How far do you go before replacing?
As long as the rakers/depth gauges are set, they will cut just as good as a new chain IF sharpened correctly.
We use them till they break enough "spike" teeth off they won't cut anymore. As long as the rakers/depth gauges are set, they will cut just as good as a new chain IF sharpened correctly. Interestingly we had a spool of Oregon chain that must have had brittle teeth as they were breaking very early in various wood types. What was really wild, was with close to half the teeth off of one side it still cut pretty good.
I always like to find people who say after a few sharpenings a chain should be thrown away. I take them with a smile.
CTYank: How much wood do you cut? I take it you don't cut dead Hedge as it dulls them in a hurry. I'm pretty careful with my chains but there is no way cutting 30 - 50 cord a year I'd get anywhere close to that life span. I buy 12 loops at a time or spools.
Kevin,
We don't have osage orange here; you must travel some from Ohio to find it. :msp_wink:
We do have lots of black locust, which makes life difficult for saw chain.
On average I burn a couple of cords/year, and give away about the same. Not a commercial operation. (We do have more than our share of stone to boost the degree of difficulty.)
Hand-filing seems to boost chain longevity.
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