Chain choice for donated wood

[tdcarter]

Hi,
Got a question, afraid I already know the answer, but since I am a newbie I'll pray for another time.

The girlfriends family has some property with a small cabin her grandfather built on the Mississippi. Nice little escape from the daily grind. The property literally is on the edge of the river and every year the field below gets flooded.

Now the river being so courteous and nice little Mississippi it does leave behind some firewood for us to use once it recedes. Helps keep the rustic cabin warm and cozy, but it is all driftwood and loaded with sand/silt. Dulls the heck out of a chain in nothing flat. The wood is free and just sitting waiting for pickup, don't have to worry about getting rid of the small branches or disposing of the leaves. But it has a price.

Any recommendations for chain to use? Talked to one place and he said he could get me a carbide chain like the fire department uses, only about $320 a loop.

I saw on Oregon's website they talk about a blued cutter but can't find it anywhere.

Do I just stick with regular LPX and have a file attached to my hand?

T

 

[Scooterbum]

Hi,
Got a question, afraid I already know the answer, but since I am a newbie I'll pray for another time.

The girlfriends family has some property with a small cabin her grandfather built on the Mississippi. Nice little escape from the daily grind. The property literally is on the edge of the river and every year the field below gets flooded.

Now the river being so courteous and nice little Mississippi it does leave behind some firewood for us to use once it recedes. Helps keep the rustic cabin warm and cozy, but it is all driftwood and loaded with sand/silt. Dulls the heck out of a chain in nothing flat. The wood is free and just sitting waiting for pickup, don't have to worry about getting rid of the small branches or disposing of the leaves. But it has a price.

Any recommendations for chain to use? Talked to one place and he said he could get me a carbide chain like the fire department uses, only about $320 a loop.

I saw on Oregon's website they talk about a blued cutter but can't find it anywhere.

Do I just stick with regular LPX and have a file attached to my hand?

T

Go with some 72DP instead, semi-chisel will work better in dirty wood.Or you can get the Stihl RD. Not as expensive as the rescue chain.But has to be sharpened with a diamond wheel.
I have one I use for stump cuttin' and sharpen with a diamond impregnated file.

 

[sunfish]

Like Scooterbum said, use semi-chisel. It'll work fine and stay sharp a lot longer than chisel, easier to sharpen also. Get good at sharpen with a file also.

No way I'd go with carbide chain.

 

[Philbert]

. . . but it is all driftwood and loaded with sand/silt. . . .I saw on Oregon's website they talk about a blued cutter but can't find it anywhere. . . Do I just stick with regular LPX and have a file attached to my hand?

First, welcome to A.S.

Free wood is hard to pass up, and it is not necessary that it should be. Some driftwood burns really hot. Sand is hard on any chain, as it is abrasive. Some guys will try to wash off sand first, using anything from the river, to a garden hose, to a pressure washer. Some visible sand might be brushed off.

As for chain, semi-chisel chains will cut longer, but not as fast, than full chisel chains in dirty conditions. So you probably should switch out to a semi-chisel chain for this wood, and save your LPX for cleaner wood. Oregon, STIHL, and Bailey's Woodsman Pro all sell versions of this.

Oregon does sell several of their chains in a 'Multi-Cut' version, which apparently has a thicker chrome layer (?) and is supposed to last longer in dirty conditions. This chain is hard to find, and as a result, may end up costing twice as much as the more common versions of the chain (which means that fewer people buy it, and it becomes even harder to find in a viscious circle). There was a promising post about it's performance, a year or so ago, if you are able to find it through a shop or chainsaw specialty dealer.

Carbide chain is specialty chain. It will last longer, but it is quite expensive. It also is expensive to sharpen (requires diamond wheel), and to maintain (damaged cutters have to be replaced).

I recommend that you get 2 -3 loops of a good quality, semi-chisel chain to use on this wood. That way you can swap out the really dull ones and sharpen them later, without eating into too much of your weekend time.

Philbert

 

[flushcut]

Yep semi-chizzy or chipper if you can find it.

 

[deye223]

if your saw is 70cc or over stihl semi chizle in .404 it will cut a lot longer than 3/8 we use it here for the same thing

 

[Slamm]

if your saw is 70cc or over stihl semi chizle in .404 it will cut a lot longer than 3/8 we use it here for the same thing

Agreed.

That said, I'm logging in bottoms ground that has mud and silt up to 4 feet high on every tree and I'm not having any issues with Stihl Full Skip - Semi-Chisel 3/8". Stihl chain will cut more wood and outlast all other brands of chain, period. If you have to pay more for the Stihl chain you have to keep in mind the cutters last long and you will cut way more wood per chain (money spent) than with any other, that is just a fact.

Now for bucking up Wisconsin Hard Maple and Hickory that was skidded out, I did use and liked the .404 Semi Chisel (I ran it on an 084 for bucking up), but, haven't found the need for it down here so much. But now that you have mentioned it, I might give it a try again down here for bucking up, its just that keeping the 3/8" semi, isn't been quite that big of an ordeal.

My experience and opinion,

Sam

 

[tdcarter]

Called the local shops and no-one carrys the Oregon DP and the only Stihl semi-chisel I could find was the green version. Dang nabit..

 

[deye223]

Agreed.

That said, I'm logging in bottoms ground that has mud and silt up to 4 feet high on every tree and I'm not having any issues with Stihl Full Skip - Semi-Chisel 3/8". Stihl chain will cut more wood and outlast all other brands of chain, period. If you have to pay more for the Stihl chain you have to keep in mind the cutters last long and you will cut way more wood per chain (money spent) than with any other, that is just a fact.

Now for bucking up Wisconsin Hard Maple and Hickory that was skidded out, I did use and liked the .404 Semi Chisel (I ran it on an 084 for bucking up), but, haven't found the need for it down here so much. But now that you have mentioned it, I might give it a try again down here for bucking up, its just that keeping the 3/8" semi, isn't been quite that big of an ordeal.

My experience and opinion,

Sam

sam as you will see speed is not a problem all semi chizle stihl. 3/8 on 260 and .404 on 460 STIHL MS260 PRO MM V MS460 MAGNUM - YouTube
.404 starts at 1:35

 

[Slamm]

sam as you will see speed is not a problem all semi chizle stihl. 3/8 on 260 and .404 on 460 STIHL MS260 PRO MM V MS460 MAGNUM - YouTube
.404 starts at 1:35

I edited the two red areas for clearer understanding:

LOL, I know, Semi is all that I run. I don't even understand the logic behind running chisel anymore. The only place its faster is cookie cutting, as you won't cut more wood with it in a days time than you will semi chisel, because the chisel chain dulls too quickly, whether is clean or dirty wood, hard or soft.

Ever notice how those that run Chisel (Square or Round filed) are always looking to buy a Electric Grinder for it, LOL.

I have a grinder and I haven't used it in years since I started to use the semi chisel. With chisel chain those guys always brag about going into the woods with 4-5 chains already sharpened so they don't have to waste time hand sharpening on a stump (I know, I use to do this same thing with chisel chain, LOL). With Semi Chisel - I go from morning to lunch or even all day without sharpening sometimes when felling trees. Sure every now and then you have to, but its nothing like the bother that chisel chain is.

This is my opinion, Chisel chain is a marketing ploy to get consumers to think they are being faster or more efficient, when they are just going through twice as many chains to cut the same amount of wood.

Since I have discovered Semi Chisel, I know that Stihl has made less money off of me as a result, because I have to buy less chain, because I can cut way more wood with a semi chisel chain than I can with a chisel chain, but they do have a very happy consumer, LOL.

I think I will give the .404 semi another go for bucking up as stopping to sharpen at any time while bucking is lost production, and I do know that the .404 will last longer than the 3/8". Thanks for reminding me.

Sam

 

[rburg]

If you can't find semi-chisel at dealerships in your area, you can order from some of the site sponors.

 

[deye223]

LOL, I know, Semi is all that I run. I don't even understand the logic behind running chisel anymore. The only place its faster is cookie cutting, as you won't cut more wood with it in a days time than you will semi chisel, because the chisel chain dulls too quickly, whether is clean or dirty wood, hard or soft.

Ever notice how those that run Chisel (Square or Round filed) are always looking to buy a Electric Grinder for it, LOL.

I have a grinder and I haven't used it in years since I started to use the semi chisel. With chisel chain those guys always brag about going into the woods with 4-5 chains already sharpened so they don't have to waste time hand sharpening on a stump (I know, I use to do this same thing with chisel chain, LOL). I go from morning to lunch or even all day without sharpening sometimes when felling trees. Sure every now and then you have to, but its nothing like the bother that chisel chain is.

This is my opinion, Chisel chain is a marketing ploy to get consumers to think they are being faster or more efficient, when they are just going through twice as many chains to cut the same amount of wood.

Since I have discovered Semi Chisel, I now that Stihl has made less money off of me as a result, because I have to buy less chain, because I can cut way more wood with a semi chisel chain than I can with a chisel chain, but they do have a very happy consumer, LOL.

I think I will give the .404 semi another go for bucking up as stopping to sharpen at any time while bucking is lost production, and I do know that the .404 will last longer than the 3/8". Thanks for reminding me.

Sam

sam thats the most inteligent thing i have read on this forum the only time i take another chain is for the 25" bar behind the seat . now bring on the pop corn

 

[tbow388]

My 2 cents

As long as I read this I have to put in my 2 cents like always.

The best way to cut this and not worry about your chain is to use several friends saws.

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[jus2fat]

Called the local shops and no-one carrys the Oregon DP and the only Stihl semi-chisel I could find was the green version. Dang nabit..

What you want your Stihl dealer to order is...the "yellow" RMC
( Is semi-chisel...so good on dirty wood...and is non-safety chain )

Chain Saw Chain - OILOMATIC® and Harvester Saw Chains | STIHL

J2F

 

[deye223]

As long as I read this I have to put in my 2 cents like always.

The best way to cut this and not worry about your chain is to use several friends saws.

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

i'll definitely pay that

 

[Quadrafire2]

Information on different chains

Found this very informative thread on the different chains.

http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/134588.htm

 

[blsnelling]

IMHO, a sharp semi-chisel cuts about like a dulling chisel chain. For dirty wood though, it's the way to go.

 

[tdcarter]

...you can order from some of the site sponors.

Yep, will be doing that, need a better pair of chainsaw gloves anyway. The local shops don't carry those either. They think a good leather glove is all you need. Yep, 99.999% of the time, that is all I need. But when does that .001% strike? My motorcycle once found the .001% around a corner on some gravel. Full leathers and I was able to ride away with just a sore shoulder and a bruised ego.

Thanks for the info guys... or gals..

 

[sunfish]

IMHO, a sharp semi-chisel cuts about like a dulling chisel chain. For dirty wood though, it's the way to go.

Really Brad?

I can tell little difference between the cuttin speed with both sharp...

Ya need to learn to sharpen semi-chisel. :msp_wink: :msp_tongue: