Time for a new chain?

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

RE the picture: That's a really dull tooth IMO. There's absolutely no corner on it and the top plate is a mess.

No worries though, you just have to file more. It looks like you have good angles with the file, don't change that. Don't bother with a guide if you don't feel you need one. Just keep filing back until you see metal coming off the corner AND the top plate is sharp. Sometimes that happens at the same time, other times one comes before the other. You need both.



Don't be afraid to take off material. Don't be afraid to screw it up. Don't be afraid to screw up a chain on your way to learning to sharpen.

 

[Mustang71]

RE the picture: That's a really dull tooth IMO. There's absolutely no corner on it and the top plate is a mess.

No worries though, you just have to file more. It looks like you have good angles with the file, don't change that. Don't bother with a guide if you don't feel you need one. Just keep filing back until you see metal coming off the corner AND the top plate is sharp. Sometimes that happens at the same time, other times one comes before the other. You need both.



Don't be afraid to take off material. Don't be afraid to screw it up. Don't be afraid to screw up a chain on your way to learning to

I knew I had to file the chain as routine maintenance and to keep from destroying a saw but I never knew what a properly filed tooth needed to look like. Now I have an idea. I've been chainsawing for about 8 years now and stopped buying new chains every time they were dull about 5 years ago. Time for improvement.

 

[jimdeere]

If it hasn’t been mentioned, make sure your chain is tight on the bar. A loose chain will move laterally as you file, messing up the angle.

 

[anlrolfe]

I always make sure the chain is on FORWARD if I've got trouble cutting

 

[Mustang71]

I always make sure the chain is on FORWARD if I've got trouble cutting

You would be amazed how badly it cuts when on backwards... it's like the things I have learned about cutting trees and heating with wood would blow someone's mind who lives in the city. I'm an hvac guy and know that field but every tree I cut I learn a bit more. Every time I use a saw I learn a bit more. I may be "addicted to arborist site" but that's because I have learned a ton that you cant learn from experience. Experience is the best learning tool but having answers to your questions helps too.

 

[tla100]

Good thread, I may be in same boat on one of my chains. Was cutting a big ash log that had a lot of mud in the bark that I didn't catch. I Hit it with file after a few cuts, and was ok but not like normal. Will give it a few more hits with file.

 

[Mustang71]

I did one side of the chain. I took a lot off and the file is new. I think the angle is right. First I has almost straight teeth then I had real angled teeth and ended up with this. Any opinions would be great before I flip the saw and do the other side. According to the file guide I did like 25 degrees free hand. Idk what I'm supposed to do. Lol

 

[Mustang71]

And these are after I tried the file guide and realized it holds the file against the top of the tooth for you...

 

[chucker]

And these are after I tried the file guide and realized it holds the file against the top of the tooth for you...
View attachment 808560
View attachment 808561

problem solved!! get to cutting …. lol

 

[holeycow]

Do the other side. Go cut wood. By about the third cut the "curl" will be off and the chain should pull itself thru the log nicely with 0 pressure. 0.

 

[holeycow]

Is that blood on the bar?

wear gloves when filing...or be super careful. Gloves preferred.

 

[Philbert]

And these are after I tried the file guide and realized it holds the file against the top of the tooth for you...

Look good!

Try them and see how they work for you.

Philbert

 

[Mustang71]

Is that blood on the bar?

wear gloves when filing...or be super careful. Gloves preferred.

I use red touch up paint to mark the first tooth I file.

 

[buzz sawyer]

You might want to put a slope on the front of the depth gauges/rakers, otherwise, looks good.

 

[Lionsfan]

Looked at your pics. Lot of material left to work with, don't throw it out. Are you certain you're using the right size file?

 

[Mustang71]

You might want to put a slope on the front of the depth gauges/rakers, otherwise, looks good.

Yea I was going to address those after I get the tooth right. They need to be lower than the tooth and sloped on the front?

 

[Mustang71]

Looked at your pics. Lot of material left to work with, don't throw it out. Are you certain you're using the right size file?

3/16 on a .325 chain.

 

[holeycow]

I use red touch up paint to mark the first tooth I file.

i just watch for the filings and the shiny, filed edge. It should be easily distinct..

 

[Mustang71]

i just watch for the filings and the shiny, filed edge. It should be easily distinct..

I get it. Kind of like the tree company that works for the power company marks the ash trees near the power lines... take all the guess work out of it lol

 

[sb47]

Now sounds good but any dull chain I have had smokes and doesnt cut. It chips of you lean on it and it's a stihl chain. They are hard unlike a Chinese chain. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something before I scrap a good expensive chain. I'm not new it's just a new question for a weekend warrior.

Have you tried just cutting a downd log to see if it does the same thing.

View attachment 808012
From the one photo, it looks like that chain has well over half its useful life left. People routinely toss perfectly good chains when dull. But aside from being dirty, I don't see anything with this one that can't easily be fixed with basic sharpening, assuming all of the cutters are like this one.

- The top plate cutting edge is blunt / full. This needs to be sharp. You should not see any light reflected off this edge.
- Can't see the side plate cutting edge, but this also needs to be sharp, especially the upper part.
- The corner, where these 2 edges meet should be pointy (full chisel chain) or at least sharp (semi chisel chain). This will be a 'natural' result of filing the edges above. That one is blunt, like driving a rounded nail into wood.
- Looks like you are going deep into the gullet (I see nicks in the tie straps). The gullet does not cut. It carries chips. It should be clean, but don't obsess over it.
- After adjusting your depth gauges, it is good practice to round them over, to roughly match the factory profile, and avoid any hang ups at a sharp edge.

If you are doing this you are overloading your saw. A sharp chain will cut almost effortlessly (in most wood).

That chain could easily be saved with just a few minutes of filing, saving you $15 to $25 per loop replacement cost. I am assuming that you are free-hand filing, and might benefit from using a basic file guide, to correctly position the file, especially for the top edge. Always use a sharp file (typically $1.50 each if you buy by the dozen).

Some box stores sell Oregon chain, which is good chain. The 'green' and 'yellow' designations have to do with being reduced kickback or not. I assume that the green / 'safety' chain on your Poulan cuts better because it is sharp, regardless of the brand. Compare the cutters on your chains with a new one when filing, especially the areas mentioned above. Then figure out how to get there: free-hand file, file guide, grinder, etc.

Philbert

I agree, it looks like your filling to deep in the gullet and not getting the top plate edge sharp and the corner looks blunted and dull. The side plate edge looks rough, like your putting to much pressure on the file and trying to remove to much metal with each stroke.You can bear down on a file if your trying to remove a lot of metat to correct a really dull chain, But once you get the bad metal removed, try taking softer strokes so those edges will be smoother and not so serrated looking.