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Saw Chain

Started by jargo432, April 26, 2014, 10:59:15 PM

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jargo432

I was looking at all the different saw chains for Sthil and It was very confusing.

Which is the best saw chain for cutting oak?

P.S. The intended saw is the ms271

Thanks
Jack of all trades.

sharkey

What chain are you running now?  If its .325, my favorite for hardwood is the Oregon 20lpx (50 gauge).  Comes in 50, 58 and 63 gauge.  Low vibration, cuts clean, easy to sharpen and the price is right.  If your bar is .063 gauge then the chain would be 22lpx.  Here is a link;
http://www.oregonproducts.com/pro/products/chain/20_21_22LPSuper20.htm

Stihl recommends; 26RM3 which is a .325 chain in .063 gauge for your saw;  http://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/farm-and-ranch-saws/ms271/


jargo432

What I'm planning on is buying the right saw chain and bar when I buy my saw instead of just getting whatever happens to be on it.  The book shows a lot of different saw chains but doesn't say which one is best for hardwood.  Example... PICCO super (ps), RAPID micro (RM), ect... then they have most of them in a full skip option which they say is for better discharge and chain speed.

Help it's so confusing.  :D
Jack of all trades.

Ford_man

I had a MS180 with a mini picco chain and did not like that chain ,it would get dull real fast. It cut good while it was sharp.

JohnG28

The 271 is a 50cc saw, so you probably won't want much more than a 18" b/c, 16" would be better in Oak though. With either of these size bar you don't need to worry about skip chain, that would come up if you had a longer bar on a smaller saw or just a long bar in general. A .325 setup will probably be best on this size saw as well. From there, it depends on the cutting conditions. Either a semi chisel or just chisel chain will be good in most applications. Sorry, I don't have the exact chain names off the top of my head, but that should get you in the right direction.
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

chester_tree _farmah

Micro chisel .325

No skip

Typically it's not a different chain based on species. But some folks do sharpen differently based on species. If u have a small or under powered saw u would leave the rakers a little high so it doesn't try to take to much of a bite and bog down.

You are thinking too much. We all do it.
:-)
254xp
C4B Can-Car Tree Farmer
Ford 1720 4wd loader hoe

chester_tree _farmah

Johng28 is right about the bar too. 16 but 18 max.
254xp
C4B Can-Car Tree Farmer
Ford 1720 4wd loader hoe

HolmenTree

Quote from: jargo432 on April 26, 2014, 10:59:15 PM
I was looking at all the different saw chains for Sthil and It was very confusing.

Which is the best saw chain for cutting oak?

P.S. The intended saw is the ms271

Thanks
The MS271 looks like a nice well built consumer saw. For cutting oak I suggest a semi chisel , but a chisel sharpened with less aggressive angles does just fine too.
Here's a pic of 2 chains that would improve performance in your 271. The blue color chain is a Stihl 3/8" Picco 63PS chisel chain and the chain beside it is a Oregon 95VPX narrow kerf .325 semi chisel filed about 2/3 back.
The .325 NK chain would be your best bet, and our sponsor on this forum Bailey's sells a Stihl 18" bar and chain combo in NK .325 for $32.99 [last time I checked prices] part # WPC18 SS50  Woodland Pro. They also sell the Oregon 95VPX chain .

The Stihl 63PS Picco chain will take a trip to your Stihl dealer to set it up on your MS 271. If your saw is already setup with a rim drive sprocket there is a 7 tooth 3/8" Picco rim available part # 0000 642 1240. Now you will have to order a Stihl 18" bar with the 3/8" Picco sprocket nose. I don't have that # but they are listed for the older 024 saws.
I'm confident the Picco chain will handle the power of the 271 seeing the pro grade MS241CM has it as an option, close enough comparison power wise.


 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

jargo432

Thank you so much.  Let me see if I'm understanding.  The 63PS means it's a .063 guage, correct?

If so which would take more of a bite, the .050 or .063?
Jack of all trades.

JohnG28

The gauge of the chain has no impact on it's cutting ability. The gauge is the distance between the bar rails and the thickness of the drive link on the chain. Stihl usually is .050 or .063, where as .058 is mostly a Husky thing around here. You want to pay attention more to the pitch of the chain, either .325 ( which is preferable in your setup), standard 3/8", which is larger and not the best for a 50cc saw, at least not over a 16" bar, or 3/8" low profile, which Stihl calls picco. The picco or low pro 3/8" would also work. It has a smaller cutter that cuts pretty quick on a smaller saw. My 200t has a 14" picco setup that runs great. You might be better off to get something in .325 though,  as 50cc will handle it and get a bigger bite. My Jonsered 490 does have a standard 3/8" b/c at 16" and runs OK,  but I don't run it much either. My Husky 350 has an 18" .325 setup and some work done to it and runs real well for its size.  Clear as mud yet? :D
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

HolmenTree

Thanks John for explaining that.
The 63PS chain is .050 gauge jargo. I tried this chain on my Husky 50cc 550XP and it cut like a banshee , durability for normal cutting? not as strong as the .325.
The narrow kerf .325 is impressive for a 50cc saw though.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

jargo432

I sent my question to Stihl and got a reply the very same day.  Awesome customer service.  Here's what he said.........

Hello Mr. Hensley,
 
I would recommend a Rapid Micro (RM) style chain for your stated application. RM chain is semi-chisel, meaning that it does not have as much mass as Rapid Super (RS) style, full chisel chain, and therefore will cut through the wood with less friction and more edge retention.
 
If you would provide the length of the bar & chain combination you intend to use, I will provide the part numbers for both the bar and chain that you can order.
 
Thank you again for your e-mail.
 
Best regards,

Wayne Lemmond

Technical Service Representative

STIHL Inc.

I sent him a reply stating I wanted to put an 18" bar and chain on the ms271 that I will be buying.   8)
Jack of all trades.

JohnG28

You'll need to tell him if you want to run .325 or 3/8" pitch still. Go with .325, I think it will work well for you.
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

jargo432

Thanks all

I guess I should give a little history of why I want the right saw chain.  I have that Poulan and after a short while it really wouldn't cut very good so I sharpened it and still it really never cut very good.  So I bought a new bar and chain by Oregon and was amazed by how good it cut.  Even after sharpening the old chain twice it never cut half as good as the Oregon.  That's when I realized having the right saw with the wrong chain is a waste of time and money. 

Thanks again.
Jack of all trades.

JohnG28

Could you have been using the wrong size file for the chain you were sharpening? I don't mean to imply you don't know what you are doing,  but if you file the chain and it still didn't cut then something is wrong.
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

beenthere

QuoteThat's when I realized having the right saw with the wrong chain is a waste of time and money. 

I'd seriously consider the wrong sharpening technique, not the chain or the bar. ;)
But time will tell if the new bar and chain continues to cut well for you.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

jargo432

I thought the same thing.  Could be the chart recommended the wrong file but everything seemed ok.  I also filed down the rakers using the guide, but I'm not sure if the guide for the rakers was the proper one.  I think I'll put it back on my saw and go over the old chain again. 

Don't get me wrong, it did cut, just nowhere near as good as the Oregon brand saw chain.  I came to the conclusion that Poulan probally doesn't put the best saw chains on their saws.
Jack of all trades.

jargo432

Well I figured out the difference.  The chain that came on the Poulan has about half as many cutting teeth as the Oregon chain. 

Man I can't wait till I get my Stihl.

side note... I just found out the place I get non ethanol gas has been bought out and they don't know if the new owners will carry it or not.  The closest other place I can get it is 40 miles away.  I'll just have to buy a 5 gal gas can and make a trip.

Also... I've been talking to the Tech rep at Stihl and have decided on the Rapid Micro(RM) saw chain on the duromatic E bar in 18" for the ms271 that I'll be buying.
Jack of all trades.

JohnG28

You shouldn't need a duromatic bar unless you're cutting railroad ties or something lake that. Get a rollomatic e or es bar. The es has a replaceable tip and is solid steel, it's the better of the two. The es will have a yellow label on it, as will the chain you plan to get.
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

jargo432

That sounds better.  How hard is it to replace the tip?
Jack of all trades.

brettl

I have one to replace, so I'll know that answer soon. In fact, I have a thread here on it and, like most things, I'm told it's a matter of patience and proper technique.

As far as Duromatic vs. Rollomatic, I've been using Rollomatic for years cutting green and seasoned hedge. Some was very well seasoned and Rollomatics have always performed flawlessly. I'd say if you need to cut something harder than that you should be looking at a cut-off saw. :D Seriously, unless you're cutting something harder than really well seasoned hedge/osage orange, Rollomatic should do you proud. Let us know what you decide on for chain.

Have fun buying that new saw! 8)

JohnG28

I haven't had to before, so I couldn't tell you. I have yet to wear one out. It takes a good bit of use to wear them out.
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

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