Don't let any sales people fool you! There is a huge difference in the speed of semi-chisel vs. safety chain. When I originally bought my saw, the sales guy mentioned that Stihl has vastly improved their safety chain. Well, after a few months of cutting, I decided to try out a 33RM60 chain. There is a night and day difference in cutting! The semi-chisel grabs into the wood and pulls the saw through rather than me having to put pressure on the saw. I'm definitely hooked!