Bar/Chain set-up for cutting all Spruce all the time

[newforest]

I put this here rather than the chainsaw forum as it feels more likely to be seen by someone with lots of Spruce experience. I have only ever cut it in small amounts.

I will be on a Spruce pre-commercial thinning job for the next two months. Average diameters about 4” but lots of +/- on that.

95% or more of cutting will be Spruce though. I have never cut so much of a single species before; makes me think I could optimize my bar and chain set-up.

I will be running a pro grade 50cc saw, so any sizes are possible.

 

[northmanlogging]

first, consider a 60cc saw. (more powah makes less work for you) and really the options out there don't weigh enough more to make much difference as far as saw weight is concerned. Which ever saw think about porting or at the very least muf modding it.

20" bar full comp square chain, skip if a 50cc won't pull it. (Chisel grind is pretty skookum if you have a grinder otherwise stick with round file), spend the money on Stihl chains, they last longer and don't stretch as bad as the Oregon stuff, not sure who else is still making chain... windsor if you can find it was really good stuff.

Feels weird telling someone to use a short bar... but thats fairly small timber, so the only reason to run a long bar in that mess is if you don't like bending over.

Spruce isn't so bad, fairly soft, harder then pine, but not a contender to most hardwoods, you'll want to wear long sleaves, its a little like wrestling an 80' angry feral cat, covered in velcro.

 

[catbuster]

4” +/- some and I would be running a chisel blade on a clearing saw, but that’s just my preference, and if you don’t have the gear, well, that’s not an option. Less bending over, can be worn on a harness, blah blah.

But yeah, I’d go 18-20” full comp chisel on a 50cc pro saw. Gives you a little reach but not enough to get hung up in the hairy stuff. If you can, use Stihl chain. A lot of the other stuff on the market right now is garbage.

 

[newforest]

I have a Stihl FS 560 clearing saw (Beast) but elected not to bring it to this job. Too much rock, all covered in moss, on top of this mountain; kickback mistakes would destroy blades quickly I figured.

I am running 3/8 full chisel like I always have. Usually my jobs include cutting live wood, dead wood, small wood, large wood, conifer, hard deciduous, soft deciduous, sometimes all in the same five minutes (post-harvest clean up work).

So far the full chisel seems fine. It is amazing the difference in chips depending on the angle of the cut, with how stringy Spruce wood fiber is. I cut a lot of small stems at a 45 degree angle to bring the rest of the bole straight down, sometimes 2 or even 3 times, so the tops untangle and I can push the stem where I want it. Lots of small diameter, but tall, trees under the ‘keepers’.

I have run several Stihl chains, I have liked them. Not as easy to find the size combo for a short bar though; struck out and had to run an Oregon this go.

No slashing requirements, just can’t leave any hangers so haven’t needed any reach beyond the 16” bar really. But still wondering if .325 and/or something other than full chisel might match this wood just a little better.

 

[catbuster]

Nah, 3/8s is less drivers & bigger cutters at that, less to fix when the chain gets rocked, and it will doing that type of work. I would opt for round chisel chain. It’s just easier to fix and doesn’t dull much faster than semi-chisel.

I would be all over that FS 560 though. Yeah, you’ll rock the blade but they sharpen back just like a chain. There re usually fewer cutters to sharpen too.