Where are Carlton saw chains manufactured?

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I think I was talking with Ahlborne equipement who sells both Carlton Chain and forester stuff and got this info. The steel that Oregon buys for its chains is soursed from and plant in Buffalo NY. So if its a usa made chain from Oregon/Carlton its the same steel from Buffalo. I have a 100' roll of Stens House brand chain (china) that I have been selling, right along side some woodland int/bailey's/carlton and the rest Carlton bulk. I did this to get a first hand look at China made chain, It sells for less and I tell folks about it. I have sold both brands, home owners, arborists, loggers, processors, and saw geeks. What I have noticed about the China chain is that its is a little bit softer than the Carlton and does not hold an edge in abrasive conditions. The chassis and the drivers hold up very well. If you are running in clean wood, the sharp is not knocked of so easliy, but on the other hand its easier to file back to sharp. So I would say the only difference in is that the China chains last about 20% less due to the softer cutters under abrasive conditions.
 
I had very good luck with carlton years ago. The more recent carlton labelled chain I bought did not appear or function the same. The box read "made in USA". I was skeptical about those words relating to the chain.

Carlton 72dl 3/8 was under $9. I can see where that is a selling point. I will buy Oregon or stihl by the roll instead as my dealer has decent pricing on bulk chain. Then again, I have seen carlton 100' rolls for $170.

I think of that tv ad from years back, "is it live or is it Memorex" what with all the copies out there. I really don't know what I bought other than cheap. It might have been Memorex.
 
Philbert said:
If you look at some of the packages of pre made Oregon chain loops you will see things like, "Made in USA", "Made in Brazil", or "Assembled in China from components made in US or Brazil".

I don't find it confusing that some guys like Carlton or Oregon better. Even though they are owned by the same parent company, they can still be made to different specs.

Anybody know who makes Forrester chain or Total chain? Are there any large, 'third party' companies besides Tri-Link?

Philbert
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Total is Carlton as a Tilton rep told me many years ago. If you look at the markings on the chain it has Carlton numbers on it.
 
I've only used Carlton lo pro. I actually like the older Oregon chamfer chisel a lot, but have come to prefer the Carlton. Recent loops of chamfer chisel do not have a well defined chamfer - it is basically a radius like any other semi-chisel, so you don't get the two points. I was just comparing some older loops with newer the other day and the difference is obvious. The Carlton is fast, has longer cutters and I think it is smoother too. It doesn't have the fancy lube channels, holes and such but I've never had any trouble with bar lubrication using it either.
 
WHSH said:
Those prices are below wholesale for Carlton chain, the loop and the reel.
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The supplier you mention that starts with "A" has some pretty good specials. The specials got me to try something I might not have usually as it was a bargain. Was also about a year ago, so prices might have gone up, I don't buy often.

-dave
 
Chris-PA said:
I've only used Carlton lo pro. I actually like the older Oregon chamfer chisel a lot, but have come to prefer the Carlton. Recent loops of chamfer chisel do not have a well defined chamfer - it is basically a radius like any other semi-chisel, so you don't get the two points. I was just comparing some older loops with newer the other day and the difference is obvious. The Carlton is fast, has longer cutters and I think it is smoother too. It doesn't have the fancy lube channels, holes and such but I've never had any trouble with bar lubrication using it either.
Click to expand...
Likewise their low profile n1c either with or without the bumper drive links works quite well, leaves a smooth cut and seems to take a little less power to run than picco. What I have noticed on that and also the narrow kerf 0.325 (that is all I have to examine at present) is that the part of the chain (cutter anyway) that touches the bar isn't designed like a sled as the comparable oregon or stihl is. It does flatten out but not sure how they are computing the distance up to the center of the rivets. Unless they have factory tours or insider information made in USA could be that the cutters or the rivets or something else comes in overseas containers.
 
LarryRFL said:
Total is Carlton as a Tilton rep told me many years ago.
Click to expand...

I had a Tilton rep once tell me that they sourced their bars, chains, etc., among different suppliers - was not sure who the current ones might be.

WHSH said:
The steel that Oregon buys for its chains is soursed from and plant in Buffalo NY. So if its a usa made chain from Oregon/Carlton its the same steel from Buffalo. . . What I have noticed about the China chain is that its is a little bit softer than the Carlton and does not hold an edge in abrasive conditions.
Click to expand...

There are big quality control/assurance issues here. I could start out with the same ingredients as Martha Stewart (or substitute your own chef here) and not come up with the same dish in taste or appearance. I know that China can make quality products (think iPhone, etc.). When some companies off-shore to China (i.e. their own factories) and have their strict QA/QC methods in place, they should be able to get the same results (e.g. same alloys, same hardness, consistent cutters, etc.). Too often, they contract with other manufacturers who are trying to get things done at the lowest price, who cut corners, or who do not have the QA/QC methods in place, and that's when we have lower quality products.


Chris-PA said:
I actually like the older Oregon chamfer chisel a lot.
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That's one advantage of scrounging old chains! You can still get the 'good' stuff.

Phibert
 
Philbert said:
That's one advantage of scrounging old chains! You can still get the 'good' stuff.
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For sure, and I'm always up for salvaging something useful. Unfortunately Oregon 91 chamfer chisel cutters are short to begin with, and often they've been abused, so it's common to find there's not a lot of useful life left.
 
Philbert said:
I had a Tilton rep once tell me that they sourced their bars, chains, etc., among different suppliers - was not sure who the current ones might be.



There are big quality control/assurance issues here. I could start out with the same ingredients as Martha Stewart (or substitute your own chef here) and not come up with the same dish in taste or appearance. I know that China can make quality products (think iPhone, etc.). When some companies off-shore to China (i.e. their own factories) and have their strict QA/QC methods in place, they should be able to get the same results (e.g. same alloys, same hardness, consistent cutters, etc.). Too often, they contract with other manufacturers who are trying to get things done at the lowest price, who cut corners, or who do not have the QA/QC methods in place, and that's when we have lower quality products.


That's one advantage of scrounging old chains! You can still get the 'good' stuff.

Phibert
Click to expand...
I give. I was just trying to share an experience that I had and not push my views, or agenda on anyone.
 
Carlton has sold their chain under various brands over the years. Tiger in Asia, AMA in Italy, GB in Australia etc. I'm yet to see any Carlton chain made anywhere but in the US. I'd be interested to hear more about Carlton's Chinese interests as chain produced there may only be destined for the Asian market. In fact it may only be a plant producing Carlton rim sprockets?
There are numerous issues with Chinese chain. Metallurgy consistency is the biggest problem but rivet oiling under hard use is also another issue. It's not uncommon to smoke up Chinese chain in our hardwoods from oiling alone. As good as they are at copying stuff they still just miss "nailing it" on many occasions. I've done a fair amount of work with E&S in China and had input on their chain. It will hold a really good edge under abrasives conditions but oiling is a massive issue under hard use. I have a heap of their chain here in a number of configurations and have been playing with it for years. Some is really good, some is absolute garbage. Poor oiling is a constant however.
 
I AM a grouchy old fart, but regardless, at 59 years old, I can't think of anything that came from China that was worth a damn! There are a ton of different generators sold in this market area (upstate NY, by Albany, that is) and I've never heard anything but bad about them. They run for awhile, screw up, and then you can't find parts for them. Hence, there's a s---load of them on CL with the statement, "Only used 20 hours, minor problem running right now...think it's a simple carburetor problem." Yeah, right, if it was simple, you'd have fixed it! Or, "Runs great, used for about 35 hours, but stopped putting out electricity. Probably a fuse or loose wire." Again, really? Then why not fix it, or KEEP it?

Same deal with scooters, and recently I've noticed a lot more chainsaws popping up, usually copying Stihl's color scheme, like Richmond 58 cc saw for ~ $150.00. (What could possible go wrong, right?) Google the brand name and model number and usually you'll find reviews describing poor fit, finish, and performance. Stuff breaking that shouldn't, especially when like new.

Have you tried to buy a pair of American made boots? How about the undisputed King of American workmanship---Harley Davidson? Nope--their boots are made in China! When I was a young man, Justin cowboy boots were Made in America, bad assed, fit like a glove, and lasted forever. I bought a pair on sale for $185.00 in 1976, and just retired them about five years ago. No more--- Chinese junk.

Makes me sick. Yeah, we can buy stuff cheaper than otherwise, but it's not worth owning! Also, you just helped kill another American's job. I like a bargain as much as anyone, but I won't buy junk!
 
Wood Doctor said:
A year and a half ago I bought two 100' reels of Oregon 75 LGX, 3/8 063, and had nothing but trouble with them. Loops made from both pulled hard to the right, and they failed to hold an edge. Rakers were higher on the left side cutters, so vertical cuts were angled off by as much as 9" from top to bottom. We were logging big cottonwood and after two or three bucks though 30" dia. stock, they were shot and I can't even post the comments of the frustrated MS660 saw operators.

Blount replaced both Oregon reels and they held the vertical but were nevertheless softer than Stihl chain by a considerable margin. By comparison, we can get six to eight big buck cuts from a Stihl or Carlton loop before sharpening.
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cotton wood can have a lot of silicate in it, especially if it's growing in sandy soil. i took one down a few years ago. it was in the bosque, by the rio grande, , stem 36" to 48", had to sharpen my chain after every cut, wore the chain down and threw it away. it was oregon but i don't blame them. cottonwood can be bad.
 

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