Semi-chisel on hardwood

[little_p]

I've just order a new chain (3/8" .063) and it arrives and I'm like WTF. It seems that it is a semi-chisel chain (didn't know that there was different types of 'chisels' to chains)!

 

I've read that the full chisel cut bigger and faster, but blunts easier (and are maybe harder to sharpen). The semis are better on damp and soiled wood and are easier to sharpen.

 

But is it true and semi chisels are better for hardwood?
I will be almost exclusively working with hardwood (mostly ash, oak and alder).
But I will mostly be ringing the hardwood up ready for splitting for firewood.

 

As an alternative, is it possible to run the two different chains on the same bar / sprocket?

[doobin]

Yes they will work fine on same bar and sprocket. It’s personal preference really but for ringing up in the yard out of the dirt on a big saw id have full chisel. 
 

Can’t see it makes much difference hardwood v softwood, what will have more effect there is how far down you take the rakers. 

[Pete Mctree]

I have full chisel chains for felling, but always swap to semi chisel for tasks like cross cutting winched timber as it is much more forgiving of dirt etc

i cannot see it being a detriment on balance 

[Khriss]

Yup. Full chisel fr softwood crosscuttin-  roars thru it. Semi fr everything else. Box of new files handy. K

[Stubby]

I use full Chisel for everything if I can .

[openspaceman]

21 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I use full Chisel for everything if I can .

Yes you can because you keep it sharp. I always do too for hard or soft but in the days of skidding timber out we used a 80cc saw with a 15" bar and semi chisel chain at the stacking area

[wyk]

It isn't as smooth as full, but it will last quite a bit longer. And even when dull, and sometimes even rocked, will still cut as it uses the entire top plat to cut, vs just the tip on full chisel. Once the tip on full chisel goes, the tooth stops cutting entirely and then becomes nothing but drag. On semi, you have to destroy the entire top plate to stop it  cutting.

Easier to sharpen(faster, and you don't have to ensure the angles are as close as on full), and the way the cutter is formed makes the file fit right in to place automatically. On a ported saw, you won't see much difference in speed unless you are cutting cookies. I use it on all my saws if I can. Some folks use it without knowing because they have 3/8LP and 325 bars with semi chisel chain on them.

I also get more use out of each semi chisel chain than I do out of full chisel.

 

 

Chainsawbars.co.uk usually have them in stock and ship fast.

 

Edited August 15, 2020 by wyk

[woody paul]

Full chisel on hardwood sharpen sightly less of an angle. 

[Arran Turner]

I'm semi chisel for everything.. once ya knock that square edge off a full chisel chain its a right pain..

[little_p]

Just as an update I gave the new semi-chisel chain the quickest of test run (on semi-seasoned ash) and was quite impressed with how quickly it cut; from my amateur experience I couldn't really tell any difference to a full chisel chain.