Breaking in a New Chain Saw Chain

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I don't pre-oil. I install the chain, start the saw, blip it for about 1 minute to make sure the oiler is working and the chain is warm. Then I stop it, check tension, then cut wood.
 
It probably is good advice, but like a lot of things nowadays chain is considered to be cheap and not worth farting about over.
Used to be a thing with old dirtbike chains that you would buy a big round tin of grease and heat it on the stove, when it got liquid you would drop your bike chain in and leave it for a while then take it out and drip dry and cool.
Then o-ring chains came out and most people don't even bother to spray lube on the chain anymore.
I think it probably would help but until someone posts a scanning electron microscope picture of the pins in a chain that has been soaked and one that was left run dry then most people won't think anything of it.
 
In no way are logging companies and professional cutters not doing this soak and hang procedure to be a tax WRITE off... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Gary, have you spent much time in Canada? Who knows why the Canadians do some of the things they do....:popcorn:

I've been going to Canada, Great Lakes region, for years fishing and I can tell you they definitely do things different than us and it's not all bad. They really are very innovative and self sufficient, at least the country folk are, where we go.....Very impressive!

With that said.....NO, I don't soak and hang my new chains for days....:givebeer:
 
Noooo, I can't resist...

Even if I soaked a chain before using it, the first palm tree takes care of ALL the oil, soaked or not. It just isn't worth the time, for those of us who use saws regularly, I do not think soaking prior to first use would add a significant percentage of time before 'wear out'. My chains 'wear out' when they have next to no cutter left, not because the individual components are worn (tie straps, rivets or drive links)
When I'm done cutting a palm, there isn't a speck of oil on the chain or bar, REAL clean though!!
You have to strip it down, clean everything and run it clean to spread some oil about BEFORE you put it away for the night, if you don't, the magnesium will disintegrate, and the bar and chain will rust together overnight.

'kay??? Over and Out, bye bye now:dizzy:
 
Noooo, I can't resist...

Even if I soaked a chain before using it, the first palm tree takes care of ALL the oil, soaked or not. It just isn't worth the time, for those of us who use saws regularly, I do not think soaking prior to first use would add a significant percentage of time before 'wear out'. My chains 'wear out' when they have next to no cutter left, not because the individual components are worn (tie straps, rivets or drive links)
When I'm done cutting a palm, there isn't a speck of oil on the chain or bar, REAL clean though!!
You have to strip it down, clean everything and run it clean to spread some oil about BEFORE you put it away for the night, if you don't, the magnesium will disintegrate, and the bar and chain will rust together overnight.

'kay??? Over and Out, bye bye now:dizzy:
Gee thats too much work to do after cutting:) I just blow mine off with air when I get home maybe some WD-40 to get the Pine sap off. Kinda glad I am thousands of miles away from them saw eating Palm Trees!:monkey:
About the chains I know a guy who does soak them he does everything by the book uses a torque wrench and follows every owners manual right to the letter on everything. Me I just worry about how sharp the chain is.
 
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Used to be a thing with old dirtbike chains that you would buy a big round tin of grease and heat it on the stove, when it got liquid you would drop your bike chain in and leave it for a while then take it out and drip dry and cool.
Then o-ring chains came out and most people don't even bother to spray lube on the chain anymore.

Oh the memories. Just one thing though you missed out the step where you tipped the whole tin of molten grease over the garage floor. Did that twice over the years.The one good thing with it was that it would disguise a worn out chain on a bike you were selling.
 
It will, at least another 100 threads or so.....

Why not just put the dam chain on, an stick it in a bucket of light oil while revving the throttle a second or two?


It does not matter, does it? We replace a chain when the cutters are
gone, normally, correct? So the oil will benefit what, the bar? Sprocket??

So the oil soak will slow the wear/stretch, which will slow the wear on the
sprocket???????? Which will adversely affect the next chain????

This is a lot of wind about a non-issue, like greasing the sprocket bearing...

But this forum thrives on such things, so let the good times roll.................
 
Uh huh. Let's assume without questioning, that your method will add 10% to the life of the chain--a very dubious claim at best. Who will benefit more from practicing your method? A homeowner who will only use at most 1 to 2 chains per year and spend more in oil costs than the saved chain cost, or a big business who will use 100's of chains per year and can treat dozens of chains at a time?

If it is not cost effective for a business to do, why would it be cost effective for a homeowner to do?

Yeah it's time to face up to the fact. You're anal retentive. :)
Space Mule.
You have to look at it another way, from a Canadians Point of View. I just recently bought 2-16" Oregon Laminated Guide Bars and Semi Chisel Chain Combos. I paid $30.00 USD each. I also bought 6 extra chains to fit these Bars @ $10.00 USD each. Plus $32.00 USD for Shipping + Exchange Rate from Canadian Dollars to US Dollars + $17.00 for sending Express Post.
Up Here in Canada 1-16" Laminated Guide Bar from Laser costs $76.85 CND + 13% Taxes (Provincial Sales Tax, and General Service Tax), with Semi Chisel Chain Combo = $86.24 after Taxes. More than Half again the price of Buying in the US, Plus the Gas at $1.21 per Liter = $4.57 per US Gallon @ 21 miles per Gallon x 90 miles round trip, to where a person can get the best deal on Bars, and Chains to drive to get the Bar, and Chain Combo.
1- 16" Chain Loop of Semi Chisel Chain costs $17.00 plus 13% tax = $19.21 per Chain Loop. 1 US gallon of Bar Oil is 6.99 CND plus 13% = $7.90 CND.
Up here 2 Bar and Chain combos with 6 extra chains is $287.74 CND. with Taxes, and this doesn't include the Gas either to drive and pick this stuff up.
Now with that said OK, the savings is and very well could be asstronomical, at what you figure at 10% longer.
Now for a home owner with the costs of the items that I have given you, are indeed Cost Effective. Another thing you need to look at, it's not Cost Effective for a big business, not to do this, is because a Big Business, or any Size Business for that matter can use it as a Business Expense at the end of the year, where a Home Owner Can Not. I have been around Business my whole Life, right from the Day I was born, and will be around Business until the Day I Die.
Now with this said, Who is the One That Is Anal Retentive.
 
Wish chain was cheap here, 72 links of semi-chisel made up will cost anywhere from A$30 to A$42. The dearer stuff is local, the cheaper either mail order or in one of the big towns, but they are 100km away.

A$42 = US$48, just for a 72 link piece of Carlton, so you tend to look after the buggers, and bars, and sprocket tips, etc.
 
Noooo, I can't resist...

Even if I soaked a chain before using it, the first palm tree takes care of ALL the oil, soaked or not. It just isn't worth the time, for those of us who use saws regularly, I do not think soaking prior to first use would add a significant percentage of time before 'wear out'. My chains 'wear out' when they have next to no cutter left, not because the individual components are worn (tie straps, rivets or drive links)
When I'm done cutting a palm, there isn't a speck of oil on the chain or bar, REAL clean though!!
You have to strip it down, clean everything and run it clean to spread some oil about BEFORE you put it away for the night, if you don't, the magnesium will disintegrate, and the bar and chain will rust together overnight.

'kay??? Over and Out, bye bye now:dizzy:
WOW!!! I never realized that any sap could Ruin a Chain, and Bar. If this sap is so hard on the Bars, and Chains, What about the rest of the Saw? Thanks. Bruce.
 
Wish chain was cheap here, 72 links of semi-chisel made up will cost anywhere from A$30 to A$42. The dearer stuff is local, the cheaper either mail order or in one of the big towns, but they are 100km away.

A$42 = US$48, just for a 72 link piece of Carlton, so you tend to look after the buggers, and bars, and sprocket tips, etc.
Like I have said Before. Chains and Bars are not cheap for you guys in Australia, for here in Canada. Being that the Exchange rate is quit cheap for Us Canadians, I found a good buy from across the Border. $10.00 USD for a 60 Link 3/8 Pitch x 0.050 Gauge of Carlton Chain, verses $20.00 Canadian for 60 Links 3/8 Pitch x 0.050 Gauge of Laser Chain, $25.00 to $30.00 Canadian for 60 Links 3/8 Pitch x 0.050 Gauge and the Carlton Cutters are longer than Oregon, and Laser. Compared to the US Prices, the prices in Australia, and Canada, are Astronomical.
I was taught by my Father, who was a Very Sharp Business Man, who ran his own Plumbing and Heating Business for over 40 years, before he Retired,as well as I was taught this by my Great Uncle, who ran his own Shop as a General Mechanic, that you had to get the most out of your equipment. Also I was taught, if you look after your Tool and Equipment right, it would look after you. If not, It would Cost You. That has stuck with me.
Heck, when I had my own Trucking Company for 10 Years, I used to have my High Way Tractors Greased once a week, as Preventive Maintenance. A lot of guys I knew, and worked with, used to tell me I was overdoing it, well when their truck was tying up a bay in the Repair Shop, I was going up and down the High Way. I'd rather go a little over board, than not, Especially with the cost of Replacement Parts, and Down Time. Bruce.
 
WOW!!! I never realized that any sap could Ruin a Chain, and Bar. If this sap is so hard on the Bars, and Chains, What about the rest of the Saw? Thanks. Bruce.

There was a thread describing the effects of palm trees on aluminum. I think it was started by Bsnelling on an ebay 440. Ekka sent him some parts.

If I remember right, the palms are mostly water and the "paste" they produce when sawed turns acidic in 24 hours.

Eats just about everything it touches if you don't wash it off.

Talk about maintenance costs!! One post said he had to replace saws every year because of the effects.

Fred
 
What exactly do you all mean by "break in"?

You normally replace a chain when the cutters have no tooth left.

If you put a new chain on a worn out sprocket, then there will be some
"break in" and stretching, but will soaking help that?

Wear on a bar is from lack of lube on the bar, and running a worn stretched
dull chain, wear on a sprocket is from a stretched worn dull chain, etc....
Fish.
This term was taught to me by my Dad, and Great Uncle. From what I have studied, and seen when I used to stroll around the Oregon Plant in Guelph Ontario, that there is a Paint Like Coating on a new chain, that has to be worn off the Drive Tangs of the Chain. As the Parts of the Chains are being forged and stamped, they are dipped into a Paint Like Coating, and after that they are dipped into Cooling Oil, where they are Cooled and the Parts are then Tempered.
Now, Oregon Recommends that one should soak the Chain in a good Lubricating Oil. I have only started soaking my new chains after I took over the Family Farm, where I was raised, and when I sold out my Trucking Business. After doing a lot of research, on Saw Chains, and a couple of years hauling loads into, and out of the Oregon Plant, as a Truck Driver, this is what I discovered.
Oregon also Recommends that you run your Chain Saw with New Sprocket, and Chain, between 1/4, to 1/2 throttle, while making sure you get as much oil to the chain as possible, with out cutting for a few minutes, until as much of this Paint Like Coating gets worn off the Chain, and gets seated into the New Sprocket properly. They also recommend that you let the chain cool a little bit, retighten the new chain, and make a few cuts in light wood, not too big at the start, check the chain for tension, and adjust if needed, and keep an eye on if for a while as you cut. after a bit, the chain should stay with in speck for tension. Now your chain is what is called broken in. Bruce
 
Wow this is getting entertaining. Have yet to have a chain get tossed for premature wear. I have a rack of chains that are prolly 40-50% left on the cutters I only use for plowing. Maybe some chains cost an awful lota money. Ill continue to throw new one on and run the saw. But then again I buy chain in 100' rolls so its only about 15 dollars a pop for105 link chain. Get an excavator and lets really grow this mole hill.:popcorn:

And should I start a thread called, "What do you do with your worn out chain?"
If you leave it in the back of the pickup, it disappears. I don't know where or how but it does. Should one soak it in oil before placing it in the back of the truck?
 

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