How much life is left on this chain?

[JimBear]

I had always had my chains sharpened at the shop in the past & relied on them to toss them if they thought they were junk. After a few years not doing any cutting, then starting again last fall, I recently purchased a Pferd CS-X sharpener to do my own. It won’t take long to pay for its self. This chain has the smallest teeth of any of my chains just wondering how much life is left in it & how far down some of you take yours?

 

[DodgyNomad]

That's pretty used up for sure. I'd see how it cuts, make it a backup/emergency chain, or use it for dirty work/ root removal.

 

[JimBear]

That's pretty used up for sure. I'd see how it cuts, make it a backup/emergency chain, or use it for dirty work/ root removal.

I was thinking it was about junked. It will be a good candidate for clearing fence lines & blind cuts in the brush piles, so I don’t cut into any more steel posts.

 

[zrock]

I run mine down to nothing. But my saw is primarily trail clearing and I'm always tagging rocks... last new chain I got first cut was a log across the trail... low and behold the inside was filled with stone and small rock

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[Tar12]

Kick back is really increased when they get down that much..be aware.

 

[salecker]

Still good for awhile...
Remember to take the rakers down as you sharpen your way down the cutting edge.
People that build race chains start with chains that are like yours,except for the shark fins.

 

[Omaha419]

I would still use it. It cuts, right?


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[CincyBurner]

You've got a couple more sharpenings in it, but your are getting close to sunset that chain.
I run mine to nubs, and haven't noticed decrease in performance, but next time I have a chain like that I'll have to pay attention it's grabbiness (

Kick back is really increased when they get down that much..be aware.

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[JimBear]

This is 1 of 2, 16” low kickbacks left over from my old Farm Boss that someone apparently thought they needed more than I did.

I would still use it. It cuts, right?


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Yes, I just took it off. It is hanging on the needs sharpened nail. It is 1 of 2 16” chains I have for my 271, all the rest are 18”. I will get a few dull ones then sharpen on a rainy day.

 

[Ashful]

Most of the chains I buy (Stihl, Carlton) have a line scribed in the top of each tooth, indicating where it’s done. I go until I hit that line, then toss them. From the photo, yours looks like it’d be close to that line.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, saw shops usually take way too much off with each sharpening. It seems they take off 1/16”, when you really only need to take less than half that on most chains, to get back to clean shoulder. You’ll likely find your chains last much longer, when you start sharpening yourself.

Don’t forget to take down the depth gauges, as you reduce tooth length. The rake on the top of the tooth means you’re lowering its height, and thus its depth of cut, as you remove tooth length. The chain will cut slow, even when sharp, if those depth gauges aren’t lowered appropriately.

I like to run higher horsepower saws, and usually take my depth gauges a little lower than spec, for better speed. Works great, as long as you have the horsepower to pull it.

 

[zrock]

I was wondering what that line was for

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[JimBear]

Most of the chains I buy (Stihl, Carlton) have a line scribed in the top of each tooth, indicating where it’s done. I go until I hit that line, then toss them. From the photo, yours looks like it’d be close to that line.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, saw shops usually take way too much off with each sharpening. It seems they take off 1/16”, when you really only need to take less than half that on most chains, to get back to clean shoulder. You’ll likely find your chains last much longer, when you start sharpening yourself.

Don’t forget to take down the depth gauges, as you reduce tooth length. The rake on the top of the tooth means you’re lowering its height, and thus its depth of cut, as you remove tooth length. The chain will cut slow, even when sharp, if those depth gauges aren’t lowered appropriately.

I like to run higher horsepower saws, and usually take my depth gauges a little lower than spec, for better speed. Works great, as long as you have the horsepower to pull it.

The last set I had sharpened, they took a bunch off, in fact I thought they had ruined them. They had actually had burrs off the top & sides off the teeth. I cleaned the up a bit with a stone. When I started cutting it about ripped the saw out of my hands, my conclusion was that they had taken the depth gauges down a lot. I had never had a chain cut like that. It was all my 271 with 18” bar wanted.

 

[JimBear]

I will have to look at my other chains & see if they have that line, they were all Stihl chains.

 

[JimBear]

The first couple of chains I sharpened, used 4 passes with the CS sharpener then used a small flat to take the depth gauges down another two strokes. I really like the way they cut like that.

 

[JimBear]

And thank you for all the input. It seems to me it’s often best to get input & advice from those actually out in the field as opposed to a salesman.

 

[Zack R]

If it were me I'd start with a fresh chain and use your new sharpener to keep it dialed in. The chain in the photo looks pretty well used up.

 

[Giles]

I had always had my chains sharpened at the shop in the past & relied on them to toss them if they thought they were junk. After a few years not doing any cutting, then starting again last fall, I recently purchased a Pferd CS-X sharpener to do my own. It won’t take long to pay for its self. This chain has the smallest teeth of any of my chains just wondering how much life is left in it & how far down some of you take yours?

Also to be considered, is the overall wear to drive links.