New Chain for a Stihl

[r_d_gard]

Hey Folks,

I have a Stihl MS 170 with a 16" Bar with a Pico chain on it.
What signs do I look for to determine if the chain needs to be replaced.

thanks

Ray

 

[boisblancboy]

The most important thing to look for is if the teeth have worn out from sharpening and missing teeth. Do you sharpen it yourself or have it sharpened? How long have you used it?

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Hey Folks,

I have a Stihl MS 170 with a 16" Bar with a Pico chain on it.
What signs do I look for to determine if the chain needs to be replaced.

thanks

Ray

If a chain still has teeth it can still cut

No teeth = trash

 

[r_d_gard]

The most important thing to look for is if the teeth have worn out from sharpening and missing teeth. Do you sharpen it yourself or have it sharpened? How long have you used it?

Got it in Oct '08, and sharpen in myself. There are no missing teeth. The cutter edges are in good condition. The links and rivets are also in good condition. Yet the depth guages are almost worn away.

 

[boisblancboy]

Hey Folks,

I have a Stihl MS 170 with a 16" Bar with a Pico chain on it.
What signs do I look for to determine if the chain needs to be replaced.

thanks

Ray

If a chain still has teeth it can still cut

No teeth = trash

Very true, but the rakers might need to be filed as well, if they are too tall even with a sharp teeth the chain wont cut. All in all its easy to diagnos once you know what to look for.

 

[smokinj]

The most important thing to look for is if the teeth have worn out from sharpening and missing teeth. Do you sharpen it yourself or have it sharpened? How long have you used it?

Got it in Oct '08, and sharpen in myself. There are no missing teeth. The cutter edges are in good condition. The links and rivets are also in good condition. Yet the depth guages are almost worn away.

wow sure would hurt to get a new one if the rakers are almost worn away the teeth cant be far behind

 

[boisblancboy]

The most important thing to look for is if the teeth have worn out from sharpening and missing teeth. Do you sharpen it yourself or have it sharpened? How long have you used it?

Got it in Oct '08, and sharpen in myself. There are no missing teeth. The cutter edges are in good condition. The links and rivets are also in good condition. Yet the depth guages are almost worn away.

Its pretty rare to have any problems with the links and rivets besides for the chain stretching over use. Most chains have a line on the back side of the tooth to show what angle to sharpen to the tooth and also to show how far back you can sharpen the chain over its life. Once you reach that line, time for a new chain. Each time you sharpen the chain the tooth does get a little shorter, no problem but after awhile you need to run a flat file over the raker/depth gauge so the tooth can still come into contact with the wood. If you file too much of the raker you will know it cause the chain will bit hard, kickback and vibrate awful. Plus since the tooth will be trying to take too much wood it will bog your saw down.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Hey Folks,

I have a Stihl MS 170 with a 16" Bar with a Pico chain on it.
What signs do I look for to determine if the chain needs to be replaced.

thanks

Ray

If a chain still has teeth it can still cut

No teeth = trash

Very true, but the rakers might need to be filed as well, if they are too tall even with a sharp teeth the chain wont cut. All in all its easy to diagnos once you know what to look for.

Of the thousands of chains I've seen I've never seen the rakers outwear the teeth. I'd bet my next paycheck that the rakers on the OPs chain are perfectly in tact and need only to be filed.

 

[smokinj]

Hey Folks,

I have a Stihl MS 170 with a 16" Bar with a Pico chain on it.
What signs do I look for to determine if the chain needs to be replaced.

thanks

Ray

If a chain still has teeth it can still cut

No teeth = trash

Very true, but the rakers might need to be filed as well, if they are too tall even with a sharp teeth the chain wont cut. All in all its easy to diagnos once you know what to look for.

Of the thousands of chains I've seen I've never seen the rakers outwear the teeth. I'd bet my next paycheck that the rakers on the OPs chain are perfectly in tact and need only to be filed.

Pico chains are much smaller they will wear much quicker...Time for PIC's please

 

[r_d_gard]

Sure, No worries about PIC's, at work at the moment will take some this evening and post them.

Many Thanks for all the input. It's very much appreciated.

Ray

 

[Kong]

I generally just keep on sharpening them until the time I see the first cutter has broken off. Then I toss it. Also generally speaking that happens within one or two sharpenings of reaching that indicator mark that is on all Stihl chains. Actually if you look closely at the chain you may notice that the mark continue around the outside of the cutter indicating the correct declination of file angle as the tooth shortens. It wears away pretty quickly but you can see it on new chains.

You can buy a guide to measure the depth gages. As the cutter is filed back it also gets lower and the depth gages have to be filed to compensate for that. Generally speaking the bite that the chain needs to take is about 0.025" for most chains. If the depth gage is too tall than number is smaller and the chips are thinner. If you over file the depth gages that number will be bigger and the chips thicker. It takes more saw power to cut thick chips than it does to cut thin ones. That's what its all about, finding that balance where you are cutting the thickest possible chips while not bogging down the saw in the process.

 

[r_d_gard]

Ok, finally made it home and took a couple of pictures of the chain.

See attached.

Opinions ?

 

[r_d_gard]

and the other picture

 

[smokinj]

and the other picture

LOL its time for a new one ASAP!! you may get a couple more sharpening out of it but thats it.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Sh_t

Where am I mailing my next paycheck?

 

[HittinSteel]

Sh_t

Where am I mailing my next paycheck?

HAHAHA, I have never seen anything like that either.....if it's any consolation Redd. Those Rakers are gone. Bet that chain really "bites"

 

['bert]

Me thinks your raker gauge may be out to lunch (or non existent)

 

[r_d_gard]

I'll get a new one this weekend, and hang the other one in the Sthil Chain Saw Hall of Shame.

Thanks for your assistance

Ray

 

[HittinSteel]

I have a messed up chain from when I first started hand filing that holds the light over my shop bench now.

 

[Gooserider]

Sh_t

Where am I mailing my next paycheck?

If you want, I'll take it - give me something to put towards a Dolmar 5100.... :lol:

Gooserider