Chain suggestion

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Hi guys - I've read the entire "what chain do you use" thread and while I am definately more educated, I am still somewhat confused. I have a Husky 346XP that I use with a 16" and an 18" bar to cut firewood with. I typically buy off the shelf Husky chains at TSC. While I've been cutting firewood for many years, I have never really learned how to file a chain (big confession there....  :() so I sharpen my chains with a Harbor Freight electric sharpener (not the greatest, I know but with tweaking and care it works OK).

I cut mostly firewood which is a mix of every kind of hardwood that grows in New England; oaks, maples, cherry, birches, hickory, etc. I sometimes cut softwood if I am clearing a lot for someone, etc. but my main target is hardwood.

I'd like to get something that would cut a little quicker...suggestions?

[AdkStihl]

1) Becareful with grinders....you may end up removing the temper of the cutter if youre not proficient at it.

2) I recommend using STIHL RSC Full Chisel as long as youre not cutting dirty or skidded logs. If you are....then go with RMC Semi Chisel...not to be confused with RMC3 (safety low kickback). Any yellow label STIHL chain will out last all other competitor brands IMO.

[Holmes]

  I just changed the bar and chain on my Stihl 029, had 20", to big, switched to a 16" Oregon bar and chain from Tractor Supply. I believe I got the # 67 chain. The saw cuts a lot faster than the old set up but this chain is much more agressive.You need to be aware of the kick back.   Holmes

[Reddog]

Stihl RS in clean wood RM for dirty.
That said keep in mind there is no kickback safety built in. Not sure what you have been using so be careful if you switch.

I have been using a loop of Husky semi chisel on my 346 and for firewood work it seems to cut fast and hold and edge. When I get into clean wood I have a loop of RS to try out and see what I think also. Bailey's also has woodland pro made by Carlton. I have a loop of Carlton that has been pretty good so far also. Lots of choices.

[lumberjack48]

DMFarm i would like to see a pic of the chain that your using now. Have you been filing the rakers? [ just a simple question]

[fuzzybear]

  I have changed to Lazer brand carbide impregnated chain and I have to say I'm impressed with it. It cuts about the same as Oregon chain as far as speed. But it more than makes up for it with sharpening.  EASILY 5 times less sharpening.  I have cut through a nail and a rock with it and still kept cutting.  I had very little damage to the cutters. I have only adjusted the chain 3 times so far this year.
  With what I have cut so far I would have been through 3 Oregon chains and 2 stihl chains. I still have 80% of the cutters left. I cut about 100 cords a year of Northern spruce at an average of 20" at the butt. I have cut through 44" blocks with it and it never skipped a beat. This is mainly in DRY wood. When it hits green wood it cuts like a hot knife.
Price wise Lazer is the cheapest I have found. At .33 a drive, it is well worth the price. The cheapest I can get Oregon locally is .59 a drive link. So I am well ahead of the game as far as chains goes.
  It's made in the USA, and they have offices in Canada. 
 

[lumberjack48]

I used to buy this by the roll from Carlton [20 yrs ago] full chisel, its the only way to go.
Heres a place to get it from

http://www.cutterschoice.com/cgi-bin/store/cutters.cgi?report=parts&p=&cur=USD&s=new_us&category=Saw%20Chain&s_category_id=193

[Ohio_Bill]

The 346 XP you have is a great saw. I have one also. Mine came with a Husky   H30 chain on it which is a narrow kerf 325 pitch chain. I believe the H30 Husky chain is a branded Oregon 95 vpx.  I also have used carltons chain that Baileys sell as Woodland   20nk with good results. All of the above mentioned chains are semi chisel which work well for firewood cutting.

[redlaker1]

I have been using the 20nk with the cheap baileys bar for a while now on my 353 and really like that setup.

cuts faster on an 18" than the husky 16" bar and chain that came with it

[DeerMeadowFarm]

So my weekend wasn't entirely bad. I had to pick up a snow blower and snow plow for my buddy's Kubota with my dump truck. The Kubota dealer also is a Stihl dealer so while they were doing paperwork I had a guy make me a loop of RS for my 346 XP. All I can say is....WOW! I've never had a chain cut like this. It transformed my saw into a completely different machine. I used it to cut up a huge ash that fell on my property (pictures to follow on a different thread). I had asked my BIL to give me a hand since he has an older, larger XP saw. I thought it was a matter of HP but I was able to outcut him with my saw with the new chain.

My only problem was my bar's nose sprocket seems to be sticking badly. I've never had this happen before. I always grease the tip at every tank filling...?

Since I had such good luck with the advice here before, any suggestions on a replacement bar?

Thanks!

[redlaker1]

nothing like a saw thats cutting great,   kinda makes me smile  ahah

I dont want to be a bad influence,   but I never grease my bar tips and I have never had a problem.    and this is coming from a mechanic

maybe blow out the tip with some brakeclean and compressed air,  could be clogged up with something

[mad murdock]

On the roller tip bar; is it a replaceable tip? Or the cheaper laminated bar with roller tip?  Does your bar oil tank run mostly empty when gas runs out? Might need to crank up your oiler.  Firewood cutting is more demanding IMO than felling and limbing, the saw is in the wood a lot more and the chain needs lots of oil, which also helps the roller tip to stay lubed.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

It's not a replaceable tip. The bar oil seems to be lasting the entire tank but not by much which seems right....?

[AdkStihl]

I wonder if they gave you the proper gauge chain?
So you like that RS chain eh......!!! GOOD STUFF

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I wonder if they gave you the proper gauge chain?
So you like that RS chain eh......!!! GOOD STUFF

Well, they said it was....I guess I could mike it to doublecheck. Would it even work at all if it was .058 vs. ,05?

Yup, I love that chain!

[shelbycharger400]

standard for oil is 2 tanks of oil for one tank of gas,      unless you have manual oilers,  or throttle linkage oilers

i never grease my bar tips!   they should get enough oil from the chain.   

[John Mc]

standard for oil is 2 tanks of oil for one tank of gas,  unless you have manual oilers,  or throttle linkage oilers

I don't think I can make any saw I own use up two tanks of oil for a tank of gas, nor would I want to (I assume we're not talking about replacing a stock oiler with a larger one for chainsaw milling). When I hit the end of my tank of gas, I've always got a bit left in the bar oil tank. To me, that's just good design on the part of the manufacturer: a bit of buffer so you don't risk running the bar dry, but otherwise closely matched, so you aren't carrying around weight that you don't need (If my oil tank runs dry, what good was that extra half tank of gas doing me? I've got to stop anyway.)

I do agree with not greasing bar tips. However, that tends to work best only if you never grease them. Once they've been greased, they seem to attract and hold crud in them. You're kind of stuck pushing new grease through on a regular basis to get the crud out, otherwise the life of the roller tip is shortened.

[HolmenTree]

The 346 XP you have is a great saw. I have one also. Mine came with a Husky   H30 chain on it which is a narrow kerf 325 pitch chain. I believe the H30 Husky chain is a branded Oregon 95 vpx.  I also have used carltons chain that Baileys sell as Woodland   20nk with good results. All of the above mentioned chains are semi chisel which work well for firewood cutting.

Good advice, the semi chisel H30/95VPX cuts a little narrower and faster then the Stihl chain and alot lower in price, best chain for your $ for a box stock 346XP.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

standard for oil is 2 tanks of oil for one tank of gas,      unless you have manual oilers,  or throttle linkage oilers

I've cut wood for about 30 years. I've had 3 Huskys, 1 Echo, and my first saw was a real old Pioneer. Every saw would use almost a tank of oil per tank of gas. The only exception to that was the Pioneer. After the first tank of gas, the saw would run so hot that subsequent tanks of gas would boil; that was the only time I'd get more than one tank of gas to tank of oil and frankly that used to scare me so much that when ever I could, I cut a tank's worth of wood and then split it to allow the saw to cool down. When that saw ran cool (1st tank) it too would use a tank of oil to a tank of gas.

As far as oiling the tip; my first Husky came with a bar that had the grease holes and the dealer gave me a tip greaser. I've always greased the bar tips, probably every other time I fueled up...? I'll blast some air and brake clean into the tip and try running it with just the bar oil from now on.

[lumberjack48]

standard for oil is 2 tanks of oil for one tank of gas,      unless you have manual oilers,  or throttle linkage oilers

i never grease my bar tips!   they should get enough oil from the chain.   

If your only using a 1/2 tank of oil to a tank of gas your starving the bar, chain and roller nose of oil.

When you grease a roller-nose, you just ruined it, the grease forums a film round the out side of the bearing so that no chain oil can get in to it. You can put oil in the grease gun to clean the bearing out, its a little messy but works.

If you run in to real dirty wood, file the chain at 20 degrees, it will stay sharp twice as long.

[John Mc]

standard for oil is 2 tanks of oil for one tank of gas...

If your only using a 1/2 tank of oil to a tank of gas your starving the bar, chain and roller nose of oil.

I think you've got it backwards, Lumberjack48. He's using 2 tanks of oil for 1 tank of gas, not 1/2 tank of oil for one tank of gas

[Al_Smith]

I have to kind of scratch my head over two of oil to one of gas .Maybe if you run 10 WT hydraulic oil or something about as thin as water . ???

[Magicman]

There is always a bit of oil left when I refill the fuel.  Both get topped off.

[opticsguy]

I only run out of oil if I forget to put the cap back on  . . . . . . . . . . .

[John Mc]

I only run out of oil if I forget to put the cap back on  . . . . . . . . . . .

Hey, I've never done that... no, really, never ... ummm...pay no attention to that stain on the leg of my chaps.