20 rounds- chainsaw down

Chains won't last long if you hit a boulder. :smirk:
If the rain splashed dirt up on the wood, the chain will dull more quickly.
I don't know if I just did a better than average job sharpening the chain I'm using now, but I've cut about a cord of Black Locust with it. It needs a touch-up but it's still cutting well...
I really don't have an average time a chain lasts. I'm still honing my sharpening skills.

Backwoods said:

How long do your chains typically last until they need sharpening?

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I can buck up 6 cord (real, not face) of clean wood on a single filing.

Never really calculated a "how long." Rocks totally upset that, anyhow.

If anything it's until it starts spitting more dust than a fresh chain, or two fill-ups, which ever comes first.

Doing it that way, I seldom need more than two strokes with a file & Granberg guide. Save steel.

EatenByLimestone said:

There are all sorts of factors involved including wood type and any foregin matter like sand in the wood. (I using it as a shovel.) I run the file over my teeth at every gas fill up. It keeps the teeth sharp and gives me a chance to rest.

Matt

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+2

Its like keepin your beer over half full, not half empty. Its alot easier to maintain the upper half. A lot more work when working up from the bottom.

I think it has a lot to do with the quality of the blade to begin with.I have bought blades from the Husqvarna dealer the last couple years and have not needed to sharpen them until I had cut about 3 plus cord,I used to get blades from the big box stores and needed to sharpen them way more often

This is a tank and a 1/2 and one touch up after the first tank on a load of pine. 35 minutes tops for the 30yr old 266.

I think I have cut a whole cord without sharpening, and other times just a few cuts and I need to sharpen.

north of 60 said:

This is a tank and a 1/2 and one touch up after the first tank on a load of pine. 35 minutes tops for the 30yr old 266.

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I didn't realize this was show-and-tell...

Here's one filing on clean Winter cut Ash.

I watch the chips coming out. If chips, usually sharp enough. If sawdust, it need sharpened.
If you hit a rock, yea it needs sharpened.

N-60
Great picture. Love the wood chips, saw is sharp
How you get the log to that location. Tractor?

I usually touch my chain up after a trailer load, about a half cord
Unless I hit the dirt or a rock.

LL
You have some splitting to do.
You got that much snow already?

No... that's an old pic but I do plan to repeat it this Winter. Got about 5 inches of snow now.

LLigetfa said:

north of 60 said:

This is a tank and a 1/2 and one touch up after the first tank on a load of pine. 35 minutes tops for the 30yr old 266.

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I don't realize this was show-and-tell...

Here's one filing on clean Winter cut Ash.

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It was for an example, sorry it didn't compile to your liking on how the thread should go.

bogydave said:

I watch the chips coming out. If chips, usually sharp enough. If sawdust, it need sharpened.
If you hit a rock, yea it needs sharpened.

N-60
Great picture. Love the wood chips, saw is sharp
How you get the log to that location. Tractor?

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I was the tractor, end over end off of my trailer in 8ft lengths. Possibly why I have a synthetic disc now in my lower back.
You know, strong like bull,smart like tractor. :red:
LOL
Cheers.

north of 60 said:

It was for an example, sorry it didn't compile to your liking on how the thread should go.

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I didn't mean anything by it.

As someone else said, how much you get out of a chain will vary by brand and by the wood and how clean it is or isn't. Before switching to Stihl chain, I used Oregon for decades and it was common to have to touch it up with every tank of gas. I worked on a slash job near an old iron mine and found that leaners were really hard on the chain. Years of iron ore dust settled on the top side and froze in the ice. I also did a lot of cleanup work on gas pipeline ROW cutting into dirty wood and went through lots of chain.

Last winter, I had some large rounds that I had saved from when my old saw died. On my second cut with my new saw, the saw hit the frozen ground and must have hit a rock. After that, I couldn't cut anything. Fortunately, I knew to stop cutting right away and had two more new chains. If you don't have two or three chains, I would recommend buying a couple. I also purchased a chain sharpener since I didn't expect that I would be able to hand file my chains. You can't beat being able to sharpen your own chains anytime you need it without waiting a day or two to drop off and pick up chains at a shop.

north of 60 said:

bogydave said:

I watch the chips coming out. If chips, usually sharp enough. If sawdust, it need sharpened.
If you hit a rock, yea it needs sharpened.

N-60
Great picture. Love the wood chips, saw is sharp
How you get the log to that location. Tractor?

Click to expand...

I was the tractor, end over end off of my trailer in 8ft lengths. Possibly why I have a synthetic disc now in my lower back.
You know, strong like bull,smart like tractor. :red:
LOL
Cheers.

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Yea, I know.
In trying to stop being stupid. Nice thing now, when I get close to my max, a shooting pain knocks me to the ground & stops me in my tracks.
Then I'm done for the day (sometimes 2 or 3). I try to not get near that "max load limit" any more. Max ain't near what it used to be either.
I'm learning to use levers, pulleys, winches, ramps & of course "vertical splitting"
Hard to change though, at one time I was indestructible. :lol:

aroth said:

Last winter, I had some large rounds that I had saved from when my old saw died. On my second cut with my new saw, the saw hit the frozen ground and must have hit a rock. After that, I couldn't cut anything. Fortunately, I knew to stop cutting right away and had two more new chains. If you don't have two or three chains, I would recommend buying a couple. I also purchased a chain sharpener since I didn't expect that I would be able to hand file my chains. You can't beat being able to sharpen your own chains anytime you need it without waiting a day or two to drop off and pick up chains at a shop.

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That bears repeating. I had 14 chains that were mostly one-sided after hitting nails, fencing and the stuff nature hides in bit trees. Wanted to file them but seemed to put things off. Then I bought a power grinder (sort of bench style) and now I have only one dull chain because I need to take it out of the wood hauler where I left it after changing it out. I can now sharpen a chain in about two minutes. Sweet!

There is really no way to say how long a chain will stay sharp. Ive dulled 5 chains in a day and other times ive had a chain last 3 full days of cutting. It all depends on how clean the wood is. Recently i got the chance to cut ome hedge, i had heard the stuff was hell on chains so i stopped by the saw shop and picked uf 6 new chains and ive cut 5 cords of hedge now with the same chain and havent even opened one of the new chains! Like someone here said look at the size of the chips, if the size goes down to sawdust size, your dull.

+1 for me on constrictors reply right above. I'd add I have a really good maxx sharpener that makes that process very easy. so a dull chain is no big deal. before I cut for long periods I make sure I have a couple of fresh sharpened chains ready just in case.

Stay away from the rocks, sand and dirt and your chains will stay sharp longer. Buy good chains (theres threads on chains in hearth.com) again put things in your favor. I like stihl chains- they just seem to hold an edge better/longer for me. Other folks swear by other chains and thats fine too.

another thing ive found, if you hit a rock, the chain is toast. you can try to sharpen it but ive found it never cuts very well after hitting a rock.

Constrictor said:

another thing ive found, if you hit a rock, the chain is toast. you can try to sharpen it but ive found it never cuts very well after hitting a rock.

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I've found that if you quickly stop trying to cut the rock, there's a good chance you'll be able to bring it back with a guided file.
Sometimes, most-ways back, cut for a while, then file it again. Repeat a/r and try to relax.

Worst cases are when the rock grinds off the side of the cutters on one side of the chain.
For an earlier poster, there is no "blade" on a CHAINsaw. The CHAIN rides in a groove on the BAR. Private language usages not encouraged.