What chain brand YOU buy when u need one now (not online)

[Big Block]

I run Oregon because I can get 3 for 20 bucks at the stealership. If I could find some Stihl at a reasonable price I'd give it a run. I really want to try some RSK.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Wow that's cheap. We sell chain for about $0.35-40 a driver. Stihl chain runs about .55

 

[Efisher26]

This seems to be different than the title and presumably the poll. There are a lot of product choices, current and obsolete, just generalizing about brand does not apply to me. I do use the Stihl 61pmm3 on the Husky top handle saws.

whats funny is, when i started the post i was so new to the whole chain world. So NOW i know that oregon makes alot of brands, so if i started the post now id probably try oregon, stihl, Trilink, forester, and rotary (still dont know alot about the that one if its not oregon). did i miss any? id pick thoes because thats what i see avail in my area.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Ordered a roll of Archer for $209 shipped. Will give it a go, basically 1/2 price of Oregon.
Worse case I sell it for .25 a driver, It'll sell quick.

 

[Efisher26]

I've seen archer bars but not chain, that Aussie stuff right?


-Efisher26-

 

[wde_1978]

What chain brand YOU buy when u need one now (not online)

1x Dolmar branded Oregon 3/8" LowProfile
1x LuxTools 3/8" LowProfile
1x Oregon PowerSharp 3/8" LowProfile
1x Stihl carbide tipped 3/8" Picco/LowProfile (I think it is Duro2)
2x Dolmar branded Oregon 3/8" Chisel (72DL)
1x Oregon 3/8" chisel (72DL)
2x Carlton 3/8" chisel (72DL)
1x Stihl carbide tipped 3/8" (72DL) (I think it is Duro2)
2x TriLink 3/8" chisel (72DL)
2x TriLink 3/8" semi-chisel (72DL)
1x Carlton 3/8" chisel 3/8" (115DL)

The above are all NIB.
I spend 1 loop a year on average, You figure out whether I ever encounter an urgent need to buy a loop "right now".

I like to have one work loop per saw in usage, that is without the 2 or 3 junk loops that are kept to meet their life's end removing a stump and/or cutting roots.

Best chain:
- so far I really like the Dolmar branded Oregon (Dolmar 099) for my big saws (aside the carbide tipped Stihl loops these are also the most expensive ones I buy)

Worst chain:
- I am anything but impressed by the TriLink chisel loop I am currently running on my Dolmar PS-7900 (I guess one gets what one pays for, these are the cheapest loops I ever bought)

Expectations:
- I have high hopes for the carbide tipped Stihl loops
- I am curious about the Oregon PowerSharp setup

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Hmm, hopefully the Archer (trilink) is reasonable. Others on here said it was fine.

I go through maybe 2 or 3 loops a yr on my saws. Mostly used for making 20-30ft logs for the processor out of tree length. Might use 15 gals of gas.

Processor chain lasts way longer, I get close to 200hrs on a chain (roughly 175 cords)

 

[Efisher26]

Archer is trilink also?


-Efisher26-

 

[Tenderfoot]

Hmm, hopefully the Archer (trilink) is reasonable. Others on here said it was fine.

I go through maybe 2 or 3 loops a yr on my saws. Mostly used for making 20-30ft logs for the processor out of tree length. Might use 15 gals of gas.

Processor chain lasts way longer, I get close to 200hrs on a chain (roughly 175 cords)

Why does processor chain last so much longer? Is there better lubrication on the processors vs. a chainsaw? I always hear that but cant really gather why. I would imagine the 3/4 pitch chains last far longer, but .404 harvester chain does not seem significantly beefier then saw chain.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

It's much larger than saw chain. .404 saw chain to .404 harvester is almost like .25 pitch to 3/8" in saw chain.
3/4" pitch is $$$. A loop of .404 harvester is about $25. Same length loop in 3/4" is easily double to triple that. Bars... a .404 bar is around $100-150, .750 bars are $300-500.

I've never run .404 on a saw, but the processor chain isn't too fussy cutting in dirt or even soft metal like bullets or nails. Have had to resharp from rocks stuck in the logs (D9 dozer shoved the logs in a pile and barbed wire, and once a mower blade (year all sorts of junk in logs!)

 

[Tenderfoot]

I think it is more rakers and tie straps then anything. I bet you get such good life out of them due to good lubrication and tension. Plus, a 20 hp hydraulic motor can definitely tolerate a dull chain. Noted, I have next to no real world experience with running the stuff on harvesters, just on hot saws.

You may cringe at this, but in my woodsman team days we would use .063 404 pitch harvester chain on the hot saws for practice runs. Side by side it was hard to see the difference between .404 saw chain. Rakers looked funny and I think the cutters were taller and there was less gullet when new.

 

[Philbert]

Wow that's cheap. We sell chain for about $0.35-40 a driver. Stihl chain runs about .55

Well then you would sh*t around here. I can get a 16" loop (56DL) of Oregon 3/8 low pro chain (S56) here for $12 - $13 (21 t0 23 cents/DL) at one of our local home centers. Sometimes cheaper on sale, or in a 2 pack. Narrow kerf .325 (G78) $16 (20.5 cents / DL).

They don't carry every size, and it's all consumer / reduced-kickback stuff, but makes it worth having a spinner! The PowerCare/TriLink stuff at Home Depot actually goes for more.

Of course, the full service dealers charge more. I think that my STIHL dealer gets $23 - $24 for a 67DL loop of .325 (36 cents/DL) STIHL chain.

Philbert

 

[Pioneer]

Stihl.

 

[Efisher26]

Every dealer has markup


-•------------------------------------------------------------


Just a home owner that likes the older better made machines

Craftsman 3.7
Echo 290evl

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I'm talking prices of normal chain, not the 6 packs Walmart happens to carry, and only if you happen to be there at the right time of year. Maybe other Walmarts are different, but we have a Super Mega Walmart (damn near need a map!) and they sell 2 models of crappy Pooland saws (the cheapest of the cheap, I don't think it's even a Wild Thang anymore) and a few paraphernalias like chain for those 2 saws, and bar oil.

I might make 5-6 loops a year of 3/8LP. We only get it in 25ft rolls, same with 1/4". Most everyone runs 3/8" x 0.50 and sometimes .325. We go through maybe 10-12 rolls a year of 3/8"


Anyhow the big thing on the cost is the shipping. A roll of chain costs in the area of $75 to ship.

 

[Philbert]

We have Menards (3rd largest home center chain?). For some reason, they just have the cheapest prices on Oregon chain. Stock about 20 Sizes / types.

Some discount stores (e.g. Northern Tool) sell their saws at a discount, but charge full retail on the chains.

Never bought a chain at Walmart.

Philbert

 

[Chris-PA]

That's what I was going to ask about, as you had said the cutters were long/longer than VXL Just musing if every thing else is as should be & it still does it the Blount Rep's tip to relieve the rear edge of the cutter would effect a cure as it seems to do on chattering VXL's. As An aside I was in short order need for a 55 DL lo pro chain & the only available was a VXL I got it home & as it wasn't to long a job I fitted it & fired up, it cut fine no chatter etc.so either the loops I had way back had a problem ( which I think probably yes as the rep KNEW of it ) & they v'e now cured it but asking about it they won't admit to a problem

I ran that bouncy loop of TriLink again this week and it was still bouncy. Then I hit a stone stuck in the bark, so I put a loop of Carlton N1 on it and it was smooth. When I was fixing the TriLink I noticed that I had been quite inconsistent in how high I held the file previously, so it had a lot of variability in how much hook each cutter had - I suspect this was the problem with it. I corrected this as best I could since I had to remove a fair amount of material to correct the damage, but I have not tried it again.

 

[jo191145]

So from what I can see it's worth buying a loop of stihl at $30, just to compare to what I'm used to...

IMHO Yes. Personally I like the full chisel rapid cut. Comes with the yellow tag instead of green safety chain. Up to you if you want the kickback feature of safety chain though.
What a difference it made compared to husky/Oregon. As others have said husky dulls fast and stretches fast. Good for me my local Stihl dealer buys loops for other makes of saws with different drive link counts.

In my particular circumstance the Stuhl chain cuts a wider kerf. The husky chains were continually binding up with sawdust under the drive links. Presumably from being loose and narrow.

 

[Chris-PA]

I ran that bouncy loop of TriLink again this week and it was still bouncy. Then I hit a stone stuck in the bark, so I put a loop of Carlton N1 on it and it was smooth. When I was fixing the TriLink I noticed that I had been quite inconsistent in how high I held the file previously, so it had a lot of variability in how much hook each cutter had - I suspect this was the problem with it. I corrected this as best I could since I had to remove a fair amount of material to correct the damage, but I have not tried it again.

I finally got to run that loop of bouncing TriLink lo pro again after properly filing it with more consistent hook/file depth, and it is much smoother now. Proper filing matters!

 

[Little Al]

whats funny is, when i started the post i was so new to the whole chain world. So NOW i know that oregon makes alot of brands, so if i started the post now id probably try oregon, stihl, Trilink, forester, and rotary (still dont know alot about the that one if its not oregon). did i miss any? id pick thoes because thats what i see avail in my area.

Oregon do not make a lot of brands The parent company is Blount & some of their brands are Carlton, Oregon, Windsor, Sabre, Kox; some Husky, & other brands that are marketed under the badged trade name Blount have been snuffling up forestry & associated company4s for years