Anyone running the Stihl Duro chains?

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AgTech4020

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I have a bunch of trees to cut up that spent their lives next to a class A road in Michigan. With years of Michigan winters and the plows blasting them with snow and road grime they destroy normal chains. I’m considering buying a couple of the carbide cutting edge Stihl Duro chains for the job. Wondering how well they will work in this application and how challenging they are to sharpen?


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I’m also interested . We cut up a lot of muddy frozen wood this time of year . A RS chain might only last 15 minutes at times .


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Honestly. You will be disappointed ... I bought a couple for use at the cottage. Most of the trees I was dropping landed in silt , sand, Mudd. All dirty wood by the time I got around to bucking them.
I always keep a sharp chain, a quick file in the field after every tank and keep going.

When I got the carbide China’s (not only were they expensive) I also had to get a diamond bit to Sharpen then. This takes the field sharpen out the question unless you have a dremall and you can use the battery on your quad (which is what I did). The carbide chains do take abuse, but they cult allot slower, heat up faster and in the big picture don’t save much time.

I would recommend you have more chains with you, rotate them when your in the dirty stuff , pay allot more attention to what your cutting. The price and hassle is not worth it in my opinion unless your running a bunch of them , have them onsite which will have allot of upfront. Cost.

I’ll see if I can find my old pics. Hope this helps and you don’t have to find out the way I did. I’ll only really use them if I am cutting wood that had embedded sand and crud in it even after I do my best to clean it. Then it’s off to the bench to sharpen them.
 
Honestly. You will be disappointed ... I bought a couple for use at the cottage. Most of the trees I was dropping landed in silt , sand, Mudd. All dirty wood by the time I got around to bucking them.
I always keep a sharp chain, a quick file in the field after every tank and keep going.

When I got the carbide China’s (not only were they expensive) I also had to get a diamond bit to Sharpen then. This takes the field sharpen out the question unless you have a dremall and you can use the battery on your quad (which is what I did). The carbide chains do take abuse, but they cult allot slower, heat up faster and in the big picture don’t save much time.

I would recommend you have more chains with you, rotate them when your in the dirty stuff , pay allot more attention to what your cutting. The price and hassle is not worth it in my opinion unless your running a bunch of them , have them onsite which will have allot of upfront. Cost.

I’ll see if I can find my old pics. Hope this helps and you don’t have to find out the way I did. I’ll only really use them if I am cutting wood that had embedded sand and crud in it even after I do my best to clean it. Then it’s off to the bench to sharpen them.
I agree, slower than any other chains, they have their place, but it's not cutting trees in my opinion.

OP get you some semi chisel chain and get after those trees.
Depending on the saw you're running you could use a 404 semi chisel, it would last even longer than a 3/8 semi chisel, but it takes a good bit of power to run a 404 SC chain.
If you feel the need to try the stihl duro I'm pretty sure I have one here and a 20" bar just sitting in the basement waiting for someone who has that need, been there a while now iirc.
 
Where are you at here in the mitten.
We've been without power here because of the ice. This is abnormal for us as our power company is right here in our town, they usually stay right on it. Most times we've lost power this long it's because of a fatality or an accident involving a power pole.
 
I've had the best luck running semi chisel in that type of wood. As others suggested, be ready to swap chains frequently in addition to quick touchups with the file. Also, if you can minimize the amount of junk being pulled into the cut you will have much better chain longevity. In dirty wood I'll bore through until the tip pokes out the other side then raise the tip rotating the bar around the spikes. That projects the dirty bark out of the cut.
 
I have a bunch of trees to cut up . . . I’m considering buying a couple of the carbide cutting edge Stihl Duro chains for the job.
Some guys will try to pressure wash trees, or de-bark them in the areas where they plan to cut, to keep their chains sharp longer.

Oregon sells some chain with a heavier coating of chrome to resist abrasion (formerly called 'MultiCut', now 'DuraCut'), but it does not necessarily stay sharp longer.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/multicut-anyone.112879/

If you do decide to try a loop of carbide chain, make sure that it is designed for tree use. Some is designed for building materials (firefighter use) and cuts poorly in logs.

Philbert
 
Where are you at here in the mitten.
We've been without power here because of the ice. This is abnormal for us as our power company is right here in our town, they usually stay right on it. Most times we've lost power this long it's because of a fatality or an accident involving a power pole.

I am in lower west Michigan but work over by Lansing. Lost power at work today for a couple hours but all good at home.


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I am in lower west Michigan but work over by Lansing. Lost power at work today for a couple hours but all good at home.


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Our power came on tonight around 730, not normal for us.
Not sure how far you are from me up here, but if theres anything I can help with let me know. I've got grinders here if you need chains sharpened swing by and I'll get you all set up.
 
If you do decide to try a loop of carbide chain, make sure that it is designed for tree use. Some is designed for building materials (firefighter use) and cuts poorly in logs.
What ones work well in logs, haven't heard anyone say that one did yet. I've heard a few guys trying to get them set up to cut better, but the results were poor.
 
Our power came on tonight around 730, not normal for us.
Not sure how far you are from me up here, but if theres anything I can help with let me know. I've got grinders here if you need chains sharpened swing by and I'll get you all set up.

Thanks kindly, I will keep you in mind.


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What ones work well in logs,

I don't have a recommendation. Started a thread on this, on 'another site', and heard from fire fighters and guys who cut railroad ties, etc.

Someone is buying that chain. I'm looking forward to comments from any users too.

Chipper chain.........takes a LOT of abuse.

Hard to get, outside of NOS or barn finds. Archer had it listed in .404 in a catalog a few years ago, but that does mean you can find it for sale.

Philbert
 
I don't have a recommendation. Started a thread on this, on 'another site', and heard from fire fighters and guys who cut railroad ties, etc.

Someone is buying that chain. I'm looking forward to comments from any users too.



Hard to get, outside of NOS or barn finds. Archer had it listed in .404 in a catalog a few years ago, but that does mean you can find it for sale.

Philbert

I buy old lots of chain for just such an occasion
 
I hate you......I hate you with the very being of my soul.......

Sorry. Mandatory OT has been stupid
Pretty sure I warned you I was that guy :yes:.
Forgiven, at least your making the big bucks, besides it will make retirement that much sweeter:cheers:.
I don't have a recommendation. Started a thread on this, on 'another site', and heard from fire fighters and guys who cut railroad ties, etc.

Someone is buying that chain. I'm looking forward to comments from any users too.
Seen a few guys try changing the angles mainly for cutting roots, but none were really happy with it from what I recall. But they did get some improvements.
Yes for cutting vents they will shred some roofing and plywood, but logs...
Maybe I should mount it up on one of the ported 70cc saws, then I'd need a roof to tear into:chainsaw:.
I may have a thread saved, I'll check later.
 
I bought a 25ft. roll of Rapid Duro 20 some years ago. It was 3/8 - .050. It cut OK but a hitting a nail or other hard substance could result in chipping the carbide insert. It was pretty disappointing overall and expensive to boot.

The chipped carbide insert would still likely easily cut through roofing and plywood. Even chipped it presents a surface that is quite abrasive. It wouldn't cut through 10 inch or so diameter wood very well if chipped. Sharpening is with a diamond wheel and carbide dust is very dangerous to be around.

Lots of good advice has been posted above. I'd take it if I were you.
 
Years ago I was cutting a bunch of dirty wood, and I got a chain called a kolve. It had kinda like two reverse rakers ahead of the rakers and tooth. Everything was sharpened @ 90* and cut dirty stuff pretty well. Since then, they’ve been discontinued, but I keep a couple chains sharpened closer to 90* just for such occasions.
 
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