Whats the deal with full chisel chain?

[dbittle]

I have run the full chisel chain for years (.325 Woodsman Pro made by Carlton) on fairly dirty wood and got pretty good at sharpening it. I recently switched to semi-chisel (Carton K2C) so I can give my experience.

It is easier for me to see when the chisel chain is completely sharpened because the sharp corner is more obviously sharp or not sharp.

I think some more practice time sharpening the semi-chisel chains will make me more comfortable with how they look when they are totally sharp, so the above observation will go away.

The semi-chisel is a little slower cutting (enough that I could tell a difference but not totally obnoxious), but it does tolerate dirt and grit much better. With chisel chain, flush cutting a stump at or slightly below ground level was all a chain wanted. With semi-chisel, I can do three of the same size. I experimented with chisel and semi-chisel chains of the same pitch made by the same company, so the only variable was cutter shape.


Semi-chisel loops are best ordered from ebay. Everybody here seems to like the Stihl rm series best but I haven't tried it yet. I ordered the Carlton K2c from ebay for my experiment because I had been using the Carlton chisel and wanted a good comparison of performance. I've been happy with it for my current project of clearing fence line. I have also tried the Oregon BPX, which is about halfway between semi-chisel and chisel and is another option. I haven't run it enough yet on the stumps to report findings. It seems to run more like chisel in clean wood, though. Bailey's carries it.

 

[slowp]

I think I have the semi-stuff. Whatever it is, after a few licks with a file on a special tailgate vise, which Gologit says I can never use again, it beat the boys at LaPine. :msp_thumbup:

I'm sure I'll pay for this next year.:msp_ohmy:

 

[Gologit]

I think I have the semi-stuff. Whatever it is, after a few licks with a file on a special tailgate vise, which Gologit says I can never use again, it beat the boys at LaPine. :msp_thumbup:

I'm sure I'll pay for this next year.:msp_ohmy:

Count on it.

 

[Grande Dog]

Howdy,
What do you mean by full chisel?
Here's a guide with the correct nomenclature for saw chain.
Regards
Gregg

 

[Trx250r180]

I only round file mine, I have not seen a square filed chain yet.

For some reason I have it in my mind that some folks recommend semi-chisel because it is easier to maintain. Maybe I am mistaking that for it being slightly more forgiving in dirty wood and thusly lasts a little longer between sharps.[/QUOTE]

here is a square cutter , if you dont have a special grinder, i dont recomend this type of chain View attachment 263048

 

[splitpost]

if you haven't noticed any difference between semi and super chisel chain then your not cutting dirty wood,i sometimes have to sharpen every cut and thats semi chisel,it gets to the point of ridiculous,but that wood usually is the best for a long hot burn.

 

[Tree Sling'r]

The corners staying sharper longer vary from brand to brand. Stihl being a harder chain holds an edge for a long time. But it also is tough on a file. I grind, so Stihl is my choice, if I only square filed I would run Oregon, much more forgiving on a file.

 

[T0RN4D0]

If you can keep your chain out of dirt all the time every chain is easy to maintain. But sometimes you have to cut wood with a pipe or close to the ground or just do a simple operator error and let it touch something you could have avoided... And the pointy cutters on the chisels get wrecked fast and bad, especially on softer chains, and it takes more filing to get the perfect edges back.

I just bought my first few loops of semi-chisel but haven't really sharpened them much, but by looking at the cutters i think it should be good for my needs.

 

[pbtree]

How do you figure it has more teeth? Chisel or semi-chisel is just the shape of the cutter, we're not talking skip or half-skip chain here.



I only round file mine, I have not seen a square filed chain yet.

For some reason I have it in my mind that some folks recommend semi-chisel because it is easier to maintain. Maybe I am mistaking that for it being slightly more forgiving in dirty wood and thusly lasts a little longer between sharps.

Bingo

 

[msvold]

Maybe it's has to do with the wood your cutting. Never heard of Larch, but when i looked it up, it looks like a pine. I haven't cut any larch trees, but based on my experience with cedars and pine trees, I'd guess that it wouldn't be too hard on a full chisel chain. For cutting shagbark hickory in the midwest - it wears out a full chisel chain pretty quikly. Many times won't make it through a tank of fuel, whereas atleast the semi-chisel will. Which is why I prefer semi-chisel. I've used both Stihl RS and RM and much prefer the RM.

 

[stihlrookie]

Howdy,
What do you mean by full chisel?
Here's a guide with the correct nomenclature for saw chain.
Regards
Gregg

That is just what I call chisel chain, full chisel, not semi-chisel. Thats all, no big deal.

Around here its all chisel or as I call it full chisel, unless you want to buy safety chain then I can get a semi-chisel cutter. I guess I will need to have a loop of semi ordered in so I can see what I have been missing. I have been running a 20" loop of Stihl RSF, thats chisel skip tooth, since last year, probably have around 12 cords cut with that chain and I have about 1/2 the cutter left so it has some life still. I have rocked it a couple times and had to file it fairly aggresively to get the damage out of 8 or 10 teeth. Still I think it is doing pretty good to last that long. When I first started cutting I took a chain in to the dealer and he gave it back to me a few days later with significantly less metal. I cut with it for awhile and took it in to get it sharpened again and he told me there wasn't enough tooth left to sharpen, this was with no rock damage whatsoever, once sharpened by him. Seemed like a no-brainer to buy some files and figure out this art of sharpening myself, I haven't looked back since.

 

[Trx250r180]

That is just what I call chisel chain, full chisel, not semi-chisel. Thats all, no big deal.

Around here its all chisel or as I call it full chisel, unless you want to buy safety chain then I can get a semi-chisel cutter. I guess I will need to have a loop of semi ordered in so I can see what I have been missing. I have been running a 20" loop of Stihl RSF, thats chisel skip tooth, since last year, probably have around 12 cords cut with that chain and I have about 1/2 the cutter left so it has some life still. I have rocked it a couple times and had to file it fairly aggresively to get the damage out of 8 or 10 teeth. Still I think it is doing pretty good to last that long. When I first started cutting I took a chain in to the dealer and he gave it back to me a few days later with significantly less metal. I cut with it for awhile and took it in to get it sharpened again and he told me there wasn't enough tooth left to sharpen, this was with no rock damage whatsoever, once sharpened by him. Seemed like a no-brainer to buy some files and figure out this art of sharpening myself, I haven't looked back since.

what kind of file are you using on the stihl rsf ? the f is for flat file rsc is round file

 

[stihlrookie]

what kind of file are you using on the stihl rsf ? the f is for flat file rsc is round file

RSF is the full skip version of RS, it is a round filed full chisel chain, Per Stihls website and my personal experience. Stihl chain with the L designation is square filed, maybe that is what you are thinking of?

And Stihl calls their chisel chain full chisel so that is where I came up with the name full chisel.

 

[Trx250r180]

RSF is the full skip version of RS, it is a round filed full chisel chain, Per Stihls website and my personal experience. Stihl chain with the L designation is square filed, maybe that is what you are thinking of?

And Stihl calls their chisel chain full chisel so that is where I came up with the name full chisel.

my bad i think it says rslfk on couple of my boxes ,full skip square i think ,rsc must be the full comp rsf full skip ,had my memory mixed up

 

[stihlrookie]

my bad i think it says rslfk on couple of my boxes ,full skip square i think ,rsc must be the full comp rsf full skip ,had my memory mixed up

No problem, sounds like you got it straight now. Oh, and I use 13/64 round file. Cheers.

 

[H 2 H]

I run RSLHK and RSLFK most of the time

Why because I went and talked with several loggers and ask them what they run

And they are hand filed some round and some square

95% of the wood I cut is clean

And I love playing with different types of chains and all brands I have (4 different brands)

On 40 cc saw's it's RS; Carlton I even have semi skip for them also just to see how they run against full comp chains between brand names

I run most is RSLHK filed round on my 50 cc saw's same as the 60 cc saw's I own

The jury is still out on the 70 cc I haven't had enough time on a 70 cc to talk about them yet

 

[lambs]

where can I find Stihl RM?

I visited two full line Stihl dealers today and one hardware store that sells Stihl, trying to find something like the old RM chain. All they have now it RMC, the one with what I refer to as double depth gauges. I will never buy this stuff. It's tough to get those depth gauges consistent. I have tried grinding off the useless side of each with a bench grinder.

I think my next stop will be Bailey's to try and find some RM equivalent. Anyone out there know what I should be asking for among other brands?

Thanks.

 

[stihlrookie]

I visited two full line Stihl dealers today and one hardware store that sells Stihl, trying to find something like the old RM chain. All they have now it RMC, the one with what I refer to as double depth gauges. I will never buy this stuff. It's tough to get those depth gauges consistent. I have tried grinding off the useless side of each with a bench grinder.

I think my next stop will be Bailey's to try and find some RM equivalent. Anyone out there know what I should be asking for among other brands?

Thanks.

RMC is now called RM, it is not a safety chain with humped tie straps. You are thinking of RMC3, that is, or was, the safety version. RM3 is the new safety chain with the humped tie straps. Ask for RM or RMC and you will get round filed, semi-chisel which is what I think you are after.

 

[Arbonaut]

Think of the wood as butter. Semi-chisel is like gettin the butter off the stick with a spoon. It's a slower mechanical gradual action. It rolls up the material you are cutting. But you could abuse the spoon and get the same result longer. Super chain or chisel chain cutting like a paring knife. It has a more abrupt action. When its sharp, you can cut raw meat with no more effort than cutting the stick of butter. With very little effort, you can make fast work. But when the edge is toast, it's done. I'm not advising you to abuse a spoon.

I don't like my description as well as when I first thought of it. I think I got my bell rung too much in football. Hillsboro sure hated me. I hated them, too.

Lets say mulching blade vs. strait side discharge blade under a push mower, that's better. I prefer chisel these days.

 

[XSKIER]

You're close lambs.
RMC is Rapid Micro Comfort. Semi-Chisel, full comp., comfort chassis (rounded back of cutter for less vibration). The number after "XXX" denotes the anti-kickback feature. 1 is a gaurd link (big dorsal fin), and 3 is the bumper drive link (double raker). Sometime in 2012 Stihl has started to denote the comfort chassis without a C any longer. Now RSC and RMC are simply called RS and RM. Old style, "uncomfortable", full body cutter style is now denoted by K for klassic. So old style RM is now RMK. Got it?