I always buy new chains for my saw from small engine repair place and they make the chain to length, my question is are there places online to buy one's that are more aggressive in cut / and what do all the numbers mean when buying one?
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Depends on what the repair place is selling you now. I'd ask them what the numbers mean. This is one area I'm lucky. The repair place near me is really knowledgeable and helpful.
I never could find an online place cheaper than the repair shop. But I buy the double pack from Tractor Supply. I don't think they're as aggressive as the Oregon brand though. -
2 important pieces are the chain length and chain width. The width deals with the guide bar "track". I have found Stihl chains have larger teeth. You can buy a bag full of Oregon chains to one stihl chain though.Comment
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When I was still in the fire service we used bullet tooth chains these things would cut through anything but they were super expensive. Stihl chains are the best bang for your buck imoComment
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It’s my echo authorized dealer repair place and I have always used their chains, seen them at tractor supply and Home Depot but was unsure of what to but. I run an echo cs520 with a20 in bar never had any issues other that it’s a big saw for trimming, just looking for knowledge from the GS on chains and what y’all are running
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You can make a standard chain more aggressive by grinding down the humps between the teeth. Consumer grade chains cut pretty slow because they are designed to be safer to use. They have a lot less kick back and such. If you grind the humps, be aware that the saw will behave more aggressively and you need a firm grip on it at all times. You can make the chain aggressive enough that it will bog the saw down. You will never want to use a standard chain after you use a more aggressive one. You can blow through big logs in a fraction of the time.Comment
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You can make a standard chain more aggressive by grinding down the humps between the teeth. Consumer grade chains cut pretty slow because they are designed to be safer to use. They have a lot less kick back and such. If you grind the humps, be aware that the saw will behave more aggressively and you need a firm grip on it at all times. You can make the chain aggressive enough that it will bog the saw down. You will never want to use a standard chain after you use a more aggressive one. You can blow through big logs in a fraction of the time.
Hit the nail on the head! Watch videos posted by Stihl online. they show you the proper way to sharpen and how to make a chain more aggressive. That "hump" is very important.Comment
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This link, ( hope it works ) does a real good job of explaining the chain and it's different parts as they relate to the numbers.
If you grind down the dogs on your chain please be careful, there's a lot of benefit to it but you need to make sure that they are all completely the same , you can make your saw do all kinds of crazy stuff if your not careful.
What size and what kind of saw are you using ?Comment
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It's called pitch and gauge and are bar specific. The pitch of the bar is specific to the clutch/sprocket on the saw. The humps are rakers and shoulld be filed down as the cutting teeth are sharpened.Last edited by Stoof; 10-16-2017, 10:14 AM.Comment
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And we can go down the rabbit hole of full Vs. semi chisel. There is also standard, semi skip and full skip or safety chain. For most applications just buy standard Oregon or Stihl chain that fits your saw/bar and you will be good to go. And keep it out of the dirt!Comment
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The first set of numbers represents the cutting tooth, spacing, materials, drive link thickness, etc, etc. These vary from manufacture to manufacture and chain type to chain type. These numbers are added to, removed, deleted, etc as products develop. Without looking at the actual chain in hand, these numbers will just confuse you.
When you look at the chain from the top, it will either have alternating cutting teeth, or it will have a flat cutting tooth between the cutting teeth. The flat tooth is for chip removal. The cutting teeth may be spaced further apart and that is called a skip tooth design. After that it gets into tooth shape and design, etc, etc.
What is important is knowing what actually fits your saw.
Number of drive links, spacing of drive links, and thickness of drive links.
I also run a 520 and mine has an 18" bar so I know:
Its 72 drive links, .325 spacing, they are .050 thick.
I can go to an Echo dealer and tell them I need a 72DL chain with .325 spacing and that chain will work. About $38.
I can go to a Stihl dealer and tell them the exact same thing and walk out with the right chain. About $38.
Baileys has a #STL23RD72 carbide tooth chain. About $80.
I can use bulk and "spin" a Carlton chain myself for about $10.
Unless a retailer wants ALOT of inventory, they are probably only gonna stock what's popular or available from the manufacture.
Also, make sure your bar is in good condition. I see people put new chains on worn out bars. Bars are expensive but they are just as important as the chain.
Look at the tip and see if its starting to open up or split at the point.
Along the length, you should not feel the edges starting to develop a sharp edge or "wire roll". the bar should not have "hot spots' or blue areas.
Replace it if you have any of these issues.
Run good quality bar oil, make sure your oiler is working................Comment
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Originally posted by fox1 View Post
I run an echo cs520 with a 20 inch bar
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Thanks for the info
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