Bars and their chains

[Mingara]

Hi all

Alas - I have another question for you.

I recently had my chain off my Dolmar 120si sharpened professionally and while I was at it, I said to the operator "I need a new chain for the saw also" (it has a 20" bar). I have my new chain on the saw (it was on when I collected it) and it cuts really well. I have yet to use the sharpened chain.

Since purchasing the new chain I have noticed from perusing these threads that a lot of thought is given to the 'brand names' of chains and bars i.e. Windsors and Oregon etc. Having said that I don't know what type or make my new chain is. Is it necessary for me to know? Did I stuff up by not knowing about the type of chain I needed?

Are different chains used for different cutting etc and do they need to be compatible to a certain bar and sprockets. Are different chains used for different applications for instance such as hard and soft woods?

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

As long as your bar and chain are the same gauge and pitch, you should be OK. And these have to match the pitch of your saw's sprocket or rim.

As far as different types of cutters, yeah, there's different ones for differnt types of wood and cutting conditions. They'll all cut to some extent or another, but some will do better than others in their suited conditions-clean wood, vs. dirty wood. Ripping chain vs. cross cut, full skip vs. full comp. Do a search on here for "chain", "chisel", "full skip" and so on. There's plenty to be read. Madsen's also has some info on their web site concerning chain, sharpening, and uses.

Jeff

 

[SawTroll]

Maybe the most importent reason for knowing what make and model of chain you have, is that otherwise you heve no way of knowing the correct fileing angles.
If you post a description of how the cutters, rakers and connection links look, or better, a picture or two + a description of any numbers and/or letters stampeded on the chain - someone here should be able to find out which chain model it is.