Really? Stays sharper longer?

[chipsfly09]

I decided to get a new chain for my MS 361 so for convenience,  I went  to my stihl dealer and asked for a loop of the single raker- yellow code - chain.  He asked me if that is what I wanted- figuring he wanted to sell me the "green" low kickback chain for safety.  I told him that I have always used the yellow chain and was familiar with it.  He said he had come back from a  Stihl class where they demo chains- on the cut demo same saws using green or yellow chain cut time difference was not significant-- OK-- Then he said the demonstrator plunged both chains in the ground to the powerhead and sawed agin with the yellow chain not cutting at all and the green continuing to cut.  I suppose the inference here is that the green chain will stay sharper longer? More durable? Maybe there was a rock in the place where the yellow chain was stuck in the dirt?  My personal experience is that Stihl chain seems "harder" when sharpening than other brands but==man they have really gotten expensive since I bought the last one-- I won't try the dirt test myself.

[ladylake]

 
Your dealers right, chiesel chains get dull faster in dirty conditions.  Steve

[Al_Smith]

6 of one half a dozen of another .Chisel cuts faster is harder to sharpen and can't take dirt .Semi chisel  almost like chipper can take a little dirt ,is more forgiving to the file but cuts slower .

If you can file half ways decent get chisel ,if you can't get semi .

[drobertson]

You might try an oregon chain on the next go around, they work good too.

[chipsfly09]

Thanks-- I normally use Oregon chains but on Stihl the guage is different isnt it? so- I usually buy stihl chain for them-- I do wish that bar and chain was interchangable with stihl and husky easily-

I am looking forward to trying this green tab chain today--- anyone know the PN for the oregon chain that fits stihl- chisel and semi?

[drobertson]

Man, I just ask for the 3/8 pitch, 20" loop and go. both chains, fit,  oregon might be just a bit better. rocks and mud are hard on any of them.  Plus oregons are a few buck cheaper, at least here.

[JohnG28]

Stihl makes a chisel and semi chisel in both green and yellow labeled chains. If you want cross references Bailey's has them in their catalog, I think online too. You can reference the Stihl chain designation to the same type Oregon chain. If you're going to do any bore cutting you don't want the safety or bumper links, they don't do as well as chain without. Say what you will about either, I think Stihl chain is harder, definitely seems it when using a file.

[Clam77]

If your original question is that if the green stamped, lower-kickback chain stays sharp longer than the yellow, standard chain....  the answer is technically yes (in theory) - but not for any appreciable amount of time that you'd notice while cutting. 

The safety link, bump-link, w/e you want to call it that makes it a low-kickback chain, causes the chain to not jump around and kick as much and it cuts into the wood at a slightly more consistant angle, which means there's less stress on the cutting edge itself from having to straighten itself out in the wood after digging in at an off angle, letting it stay sharp a little longer. 

As for the demo where they ran the bars into the ground.... I don't know if I'd put too much faith in that type of thing as the extra link shouldn't have made any difference whatsoever- they had to have hit a rock or sand or something in the ground to affect it like that.

Personal experience is telling you that you're going to be disappointed with the low-kickback chain - the standard chain cuts better and faster.

[Al_Smith]

Well I'm not going to start the chain wars but Stihl branded is harder chain and will last longer .Most of mine are indeed Oregon though .

It makes no diff  who made them they won't take rocks and tramp metal .

Several  things you will do if you hang long enough .Put oil in the gas tank ,install a chain backwards and cut dirt or rocks at some time .Plus pinch a saw maybe even two in the same tree .Anyone who testifies any different is either handling the truth carelessly or doesn't  have much trigger time . ;)

[Bandmill Bandit]

Well I'm not going to start the chain wars but Stihl branded is harder chain and will last longer .Most of mine are indeed Oregon though .

It makes no diff  who made them they won't take rocks and tramp metal .

Several  things you will do if you hang long enough .Put oil in the gas tank ,install a chain backwards and cut dirt or rocks at some time .Plus pinch a saw maybe even two in the same tree .Anyone who testifies any different is either handling the truth carelessly or doesn't  have much trigger time . ;)

You may even accomplish all of them in the same day and then start on the second cycle of these gremlins too> :D :D

Personally I dont like the low kick back chain. Seems like your always a cutting with a chain that you just cant get quite sharp enough. JMO

[ladylake]

 When ever I get stuck with a safety chain the safety humps get ground off on a bench grinder.   Steve

[Al_Smith]

I usually just hang those safety chains on a nail and give them away if somone needs a chain .

[1woodguy]

Oil inthe gas tank?
I have never done that!  Just take oil cap loose first
Always add the gas  in place of the bar oil   If you remember to fill it first usually you noticed you messed up and don't have to fill gas tank with oil
That's the simple solution to not making that ignorant mistake  :D :D
   A few times I put the chain on wrong but I had a good reason did it so I could see how fast I noticed it ;D

[Caloren]

   A few times I put the chain on wrong but I had a good reason did it so I could see how fast I noticed it ;D

I like that excuse, er- reason  ;D  Isn't it amazing how poorly that chain cuts when on backwards? :-[
Oil in the gas tank? Well I haven't done THAT one yet, but I've only been using these things for 40 years, so I've still got time! :

[Al_Smith]

 :D Ha the reason y'all don't screw up and oil the gas is most likely because you use the same saw all the time or you don't have your head in your behind like some of us .

Really 'taint no big deal if you just dump a little oil in the gas ,just smokes a tad .A lot you'll be trying to blow the oil out of the crankcase for month of Sundays before you get it started and it will really blow smoke then .That thing will look like a destroyer escort laying down smoke for a carrier .

[Caloren]

:D Ha the reason y'all don't screw up and oil the gas is most likely because you use the same saw all the time or you don't have your head in your behind like some of us .

Well Al, you could be right, especially about the head position!  :D
Looking back; we used Remingtons and Mac's in the 70's, 80's & 90's until I made a mistake and bought a Homelite.  :( Now I'm using Stihls and all the saw's had the gas at the back and oil at the front. Now if I find one with the oil at the back I might, I say, I MIGHT but oil in the gas tank.   Does this count as "famous last words"?  ???
Loren

[Al_Smith]

 Actually it's been years since I oiled the gas but I have done it ,just enough to make it smoke though.

My dad started loosing it about the time he was 82 although he still ran a saw now and again .Danged if he didn't fill the whole tank full of oil .Couldn't get it started .

I drained the tank,installed a new filter and fired that old Mac up using WD-40 until it ran on it's own .Good to go --for about three days and danged if he didn't do it again .

I have that old PM 610 in my shed now kind of passed on after he passed .Still runs too .

[1270d]

Funny, I've oiled the gas tank more than once.  Partly because of the fact I use a bar oil jug for gas, partly because sometime a guy thinks of other things while gassing up. I've also forgot to put the oil cap on and waterproofed my chaps.   

When I worked in a saw shop for awhile we'd prank some of the regulars by giving them an inside out chain.  Hilarious to watch them turn it back and forth then forth and back whilst the cutters stay on the inside.  Also had a customer come in completly fried that his new chain wouldn't cut, yep it was backwards

[AdkStihl]

Thanks-- I normally use Oregon chains but on Stihl the guage is different isnt it? so- I usually buy stihl chain for them-- I do wish that bar and chain was interchangable with stihl and husky easily-

I am looking forward to trying this green tab chain today--- anyone know the PN for the oregon chain that fits stihl- chisel and semi?

Stihl makes all different gauges. I have my local Stihl dealer spin 0.058 gauge / .325 pitch / 66 DL loops for my 346XP-16".

There is no PN# for any given Oregon chain for your Stihl per se'.
You just have to know the gauge, pitch and # of drive links.

Stihl chain is much harder and more durable than Oregon chain.
A little pricier too, but you get what you pay for.
If you like to cut a little longer between sharpenings and have a tendency to accidently hit the dirt once and while......go with STIHL RM chain which is a semi-chisel (rounded tooth cutter) chain. If you want something with a little more aggressiveness.....go with STIHL RS chain, which is full chisel (squared tooth cutter) chain. RM will be a little more forgiving when filing and tends to hold an edge better than RS.
Unless your a total newbie with a chainsaw.....stay the he!! away from the "green" chain.

My $0.02

[chipsfly09]

Hey- I did run my  new green chain in some really tough Hickory---  I am impressed with the MS361 as I mentioned.

Yes I have oiled the gas in a saw-- I have a little Solo and the only difference in the gas and oil tank is the color of the cap!  saw fuels and oils from top.

I also want to get some of Al's Ohio US made files!  I normally use Stihl files- i figure if they sell them they must be able to cut that hard chain.

[Al_Smith]

I have not purchased any "save edge " files yet simpley because I still have about 4 dozen of others to use up .

On Stihl chain I have found the brand that Baileys sells ,Arbor pro or whatever it's called has a less aggressive edge which in my case works better than any other I've used for Stihl branded hard as granite chain .

I'll tell ya what you use an Oregon file on  Stihl chain it soon is about as effective as a 20 penny nail because that chain will strip the teeth right off that file .

[Krieger91]

Both of my Stihl's (I have an MS250 with an 18" bar, .325 chain and an MS180C with a 14" bar, mini Picco chain) run the green "low kickback" chains, and the farmer I work for runs Husqvarna's with the yellow "regular" chains.  I personally have not noticed a difference.  The green chains jump just as much as the yellow chains, IMHO.  I have noticed though that my chains tends to stay sharper, longer, than his do, unless I dirt the chain or hit something with them. I have no idea why that is.

IMHO, there isn't much of a difference in the "sharper, longer" category. Seems to me that if you hit a rock, or a nail, or dirt with either type, you're gonna have a dull chain.

[joe_indi]

Stihl 36 RSC Full chisel - Oregon 75LGX (pitch 3/8"  gauge 0.63")
Stihl 36 RMC Semi Chisel - Oregon 75DP (pitch 3/8"  gauge 0.63")
Stihl  26 RSC Full Chisel - Oregon  22LPX (pitch .325" gauge 0.63")
Stihl  26 RMC Semi Chisel - Oregon 22BPX (pitch .325" gauge 0.63")

Joe

[TLahti]

If I remember correctly, the three type of saw teeth are chisel (square corner on tooth), semi chisel (small flat on the corner of the tooth), and chipper (round radius on the tooth).
  I have used chisel all my life and have no problems hand sharpening it.
  My brother in law died, and my sister gave me about 20 chipper chains she had hanging in her shed.
  A few were obviously used once, and taken off. I tried them and they would not cut a pine 2 x 4.
  I could not figure out why they cut so poorly, then I saw they had three (3) rakers between each cutting tooth.
  I cut down the rakers, and they cut much better, but still not as good as the chisel chain.
   Most of the other chipper chains only had one raker between teeth, and they cut better without lowering the raker.
   I never lower the rakers on the chisel chain, they seem to cut fine right to the end.
   Tary

[joe_indi]

Tary,
I think you could compare the 3 chain types with tires.
The chisel is like one of those tires built for speeding on flat highways. Hit a rough patch and they are no good.
The chipper is like an off road tire. Not very fast but it will get you through most anything.
The semi chisel has the best of both, but, within some limitations.

I did some experiments out of sheer curiosity with some chipper chain.We dont use it here.So it is not available locally.But the Carlton importer was kind enough to get me a couple of loops of Carlton chipper chain.What I noticed was that the chipper may not cut as fast as a chisel or semi chisel, but it needed less frequent sharpening, even with some accidental contacts with the ground.
I uploaded a small video on Youtube at that time. You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CikpOHfqd38


Joe

[Al_Smith]

Funny, I've oiled the gas tank more than once.  Partly because of the fact I use a bar oil jug for gas,   

Well yeah been there ,kind of .

I gassed up my weed wacker which ran good for about 30 seconds and died on the vine ,wouldn't start fer love ner money .

A couple days later dumped anti freeze in my old Ford F-250 and smelled gasoline ,then it dawned on me .Don't store the saw gas in an old anti freeze jug . :D

[Clam77]

Joe - I love how all your guys in your videos wear mostly shorts and sandals out in the woods running their saws.    :D

[joe_indi]

Joe - I love how all your guys in your videos wear mostly shorts and sandals out in the woods running their saws.    :D

Well, with the temperature at 34 Centigrade in the shade wearing anything more would be 'over-dressing'

Joe

[lumberjack48]

Joe i ran chipper chain about 10 yrs, it cuts a lot better then your showing here. It should feed itself with out using the dogs, i took the dogs off my saws. When bucking up i've had the dogs get caught on a rolling tree or log an bust the saw up.

I used a Carlton File-O-Plate to keep the rakers the proper hight.
The rakers have to be filed down while your filing the cutters away or the chain well not cut the way it was intended to.