Saw Chain Advice needed.....

[deerefanatic]

Ok guys, I bought a Dolmar PS510 last fall. Nice saw and all, and I like it quite well..... BUT,

The original dolmar chain is messed up, it cuts on a curve..... I've sharpened it and had the place I bought the saw from (ACE Hardware small engine shop) sharpen it. Cuts straight for a few passes, then starts curving to the right....

I've put two replacement oregon chains on the saw, and both have suffered from cracked links..... The bar does sling off oil when free-running, so I'm not sure what's up with that.

This winter, I burned about 10 cord of slabwood....... All cut with my saw. I won't ever do that again for several reasons, one being it's VERY hard on a saw. My bar is trashed.... Partially from my being a newbie to this whole thing and not keeping right on top of chain tightness, and partly due to all the crap (dirt, pieces of metal strapping, etc) that's in slabwood....

So, I'm looking to buy a new 18" bar (That's what the saw came with, and I like that size) and chain. A buddy told me he uses full-skip chain and really likes the speed, but he also has a larger husky...... I'm looking for something that will cut REALLY fast, but not be to much of a horsepower hog or dull extremely easy..... I will be processing 16 cords of log wood with this saw soon.

What would you guys recommend? I'm fairly physically stout, so I'm not too concerned with kickback as I feel I can control it on a 50cc saw.... I'm gonna keep my old bar and chain for use around the farm (cutting limbs, etc) so that I don't have to worry about messing up my "wood processing" stuff.

 

[aandabooks]

Stihl RM or RSC if your cutting clean wood. Skip would be rather unusual for an 18" chain. Normally those don't start pre-made until 24". If your not inclined to paying Stihl prices for chain, check out Bailey's. The WoodlandPro, actually Carlton is quite good at half the price. Just make sure you get the right pitch when ordering.

BTW, you'd probably be better off processing the slab wood with a 10-12" miter saw. Much easier to see what and where you're cutting.

 

[Wet1]

My guess is you saw was cutting to the right because of the chain and/or bar being worn. If the rails wear unevenly on the bar, it will certainly pull one way or the other. When you get a new bar, make sure you flip it on a regular basis and keep the rails dressed if they need it.

The PS510 is a nice homeowner saw, but I'm not sure it was really design for the work you're looking to do with it. This saw was built for limbing and to handle small trees your average homeowner might come across every so often, it was not designed for processing 16 cords of log length cord wood and it certainly wouldn't be my first choice for such a task! If you're going to be doing this on a regular basis, I'd highly recommend getting a larger displacement saw since cutting logs with a PS510 is like trying to kill deer with a .22... it will do it, but it will be slow and painful!

If you're hell bent on using this saw, you have many choices for chain and almost all have pros and cons. Generally speaking, the faster the chain will cut, the quicker it will get dull. I'm not aware of any chain that cuts super fast and stays sharp a long time, especially in dirty wood. So there are compromises to be made when selecting chains. If you want fast, go with square ground full comp chisel (but know you need a square file or grinder to sharpen them). If you want something that will stay sharp in dirty conditions, consider going with semi-chisel. Round ground full comp chisel might be the best option for your situation.

Regarding skip, normally skip is used on 28"+ bars. It has 1/3 less cutters, so it does not cut as fast, and it dulls a little quicker, but it's easier on the saw and is easier to sharpen since there are less teeth. Normally one wouldn't use skip on a 18" bar, but if you're going to be cutting logs with a 50cc saw, skip or even semi-skip, might be a suitable option since you're saw is underpowered for this application.

Honestly, I'd strongly recommend keeping this saw for limbing and smaller jobs, and pick up a 70-80cc saw for bucking up the 16 cords of logs. My first choice (given that you already have a 50cc saw) would probably be the Dolmar 7900. It only weighs about a pound or two more than your PS510, but has over twice the power and can run up to 32" bars.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Get your bar dressed.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Stihl RM or RSC if your cutting clean wood. Skip would be rather unusual for an 18" chain. Normally those don't start pre-made until 24". If your not inclined to paying Stihl prices for chain, check out Bailey's. The WoodlandPro, actually Carlton is quite good at half the price. Just make sure you get the right pitch when ordering.

BTW, you'd probably be better off processing the slab wood with a 10-12" miter saw. Much easier to see what and where you're cutting.

Every saw shop on the planet has spools of chain and makes them to fit.

I say go for the skip tooth.

 

[savageactor7]

Yup it's good advice to routinely flip the bar over...

...also when the bars off after you clean it with compressed air feel the bar for any curled over metal lips along the chain track. Knock them off with flat file or a grinding wheel.

As a general rule if the chain is cutting down and to the left it means the left side of the chain is sharper. So the fix is to draw the file along the right side teeth only. Even though you had a chain professionally sharpened all it has to do is touch dirt or stone for a second at full power to ding it up.

Well breaks over time for me to get cutting again.

 

[LLigetfa]

I've argued with supposed expert cutters about saws cutting crooked and their claim that the chain needs to filed special. I have never seen where a chain had to be filed special. It has always been a worn bar. I've won every argument of it being the bar where I was given the opportunity to file the bar to prove it. Sharpening a chain "special" to compensate for a worn bar is just "crazy talk".

 

[deerefanatic]

Ok, good advice here........

This will only be a once per year occurrence...... My year's supply. Other than that, it's just cleaning up around the yard, etc.....

Ok, the shop dressed my bar for me when I had the saw in for repairs..... But, I can wiggle the links in my bar side to side..... This I think comes from running with chain too loose/too dull this winter... Ignorance costs money.........

Unfortunately, this 50cc saw is going to have to do for me. It's all I could afford, and as it was, that was because my grand-dad gave me the money for it.... Otherwise it'd be the electric... :O

That's interesting talk about the skip tooth.... The saw shops around here are telling me skip tooth pulls HARDER than standard.....

I too think that semi-chisel is what will work best for my situation....

I'm planning on keeping my old bar and chain for wacking up limbs, etc so that I don't have to worry about hitting debris......

 

[Wet1]

Matt,

Running the chain too loose/dull would likely not open the gap on the bar. This frequently happens when the chain picks up excessive dirt or it's lacking oil. There is a tool made for tightening up the rails a little, I think Bailey's sells them and they aren't very expensive. If the gap is excessive, you'll have a hard time cutting with it.

I'm sure your saw will get the job done, just take it slow and easy on it. That's a lot of log length wood to be cutting with a 50cc home owner grade saw, especially if you're going to be doing it yearly. You might want to keep an eye on CL for a cheap larger saw, sometimes you can find some excellent deals.

Regarding the skip chain, your saw shops are feeding you false info if they are telling you skip tooth pulls harder. It can be a little grabbier since it's missing some cutters, but it will not pull as hard or cut as fast in wood under 24"... unless your saw is way under powered.

Good luck!

 

[deerefanatic]

Ok, visited a local saw shop this morning.... Bought a Oregon Pro-Lite 18" bar and a Jonsered Full Chisel chain. The guy said he sells lots of that chain (which is made by Carlton) to loggers and firewood processors.....

My gap in my old bar was definitely excessive. My new bar is also a .058 gauge vs the stock 050 gauge.... The guy at the saw shop said it'd be a little more rugged...... I'm going to see how that cuts and then go from there on further choices.......

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[deerefanatic]

Got to use my new chain and bar tonight on a few logs..... It goes so fast that I have to hold the saw up because it will bury itself under it's own weight... That's something I can live with....

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, those full chisel chains need the horses to pull them. My 65cc works hard to pull one. Don't know if I'd want to run a full chisel on a sissy saw.

 

[deerefanatic]

Sissy Saw!! Now them's fightin' words!! LOL!! Just kidding........

I'm pleased so far...... Tomorrow I've got to cut some major wood..... Will see how everything works out....

 

[deerefanatic]

Ok, I've cut down a couple of dead elm and sawed up about a pickup load of logs from my pile. I'm tickled to death with this setup. It saws FAST and sharpens easily with just a few strokes on each cutter to get it back up to speed..... For clean stuff, full chisel is definitely the cat's meow........

 

[computeruser]

Sounds like you've got the right stuff for your needs!

And an FYI for others: the 510 is a perfectly heavy-duty saw - 2-piece metal crankcase, bolt-on cylinder, etc. - and should not have any problems with what is being asked of it.

 

[deerefanatic]

I thought I'd read that somewhere else, that the 510 and the 5100 are basically the same except for ignition and connecting rod..... For the higher RPM's of the 5100........

 

[Gooserider]

I thought I'd read that somewhere else, that the 510 and the 5100 are basically the same except for ignition and connecting rod..... For the higher RPM's of the 5100........

More to it than that... The 510 has an aluminum crancase, the 5100 is magnesium, the 5100 has more anti-vibration stuff, various other parts are different with the idea of keeping the weight down on the 5100. The basic engine design is supposedly the same, but they really are two totally different saws. The 5100 is a serious full-bore "Pro-saw" while the 510 is a heavier, less powerful "intermediate" saw. Still built better than the typical big box saw, but not in the same class as the pro-saws.

Gooserider

 

[M1sterM]

Ok, visited a local saw shop this morning.... Bought a Oregon Pro-Lite 18" bar and a Jonsered Full Chisel chain. The guy said he sells lots of that chain (which is made by Carlton) to loggers and firewood processors.....

My gap in my old bar was definitely excessive. My new bar is also a .058 gauge vs the stock 050 gauge.... The guy at the saw shop said it'd be a little more rugged...... I'm going to see how that cuts and then go from there on further choices.......

Thanks for the input guys.

Umm....don't you need to change out the sprocket, too, when changing the gauge?

 

[deerefanatic]

I don't think so..... Gauge is driver width, not spacing (pitch)