Stihl Yellow chains keep failing

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Throwing Blades???

Hard to believe your have 30 years experience, when you call bars blades, and you mix up bars with chains.

Probably just a regional or generational difference. When and where I was raised, “blade” was used interchangeably for the guide (bar or bow) and the chain. There were few, if any, occasional users then. Loggers and pulp wood cutters used chainsaws, most everyone else used an axe.

Ron
 
let me see if i can get the pictures in the right order here...

455
 

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and the 357
 

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The guy has 30 years of experience, so it is impossible that he could make such a rookie mistake. I'll take $800 on Name that Instrument, that the blade was mounted backwards and the bar, or I mean the chain was off a bicycle and it was upside down.


Why do you feel the need to be so anal about his choice of words? Thats no way to treat a new member. I'm gonna start calling them blades from now on just so you will have something to ad. Do you have anything constructive to post or are you gonna continue to be an ass?
 
O.P. - I can't quite tell from the pictures, but are those sprockets in good order? I don't know if it's a trick of the light, but I think I see signs of peening or wear on the teeth of the sprockets. I've never experienced it, but a worn or damaged sprocket can foul the drive links on a chain and compound problems with the proper feeding and cycling of the chain around the bar, or so I am told. I'm no engineer or repairman, so I'd be out of my depth to speak to your equipment. I hope someone here can point you toward an answer.
 
O.P. - I can't quite tell from the pictures, but are those sprockets in good order? I don't know if it's a trick of the light, but I think I see signs of peening or wear on the teeth of the sprockets. I've never experienced it, but a worn or damaged sprocket can foul the drive links on a chain and compound problems with the proper feeding and cycling of the chain around the bar, or so I am told.

it sure looks like it on the 455. and i just had it replaced last winter or early this spring. id be surprised if theres more than 20hrs on it so far.

the 357s, i dont know. im not familiar with that style at all, and when i took it in to be looked over they said it was fine.
 
O.P. - here's a bit of a W.A.G., but do you have any way of telling if your bar adjustment is holding position on your XP? Said another way, if your chain tensioner setting is remaining consistent? Your description of the symptom makes me wonder if a worn part or something is allowing your chain tension settings to wander. I don't know if such a thing is possible, but maybe take a measurement of how far you have to turn your tensioner to set the chain to proper adjustment, give the saw some work, and then see if the setting stuck. I dunno, but just a thought that might aid troubleshooting.
 
Looks like a third of the rim is missing!!!

is it really? that would explain why ive had so many issues with throwing and loosening/tightening chains on that saw. i bought it used and only have maybe 2hrs on it, if that. keep going back to the dependable 455.

i just know that when i had one of the local shops look over it, they said it was fine. they even had it off to replace an oil leak back there (which is back, so i need to take the saw back to them. maybe later this week)
 
ive never checked the drive links. the only time i know that theyre bad is when i start throwing blades repeatedly, and then i find one thats not moving smoothly.
what needs to be filled on them? ive been cutting for 30 years now and never done that, just pop the blade back on and its normally good to go again.

You need to file the burr off the bottom of any drive links that aren't smooth. Those burrs will dig out the bar groove, making it wider and more susceptible to throwing the chain again. Sprocket on 455 looks good.

Replace the 357 sprocket with an oem Oregon sprocket. They cost around four bucks at a shop. Doesn't matter what it "looks" like. It's causing the problem.
 
this is the chain that bound up this weekend.
 

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