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day 1 with carbide chain

Started by burlman, April 04, 2007, 11:17:35 PM

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burlman

 I bougt a stihl carbide chain today. I have 4 tandem loads of firewood to buck up that had to be skidded along a gravel road, on a recent land clearing job. I started cutting it up earlier this week, but with that grit I was filing steady. So I bit the bullet and shelled out $120.00 can. for this chain that has an actual carbide tooth welded to the saw chain. tried it out this afternoon, burned 5 tanks of fuel and so far the chain is still rarin to go. It doesn't cut as fast as regular chisel chain, but I rather cut slower than file all day long. I can see this will be nice on those muddy fall days on the skidway, or cutting roots and stumps at ground level

Tony_T

Thanks for the post.

I've often wondered about those chains???? 
Please give us an update concerning sharpening (how often, and with what tool) and long term cutting properties.

sawguy21

Files won't touch that stuff. Diamond wheels and a skilled operator are needed to properly sharpen this chain.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Gary_C

I know some harvester operators that tried that carbide chain at $175 each to cut some blowdown trees. All said they had problems with the carbide tips breaking off if you did hit a stone or something hard. Since the chain never did last beyond the first tree, they went back to standard chain.

They might work somewhat better in abrasive cinditions only, but if you hit something hard, those carbide tips will break instead of dulling and the chain is ruined.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

scsmith42

I've been running a loop of the Stihl carbide chain on and off for 4 years.  The first year I used it pretty extensively around the farm on a Stihl '044. 

On the plus side, it stays sharp a very long time.  On the negative side, have to use a diamond sharpener (which means taking it into a local shop), the carbides will break off when you strike something hard (I think that I only have 30% of the original ones left), it does cut a little bit slower, and the chain seems to stretch more than a normal chain.  I've actually had to pull a couple of links out of the chain - it stretched that much.

Next time, I think that I'll try one of the carbide "coated" chains that was discussed in a different thread.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

dutchman

If you have a dremel type tool you could buy diamond wheels.
Plated wheels grind quick and smooth once they're worn in. Cheaper.
Resin wheels are diamond throughout, but you'll lose diameter before
they wear out.
Any good machinist supply will have them.
Shop for price. Shank size, length and grit of diamond, diameter of diamond.

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