STIHL Progressive Depth Gauge Tool

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Part numbers in first post, for availability. Please make sure that you have clear commitments, and a good estimate of shipping costs, before you order any

Philbert
I’ll order one of each tomorrow. When they come I’ll stick them in a padded envelope and get a price for airmail and snail mail and then post the details. I can then either take orders individually and send each once a paypal payment has been received or organise a bulk group buy with a US based member?
 
I’ll order one of each tomorrow. When they come I’ll stick them in a padded envelope and get a price for airmail and snail mail and then post the details. I can then either take orders individually and send each once a paypal payment has been received or organise a bulk group buy with a US based member?
That sounds like a good way to make it worth doing... minimum order of 1 ea.
Freight will be pretty close to the same with 1-5 pcs.
 
I’ll order one of each tomorrow. When they come I’ll stick them in a padded envelope and get a price for airmail and snail mail and then post the details. I can then either take orders individually and send each once a paypal payment has been received or organise a bulk group buy with a US based member?

Sounds good. I’ll prep PayPal ;)
 
I’ll order one of each tomorrow. When they come I’ll stick them in a padded envelope and get a price for airmail and snail mail and then post the details. I can then either take orders individually and send each once a paypal payment has been received or organise a bulk group buy with a US based member?

What a good basterd :)
 
Yes I think the postage will prob work out the same for one or five. When I see them I’ll judge how sturdy they are; one on its own might be ‘squashable’...but a few taped together should be much stronger.
I’ve ordered them today and the shop says they will be a few days; was running a saw at the time so couldn’t hear clearly but I think they said they are about £4.00 each. Also they said buying lots will not be a problem.
When I get them I’ll put up pics and further details :picture:
 
Well mine arrived, and its interesting to see the differences between the husky roller guide progressive raker guide, and the stihl one.
have taken pictures of them both on old and new chain, and how they sit, and some measurements.

give me some time to get them downloaded off the camera, and will update with my observations.

cheers
 
Ok for this observation, I am using 3/8 semi chisel chain in 0.063, one used chain that cuts well, and has lost a few teeth, ie is at the end of its life, and a new chain.

On the used chain I had been using the Husky roller guide that has the progressive raker guide attached to it, and using the raker guide only. I use the basic stihl file guide with 5.2mm file for the tooth.
yes the chain needs to be sharpened again, have not got around to it yet.

I found on the stihl raker guide that rested over the top of the chain, the long U shaped one, it would not cut enough off the raker, as the tooth was worn back, or shortened due to regular filing, and moved to using the husky guide, but even that didnt remove enough to make the chain self feed like a new one, so I would use the husky raker guide, then take a few more passes with the file, and then round the raker profile to make it cut like a new chain.
Took a bit of attention to get the last few wipes of the file to a consistent and even depth along the chain, but it worked.

What I have noticed with the stihl progressive raker guide is that it confirms that the husky guide, when on stihl chain, didnt take enough off the raker height as the tooth length shortened.
hard to see in the pictures, but I tried to show the difference on a chain that had been previously taken down with the husky raker guide.
Also, their angle on the leading part of the raker would also be different as well.

Am yet to go over the chain again, and use the stihl guide, and see how it cuts, but I expect it to be good, due to previously mentioned observations on the rakers finished height.

Here are some pictures and some measurements.

hg1.jpg hg2.jpg hg3.jpg hg4.jpg sg1.jpg sg2.jpg sg3.jpg sg4.jpg sgincard.jpg

toothold.jpg

cheers chaps.

Edited to add.
I realised that when using the raker guide on this chain, I would use the soft setting, but took photos of it on the hard setting, at least its consistent, but the chain has had a few sharpenings on the tooth, without touching the raker, that would be why the raker sits up proud of both gauges in the photos. Chain is at end of life, so has been used for dirty wood, and havent hit the rakers for a while when touching up the tooth from its hard duty.

Realised that I had not completely finished the edit, sorry for those who read it and went Huh ?, I need some sleep, and yes it needs to be resharpened, it last cut dead dry sugar gum, for those that have cut it, will know its a reasonably hard wood.
 
Thanks! Great photos!

That appears to be a significant difference. Wonder if the Husqvarna gauge is designed specifically for Husqvarana chains (e.g. something to do with the depth gauge shape) that does not work as well on the STIHL chains? Or if there are different philosophies about what is 'correct' (e.g. STIHL specifying different file diameters for 3/8 pitch chain than Oregon)?

That really worn chain is really the test for a progressive gauge!

Bottom line is finding something that works for you. I have done the fixed offset depth gauge (typically 0.025"), plus a few extra swipes, if needed, thing. If you don't use the roller part of the Husqvarna roller guides, then these plates certainly look more convenient. Also curious if these are a new product (hard enough to find out that they even exist!).

BTW - interesting that both both a Swedish and German company mark their gauges 'HARD' and 'SOFT" in English, even if they don't sell some of them in the US or Canada.

Look forward to hearing how the chain cuts.


Philbert
 
Ok for this observation, I am using 3/8 semi chisel chain in 0.063, one used chain that cuts well, and has lost a few teeth, ie is at the end of its life, and a new chain.

On the used chain I had been using the Husky roller guide that has the progressive raker guide attached to it, and using the raker guide only. I use the basic stihl file guide with 5.2mm file for the tooth.
yes the chain needs to be sharpened again, have not got around to it yet.

I found on the stihl raker guide that rested over the top of the chain, the long U shaped one, it would not cut enough off the raker, as the tooth was worn back, or shortened due to regular filing, and moved to using the husky guide, but even that didnt remove enough to make the chain self feed like a new one, so I would use the husky raker guide, then take a few more passes with the file, and then round the raker profile to make it cut like a new chain.
Took a bit of attention to get the last few wipes of the file to a consistent and even depth along the chain, but it worked.

What I have noticed with the stihl progressive raker guide is that it confirms that the husky guide, when on stihl chain, didnt take enough off the raker height as the tooth length shortened.
hard to see in the pictures, but I tried to show the difference on a chain that had been previously taken down with the husky raker guide.
Also, their angle on the leading part of the raker would also be different as well.

Am yet to go over the chain again, and use the stihl guide, and see how it cuts, but I expect it to be good, due to previously mentioned observations on the rakers finished height.

Here are some pictures and some measurements.


cheers chaps.

Edited to add.
I realised that when using the raker guide on this chain, I would use the soft setting, but took photos of it on the hard setting, at least its consistent, but the chain has had a few sharpenings on the tooth, without touching the raker, that would be why the raker sits up proud of both gauges in the photos. Chain is at end of life, so has been used for dirty wood, and havent hit the rakers for a while when touching up the tooth from its hard duty.

Realised that I had not completely finished the edit, sorry for those who read it and went Huh ?, I need some sleep, and yes it needs to be resharpened, it last cut dead dry sugar gum, for those that have cut it, will know its a reasonably hard wood.

Nice info, Trains!

I had similar a similar experience with these chains, all in different states of use. Here is the link, for those who have nor yet seen it...

https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...etting-technique-is-tops.334034/#post-6947489

Mike
 
I have just had a text from the dealer, the items have arrived. As soon as I can I will get them and figure out the shipping cost. I will also get pics if anybody wants them. If I’m rained off tomorrow (50 50 atm) I’ll get em tomorrow, if not might not be until next week
 
Thank you for helping fellow A.S. members out!

Philbert

That is really nice of @KarlD to do all that.

I didn't get around to calling a shop that first day then I was going to see if they emailed back to Harley but Karl stepped up. I can't compete with that kinda service..right on.
 
Ok for this observation, I am using 3/8 semi chisel chain in 0.063, one used chain that cuts well, and has lost a few teeth, ie is at the end of its life, and a new chain.

On the used chain I had been using the Husky roller guide that has the progressive raker guide attached to it, and using the raker guide only. I use the basic stihl file guide with 5.2mm file for the tooth.
yes the chain needs to be sharpened again, have not got around to it yet.

I found on the stihl raker guide that rested over the top of the chain, the long U shaped one, it would not cut enough off the raker, as the tooth was worn back, or shortened due to regular filing, and moved to using the husky guide, but even that didnt remove enough to make the chain self feed like a new one, so I would use the husky raker guide, then take a few more passes with the file, and then round the raker profile to make it cut like a new chain.
Took a bit of attention to get the last few wipes of the file to a consistent and even depth along the chain, but it worked.

What I have noticed with the stihl progressive raker guide is that it confirms that the husky guide, when on stihl chain, didnt take enough off the raker height as the tooth length shortened.
hard to see in the pictures, but I tried to show the difference on a chain that had been previously taken down with the husky raker guide.
Also, their angle on the leading part of the raker would also be different as well.

Am yet to go over the chain again, and use the stihl guide, and see how it cuts, but I expect it to be good, due to previously mentioned observations on the rakers finished height.

Here are some pictures and some measurements.

View attachment 772385 View attachment 772386 View attachment 772387 View attachment 772388 View attachment 772389 View attachment 772390 View attachment 772391 View attachment 772392 View attachment 772393

View attachment 772394

cheers chaps.

Edited to add.
I realised that when using the raker guide on this chain, I would use the soft setting, but took photos of it on the hard setting, at least its consistent, but the chain has had a few sharpenings on the tooth, without touching the raker, that would be why the raker sits up proud of both gauges in the photos. Chain is at end of life, so has been used for dirty wood, and havent hit the rakers for a while when touching up the tooth from its hard duty.

Realised that I had not completely finished the edit, sorry for those who read it and went Huh ?, I need some sleep, and yes it needs to be resharpened, it last cut dead dry sugar gum, for those that have cut it, will know its a reasonably hard wood.
The older Stihl gauges are thicker and 'shorter' than the Husqvarna gauges. They are built very different. True that the 3/8 Husky soft setting will only achieve equal to the hard seting when used on the 3/8Stihl chisel chain.
The Carlton gauge could progress to a max of .047"with it's own 3/8 chain.
Stihl will go to a max of .042" according to each manufacture. I don't have any max numbers for /husqvarna /Oregon gauge on chain
 
The older Stihl gauges are thicker and shorter than the Husqvarna gauges. They are built very different. True that the 3/8 Husky soft setting will only achieve equal to the hard seting when used on the 3/8Stihl chisel chain.
The Carlton gauge could progress to a max of .047"with it's own 3/8 chain.
Stih will gol to a max of .042" according to each manufacture. I don't have any max numbers for Oregon chain


Interesting about the Carlton chain, as the roller guide would work very well on the Carlton chain I was using, both for cutting the tooth, and the raker depth, I wondered if the carlton and husky chain was made in the same place.
Will take some more photos of raker guide thickness, and of the chain tooth sharpened, wont be able to test cut today tho.
 
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