LLigetfa
Minister of Fire
Really? All the manufacturer's cross reference tables list it as a chisel, not a semi-chisel but hey, a rose by any other name still smells as sweet.downeast said:
husky 61 with what bar/chain combo? firewood!
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LLigetfa
Minister of Fire
Eric Johnson
Mod Emeritus
We're getting confused with our terminology here. What downeast is referring to is "open chisel" style chain, which does indeed require a special filing technique. It was in vogue with professional loggers about 10 years ago, but very few use it anymore, at least in my experience.
As a practical matter, modern chain, whether semi- or full-chisel, is far superior to the kind of chain available 20 or 30 years ago.
I always sharpen my chain after every tank--whether it needs it or not. This is in part because I cut one tank at a time, i.e., one tank after work all summer long, so it's easy to do once I have it back home on the work bench to gas and oil it up. But it's a good idea anyway. That way you know you're always cutting with a sharp chain. And, contrary to what you might think, your chain will last longer because you're never trying to force it to cut when dull, which is a sure way to destroy a chain.
I also pump my bicycle tires up before every ride for the same reason--I know that they're always at the proper pressure.
Of course, when it comes to filing advice, it always assumes that you know how to handle a file. You can make the chain worse if you don't know what you're doing, in which case you would have been ahead to leave it alone. That's an important caveat.
On oil usage, mileage may vary according to conditions as computeruser says. If you have a longer bar, you'll need more oil. If you're in tough cutting conditions, you'll also use more oil. A good way to set the oil is to start out at the factory settings, and then gradually back it off until the oil runs out before the gas does. Then open it up a bit and you're good to go. I don't know what the price of bar oil is now, but last summer it was getting pretty damn expensive, and that was a pretty good incentive to conserve, not to mention the environmental imperative.
As a practical matter, modern chain, whether semi- or full-chisel, is far superior to the kind of chain available 20 or 30 years ago.
I always sharpen my chain after every tank--whether it needs it or not. This is in part because I cut one tank at a time, i.e., one tank after work all summer long, so it's easy to do once I have it back home on the work bench to gas and oil it up. But it's a good idea anyway. That way you know you're always cutting with a sharp chain. And, contrary to what you might think, your chain will last longer because you're never trying to force it to cut when dull, which is a sure way to destroy a chain.
I also pump my bicycle tires up before every ride for the same reason--I know that they're always at the proper pressure.
Of course, when it comes to filing advice, it always assumes that you know how to handle a file. You can make the chain worse if you don't know what you're doing, in which case you would have been ahead to leave it alone. That's an important caveat.
On oil usage, mileage may vary according to conditions as computeruser says. If you have a longer bar, you'll need more oil. If you're in tough cutting conditions, you'll also use more oil. A good way to set the oil is to start out at the factory settings, and then gradually back it off until the oil runs out before the gas does. Then open it up a bit and you're good to go. I don't know what the price of bar oil is now, but last summer it was getting pretty damn expensive, and that was a pretty good incentive to conserve, not to mention the environmental imperative.
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