Cutting Dirt vs. Cutting Very Rotten Wood

[Toasty-Yote]

So, I pulled the trigger on the Dewalt 16" Flexvolt and I am quite excited to get it in the mail. Already have the chaps and helmet.

One of the things I already have ingrained is that cutting dirt will dull your chain really fast. What about a big log that is so rotten in the middle that is essentially has potting soil in the middle? There's a big cherry trunk out back that has a lot of good hard wood (actually still a little bit green) but you could grow tomatoes in the very center. I would assume that since there is no sand or gravel in there it is ok to run a chain through? Or not?

 

[ericm979]

If it's all organic matter it would be fine if a bit yucky. Nothing that can't be cleaned up. Worst that will happen is the chain goes dull, but that will happen when cutting clean wood too, it just takes longer.

It's useful to have a couple extra chains and a way to sharpen them. You don't need to buy chains from DeWalt. All you need to know to buy a chain that fits is stamped on the bar near the powerhead end. I.e. 3/8 LP pitch, .043 gauge, 56 links. Semi chisel will last longer before going dull but won't cut as well as full chisel, which is what most people use. Most chains in that size will be safety chain, which as a newbie you should get. It's not all that much safer than non safety chain, it just kicks back a little less. You can still cut your foot off with it.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

I have cut trees like that, and yes, it can be like cutting dirt, depending on how rotted it is. Some are better than others.

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

Cutting logs with "wood compost" in the center won't dull your chain, but what you should watch out for is that compost plugging the oiler holes in your bar. The looser the chain, the worse this seems to be. Getting the saw stuck where the chain gets pulled away from the bar while freeing it is also a great opportunity for a load of crap to get under the chain. You might find that cleaning the bar groove and oiler holes frequently is required to prevent smoking the bar from a no-oil situation. When I cut wood like that, I'm constantly watching for the oil sling off the end of the bar. If I don't see some going from one cut to another, I stop and investigate. It took me a couple of blued bars to learn that!

 

[Kwolt]

Dirt (mineral soil) is made up of ground up rocks, that’s why it dulls your chain. Rotten wood not so much. I have seen where ants must bring dirt up into the stump when they’re making their galleries so what looks like rotten, ant infested wood actually had some grit in it. That’ll dull your chain.