Settle a dispute please

[followme21]

My buddy and I are in a disagreement. He says runnhing a chainsaw into clean dirt..like cutting up a downed log.. does not dull the chain. I say it does who is right.

Thanks in advance

 

[Adios Pantalones]

In my experience- it dulls the chain PDQ. Getting dirt in the links isn't the best thing for the chain either.

 

[mayhem]

Your friend is plain wrong. All dirt is on a basic level is tiny rocks, broken down really far.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Your buddy is drinking too much beer..........


WoodButcher

 

[Jags]

Chainsaw + dirt = Dull. A very simple formula to show your buddy.

 

[followme21]

Thats exactly what have been telling him...he should listen now...

 

[fossil]

Ask him which chain he'd like to have run into his leg...one that's spent a lot of time in the dirt, or one that hasn't. Rick

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Let him cut right into the ground... with his saw.

I cut a big piece off a tree, then cut 3/4 through at 18" lengths, roll it over, and finish off to avoid hitting dirt. Works great, once you can cut through to the mark.

 

[Highbeam]

So what does he mean by "clean dirt"?

Like being pregnant-either she is or she isn't.

 

[tkirk22]

I'm thinking your buddy has never seen a really sharp chain before. Learn how to do it, give him a schoolin', and watch his jaw drop.

 

[kevin j]

I’m thinking your buddy has never seen a really sharp chain before. Learn how to do it, give him a schoolin’, and watch his jaw drop.




yup.
Time a couple of his cuts with his 'universal cuts dirt just fine' chain.
Give him the new chain. Time some cuts.
Have him touch that same chain into the dirt, say 2 seconds.
Time some cuts.

Mostly likely new + dirt will still be better than what he was used to. Else he would not be talking dumb....

k

 

[Hogwildz]

Your bud is a complete moron.
If he truly believes this, he has no business using a chainsaw. Period.

 

[savageactor7]

No such thing as clean dirt...any kind of dirt will dull an active chain. Rocks gotta be 10 times worse. Couple of weeks ago I move a half dozen bucket loads of sawdust to my new bucking area. Now I'm bucking on top of at least" 4 in of sawdust at least 20' long...great medium to cut on. Plus the logs to be cut are also sitting on 3 4" saplings running perpendicular on the ground. Of course that can't be done if your in the field cutting...like AP suggested cut 3/4 threw or until the log starts to pinch and pull out...then roll it over. If you have to do 5 or 6 of those cuts before you break through so what? Your chain is still sharp and you'll make more long term production with it.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

letting the cutting face of the chain come in contact with any surface - be it dirt, oak, pine right thigh - will cause the chain to dull. Some things will dull it faster than others.

Now why would you argue about that. . . .unless you foolishly let him use your saw . . .

 

[fossil]

Taking out my old deck, trying to be real careful where I cut, I found out the hard way what hitting a nail does to a saw chain in an instant. Nothing disastrous happened, but that chain wouldn't cut butter after I did that to it. Rick

 

[savageactor7]

^ Yeah... every now and then I find myself in a position to cut a 'boundary' tree...fortunately I always have a few stump chains hanging around and no matter how careful I am sooner or later sparks will fly from barbed wire or some other metal like nails buried in that wood. Of course once you get up 6ft or so you're golden and and can put on a good chain. Once a chain hits metal or rocks...it's bench work.

 

[JustWood]

Have him gather some of his so called" clean dirt" into a pile. And you gather some clean poles. Set up side by side . Both of you put on brand spanking new chains and "go to town " on your designated piles. Then you can both be the judge.

 

[burntime]

With all the talk of going green have him gather up that clean dirt and sell it to the yuppies as an alternative to that nasy dirty dirt for gardens and flower pots :lol:

 

[michaelthomas]

If my tip even touches the ground for a brief second I notice that the cut is slower and the chain needs resharpening. I keep a new chain for cutting the top of the pile and put on an older one when I get near the bottom of the stack.

 

[Gooserider]

I would possibly make a slight distinction between "DIRT" and "Leaf mould" - i.e. that layer of partly rotted leaves from last fall... I certainly do my best when cutting to avoid contact with anything but wood, however I have occasionally just skimmed the leaves that were on the ground. Not a deep cut, just enough to see a groove in the leaves, with more leaves visible at the bottom of it. Didn't notice a significant change in the cutting afterwards, and the chain still looked OK when I sharpenned at the end of the tank (I touch up with a file after EVERY tank...)

While I wouldn't reccomend cutting any sort of ground, I do suspect that "composted leaves" will probably do a lot less than real mud and sand "dirt"...

Gooserider