Advise: best chain for processor

[dewaldf.carstens]

Hi, I would appreciate some advice please. I have been using running a Tajfun 480 processor on Eucalyptus for 2 months now with the OEM chain and bars. It seem to have excessive wear.

Chain is Oregon 3/8" as below. I am swopping 3 chains and 3 bars daily after dressing and sharpening. I am using a Timberline sharpener for the chains.

The Tajfun process up to 480mm diameter logs. Wood is processed green, but we are in peak summer with temperatures up to 40 degrees C. Fresh cut logs have 23% moisture, yes tested next day in lab, unheard of. Wood is tough and hard.

Can anyone recommend what is better option for this application? I try to keep teeth both sides of the chain at even length. It seems that bars wear more than chain.

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[hseII]

Stihl RM to the Rescue: what's the bar details?

From here, it looks like the wood is dirty, & there isn't enough oil, but my eyes can deceive me.

 

[cus_deluxe]

I dont know anything about harvesters other than that i thought they ran .404 pitch or bigger, just that would add a little life between sharpenings. There are harvester specific bars out there

 

[Thommo]

3/8 Chain is a bit light for a harvester. If you want something that will last, convert it over to 3/4 chain and bar or at least 1/2 inch. I drove harvesters for 20 years. The first harvester with a chainsaw that i drove had 404 chain on it and the chains had to be sharpened after 5 or 6 hours use in softwood and bars would only last 50 hours before the rails were worn out. Later on i drove harvesters with 3/4 chain and the chains only had to be sharpened after 10 or 12 hours use and bar would last around 250 hours

 

[dewaldf.carstens]

Stihl RM to the Rescue: what's the bar details?

From here, it looks like the wood is dirty, & there isn't enough oil, but my eyes can deceive me.

Bar details is Oregon 24" length, 3/8" . See picture for bar details. The oil is definitely enough, set to use 1 liter per hour whilst cutting. The chain is soaked when I took it off. Dirty, no just sawdust from when removed.

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[dewaldf.carstens]

3/8 Chain is a bit light for a harvester. If you want something that will last, convert it over to 3/4 chain and bar or at least 1/2 inch. I drove harvesters for 20 years. The first harvester with a chainsaw that i drove had 404 chain on it and the chains had to be sharpened after 5 or 6 hours use in softwood and bars would only last 50 hours before the rails were worn out. Later on i drove harvesters with 3/4 chain and the chains only had to be sharpened after 10 or 12 hours use and bar would last around 250 hours

Thommo , thanks, I am just amazed that the manufacturers would issue as standard a bar that's not up to the job. Maybe it's ok for soft woods, but I would like to get something more solid.
I would assume 250 hours is not the bar life, but rather time to level and dress the bar? From what I understand is people that run these processors the use just a couple of bars and chains per year. Surely not one every week or 2?

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[dewaldf.carstens]

3/8 Chain is a bit light for a harvester. If you want something that will last, convert it over to 3/4 chain and bar or at least 1/2 inch. I drove harvesters for 20 years. The first harvester with a chainsaw that i drove had 404 chain on it and the chains had to be sharpened after 5 or 6 hours use in softwood and bars would only last 50 hours before the rails were worn out. Later on i drove harvesters with 3/4 chain and the chains only had to be sharpened after 10 or 12 hours use and bar would last around 250 hours

I forgot to mention; processor cut to cut is between 6 an 10 seconds. So quite a bit of work for bar in 6 hours.

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[StihlNick]

Are u running the right gauge chain? 3/8 .058, not .050 correct? Those timberline sharpeners don't get the chain very sharp in my opinion either. I can tell by the lack of hook in the side plate it can't be cutting well??

 

[dewaldf.carstens]

Are u running the right gauge chain? 3/8 .058, not .050 correct? Those timberline sharpeners don't get the chain very sharp in my opinion either. I can tell by the lack of hook in the side plate it can't be cutting well??

Yes it's the correct Chain, as supplied by Tajfun, straight from OEM. They sell quite a few of these processors globally. The chain seems quite sharp when done. I have cut up to 2 days with a chain before you notice on the saw bust that chain is becoming blunt.

Yesterday, I used 2 sharpener chains and dressed bars within 2 hours. First few cuts is like got knife through butter, but then bar stops in log, with chain stI'll running. Logs were 350mm diameter. One semi dry, other one green freshly felled...
Seems to be more a cutter bar issue than chain. Cutter bars have been dressed 4 times each, not much wear, much better than bar on chainsaw.

I leveled cutting surface with 4.5" grinder then file and checked with square.

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[Thommo]

Thommo , thanks, I am just amazed that the manufacturers would issue as standard a bar that's not up to the job. Maybe it's ok for soft woods, but I would like to get something more solid.
I would assume 250 hours is not the bar life, but rather time to level and dress the bar? From what I understand is people that run these processors the use just a couple of bars and chains per year. Surely not one every week or 2?

Yes 250 hours was the life of the bar. The rails would be worn down enough for the drive links to drag in the bottom of the groove. We cut between 500 to 800 cubic meters of logs in a 10hour shift. Everyone used to tell us we have some of the toughest and heaviest timber in the world here in Australia. The 404 chain we used was 80 gauge and i see you are only using 58 gauge. If your saw is jamming in the log i would check the saw bearing because when they wear they let the bar move around so it will twist sideways and jam in the log

 

[Thommo]

I just watched a Youtube video of the machine you are talking about. I thought when you said processor that it was a log processor or harvester as we call them over here. Did not realize it was a firewood processor which should be much easier on bars and chains than a tree harvester is. If the eucalypt over where you are is anything like it is here then it will be tough as nails when it drys out. The only chain that i would use on it is Carlton semi chisel. You might need to slow down the bar down speed if bar wear is a problem.

 

[dewaldf.carstens]

I just watched a Youtube video of the machine you are talking about. I thought when you said processor that it was a log processor or harvester as we call them over here. Did not realize it was a firewood processor which should be much easier on bars and chains than a tree harvester is. If the eucalypt over where you are is anything like it is here then it will be tough as nails when it drys out. The only chain that i would use on it is Carlton semi chisel. You might need to slow down the bar down speed if bar wear is a problem.

Tajfun came back and recommend the Cannon Bar. Still same chain. Any thoughts on this?

See attached what it does mid cut, bar just stops, chain keep moving. When you stop the machine, bar is wedged so you have to put some force on it to get it from wood.

I tried 3 different chains (all sharpened) and 3 bars ( all dressed) this morning, first few cuts, it flies through, and then all of sudden-stuck mid log? Bloody frustrating. Can't see anything wrong with bar or sharpening.

Stihl agent (idiot) says it's because of inferior bar and chains, just want to sell me bar 3x more expensive. Hate people who can't seem to fault find, but rather just shoot down competition.

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[hseII]

Bar details is Oregon 24" length, 3/8" . See picture for bar details. The oil is definitely enough, set to use 1 liter per hour whilst cutting. The chain is soaked when I took it off. Dirty, no just sawdust from when removed.

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I see your Problem RIGHT THERE!!

D009: it's a Husky Mount.
[emoji12][emoji12]

You should be able to find a .404" Option, & I would Run Stihl RM in that Application.

https://oregonproducts.com/pro/pdf/Tech/BarPartNumberSystem.pdf

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Get rid of the 3/8" setup and use .404 harvester.

I'm not sure why some processors try and use a 3/8" chainsaw bar and chain, it doesn't hold up well. .404 harvester is about the same price and is designed for this use.

My friend ran a small Multitek with 3/8s for a while, it kept breaking chains and burning up the bars.

I usually get 8-10 cords before I need to sharpen a chain on my processor. It's not too fussy either, it'll cut through dirty wood just fine.

 

[Thommo]

There is nothing wrong with Oregon bars and chains. They are what i prefer to use. I found that Carlton chain will stay sharp longer but it is a slower cutting chain. I would be checking to see if it is a hydraulic or mechanical problem causing your saw to jam. I have had faulty saw bearings cause the trouble you are having. The bearing where the saw arm pivots on is what i call the saw bearing. If the bearing cage breaks up the saw can come down evenly sometimes and then run off at an angle at other times which jams the saw. You need turn everything off and pull the bar down by hand and check for any sideways movement at a few places as the bar comes down. There should not be any sideways movement. I would also check that there is enough pressure on the arm that holds the log to make sure the log does not move when the saw is cutting which will pinch the bar. You could also check to make sure the bar rails have not spread which will let the chain lay over to one side and jam. If the bar rails have worn down to where the the tops of the drive links of the chain are dragging in the bottom of the bar rails, your saw will jam too. That log looks a lot like the Bluegum eucalypt we have here which is some of the toughest wood to cut when it dries out.

 

[dewaldf.carstens]

Get rid of the 3/8" setup and use .404 harvester.

I'm not sure why some processors try and use a 3/8" chainsaw bar and chain, it doesn't hold up well. .404 harvester is about the same price and is designed for this use.

My friend ran a small Multitek with 3/8s for a while, it kept breaking chains and burning up the bars.

I usually get 8-10 cords before I need to sharpen a chain on my processor. It's not too fussy either, it'll cut through dirty wood just fine.

Thanks for that. Tajfun says they do not recommend going .404, due to double the power requirement, not sure it is true, and it is a slower cutting Chain, again not sure if this makes sense. I just need to see if Oregon has some available here, this is South Africa and most suppliers here does not know the meamong of service. Also it may be cheaper just to fly it in from US or Europe.

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[dewaldf.carstens]

There is nothing wrong with Oregon bars and chains. They are what i prefer to use. I found that Carlton chain will stay sharp longer but it is a slower cutting chain. I would be checking to see if it is a hydraulic or mechanical problem causing your saw to jam. I have had faulty saw bearings cause the trouble you are having. The bearing where the saw arm pivots on is what i call the saw bearing. If the bearing cage breaks up the saw can come down evenly sometimes and then run off at an angle at other times which jams the saw. You need turn everything off and pull the bar down by hand and check for any sideways movement at a few places as the bar comes down. There should not be any sideways movement. I would also check that there is enough pressure on the arm that holds the log to make sure the log does not move when the saw is cutting which will pinch the bar. You could also check to make sure the bar rails have not spread which will let the chain lay over to one side and jam. If the bar rails have worn down to where the the tops of the drive links of the chain are dragging in the bottom of the bar rails, your saw will jam too. That log looks a lot like the Bluegum eucalypt we have here which is some of the toughest wood to cut when it dries out.

Thommo,
Thanks again for the feedback.
Yes it surely is Blue Gum, 48 years old, so yes tough as they come. That's why I have gone for the extra 10 ton ram force. Our rainfall for 2016 was 230mm and 2015 194mm, this tee trees are dry. Nearest borehole is 150m deep....

The bars have worked fine up until now. There is stil 4-5mm left until gap in bar groove has worn.

I have checked the bearing today, no play. Also this is brand new machine. Produced less than 2 months @ 6 hrs per day.

No visual wear on either 1 of 3 cutter bar nose bearings. Only 0.3mm wear on bar itself.

I think my next step would be tomorrow is to take bars and chains to place that can sharpen them professionally, see if my eyrd are too crap to notice it....

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[ChoppyChoppy]

Thanks for that. Tajfun says they do not recommend going .404, due to double the power requirement, not sure it is true, and it is a slower cutting Chain, again not sure if this makes sense. I just need to see if Oregon has some available here, this is South Africa and most suppliers here does not know the meamong of service. Also it may be cheaper just to fly it in from US or Europe.

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I'm not too sure on the power. It'd imagine it'd use a bit more.
My processor uses a 35hp Kubota, the other we have one a 30hp Yanmar. The 30hp is an 18-20 Blockbuster, 24" bar I think.

 

[dewaldf.carstens]

I'm not too sure on the power. It'd imagine it'd use a bit more.
My processor uses a 35hp Kubota, the other one a 30hp Yanmar.

What machines do you run? I have a Fiat 850 powering my machine , so 3x more power than machine needs.

It could be that the belt driving the chain will wear out quicker....? Due to more power.

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[ChoppyChoppy]

Blockbuster 15-20 and 18-20.

The saws are hydraulic driven. The engine just drives 3 hydraulic pumps, one for the splitter, one for the conveyor and splitter knife height, one for the saw, trough and log deck.

Seems like a waste to use an 85hp tractor? What kind of fuel usage? The small Kubotas are about a gallon an hour at 2900rpm.