ever had a chainsaw chain break

[gwiley]

I appreciate all of the postings - this motivates me to pay even more attention to where my body parts are when I am running the saw and reinforces my PPE religion.

 

[Grace Tree]

Never had one break. I almost? always wear chaps but seldom wear head and eye protection if I'm just out cutting firewood. Last week I was listening to police scanner and I heard a "running chainsaw to the face" ambulance call. 'Gave me the willies so I decided to recommit to head protection.
Phil

 

[savageactor7]

We've been heavy cutters of wood since the bicentennial and went through many chains. Can't remember any breaking but one must have and I just can't remember it. I think I wear my down pretty good too.

Once I file them to the hash marks they become dedicated stump chains or use them on dodgy wood I know has fencing in it.

Seems to me if you were into a round when one broke it would be no big deal. Now if you were running WOT checking out oil flow when it broke then it could snap back to bite you. Hey folks get hurt on them all the time so I know it can happen.

 

[gwiley]

tire chains

This is off topic - but tell me about the chains I see on your tire - are those chains held in place by rubber straps?

 

[lewis d2]

worry

I suppose with this many people on a site it is just natural but how can so many people find the dumbest things to worry about (as in) )splitter leaking a drop of oil, moisture % of wood,chain breaking? Been doing firewood over 40 years sure never did isweat the small stuff If you just want to throw chains away I will send you my address!!!!

 

[Grace Tree]

I suppose with this many people on a site it is just natural but how can so many people find the dumbest things to worry about (as in) )splitter leaking a drop of oil, moisture % of wood,chain breaking? Been doing firewood over 40 years sure never did isweat the small stuff If you just want to throw chains away I will send you my address!!!!

were prolly not as smart as you. now that ur hear we can relaxd

 

[savageactor7]

This is off topic - but tell me about the chains I see on your tire - are those chains held in place by rubber straps?

Well there's chain fasteners that come with the chain that keep the chain on. The straps keep the chains tight the way I like 'em. I buy the best chains I can at my dealer but they all end up stretching. The straps keep 'em tight...keep extras under the seat along with monkey links.

 

[JFerg65]

I've had a couple let go over the years. Never caught me though. They always got caught in the wedge in the bottom of the saw. So I guess the part did what is was supposed to do.

I did know a guy who had one let loose on an old saw and lay his face open from top to bottom. He was lucky he didn't get killed or loose an eye at minimum. He was left with one wicked scar.

After meeting him, I always kept my head out of the line of fire.

 

[nickg]

i have an MS361, and when i get "froggy" and wedge the saw while cutting , i seem to stretch the chain and in flops off the bar,, it has happened twice,, maybe my fault..! i can tell when i have stretched it because the adjustment screw is all the way forward , and still slop in the chain.

 

[davec]

Saw one break on my friend's old 051 a couple weeks back. Was going to finish blocking up one last small tree and kaplunk. Nothing came of it - Just dropped off right there. It was old and dull in any case and really needed to be sharpened. He repaired it for junk use - when you don't want to use a good chain.

 

[wampum]

I had 3 of them break last year. I buy my chains from a local place and they make them up when you buy them. These chains when they broke did not do any damage but the funny part is they were brand new and had not cut hardly any wood. I took them back along with the saw and the roll of chain was bad. It had stress cracks where it was riveted together. I guess I was not the only one that had a problem.

Just curious what was the name brand on the chain? Also was it from China? I have heard that they are now sending in Chinese chain and just wondered if it was good quality or just plain junk. Any one have any first hand knowledge of Chinese chain? Here is one site I found. : http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/860322.htm

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I broke one last month on a 2135T. Its the only one I remember breaking. It did not come completely apart but broke the tie on one side and pin was just about pulled out.

How did I manage this? I was tired of falling through the deck of my brothers 5x10 trailer and I was cutting the rotted 2x8 off the deck. I carefully marked where support beams were and cut between them. On the last cut by the front I forgot about the tongue and tried to saw through it:chainsawguy:

Billy

 

[builder1101]

i break a few links. It's the spot welds that's always gave out on mine.

i zap it with the wirefeed, grind it down, and continue.....

never had an injury, i always cut with the saw to my side, never had the chain go berserk, just falls down the nose, or hangs around the clutch, saw just free revs for a split second.

I run mine until they're sharpened so much teeth start to rip off. Then i know i've gotten full use of them

 

[Philbert]

spot welds

?????????????????????

 

[builder1101]

?????????????????????

what? never heard of it? repairing the pin that holds the link together?

too scared to try it?

believe it or not, every link i've repaired outlasts the next one that breaks, which ends up being one that i have yet to repair.

and honestly,besides fixing ththem the reason i started to do this was to shorten chains or make them longer, depends if i switch bars and don't have a chain handy to fit.

 

[Philbert]

what? never heard of it? repairing the pin that holds the link together? too scared to try it?

It's not fear, or not knowing about repairing chain. It's your method that is surprising. Spun rivets are the standard way - the same way that chains are manufactured. A weld would restrict the ability of the rivet to pivot as freely as if it was spun. Heating a link enough to weld could also affect its strength.

I can't help but wonder if there is any link between the number of breaks you mention and the way that you maintain/fix your chains. Broken chains seem to be an infrequent, but not unheard of occurrence according to the other responders to this thread.

Philbert

 

[flotek]

ive had the chain jump off the bar but never break ,scary stuff :jawdrop:

 

[Guarddog1]

Had one break the minute it hit he wood the chain fired out straight out front like a rocket ship.

<a href="http://s769.photobucket.com/albums/xx333/vstang1/?action=view&current=ChainBreak2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i769.photobucket.com/albums/xx333/vstang1/ChainBreak2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s769.photobucket.com/albums/xx333/vstang1/?action=view&current=ChainBreak.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i769.photobucket.com/albums/xx333/vstang1/ChainBreak.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[builder1101]

It's not fear, or not knowing about repairing chain. It's your method that is surprising. Spun rivets are the standard way - the same way that chains are manufactured. A weld would restrict the ability of the rivet to pivot as freely as if it was spun. Heating a link enough to weld could also affect its strength.

I can't help but wonder if there is any link between the number of breaks you mention and the way that you maintain/fix your chains. Broken chains seem to be an infrequent, but not unheard of occurrence according to the other responders to this thread.

Philbert

just the end, a bit of peening and a bump with the dremel and it's acceptable. #1 reason mine break are fence line trees...barbed wire. Reason i don't spend money on new chains. If i did that i may as well spend the money on propane.

and there's no wonder for the link, it's not my repairs that break. Seems the moment my husky bumps the wire wide open hoggin' deep that's the end of the program. I hog hard too, i use the dogs to the max.

 

[Stihl310]

Worn out sprockets can break chains as well... check your sprockets to make sure they aren't gouged out from the chain links... when you get a groove worn in the sprocket it can put alot more stress on the chain and snap them...