Strange chain issue

[jaoneill]

On a recent wekend my son and son-in-law spent an afternoon dropping and blocking up a half dozen 16"-20" standing dead elms. The saws haven't been used since but were still cutting satisfactorily when they were finished. The other day I thought I would touch-up the chains in preparation for an afternoon in the woods this weekend.
I found that the chain on the 20" bar (Oregon chain with about half it's useful life remaining) had a number of cutters missing on one side (not contiguous). They were clean breaks, parallel with the chain itself. In all of the years I have cut wood (hundreds of cord) I don't remember ever having seen a break of this sort and I generally use a chain until there is absolutely zero life remaining. The only time I remember cutters breaking is from hitting some hidden metal in a log and then it would leave a jagged sort of protrusion and do at least moderate damage to nearby cutters. These were random cutters, but all on the same side; the remaining ones on that side, and all on the other side, were unscathed.
Rather strange......

 

[heavy hammer]

Other than hitting something harder than the chain in one of the trees what are the chances of just a defective chain. I know it sounds crazy but freak things happen. Could just be that bad batch thing. That's the only thing I could think of other than a hidden piece of something in one of the trees cut down.

 

[jaoneill]

Other than hitting something harder than the chain in one of the trees what are the chances of just a defective chain. I know it sounds crazy but freak things happen. Could just be that bad batch thing. That's the only thing I could think of other than a hidden piece of something in one of the trees cut down.

My thoughts exactly but a freak thing for certain....

 

[woodhog73]

I agree strange . We have all hit metal in a tree while cutting and when it happens I stop cutting right away cause I know my chain is probably dulled and I'll need to touch it up anyways. Sounds like whoever was using the saw was unaware of hitting metal or whatnot ? Is something hitting the chain as it's spinning ? Like a bent sprocket cover ( if it's metal cover) and it wore the cutters down ? I suppose it would have to be a fairly bent sprocket cover for that to happen.

Ya strange . Hopefully just a bad chain.

 

[jaoneill]

I agree strange . We have all hit metal in a tree while cutting and when it happens I stop cutting right away cause I know my chain is probably dulled and I'll need to touch it up anyways. Sounds like whoever was using the saw was unaware of hitting metal or whatnot ? Is something hitting the chain as it's spinning ? Like a bent sprocket cover ( if it's metal cover) and it wore the cutters down ? I suppose it would have to be a fairly bent sprocket cover for that to happen.

Ya strange . Hopefully just a bad chain.

Yup, no other cutters affected at all. And, as I said above, it's not like the chain was on it's last legs, had at least half its useful life remaining.......

Oh well; just thought it was an interesting tidbit

 

[xman23]

Dead tress can be strange to cut. I had sparks coming off the chain. But I'm with others here, thinking you hit nails or a rock.