do i need a new saw, or new chain?

[summit]

got a craftsman chainsaw, 42cc 18" bar. cuts pretty good. was blastin thru some good size cherry. but as time went on, nut cuttin so great. takes a while to burn thru even in some pine and poplar, more the ash and cherry, even birch. sharpening the chain constantly, but its only good for about 15 mins, then it bogs down and smokes her up again. I look at new chains for that saw, but they all look pretty much like the one i got; the cheapest one availiable that they put on them in mexico or wherever they make the thing. Can I get (or is there avail?) a more aggressive chain for this saw? I wanna see chips flying off this thing, not saw dust, when i cut. And for the record, i have the chain on right, this is not my first rodeo w/ a chainsaw... but i have had crappier ones that worked a lot better.

 

[Shipper50]

I have had the same problem with me sharpening my chain by hand with a file. I couldn't get it too cut more than 10-15 mins. and then dust. I bought a electric sharpener like in a saw shop and took the same chain and it made a BIG difference. Not saying the boys who sharpen by hand cant do it, but it made a world of difference when I put on the electric sharpener.

Shipper

 

[summit]

never seen an electric one, what was the damage?

 

[Shipper50]

never seen an electric one, what was the damage?

I got mine from Northern tools. I think they are on sale right now for under $100 shipped. I am talking about a chain sharpener that you take the chain off your bar and put it on the sharpener, like they do in saw shops or where they sharpen chains.

Shipper

 

[11 Bravo]

I have a similar saw. If you want a more aggressive chain, try a chisel chain, you probably are using the one that came with it, a safety chain. The chisel takes bigger cuts and will rip right through, providing it is sharp, which sounds like the problem you are having now. I get mine sharpened at a shop down the road for $4 a chain and the guy there also told me to flip the bar over so it is used evenly.
Also, wwere the trees or logs dragged on the ground after falling ? I ran into a problem where some fallen trees were dragged by a bobcat picking up all kinds of grit and dirt. The chain didnt stay sharp for long cutting the rounds......just my 2 cents worth.............Good Luck.............Paul

 

[prairiefire]

sounds like the chain to me i would get a semi chisel or full chisel chain and try it out before you go and buy a new saw. unless your like me and you are just looking for an excuse to buy a new chainsaw!!

 

[Bigg_Redd]

got a craftsman chainsaw, 42cc 18" bar. cuts pretty good. was blastin thru some good size cherry. but as time went on, nut cuttin so great. takes a while to burn thru even in some pine and poplar, more the ash and cherry, even birch. sharpening the chain constantly, but its only good for about 15 mins, then it bogs down and smokes her up again. I look at new chains for that saw, but they all look pretty much like the one i got; the cheapest one availiable that they put on them in mexico or wherever they make the thing. Can I get (or is there avail?) a more aggressive chain for this saw? I wanna see chips flying off this thing, not saw dust, when i cut. And for the record, i have the chain on right, this is not my first rodeo w/ a chainsaw... but i have had crappier ones that worked a lot better.

1) Yes your chain is dull

2) Yes you need a new saw

3) It's both

 

[mayhem]

If the saw is running fine and has no trouble making the chain move then there is nothing wrong with your saw. You need a new chain. I cut about 6-7 cords a year from standing trees ranging up to the 18" diameter range...your saw is fine unless you're trying to make a living out of cutting firewod.

I have the same saw...Craftsman 18" 42cc. Been using it for 10 years now give or take...and I bought it off the return shelf for $100. All you need is a new chain. If you have trouble finding a semi chisel or full chisel chain head over to Wal Mart and grab a set of Orgeon chains, they're simple safety chains, but they're well made and will last you so long as you keep them out of the dirt. Something like $25-30 for a pair of chains and they work just fine. I jsut keep a few on hand and when I overshoot my cut and auger the thing into the ground or pick up a nail or something, I just swap out the chain and take the dull pile in for professional sharpening when I go through 1/2-3/4 of my supply of spares.

 

[summit]

thanks everyone... I think i am going to get a "chisel chain" to start, as it is painfully obvious that the one that is on it sucks. I don't make a livin cuttin wood (i make it by putting in stoves and chimneys), but i cut my own wood 4-5 cord/year. Maybe lookin into a new saw. This one seems to go okay.. i got it in lieu of the "free saw" i had last year... it was a nice jonesered w/ a big bar that fell out of a truck in my neighborhood. I felt bad for the owner, cause it cut great, and i tracked him down a couple weeks after finding it and returned it. Wish I had kept it, the guy had a firewood operation... not so much as a thank you for being a good samaritan then when i went over and inquired about getting a cord (as i ran a little short on the precut pile last yr.) he didn't even remember me, wanted to wack me 250 for cut split green, 325 "seasoned"! a@#h&^%!! moral of story; shoulda kept the saw!

 

[LLigetfa]

Get a Stihl RS or RSC if you can. They hold an edge real well. I can buck up 6 cord of clean wood on one sharpening.

 

[Highbeam]

I am a big fan of a good chain. Even a crappy saw like my well used and abused poulan can make a big pile of big chips with a nice chain. Don't go to a hardware store, go to a saw shop and get non-safety chain. 42cc pulling an 18" bar is a good candidate for a skip chain. Stihl calls it RSF and that's what I have on my saw right now.

New chain, non-safety from a saw shop. You'll be happy with it then.

 

[11 Bravo]

like prairiefire said....good excuse for another saw...........Can't tell you how many times having two saws while cuttin has saved my butt...................

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Sounds like we all have the same saw.
I have the Cradftsman as well with a 18" bar.
The box stores only sell safety chains, so I ordered the Oregon 91 VX 062G from Ammicks, and I think it was only like $25 for 2 chains.
I have yet to use them, but they seem much more agrresive than the Oregons I had bought at Lowes.
You might want to email Oregon your make and model, and they can point you in the direction of a chain.
Good luck

 

[LLigetfa]

I wanna see chips flying off this thing, not saw dust, when i cut.

When a saw starts making dust instead of chips, it has always been about the chain, never about the power head. As for bogging and smoking, that is more about the power head than the chain. Now I never run a saw so dull that it makes dust so I cannot speak from experience but I don't think you can overwork a power head while making dust. You might be able to overheat the saw by taking too long to get through a cut if the carb is too lean but that's about it.

Dust versus chips is all about the chain. Bogging and smoking is all about overheating the saw. I think you need to buy a new chain and then take some time to figure out why the saw is overheating. Getting another saw might not be a bad idea either.

 

[Spikem]

I am a big fan of a good chain. Even a crappy saw like my well used and abused poulan can make a big pile of big chips with a nice chain. Don't go to a hardware store, go to a saw shop and get non-safety chain. 42cc pulling an 18" bar is a good candidate for a skip chain. Stihl calls it RSF and that's what I have on my saw right now.

New chain, non-safety from a saw shop. You'll be happy with it then.

Very good advice here about going to a shop that sells this sort of equipment as their main business. The chain - "full chisel" - should have a yellow 'tab' somewhere on it.

 

[summit]

awesome advice all over... thanks again to everyone... another question.. been cuttin alot of the wood off the pile of 4' length... does it make it any better to have an X of some sort to set the logs in? My old man and i have always wacked it up where it lies, but it does seem nice and stable to have a set of X's with the log bridged acrss to cut... or is that just too much work?

 

[LLigetfa]

Depends on how heavy the logs are. I lift logs up to 6 inches at the butt onto my sawbuck but the bigger logs I roll out onto skids to buck. I don't like bucking right on the pile cuz it can get dangerous. First off there is the poor footing issue and second, the risk of kickback if the nose catches on another log.

I also worry about dirt between the logs and by rolling them out onto skids, I get a chance to see all sides and to knock dirt off.

 

[zzr7ky]

Some folks have log holders. I've used 6-8" poles spaced at 16" apart to temporarily support large logs for cutting. Also used a "Timber Jack" Peavey type thing that worked OK. Try searching on Timber Jack or Peavey...

 

[Highbeam]

I roll them onto the ground, cut most of the way through, then roll the log a half turn and finish the cut. All in the name of keeping my feet firmly on solid ground and to keep the chain out of the dirt. Our wood in the NW is too big to pick up and set into sawbucks.

 

[smokinj]

I roll them onto the ground, cut most of the way through, then roll the log a half turn and finish the cut. All in the name of keeping my feet firmly on solid ground and to keep the chain out of the dirt. Our wood in the NW is too big to pick up and set into sawbucks.

+1 and sometimes you can get all the way through without hitting the dirt

 

[Highbeam]

I roll them onto the ground, cut most of the way through, then roll the log a half turn and finish the cut. All in the name of keeping my feet firmly on solid ground and to keep the chain out of the dirt. Our wood in the NW is too big to pick up and set into sawbucks.

+1 and sometimes you can get all the way through without hitting the dirt

I was getting pretty good at cutting though without hitting dirt on my weenie little poulan but when I got the 20" bar on the stihl I had to relearn this technique after cutting the ground very effectively. Now I'm getting pretty good at sharpening chains.

 

[smokinj]

I roll them onto the ground, cut most of the way through, then roll the log a half turn and finish the cut. All in the name of keeping my feet firmly on solid ground and to keep the chain out of the dirt. Our wood in the NW is too big to pick up and set into sawbucks.

+1 and sometimes you can get all the way through without hitting the dirt

I was getting pretty good at cutting though without hitting dirt on my weenie little poulan but when I got the 20" bar on the stihl I had to relearn this technique after cutting the ground very effectively. Now I'm getting pretty good at sharpening chains.

i can do it with a 28 in bar the saw just sounds differnt at the end of the cut! Listen to your saw it will tell you everything you need to know

 

[DaveBP]

Listen to your saw it will tell you everything you need to know

And seeing all the sparks flying out with the chips tells me everything I don't want to know.

 

[smokinj]

Listen to your saw it will tell you everything you need to know

And seeing all the sparks flying out with the chips tells me everything I don't want to know.

not always hedged and ironwood will throw sparks and all is good

 

[pdboilermaker]

Try a "skip chisle" from baileys-online.com the skip is the key to fast cutting