Skip tooth chain Advantages ?

[WV_hillbilly]

 Is there any advantages to  running skiptooth chain on my new 372 husky  ?  Right now  I'm using Oregon's LG style chain  ( flat top chisel cutter with ramp shaped depth gauges)  .I will be cutting mixed harwoods with a few poplars every once in a while.

[Kevin]

I don't see any real advantage, I think the guys out West prefer it on the really big stuff using the longer bars but it's more prone to kickback.
I like it on a chain saw mill but wouldn't use it for felling or bucking.

[Kevin]

Madsens has some Oregon information here ...http://www.madsens1.com/Oregon2.htm

[WV_hillbilly]

 I forgot to mention I am runnig a 24 '' bar on that gem.

[Kevin]

The vibration is pretty heavy with full skip, I've never used semi skip.
A two foot DBH doesn't warrant it in my opinion, larger and on a regular basis maybe.

[Stephen_Wiley]

Main advantage is production in large diameter wood by clearing the exposed wood chips.

I have a combination of skip, semi and general depending upon saw.  075 is a full skip, 044 semi skip , 034 semi. smaller saws than 34 have regular chains with chisel bit cutters if available.

On a two foot log with a semi skip your 372  will probably experience vibration but will increase cutting speed slightly.

Would not recommend a full skip on this application.

[jokers]

Hi hillbilly

The advantage to skip chain is theoretical for just about anyone bucking and felling hardwood less than 3' dbh. Ripping and milling may be different.

The idea behind skip is that it allows more room between the cutters for chip clearance, but unless you are running bars 36" or longer in bar buried cuts or cutting very resinous softwoods which have more of a tendency to bunch up the chips, I don`t see the advantage. In fact as a counterpoint, chains prepared for racing are typically standard sequence based on the fact that getting more cutters through the wood produces more chips and a faster cut.

Being a yankee, I have no bars longer than 34", and frankly see no difference in cut speeds between full skip and full compliment, bearing in mind that my powerheads have adequate power to pull those long bars in bar buried cuts. If the powerhead were less powerful a skip chain might be in order.

Semi skip doesn`t seem to be available to me so I figured that it had gone the way of the dinosaurs.

Russ

[SawInIt CA]

mine is burried in big softwood and the REAL advantage is....less teeth=quicker sharpening =more wood on the deck at the end of the day= more$$$$

[Gus]

How does the skip tooth work for the Alaskan Mill. Does it leave a relatively smooth cut? Or no?
I'm going to be ripping some farely good sized cotton woods from time to time. Wondering if it would be to my advantage?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
I can very well appreciate the comment by SawInlt ca, in relation to the amount of teeth needing sharpened. I've had the experience of sharpening saws with long bars and it is a pain. If the skip tooth leaves a smooth rip cut I'd be proned to use it for that reason.
Gus

[Kevin]

The 10o top plate does a good job even with full skip.
Where guys get into trouble is rocking the saw from side to side or using a chain with more than 15o.
Just let the chain do its job and it works well.

[WV_hillbilly]

 Thanks, for all the replies.  I had seen the skip tooth chain and didn't no what it was  for.   I 'm going to keep running the oregon chisel as I got to run the saw for about 10 hours this weekend and was completely satisfied with the performance.

[Larry]

I know a couple of loggers that run skiptooth for big cottonwoods in the bottoms.  The trees are abrasive due to sand.  Bars are 36" long, buried most of the cut, and powered by 066's.  Bout the only application I can see around this area.  I have tried it on my 066 and don't like it at all for general cutting.

As an alternative you might want to try CK chain.  It's square semi-skip.  I run it on a 20 or 24" bar with my 272 for felling only.  It will really out cut LG chain but it is very hard to learn how to file it properly.

Bucking trees, cutting firewood, or trimming logs for the mill I run LG chain as it is pretty much a do it all chain.

[Sawyerfortyish]

We cut a lot of big dia oak and that semi skip chain is no good for plunge cutting in oak the saw kicks out of the cut when you try to plunge it in the tree. The regular chain works best for big hardwoods