First non-safety chain

[ckarotka]

I picked one up yesterday and have never used one before. Been cutting for a while with different jobs and now the woodburing for the last 4 years. I may have used one before when the boss handed my a saw (many years ago) and said "cut that stuff" but never knew the diff.

Semi-chisel 3/8, what should I expect? MS 310 20"

I only have some large knuckles left to try and get what I can out of and the safety chain I've been using has been doing fine so far with all the noodles I've made. I was gonna wait for a fresh batch to try it out and was looking for any "heads up" thinking.

 

[rdust]

You'll notice some difference, the biggest difference for me is the ability to make a plunge cut which I think comes in handy. I haven't cut with a safety chain in a while so I can hardly remember the difference. When I changed I remember thinking "wow".

The biggest thing I can say is stay away from cutting with the tip or letting the tip contact another object other then the piece you're working on.

 

[smokinj]

Semi-chisel 3/8, what should I expect?



Not the most aggressive but easier to sharpen and holds an edge longer. Just know your saw can kick back no big deal once you fill it a few times. Not much different than a circle saw kicking back.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

As with any tool, beware; be careful. It will do the job nicely if you just remember that your task is to guide the saw; let the saw do the work and watch the tip.

 

[ckarotka]

Thanks,

The older I get the more I am concerned with safety. I'm over the days of being a cockey 20 something know-it-all and am not afraid to ask for help anymore. I truly don't know how I survived my 20's. I'm sure I'm not alone, how many times have you heard "i can handle that, just let me finish my beer" Actualy I think I said that last weekend.

Charlie

 

[Intheswamp]

Thanks,

The older I get the more I am concerned with safety. I'm over the days of being a cockey 20 something know-it-all and am not afraid to ask for help anymore. I truly don't know how I survived my 20's. I'm sure I'm not alone, how many times have you heard "i can handle that, just let me finish my beer" Actualy I think I said that last weekend.

Charlie

Charlie, how did things turn out with the non-safety chain? After sporadically running my Rancher 55 with it's safety chain for several years I'm venturing into a 3/8 chisel next week and I'm curious about your experience so far.

I'm like you...the older I get the more careful I get.....as I tell folks, "I don't bounce like I use to".

Ed

 

[LLigetfa]

Not all reduced kickback chain is made the same just as not all non-safety chain is so there is no clear distinction in what differences to expect. I haven't used round or semi-chisel chain in decades so cannot comment on that either.

The pronounced difference between reduced kickback and non-safety chain is the guard links in front of the rakers. They tend to act like ramps and reduce the "raking" ability of the rakers to move the chips along subsequently riding over them, lifting the cutters out of the wood. How sharp the chain is, how low the rakers are, the type of wood, and the length of the chain in the cut are all factors.

Well... skip is another factor, which also leaves more room for chips. The point however is the same... chips clog the space and the rakers ride over them, disengaging the cutters from the wood.

Now, this is all about straight cutting and not about how the chain in the kick-back zone at the tip behaves. That is what could make the difference between a small cut to your shoulder/neck and certain death.

 

[rottiman]

Thanks,

The older I get the more I am concerned with safety. I'm over the days of being a cockey 20 something know-it-all and am not afraid to ask for help anymore. I truly don't know how I survived my 20's. I'm sure I'm not alone, how many times have you heard "i can handle that, just let me finish my beer" Actualy I think I said that last weekend.

Charlie

Not to be out done by "Hold my beer,........................watch this"

 

[ecocavalier02]

Semi-chisel 3/8, what should I expect?



Not the most aggressive but easier to sharpen and holds an edge longer. Just know your saw can kick back no big deal once you fill it a few times. Not much different than a circle saw kicking back.

agree with u on that. i think ive had more close calls with the circular saw than the chainsaw.

 

[Intheswamp]

Not all reduced kickback chain is made the same just as not all non-safety chain is so there is no clear distinction in what differences to expect. I haven't used round or semi-chisel chain in decades so cannot comment on that either.

The pronounced difference between reduced kickback and non-safety chain is the guard links in front of the rakers. They tend to act like ramps and reduce the "raking" ability of the rakers to move the chips along subsequently riding over them, lifting the cutters out of the wood. How sharp the chain is, how low the rakers are, the type of wood, and the length of the chain in the cut are all factors.

Well... skip is another factor, which also leaves more room for chips. The point however is the same... chips clog the space and the rakers ride over them, disengaging the cutters from the wood.

Now, this is all about straight cutting and not about how the chain in the kick-back zone at the tip behaves. That is what could make the difference between a small cut to your shoulder/neck and certain death.

Thanks for the explanation of the difference between the safety and non-safety chains. The "ramp" description helps a lot in envisioning what's going on..

Ed

 

[joshlaugh]

I think you will notice a difference. I run full chisel and skip chains but I think you should be able to cut much faster with a regular chain vs the safety one.

 

[Intheswamp]

I think you will notice a difference. I run full chisel and skip chains but I think you should be able to cut much faster with a regular chain vs the safety one.

I was looking/hoping for faster cutting, I guess I was just wondering if it would turn my Rancher 55 into some kind of a wild, bucking animal or something. Sounds like I've just got to be aware of what can happen and always work with that it mind. Yes, definitely looking for the faster wood eating.

Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

This is the chain that I got.
18" WoodlandPRO Chainsaw Chain Loop (30RC-68 Drive Links)

I'm not sure if it would be considered "full chisel" or not. The description only states "chisel". They have another chain listed as being "semi-chisel" so I figure this one must be "full chisel". ????

Ed