Cutting flood debris and rocked chains

[griffonks]

Here's how I wrecked my 7th loop in a week yesterday.

I was cutting debris, a 6 inch tree trunk off this boat trailer that the Boulder Creek flood swept into a Russian Olive and buried under the tree, it's root ball and cattails. I had cut through the trunk when I hit a fist sized stone wrapped in cattails. Sparks flew and the left cutters were beaten down.

For years I have hand filed and the taken my loops to a shop when the cutters needed to be evened up or have the angles fixed. Last fall my shop doubled their sharpening price to $16 and they "blued my cutters", I called another shop and they said $10.

Obviously I need to make some changes. I'm working myself up to buy a grinder but afraid I don't have time to modify a Chinese Northern Tool grinder, also I have no experience grinding cutters so I don't know if I could get it set up or not. Because of that I'm thinking Oregon 511AX. Is this a good choice for a newbie in a hurry?

I'm wondering about a hand saw, is there a good, inexpensive choice for dirty wood?

Would it make much difference to start buying semi-chisel? Everything is dirty within 4 to 6 feet from the ground. What do stump grinders use?

I am working in a "jungle" low wet ground between a lake and a slough, in a month or two after the frost lifts it's going to be much more difficult. So I need to keep moving.

Thanks

 

[Naked Arborist]

Semi chisel Stihl chain. A box of files. Good Luck!

 

[griffonks]

I'm going to give the Stihl semi chisel a try, I left two chains at a Stihl Dealer yesterday so I can keep cutting. When I pick them up I'll have the dealer make me a loop. Thanks

 

[AVB]

Everything is dirty within 4 to 6 feet from the ground. What do stump grinders use?

Carbide teeth...

They make chainsaw chain with Carbide cutters for commercial use. Places like fire departments and those do a lot stump removal use them. There is a big price to pay for these but they perform very well these conditions; they take the licking and keep on going. Some are even rated for cutting stone.

 

[griffonks]

Interesting, sounds like an experiment for my Echo 670. Maybe I could use my Stihl TS.400 with a concrete blade for slicing wads of debris.

 

[Philbert]

Griff,

I have done a lot of storm clean up work. There are always surprises in the wood. Have had to salvage lots of chain, and looked into many options. That led to my 'Challenge Chain' thread.

My recommendations:

- Semi-chisel chain: lasts longer in dirtier wood. Save your full-chisel stuff for clean wood.

- Grinders like the Oregon 511 or Bailey's Speed Sharp models are good for bringing rocked chains back into service. The chains do not have to be perfect, but you have to get past the damage.

Lots of life left in most chains. The guys that 'blued' your cutters did not know what they were doing.

- Take 3 or more chains per saw with you, so that if you hit something you can swap and keep working, then take care of the chains back at the shop.

- The PowerSharp chain is also an option for any 3/8 low profile saws. Supposed to be available for .325 saws later this year. The Oregon guys think that it could be a good match exactly for this kind of work.

Take care.

Philbert

 

[griffonks]

Griff,

I have done a lot of storm clean up work. There are always surprises in the wood. Have had to salvage lots of chain, and looked into many options. That led to my 'Challenge Chain' thread.

My recommendations:

- Semi-chisel chain: lasts longer in dirtier wood. Save your full-chisel stuff for clean wood.

- Grinders like the Oregon 511 or Bailey's Speed Sharp models are good for bringing rocked chains back into service. The chains do not have to be perfect, but you have to get past the damage.

Lots of life left in most chains. The guys that 'blued' your cutters did not know what they were doing.

- Take 3 or more chains per saw with you, so that if you hit something you can swap and keep working, then take care of the chains back at the shop.

- The PowerSharp chain is also an option for any 3/8 low profile saws. Supposed to be available for .325 saws later this year. The Oregon guys think that it could be a good match exactly for this kind of work.

Take care.

Philbert

I had posted in your thread, and I just updated it with my experience trying out the Oxacylic acid I learned of there.
I checked weedeaterman's site and while he stocks powersharp bars and chains for a reasonable price, the ones he has listed don't seem to fit any saws I'm using. I think I have a Poulan on the top shelf that might take a powersharp setup...

I think I am going to bite the bullet and buy the Oregon 511 AX. There's no point in paying a shop for sharpening.... I'm a little afraid to start something new when I have so much on my plate.

 

[066blaster]

Get a northern grinder. They work fine without modification. Easy to use. It will pay for itself in a week with what your doing.

 

[ShermanC]

Griff,
I didn't see anyone mention Rapco Carbide Chains in this thread. I have priced them several times when bidding tricky jobs but did not get the jobs...my price was more than the customer(s) wanted to spend. The jobs never got let. One was for a tree grown into a chain link fence. Another was for a weird stump that grew out of a concrete foundation. If we had gotten it, I would have had to drill the remainder inside the foundation with my Echo gas drill and an auger so stump remover pellets could be poured in to rot the stump. It had already caused the foundation to crack soI could understand why the customer decided to let it be. It is good to know all the expenses for a job before estimating the price range.