455 rancher chain issues

[Shanman55]

I have a new 455 and just finished a lot with it. Good power and works great but when the chain comes off it destroys the drivers. File or grinder to repair. Is it the chain catcher doing the damage and is there a replacement? My late father cut wood 40 yrs and I piled . when a chain came off it didn't do any damage like this. Its horrid

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Why is the chain coming off? I've never thrown a chain and I run saws daily.

 

[Shanman55]

Why is the chain coming off? I've never thrown a chain and I run saws daily.

Mostly when I'm cutting small trash out of the way or limbing bud

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Not sure what to say aside from its not correct. I can understand a couple times a year in odd cases, but it's certainly not a usual thing.

Either something is wrong with the saw or something is wrong on how it's used.

We put a guy on a job 2 weeks ago, he's lost 5 or 6 bar nuts so far. Not by dropping them, they rattle off the saw somehow. I have probably 150 hrs on that saw with me using it, never had a nut go missing.

The chain catcher isnt designed to save the chain, just protect you and to some degree the saw.

 

[chucker]

Why is the chain coming off? I've never thrown a chain and I run saws daily.

!! " BULL " !! if you run/operate a chain saw everyday with any time amount per day you will have a chain come off!! that is just like stating you never need to fill your saw more then once a day with oil or gas to cut a single cord of 16" firewood or sharpen the chain ! !! " **** " !!..

 

[chucker]

Mostly when I'm cutting small trash out of the way or limbing bud

keeping your chain tension tighter will probably work as a start. other wise check the rails on the bar to make sure one side is not beveled or slanted more than the other(straight flat rails keep the chain from wondering ) as small limbs/brush/twigs will work under the chain...

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

!! " BULL " !! if you run/operate a chain saw everyday with any time amount per day you will have a chain come off!! that is just like stating you never need to fill your saw more then once a day with oil or gas to cut a single cord of 16" firewood or sharpen the chain ! !! " **** " !!..

Get off the crack buddy.

I never said anything like that. I don't even use a chainsaw to cut firewood, so it's not even possible!
I use my saws to limb and cut tree length logs into ~20fters for the processor. Go through about 500 cords a year.

 

[chucker]

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Why is the chain coming off? I've never thrown a chain and I run saws daily.

www.AKFirewood.com

Blockbuster 15-20 wood processor
Bobcat S250 with grapple
International s2574 Dump Truck
Chevy C30 Dump Truck
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ValleyFirewood, Today at 11:36 AM Report
#2 Like − Quote Reply
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!! " BULL " !! if you run/operate a chain saw everyday with any time amount per day you will have a chain come off!! that is just like stating you never need to fill your saw more then once a day with oil or gas to cut a single cord of 16" firewood or sharpen the chain ! !! " **** " !!..
Click to expand...

Get off the crack buddy.

I never said anything like that. I don't even use a chainsaw to cut firewood, so it's not even possible!
I use my saws to limb and cut tree length logs into ~20fters for the processor. Go through about 500 cords a year.

www.AKFirewood.com

Blockbuster 15-20 wood processor
Bobcat S250 with grapple
International s2574 Dump Truck
Chevy C30 Dump Truck
Stihl saws
Swisher 28 ton 11.5hp splitter
ValleyFirewood, 22 minutes ago Report ??? ok?? so now you state that you don't use a chainsaw, just saw's, "I don't use a chainsaw to cut firewood."- "I use my saws to limb and cut tree length logs into 20 footers for the processor."??? first you don't/ then you do ? which is it ?? tell us another one "PLEASE" ....

 

[Shanman55]

Chucker that's when it seem to come off. I can fall trees and limb them but it's either a alder or small fir or hard wood or dead wind falls when it happens. 6.5 hours the other day and it came off while at the end of the day when I was limbing back the lot I just cut . I limbed everything 6 feet to the ground 30 feet and it was a spruce and dead dry limbs

 

[Shanman55]

I check it every tank and if anything I have it to tight

 

[chucker]

tension on the chain should be enough to be able to roll it forward with lite force, with out hearing a clicking of the drivers meshing to hard into the drive rim. I like to see air space under three drivers no more then 5 at top, mid bar , using 2 fingers pulling up lightly on the chain....... this may not be your liking, but what works for myself... maybe someone will chime in on a better way ?

 

[Thornton]

I had same problem on my rancher when new about 10 years ago. It was like the chain that came on it some type of low kick back crap stretched way to much. Like you say would come off and would not fit back on bar with out file work. I changed to different chain and turned my oiler up haven't had problems since.

 

[Thornton]

This has been working good for me

 

[Shanman55]

View attachment 513755 This has been working good for me

I have a 18" bar but thanks for the info. That chain cather has to go and find something softer

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

ValleyFirewoodAddicted to ArboristSite
Joined:
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Messages:
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Location:
Palmer, AK
Why is the chain coming off? I've never thrown a chain and I run saws daily.

www.AKFirewood.com

Blockbuster 15-20 wood processor
Bobcat S250 with grapple
International s2574 Dump Truck
Chevy C30 Dump Truck
Stihl saws
Swisher 28 ton 11.5hp splitter
ValleyFirewood, Today at 11:36 AM Report
#2 Like − Quote Reply
New
↑
!! " BULL " !! if you run/operate a chain saw everyday with any time amount per day you will have a chain come off!! that is just like stating you never need to fill your saw more then once a day with oil or gas to cut a single cord of 16" firewood or sharpen the chain ! !! " **** " !!..
Click to expand...

Get off the crack buddy.

I never said anything like that. I don't even use a chainsaw to cut firewood, so it's not even possible!
I use my saws to limb and cut tree length logs into ~20fters for the processor. Go through about 500 cords a year.

www.AKFirewood.com

Blockbuster 15-20 wood processor
Bobcat S250 with grapple
International s2574 Dump Truck
Chevy C30 Dump Truck
Stihl saws
Swisher 28 ton 11.5hp splitter
ValleyFirewood, 22 minutes ago Report ??? ok?? so now you state that you don't use a chainsaw, just saw's, "I don't use a chainsaw to cut firewood."- "I use my saws to limb and cut tree length logs into 20 footers for the processor."??? first you don't/ then you do ? which is it ?? tell us another one "PLEASE" ....

Not sure why I need to explain, it's exactly like I wrote.

Yes I use saws daily. No I don't normally cut firewood with them. Just like I said earlier, used for limbing and cutting tree length logs in half.
I use a processor to make firewood. It does have a bar and chain though. Never have thrown a chain on that either.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

tension on the chain should be enough to be able to roll it forward with lite force, with out hearing a clicking of the drivers meshing to hard into the drive rim. I like to see air space under three drivers no more then 5 at top, mid bar , using 2 fingers pulling up lightly on the chain....... this may not be your liking, but what works for myself... maybe someone will chime in on a better way ?

I tighten until I can pull the chain with reasonable force to where the driver comes about halfway out of the rail.... so tighter that you do.
Though I've run saws with loose chains at times too. I suspect much of it is the user. I had a hired hand that regularly threw the chain on a saw I never had an issue with. (372)

 

[madhatte]

Gonna move this to Chainsaws. You'll get more and better discussion there.

 

[GrassGuerilla]

How's the drive sprocket? A badly worn sprocket can cause issues with maintaining proper tension. Also a badly worn bar can cause issues like throwing chains. My guess is it's one or both of these combined with small limbs de-railing the chain.

 

[jr27236]

Shanman55, I would check the rails, make sure they are not worn over, but also clean out the bar groove, if it filled with debris and you chain is riding on top of it and you tighten your chain like that then when it heats back up and stretches it is able to track off again. Also (i dont know if you do this) flip the bar over each chain swap, because you will be wearing the bottom side only if you dont.

Heres some in for you from the Madsens website. Heres the link if i cant copy and paste it.

http://www.madsens1.com/bnc_bar_maint.htm

 

[Franny K]

I have a 18" bar but thanks for the info. That chain cather has to go and find something softer

The chain catcher is usually aluminum which is softer than the drive links. It is the sprocket that is banging up the drive links.

You might look at the relationship of the bar tail and the sprocket and see if the tail seems too narrow or to far away.

I will derail in generally two situations, 1) cutting brush. A way of lessening this is to cut with the nose of the bar where the drive links are kind of locked in place. 2) the chain is kind of wiped out of alignment as the two pieces come apart. Often the rotational stresses are not understood leading to this.

Like I said earlier if it wasn't the spur drive the chain can almost always be just re installed.