Do all the cutters on a chain need to be the same size?

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Tell me why or why not.

 

[a_lopa]

voted

 

[MasterBlaster]

Me too.

 

[Stumper]

If they are equally sharp and the depth gauges are set for the same relative bite then a chain can cut efficiently with unequall cutter lengths. HOWEVER, the actual bite for the same depth gauge setting varies with tooth length (A new tooth with .025 depthgauge setting takes a different bite than a half used tooth with a .025 depth gauge setting). Therefore, the easiest and best route to good performance is to keep all teeth close to the same length.(and increase the depth gauge setting as the tooth is used up---i.e. If .025 is best on the new tooth then about .035 is where you'll find best performance on the last third of the tooth)

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The file plates that sit on only the cutter who's raker you're filing, do exactly that. They gage to only that tooth and progressively take more off as the cutter gets lower. I think they're called file-o-plate, by Carlton, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Mange]

I tested this in the garage, I put a bar in the vise and the chain on it.
then I filed two cutters and the raker's much more than the others, so i could plainly see what was going on.
Then I put paint on the cutters, mounted the bar/chain on the power head, and cut one 7" disk out of soft wood.

If you have not done this yet, do it, and vote after.

 

[Chris J.]

I'd try that, but I don't think that I own a wise :blob5: .

 

[Elmore]

I'd try that, but I don't think that I own a wise :blob5: .

I think he meant "Vice".
Surely you have vices

 

[Woodsurfer]

I suppose a short cutter following a longer one might not get a full depth bite into the wood. Have to be extreme to make much difference...

My filing jig says to "start with the shortest cutter". Keeps the lengths all pretty similar.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I think they're called file-o-plate, by Carlton, but don't quote me on that.

http://***************/treehouse/images/smiles/aaf_pfft.gif

 

[Mange]

I think he meant "Vice".
Surely you have vices

Sorry about that, but it is the thing you do not want your nut's in.

 

[Lawn Masters]

I think that if you have unequal cutters, the chain will probably cut like crap, I wouldnt know cause I never used a chain thats got unequal cutter lenghts. its always equal for me cause I'm a perfectionist.

 

[Mange]

If you have one or two cutters that is shorter, I doubt you notice.

 

[Chris J.]

I have two vises, & several vices. I'd like a really big Wilton vise, but I can't afford one because I spend too much money on my main vice.

Seems to me that a few unequal cutters wouldn't be especially noticeable. Uh, wait, somebody already said that. Well, okay then, I'm off to burn some more bridges!

 

[Al Smith]

Okey dokey ,don't throw the rocks til you hear me out.I voted ,all the same,which is taken for granted as the standard.Now the kicker,say you rock out several teeth that must be filed short.If you take the rakers down a tad on those teeth they will take about the same bite as the other ones.It's not rocket science,but it works.The trick is knowing how much raker to file.My success rate is a tad over50% Just take a teeny bit off,then check .Better less than more,it's hard to put back on

 

[Lawn Masters]

Al, I like your idea, in practice, I've never tried it, but looking at the idea from a logical standpoint, I think it would probably work fairly well, I'm just a perfectionist and cant stand when things are unequal.

 

[Al Smith]

Now don't get me wrong,the best would be all the same length and angle.My half fast method works,though.

 

[066 stihl]

Mike

Didn't you learn anything from Uncle Art?

Ricky

 

[turnkey4099]

Cutters that are about the same length are no problem IF they are sharp. I am not a perfectionist, sharpen each tooth about the same number of strokes and to eyeball length. Close enough for my purposes. That is not to say that a perfect job wouldn't be better and cut some faster. About every 3 hand filings I take em in to the local shop that does it on a grinder to bring all back to identical. At least currently the guy doing it does know how to operate one.

Harry K

 

[Ax-man]

I think Mike is throwing a curve ball in here, I voted yes only because he used the word optimal cutting out of a chain, which can only be achieved if all the teeth are the same size, the chain would be working as a unit, each tooth doing the same amount of work as opposed to one larger tooth taking a big bite followed by a small tooth taking a smaller bite. Tooth lengths don't have to be same as long as the top plate and side plate angles are right along with the right raker depth for the tooth that is doing the cutting. A chain doesn't need all the teeth to be the same size to do a fast, efficient job at cutting wood.

Larry