My old Dolmar 421 threw chains and my brand new Makita 4300 is doing it as well so it has nothing to do with worn parts. It happens frequently and involves a minor pinch usually while limbing a downed tree. The chains are not loose, I’ve tightened more than I should and it still throws chains.
I had a chain or two shortened by a link but between using different saws I lost track of determining if that solved the problem, though I think it did and there’s really nothing left to try.
it seems like a design defect in the saw if I can’t use chains off the shelf.
thoughts?
OK reading this again, you removed a link from some chains to see if it helped, I never took a link off my chains
and they are 15 inch, and you say it happens when you get the bar pinched, that tells me the solution is to not get
your bar pinched, which stretches the chain when the engine snaps against it as it stops, that leads to a stretched chain,
which you have when you needed to remove a link, don't get the bar caught.
Catching the bar as often as you seem to do, you said it happens frequently, and then tightening too much to prevent
the chain coming off stretches the chain and grinds the clutch bearing and the shaft bearing out of the saw, that oil
seal you had to replace was no doubt related to over tightening too.
The picture I see is operator error, on a large scale, all the small things are being overlooked and are adding
up to what you would expect, trouble.
How did you get the bar slot behind the bar stud nearest the clutch full of dirt, the bar is clamped and nothing
should get in there, there is no pattern on that bar showing it was cleanly clamped like there should be.
When the bar plate is clean, the bar is clean and the side cover is clean, none of the above would be seen on your saw.