How Long Does a Chainsaw Chain Stay Sharp?

[chipper1]

All depends on just how sunny it is .

 

[thenne1713]

Bark ON, 12-16" logs, pine/ oak, (MY EXPERIENCE MILLING) says resharpen/ touchup after 12+/-feet with round file= more acute angle. Bench grinder= less acute= stronger, slightly slower maybe, but 20-24-ft. i GENERALLY HAND FILE TOUCH UP 3-4 TIMES, then switch chains. Bench grind all at night. Your mileage may vary. Bark may contain dirt/ sand

LOGOSOL MANUAL SUGGESTS "sharpen before it gets dull", and with a little experience with the log, you get a feel and start to understand that statement

 

[northmanlogging]

Let's say it's a SUNNY day , and you're out in your yard. Your chainsaw chain is sharp and ready to cut off those logs. You start cutting through wood without any BREAK!

Now, here's what I want to know:

How long does your chainsaw chain stay sharp? Or in other words, How often do you usually sharpen your chain? (hours or number of cuts or days)?

Actually, I'm writing an article about chainsaws, so I just wanted to get some insight into how long a chain stay sharp.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

well, I'm a day late as usual
keep the damn thing out of the dirt and it will stay sharp for days, literally
I tend to cut with the same chain for the better part of a week, if I'm careful, 3-4 hours a day.
now I use good quality chain (no Oregon junk) and take some care as to getting them scary sharp to begin with.
That and try not to run the saw out of oil, I will fill up before I run out of gas most of the time, and you can hear when the oiler starts running low... (west coast long bars, with the oiler maxed you will run out of oil before you run out of gas)

 

[Ol' Brian]

Until it's not

Best Answer!!

 

[Lightning Performance]

LOGOSOL MANUAL SUGGESTS "sharpen before it gets dull", and with a little experience with the log, you get a feel and start to understand that statement

You don't need to sharpen until the bar is black and the chain is smoking. I stop, to take a break sometimes, drink five shots and touch up my crispy cutters. It always cuts better after a few good shots if you push on the saw as hard as possible. Keeps that pesky loud muffler noise to a minimum.

Free pro tip

 

[Long Bar 60]

Seems to me that most of the questions asked by Samuelanali can best be answered by Ernest T. Bass. Or maybe Gilligan.

 

[lone wolf]

Seems to me that most of the questions asked by Samuelanali can best be answered by Ernest T. Bass. Or maybe Gilligan.

Winner Winner!

 

[matt0550]

32 minutes and 17.3 seconds

You're REALLY close...I get like 31 mins 9 seconds, UT I tend to lean on er a little right outta the gate

 

[chipper1]

well, I'm a day late as usual
keep the damn thing out of the dirt and it will stay sharp for days, literally
I tend to cut with the same chain for the better part of a week, if I'm careful, 3-4 hours a day.
now I use good quality chain (no Oregon junk) and take some care as to getting them scary sharp to begin with.
That and try not to run the saw out of oil, I will fill up before I run out of gas most of the time, and you can hear when the oiler starts running low... (west coast long bars, with the oiler maxed you will run out of oil before you run out of gas)

That would be awesome. I sharpened a 24 yesterday (25 for you stihl guys ), 2nd cut I hit metal . So I grabbed the 462 with a 28, made it a good bit further, then it was still sunny, but the chain was shot, then I grabbed the dolmar 7900 wearing a 36, I made a good number of cuts, but not even a full tank, and she was dull. The tree was a fence line tree for many yrs, and it had a tree stand in it for hunting, I removed as much metal as I could and tried to cut around other areas where I thought it might be.
So you really like that new x-cut chain .

Haven't seen you drop any new videos lately, you doing alright.

 

[northmanlogging]

That would be awesome. I sharpened a 24 yesterday (25 for you stihl guys ), 2nd cut I hit metal . So I grabbed the 462 with a 28, made it a good bit further, then it was still sunny, but the chain was shot, then I grabbed the dolmar 7900 wearing a 36, I made a good number of cuts, but not even a full tank, and she was dull. The tree was a fence line tree for many yrs, and it had a tree stand in it for hunting, I removed as much metal as I could and tried to cut around other areas where I thought it might be.
So you really like that new x-cut chain .

Haven't seen you drop any new videos lately, you doing alright.

yeah I'm good, just cleared an acre of pecker poles, nothing real special, that and farting in the log truck seat a lot lately.
I did just record a vid of trying to get Phillips "tool steel" calks out of my Nick's... grrrrrrr so I'll post that in a wee bit.

 

[chipper1]

yeah I'm good, just cleared an acre of pecker poles, nothing real special, that and farting in the log truck seat a lot lately.
I did just record a vid of trying to get Phillips "tool steel" calks out of my Nick's... grrrrrrr so I'll post that in a wee bit.

Awesome, I'll be there, Brett when you see my comments.
Are you liking the log truck, I'm back driving a semi, it was nearly 10yrs I was out of it, last fall I figured I wasn't doing anything else all winter so why not.
I cleared a spot out back I'm hoping to eventually turn into a pond, got all the smalls put a while ago and just finished the biggest one. The big one is a 40" plus cherry tested my skills a bit, not often I get anything much over 28.
Lots of metal in the beast.

 

[northmanlogging]

Awesome, I'll be there, Brett when you see my comments.
Are you liking the log truck, I'm back driving a semi, it was nearly 10yrs I was out of it, last fall I figured I wasn't doing anything else all winter so why not.
I cleared a spot out back I'm hoping to eventually turn into a pond, got all the smalls put a while ago and just finished the biggest one. The big one is a 40" plus cherry tested my skills a bit, not often I get anything much over 28.
Lots of metal in the beast.

the Log truck is fun, but only because its a Self Loather, get to go see new jobs 2-3 times a week. Driving it is still driving a truck through I-5 traffic... which just isn't fun at all lol. But I do get to get out of the truck every couple hours and DO something ANYTHING besides stare out the window. VS the Dumb truck which is mostly point A to B, then Point B to A... while dealing with both traffic and idiots that bought an excavator 2 weeks ago and now think they are contractors...
I mean its kind of the same with the log truck, lots of "loggers" that haven't a damn clue, but at least with that I can just turn around and go home lol get someone else to haul your logs bud. Or put some gravel down and have them bucked BEFORE I get here

 

[KostasVolos]

For more than 500 years ,if it doesn't get used at all.
That's a conservative estimate.
If it gets oiled regularly it can stay
sharp for more than a thousand years.

 

[chipper1]

the Log truck is fun, but only because its a Self Loather, get to go see new jobs 2-3 times a week. Driving it is still driving a truck through I-5 traffic... which just isn't fun at all lol. But I do get to get out of the truck every couple hours and DO something ANYTHING besides stare out the window. VS the Dumb truck which is mostly point A to B, then Point B to A... while dealing with both traffic and idiots that bought an excavator 2 weeks ago and now think they are contractors...
I mean its kind of the same with the log truck, lots of "loggers" that haven't a damn clue, but at least with that I can just turn around and go home lol get someone else to haul your logs bud. Or put some gravel down and have them bucked BEFORE I get here

That sounds like a fun piece of equipment, I just do the A-B-C-D-E-F...., then back to A, at least it's not as boring as A-B-A.
My last driving job before this was hauling drywall, running that 100' knuckle boom was a blast, running drywall in a building and tarping, not so much.
I imagine some of the sites/landings out there can be pretty bad, I know many of them here look like swamps right now, better hop they know how to pull someone out.
With the company I'm with they do treat us pretty well as far as giving us everything we need to do the job, and the best equipment to do it, I'm in a 2023 Volvo with a double bunk, fridge, microwave, inverter. While the truck and amenities are nice, I don't use any of them, but at least it rides nice and doesn't break down.

 

[northmanlogging]

That sounds like a fun piece of equipment, I just do the A-B-C-D-E-F...., then back to A, at least it's not as boring as A-B-A.
My last driving job before this was hauling drywall, running that 100' knuckle boom was a blast, running drywall in a building and tarping, not so much.
I imagine some of the sites/landings out there can be pretty bad, I know many of them here look like swamps right now, better hop they know how to pull someone out.
With the company I'm with they do treat us pretty well as far as giving us everything we need to do the job, and the best equipment to do it, I'm in a 2023 Volvo with a double bunk, fridge, microwave, inverter. While the truck and amenities are nice, I don't use any of them, but at least it rides nice and doesn't break down.

its alway muddy out here. but rock is cheap...
Got a message from a guy i've hauled a few loads for, everytime its a total PITA, back in through a gate behind a house, wait for someone to show up and move all the derlict equipment, then have to gyppo yard half the wood cause dummy can't figure out how to stack it... well dude sends a pic with his mine excavator sunk half way up its tracks, says he's scraped the mud its better then last time... meanwhile... logs are stacked on the wrong side of lot, were 3 months ago there was stumps... then wants to tell the log truck driver that its better then logging roads... logging roads have rock my dude.
I blocked his number, let someone else get stuck back there.

 

[Dave berry]

Let's say it's a SUNNY day , and you're out in your yard. Your chainsaw chain is sharp and ready to cut off those logs. You start cutting through wood without any BREAK!

Now, here's what I want to know:

How long does your chainsaw chain stay sharp? Or in other words, How often do you usually sharpen your chain? (hours or number of cuts or days)?

Actually, I'm writing an article about chainsaws, so I just wanted to get some insight into how long a chain stay sharp.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

Had chains that have lasted the day with only one touch up some chains seem softer than others and like most have said depends what your cutting had trees with flint stone dirt rock even metal in them these all kill ya chain quick and nothing worse than having a new chain and hitting one of these also I think a chain cuts better after the first sharpen. Just pot luck really

 

[Bob_w]

Let's say it's a SUNNY day , and you're out in your yard. Your chainsaw chain is sharp and ready to cut off those logs. You start cutting through wood without any BREAK!

Now, here's what I want to know:

How long does your chainsaw chain stay sharp? Or in other words, How often do you usually sharpen your chain? (hours or number of cuts or days)?

Actually, I'm writing an article about chainsaws, so I just wanted to get some insight into how long a chain stay sharp.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

When the chips get small. 2 times around in dirt = done cutting ... wood burning time!

 

[Chucksta]

3 licks per cutter after every tank. No exceptions! Does it "need" sharpening? Oh no, not by a long shot!! Does my old retired body need a twenty minute break while I leisurely do those three strokes? Yup!! Absolutely!
Unless I was paying slave labour who was standing around, waiting for me to cut stuff.... That twenty minutes is MINE!..
If the speed of production was a real monetary issue, it'd be toss a fresh loop on it and keep going.. Deal with the sharpening later, when paid employees aren't standing around waiting.