Best chainsaw chain - what do the pros use?

[Steve Bullman]

On 14/06/2021 at 18:29, Meds said:

It's interesting that you all are using Oregon or Rotatech. I thought Stihl would be the go-to brand.

Stihl chains for me all the way. Sugihara have been the best bars for me but come at a premium. If not Sugi I would just be using Stihl bars.

[Woodworks]

Best chains I have used are Stihl full chisel but I use Oregon as they are a lot cheaper and nearly as good IME. 

 

As for bars again Stihl have lasted the best for me

[Dan Maynard]

I would have said Stihl for everything but have started to baulk at the price especially for the 28 and 36 inch bars I bought recently.

Semi chisel on my 261 saves a huge amount of filing as so much crap in garden trees, makes it much better value than full chisel too as not filing it all away so fast.

[Stubby]

5 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

I would have said Stihl for everything but have started to baulk at the price especially for the 28 and 36 inch bars I bought recently.

Semi chisel on my 261 saves a huge amount of filing as so much crap in garden trees, makes it much better value than full chisel too as not filing it all away so fast.

People say this about semi chiz but I think a dull chain is a dull chain .

[Dan Maynard]

I didn't say I don't keep it razor sharp, the difference is the way a full chisel blunts when you hit a nail is to knock the corner right back so you have to file that right off. Semi chisel kind of dents the whole edge a little bit, so you file much less off to get it sharp.

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

I didn't say I don't keep it razor sharp, the difference is the way a full chisel blunts when you hit a nail is to knock the corner right back so you have to file that right off. Semi chisel kind of dents the whole edge a little bit, so you file much less off to get it sharp.

No way would I think  ( nor did I suggest ) you would not keep it razor sharp Dan .  I still think its just a dull chain whatever the profile .

[harvey b davison]

I tend to use either Oregon or stihl chains, no preference to either, just comes down to what's in stock when ordering. Have one sugi bar on my small carving saw, otherwise its stock bars but replacements tend to be Oregon.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

No way would I think  ( nor did I suggest ) you would not keep it razor sharp Dan .  I still think its just a dull chain whatever the profile .

Yes but a dull semichisel can keep cutting a bit longer whearas once the tip is gone off the full chisel that's game over.

 

I cannot remember when I first came across full chisel but round chipper .404 was standard on the big old solid nose bars I first used. We went straight over to full chisel as soon as I became aware of it for the felling saws (though there was talk of semichisel being better for pruning). In those days we were ground skidding and the cross cut saw at the landing was an 80cc saw with semichisel 3.8" just because it would keep cutting dirty timber when 8 logs were dragged in to be processed before one could consider resharpening.

 

Is there any evidence of the differences between sharp and dull chains of both sorts differing in performance?

[Stubby]

56 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

 

 

Is there any evidence of the differences between sharp and dull chains of both sorts differing in performance?

I understand all that you are saying and have heard it time and time again over the years . May be its just me but I can't " soldier on " with a dull semi chisel chain just because it sorta still cuts  . It is just me I am sure .,🙂

Edited June 17, 2021 by Stubby

[htb]

12 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I understand all that you are saying and have heard it time and time again over the years . May be its just me but I can't " soldier on " with a dull semi chisel chain just because it sorta still cuts  . It is just me I am sure .,🙂

Nope, not just you.

Its either sharp or sharpened, no inbetween. Struggled in the past with dull chains total waste of time.