Trilink "Full Chisel-safety" chain. What is this stuff?

[thefarmboy21]

So I was at my lol Rural King this evening and thought I'd try out a TRILINK bar and chain combo, since they were only $29.99 and everything is 12% off (after rebate of course) I figured that if I was gonna buy one, now was as good of time as any. Sure I'd rather have a STIHL bar, but I just got an old 028 WOODBOSS running and tuned today, so I thought I'd try out a cheapie bar and chain until I figured out exactly what I was gonna do with the saw.

ANYWAY I got home and was looking it over and it says it's "Full Chisel-safety" and "Professional" What in the world does that mean?!?! It's link designation is MC74. First of all, I didn't know there was a Full Chisel safety chain and second how in the world is safety chain professional? It says it's designed for high speed cutting and low vibration. It doesn't really have those stupid safety straps between the cutters....it's more like a ramp going up to the rakers. This chain is also supposed to have some kind of special oiling groove in the drive links.

Has anyone used this stuff or had any experience with the TRILINK bars?

 

[madmarksolomon]

Pics

 

[s sidewall]

Sounds like what they sale at Tractor Supply, got one of their combos a few years back, full chisel trilink. Cuts real good on my Poulan 3400 and my Mac PM605. Only safety feature a saw was the links with the ramps would open up at the tip which doesn't both me cause I don't do plunge cuts.

Steve Sidwell, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[Jonny Quest]

Full chisel vs. semi-chisel...or...round-ground chisel chain. Likely has bumper drive links or bumper tie straps. The "professional" is just marketing...

 

[thefarmboy21]

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http://s636.photobucket.com/user/thefarmboy21/media/68393A72-DCFD-44F5-91E7-7F9491696077.jpg.html] [/URL]

Here it is. Gonna try it out tomorrow hopefully. The bumper links aren't crazy huge or anything and it's round filed Full chisel.....and safety and professional LOL! It just strikes me as a really odd combination and really odd marketing as professional.

 

[madmarksolomon]

There is a fella on YouTube called "Human", that did a test with chain similar to that seems like it worked pretty good, I have not tried it though.

 

[madmarksolomon]

Oh yeah he bore cut with it to see if it was any different than standard chain.

 

[Little Al]

If the edge the cutter has a square corner it"s full chisel the raised bumpers class it a reduced kick back, some refer to as safety chain, the professional is sales " Bull s**t" came across an East Euro peon branded chain a couple of months back that listed on the packaging it said produces superior torque don't know what that implied but it cut crap so was consigned to the bin.

 

[Cliff R]

Make sure it is USA made and not imported.

I've been cutting wood and lots of it since the 1970's. One time in all those years I obtained a loop of imported chain, came with a USA made bar that I bought for my Echo CS-510 from Ebay.

It broke the first time I used the saw. Never in all the years I've been cutting wood have I broke a new chain on the first outing, and to tell you the truth can't ever remember breaking a chain. I use Oregon chain almost exclusively, but have ran a loop of Cartlon here and there and never had any issues.

There is some junk made by USA manufacturers, that crap with the rakers that look like a folded over dorsal fin isn't worth two squirts of duck poop, but unlikely you'll ever break any of it..........Cliff

 

[thefarmboy21]

We run STIHL chain and bars almost entirely on everything. Dad has used about everything and prefers STIHL chain and STIHL bars. I've got an Oregon chain on my MS290 Farmboss, but that was just because the local hardware carries Oregon and the safety chain it came with just wasn't cutting it (Literally)

I just bought the cheap combo to test out this old saw. Make sure it's gonna be a strong runner and IF I decide to sell it, I hate to sell a brand new STIHL bar. And a STIHL bar wouldn't likely make it worth anymore to the average guy.

It'll definitely get a STIHL chain after a few runs. But for now it'll mainly cut brush. Also interested in the longevity of the cheap bar. Figured a $30 combo was worth it just to test.

 

[Cliff R]

I've ran Stihl chain, very good stuff. I have ran into a few loops that required sharpening before you could effectively use it, other than that it's equally as good as the professional Oregon stuff, IMHO.

For decades I would only use full chisel, but in recent years have developed great respect for semi chisel and 3/8LP on smaller saws. The biggest reason is dirt, as much of our wood these days comes from tops left over from logging operations, and much of it is pretty dirty as it often gets pushed or dragged around a bit.

For sure in clean hardwood full chisel is the chain of choice, at least for us.......Cliff

 

[RiesePING]

I've ran Stihl chain, very good stuff. I have ran into a few loops that required sharpening before you could effectively use it, other than that it's equally as good as the professional Oregon stuff, IMHO.

How recently have you ran new Stihl chains? I only ask because in the last 5 years I have never cut with a brand new Stihl chain that wasn't absolutely butter. The only thing I've ever done to their new chains was taking the rakers down a stroke or 2.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I bought one of the TriLink "Professional Safety" chains this weekend to try on a Stihl 039 I just bought. Not impressed.

 

[thefarmboy21]

I bought one of the TriLink "Professional Safety" chains this weekend to try on a Stihl 039 I just bought. Not impressed.

I haven't got to try mine yet, but I mainly just wanted the bar....plus I mostly clear brush.

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I haven't got to try mine yet, but I mainly just wanted the bar....plus I mostly clear brush.

Probably be ok for brush and limbing. I was tuning the saw in 2-3 year old 20" oak. Definitely not on par with Oregon.

 

[s sidewall]

Drop the rakes down some, will cut a lot better.

Steve Sidwell, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Drop the rakes down some, will cut a lot better.

Steve Sidwell, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

Like a dumb azz I never thought of that, new chain and all. Try that tomorrow. Thanks again. I was ready to paint that creamsicle Makita blue to see if it would cut better. lol

 

[s sidewall]

That what I did on mine, made a world of a difference, just have the spike stuck good in the wood. Mine will snatch it out of your hand if you aren't use to it.

Steve Sidwell, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[Little Al]

If you want good value for buck the chains Huztl were selling were value for money not as good as Stihl but as you could buy two & a half chains for the price of one Stihl for cutting "******" wood they were a good buy I'm refering to the 3/8x1.3 lo pro

 

[Mr.170]

I have this same type of chain on one of my small saws. An older ms170z I got from my grandpa. Sat with trash ethanol gas.. well when he passed I figured Id rebuild the fuel system clean the whole thing. Then throw on a walbro 215, 5 degrees advanced ignition timing, port the exhaust side. Same shape just enlarged it and made the surface rippled to keep exhaust air turbulent and promote proper scavenge effect.... Factory bits a 1.7 hp saw. Now I'd wager near 2.5hp. took tons of de-assembly/reassembly to get it right.. .. so the micro bar and chain didn't keep up any longer. Got a trilink combo for 18.99 this things rips 10×24 100 year old reclaim beams as if made of air... Summary here is.. this chain cuts superbly when sharp. Also filed the bumper/rakers before the first cut... But once it begins to dull frozen winter wood turns from butter to concrete. Pros is it's cheap cuts well. Cons keep your files nearby or else.