ) iv"e not used any VXL for some months & wondered if they had found a cure.
 
Have Blount/Oregon solved their out of the box "chatter/vibration" on 91VXL I had quite a few problems (the rep knew about it )some time back, but as I was given some PS chain ( see post#49 ) iv"e not used any VXL for some months & wondered if they had found a cure.
The only loop of VXL I have was very smooth when new, but it is 68DL so it might not behave the same on a lighter, shorter bar. The last time I filed it I dropped the depth gauges just a little too far and now it chatters rather a lot. Still cuts very well though.
 
i'm not convinced that sithl chains are better than oregon/carlton. i've seen no hard data to support these clains and i haven't observed it "in the wild." some guys think that if it has a stihl trade mark it was sent from heaven but to me stihl chains aren't significantly different except they tend to have more anti-kickback features, are a little heavier (i think they are all built as .063 with the ends of the drive lins reduce in thickness for .058 and .050)

Take a few of each to a local machinist, or machine shop and have them do a hardness test. That'll tell all. Our machinist at work retired, else I would. But I watched him hardness test bolts to see what grade a specific machine needed to be replaced with. Pretty cool.
 
I do not think that hardness is the only concern with chain. Its a factor, but I do firmly believe that good filing matters more then anything else. Choosing the right chain for the situation matters more (chisel vs semi chisel).
 
I do not think that hardness is the only concern with chain. Its a factor, but I do firmly believe that good fling matters more then anything else. Choosing the right chain for the situation matters more (chisel vs semi chisel).
Bling beats fling
 
What does that mean?
Well, I actually had no idea what you meant by fling in your post, so I turned into joke. But in fact to many showing off the name on the side, be it on saws or chains or anything else, is more important that function vs. cost (value).
 
I'm impartial really, I just meant if someone wanted to prove IF one really was harder than the other.

My dad likes STIHL chains. Probably because they're actually on of the easiest for him to get and I know he likes to saw more than sharpen. He's not a "pro" either tho. Our family farm is close to 300 acres and he tries to take a load of oak logs every week or two weeks. 5-7 logs at a time. So he's a pro amateur I guess you'd say. He also has a couple saw-mills and burns only firewood for heat. So he cuts a lot and has used gobs of saws over the years. He also doesn't use file guides or bar dressing tools or anything. He changes bars and chains regularly. If it wasn't for the fact that the logs were 100% profit, he may be more likely to use proper tools and spend the time to file the chain to factory spec and dress the bars a few times before he grabs new.

Me personally I like STIHL saws, but I don't care what kinda chain is on it as long as it's not causing me problems. But We do have tons of STIHL dealers in our area and they're easiest to get besides the local hardware that deals in Echo equipment and Oregon consumables.
 
Take a few of each to a local machinist, or machine shop and have them do a hardness test.
I do not think that hardness is the only concern with chain. Its a factor, . . .

Bingo! Hardness is only one factor. As steel gets harder, it may hold an edge longer, under certain conditions, but also becomes harder to sharpen with a file in the field. It also becomes more brittle at a point, which means that the fine cutting edges can break off easier.

Same thing with 'thicker chrome', which some guys assume means a 'better chain'. Chrome provides abrasion resistance on the top and side of the cutters, but it is also hard / brittle, and cannot be practically sharpened, so a cutter with thicker chrome can not be made as sharp as one with a thinner layer. Some racers try to remove the chrome layer for race chain.

Overall, chain manufacturers have to balance: hardness, toughness, durability, heat treating, finish, corrosion resistance, alloys, material costs, manufacturing methods and costs, environmental issues (chrome plating), geometry, markets, etc., etc., etc. You can focus on any one of these and come up with the wrong choice.

Best thing is to buy a few loops, of different types / models / brands, etc, that fit your saw, and see which best meets your needs under your cutting conditions. Then, start messing around with different sharpening angles! Nothing wrong with having different chains for different types of wood or cutting conditions either - think of your saw as a socket set, and use different chains and guide bars like sockets and extensions for the work at hand!

Philbert
 

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