Got my Husky 359 yesterday... here comes the questions

[Jay H]

Thanks in advance for all the help and having the patience to deal with a newbie... me!

Got the 359 in the mail yesterday from Southwest Trading. I just registered it via Husq's website (you have to submit the dealer and I couldn't find SW Trading in there) but I remember seeing stamped on the box "Manwill Power Equipment which is in Holladay, UT so I found it in Husq's dealer search. I hope that is right!)...

I bought a 4mm Husqvarna brand filing kit, not for the Husky but for my Makita since I've been using that to buck up 2 large logs as of yesterday, however, the Husqvarna's filing thing is different than the Oregon brand I bought from Lowes to sharpen the Oregon chain that is on it... The Oregon was obvious by looking at it how to use it, but I'm stumped looking at the pieces that I got with the Husqvarna one.

First of all, can I actually use that for the Oregon chain on my Makita UC4000? Do you have to get the filing kit for your brand chain? When I ordered from SW Trading, you get a free chain, the first chain is an official Husky H80-72 (3/8" .05) with the HT20 20" bar. but the second chain is an Oregon equivalent, would I be able to use the Husky clamshell kit for both? Am I going to be able to use the 4mm Husky kit with my Makita which has an Oregon 91VG or VS(?) chain on it that came with it???

Can anybody tell me how to even use the Husky kit? I checked Huskys website, neither it, the package or the manual with my 359 was any help... I have an Oregon 4mm file and guide that I am using for my Makita now but when I wear that one out.....

Oh, also, I noticed in the package I got from Husky, it came with a little bearing grease and a grease gun for the clutch drum, do I need to do that before I start or is the clutch drum greased from the factory. I didn't have time to poke around in there, I didn't even have time last night to put the bar and chain on..


Jay

 

[computeruser]

No, the filing kit that is appropriate for 3/8" low profile chain (Oregon 91xx) is not what you want for standard 3/8" pitch chain. But I'm sure your dealer could have told you that. Oops, wait, you ordered online. I think that you would easily have had all your questions in this post and most of your others answered had you purchased your saw in-person from someone who knows a thing or two about saws.

 

[DiscoInferno]

Well, you certainly need to get the right size file for a given chain. The various contraptions to get the angles right are usually not saw or chain specific. Although, my 359 came with Oregon 73 chain and a Husky Sharpforce filing kit. Only problem is that the Sharpforce has a single built-in reference line for 35 degrees, but the oregon chain is 25 degrees. I had to quickly learn to ignore the line on the Sharpforce and just go by the line on the cutter.

What is in the Husky "clamshell kit"?

 

[Jay H]

CU: Well, the nearest Husky dealer is about 16 miles away in completely the opposite direction in which I work and live, and given rush hour traffic here, it would take me about 45 minutes to get there from where I live and probably 1.5 hours after work by car. I bike to work... I talked to SW Trading over the phone and I ordered the filing kit thinking I might be able to use it for my Makita as well as my Husky. But the Makita as I learned later is "low profile" and the Husky isn't. Both are 3/8" and .05 guide... It is the recommended 3.8" STD filing kit for the husky, at least according to the website and is for the H80 chain I got. However, as I said in the post, I got two chains, one a Husky brand and the other a Oregon replacement chain.

DI:

http://www.a-chainsaw.com/505698191-clam-shell-filing-kit-38-std-p-621.html

I am just referring to the packaging material as it's in a pain in the ass plastic clamshell that comes with 2 files and a guide and handle as well as a flat file.

Aha, I'll answer my own question...

(broken link removed to http://www.usa.husqvarna.com/files/cs/banners/chainsaw_cons.pdf)

That PDF seems to give a much better description of how to use Husky's filer than either the package or the user manual...flip to the second to last page.


Jay

 

[DiscoInferno]

It looks like that file guide also has a built-in angle, so be sure it actually matches the angle of the oregon chain.

 

[Jay H]

OK, I think I figured it all out. I have the 3/8" MINI aka Low Profile filing kit that I can use for my Makita which uses a low profile chain with a 4mm (5/32")round file. I bought a 3/8" STD or Standard yesterday for use with my 359 which uses the same type of chain except not low profile and 7/32" round file. The confusion lies in the depth gauge, the low Profile uses a different type of depth gauge than the STD one and the stupid clamshell case on the Low Profile one shows the STD depth gauge! I'm looking at this thing and confused what the thing is for. But I checked and it does appear to be .025" so both the Husky filing gauge and the Depth gauge should work with my Oregon low profile chain on my Makita... Good! I figured out how to use the filing gauge but haven't yet figured out which end to stick in the handle??? it doesn't seem to be tight and I'm confused why is the handle not a simply wood one like the Oregon round filer??? Why does it look like you have to push the top down and then stick the file in the hole????? Confused? And either end I stick the file in, it doesn't sit tight, like it's feels real loose. One end of the round file is tapered almost to a point and the other is just sheared off..

Jay