Chain recommendation needed!

Hey guys,
Please recommend which chain I need for my two saws to work really well. I have a Shindaiwa 488 w/18" bar and a Redmax 621 w/24" bar. Here in Eastern TN we cut all kinds of wood from hard oak and hickory right down to soft pine. I would like to get chains that would be the best all around for cutting different types of wood while giving my saws good efficiency. If you know the part numbers to get it would be a big help.

Thanks in advance for any info.

For clean wood you will want 3/8 chisel, for dirty wood 3/8 semi-chisel. You didnt say what kind of chain you're dealer carried. I'm partial to Stihl, but others are good too.

Around here I can get Stihl, Oregon, Carlton, and Husqvarna. Most all my wood is clean.

Tzed250 said:

For clean wood you will want 3/8 chisel, for dirty wood 3/8 semi-chisel. You didnt say what kind of chain you're dealer carried. I'm partial to Stihl, but others are good too.

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Exactly, a combo of RSC and RM probably is the best, but Oregon LP is very good also for clean wood, and actually a better bore-cutter.

Btw, I think the bar lenghts mentioned are a bit long for those saws, consider skip chain......

I like my oregon lgx chains but i may give the stihl or woodsman pro rc30 a try...

Mentioning this before,

Stihl first

Carlton a close second

Stihl on backwards

Carlton on backwards, then

Oregon chain, (Husky chain is Oregon, I do believe)

Shoerfast....You ever run the lgx chains? I ran Carlton in the past and the lgx is sure up there with it...

OLD SKOOL said:

Around here I can get Stihl, Oregon, Carlton, and Husqvarna. Most all my wood is clean.

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Husky chain is rebadged Oregon.........

I'm afraid I can't go with the others on the 3/8ths recommendation for the Shinny. For a 50cc class, you're right on the border of 3/8ths and .325, and if you're going to run an 18" bar on it, I would definitely go with the .325. That holds particularly true on the oak and hickory you're cutting.

If your wood's clean, my choice would be .325 full-chisel. I'm partial to Carlton...I think it's sharp out of the box and stays that way a good long time. (It's also made in the States as far as I know...) But any of the brands mentioned are good ones, too.

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/types.html

Try this and check out the Rapid Super, always worked wll for me.

Wood has a point, I am always assuming similiar bar mount/HP so that B/C combos can be swapped.

SawTroll said:

Btw, I think the bar lenghts mentioned are a bit long for those saws, consider skip chain......

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+1 on the skip, particularly for that 24-incher! (I run skip on my 70cc saw when it's wearing its 24-incher...)

For a 60cc saw in hardwood, it's going to be happiest with a 20" bar and 3/8ths. Hickory is tough stuff...tough on cutters too, so keep 'em touched up regularly.

ShoerFast said:

Mentioning this before,

Stihl first

Carlton a close second

Stihl on backwards

Carlton on backwards, then

Oregon chain, (Husky chain is Oregon, I do believe)

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Just too funny.....:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :bang:

...but the last line is correct.

wood_newbie said:

... For a 60cc saw in hardwood, it's going to be happiest with a 20" bar and 3/8ths. Hickory is tough stuff...tough on cutters too, so keep 'em touched up regularly.

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Preferably even shorter....:yoyo: :yoyo:

wood_newbie said:

I'm afraid I can't go with the others on the 3/8ths recommendation for the Shinny. For a 50cc class, you're right on the border of 3/8ths and .325, and if you're going to run an 18" bar on it, I would definitely go with the .325. That holds particularly true on the oak and hickory you're cutting. ....

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I agree, a 3/8x7 is close to the .325x8 in diameter, too large on that saw, I believe......

re

Iv heard a few reports of cutters break'n off of the X chain - has any one else seen this ?

Fellow Shindaiwan

I've been running Bailey's 20 RC with 18" bar on my 488's lately. I've thought about going with a 3/8 set up but I think it would be a bit more aggressive and I don't think these saws would handle much more than what I am running. I find the 18" bar to be a good match up on these saws.
Most of the wood I cut is clean Alder which probably isn't as rough to get through as what you are cutting.

robby26wi said:

Shoerfast....You ever run the lgx chains? I ran Carlton in the past and the lgx is sure up there with it...

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Admitting that I have never ran any LGX chain, but with Oregon's chain seemingly softer cutters, it seems to have a lot more stretch, a new Oregon chain and a new rim, once the chain strectes , it seems to want to hop in the rim, as the pitch is no longer right, and wares the rim pockets and drive links faster.

Is this also a trait of the LXG?

never had an issue with mine yet....dont get me wrong i am totally not sold on them but they just seem to be decent....

I cut mostly hard dead oak for firewood and have had great results with Carlton square chisel chain; both regular comp and semi skip. The semi skip is getting harder to find; but, its a good compromise if you will be cutting both live and dead trees as it clears the chips better on the larger limbs and trees.

Stihl is good chain, just makes no sense to me to pay what the local dealer wants for a roll of that chain. There's guys in prison for lesser crimes. :biggrinbounce2: