How much chain do you use up before you retire a chain?

[Yotaismygame]

They cut best when they near the end. Narrower kerf.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

I always lose mine to stretch, have not been able to justify expense of spinner breaker. I have noticed reduced kerf width can be a problem on well worn chains by additional rivet friction in the cut. I think

Don't need a spinner and breaker a small hammer is a handy tool. It's very easy to do

 

[Yotaismygame]

Spinners are cheap!

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Spinners are cheap!

Haha not cheap enough lol that's a chain or some 2 stroke or some carb kits

 

[Yotaismygame]

I mean if you can’t spend $40 or so on a tool then you probably should give up working on anything.

 

[nch209]

My son sells Stihl and Husky saws. I'm in the store regularly and see what people are buying... It is baffling to me how many people (non-pros) buy new chains instead of sharpening them or having them sharpened. I've thought about having the store offer to dispose of "old chains" when people bring them in to get new ones "like this one." I'd never have to buy a chain again!

This used to be me. Why? When I first starting using a saw, I started with a new chain, and the gimmicky tools to sharpen it. Always did a half-azz job, and I'd throw a new chain on and be happier the way it cut. As time went on, and I got smarter and more confident, I upgraded saws, and tossed all the BS tools and used a regular file... and liked the difference. More power, more sharp, more better! Sooooo, now onto current saw 10 years later, more power, better understanding of files and rakers, and with the help of the forum, I run my chains down to the bitter end, and prefer them at the end of their life vs brand new. Heck, I have even been known to take a file to a new chain. LOL!

I need to post a pic the chain I was playing with last, its worn down pretty good, and I even filed the back side==== and idea I got from youtube. Did not see a noticeable change while cutting, but it does look pretty crazy on the bench.... just basically triangle stubs left when looking down on the edge!

So.... I say run em till the end!!!

Just my opinion as a dope homeowner, albeit less of a dope than when I was a years ago tossing chains cause I couldnt get them sharp! LOL!

 

[Canyon Angler]

Spinners are cheap!

Not if you only need to use one once.

I once pinched and got a saw trapped in a tree and had to leave it hanging to get another saw, and doing this bent the chain and made it unusable after that. Bought a kit on ebay to get the rivets out, take out the bad links and peen new rivets on for like $3 and it worked fine. That's the only occasion I've had the need for a spinner in 30 years or so...

 

[user 122190]

I mean if you can’t spend $40 or so on a tool then you probably should give up working on anything.

I'd bite at $40. Can we get a link to that price?

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

I mean if you can’t spend $40 or so on a tool then you probably should give up working on anything.

Don't need to though it takes a few minutes. Gladly spend 40 on something I need.

What do you sharpen with?

 

[Woody912]

Don't need a spinner and breaker a small hammer is a handy tool. It's very easy to do

I have done it with a grinder in a similar fashion but don't like it very well. Guess I need to try the punch

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

I have done it with a grinder in a similar fashion but don't like it very well. Guess I need to try the punch

I normally use a grinder also

 

[Okie]

I save my old chains for use in clearing fence rows or cutting a stump close to the ground, etc.

I keep a eye open for guys that don't or cannot sharpen their own chains and I have several chains that are given to me that are good chains, because the guys just went to the saw place and got a new chain installed.

I do keep a heads up for stretched out chains that have been hot. They will ruin a good sprocket due to the DL not be correct pitch.

I do not bother wasting my time showing anyone how to correctly hand file a chain unless maybe they ask and really seem interested. (I would rather they not know and I can get more donor good chains from them as they have new ones installed)

Really surprised how many firewood cutters and ranchers that cannot sharpen their own chains. (more used chains for me)

 

[svk]

This one is still going.

For whatever reason I seem to damage the cutters on the flywheel side of the chain more often than the pto side.

 

[svk]

I do throw away those anti kickback stock chains and replace with full chisel, I may still have a couple in the garage but don't like em'.

Visegrips and a grinding wheel on a bench grinder. You can grind those stupid things off and you’ll have a standard semi chisel chain.

 

[Huskybill]

View attachment 791446 If the teeth aren't breaking off the chains still good.

I save the bar and chain when they get this worn for cutting scrap wood and pallets. When these wornout teeth get ripped off from hitting nails it’s all done. Somewhere I have a Army 50 cal ammo can with wornout chains in it.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Visegrips and a grinding wheel on a bench grinder. You can grind those stupid things off and you’ll have a standard semi chisel chain.

View attachment 794688

Ewww look at the side plate shape on those cutters

 

[svk]

Not much hook from the factory

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Not much hook from the factory

Is that the usual angle on a safety chain? You'd burn up a file correcting that lol

 

[svk]

Is that the usual angle on a safety chain? You'd burn up a file correcting that lol

I don’t recall.

Oregon chain is fairly soft, I find that it only takes about 3 strokes per tooth to get it to hold your file once you hand file a new chain for the first time.

Last weekend I rocked an Oregon chain that hadn’t been hand filed before. To remove the rounded portion of the cutter plus establish the file shape took some work.

 

[Huskitoter]

Any problem using chains with a couple cutters missing?

I had a couple break on a new loop of txl Sat. when I found some old fencing in a tree. The same thing happened on the previous loop when the teeth were about half length, and it didn't seem to affect it.

Has anyone found txl more prone to break teeth? I never broke any on vp, vpx, or nk20 but switched to txl about the same time I souped up the 350. Don't know if the additional power might contribute to it.