Oregon chain help

[GBeck]

ok what am I doing wrong? just bought a new oregon 18' chain. when I first started cutting everything cut straight and quick. after only a say a dozen cuts through a downed poplar tree, now the saw pulls the to the right which usually happens with the dull chain. I am careful not to hit the ground with the saw and never had the chained pinched. Is Oregon just using cheaper materials or is something I am doing?

[xyz123]

WAG's

You might have hit something in the wood and it caught just one side and cutters got dull on one side.

Used bar and rails uneven.

[LD1]

could be one of several things.

Like xyz said, you could have hit something (nail?) in the tree and dulled just one side.

Since you said it was a new chain 12 cuts ago, that pretty much rules out whoever sharpened it not doing it right.

BTW, Do you sharpen your own chains? if so, what do you use?

And as xyz also said, it could be a bar worn out. If you feel a sharp edge/bur in the rails, and it kinda looks like they are u-shaped, they need dressed up. Best way is with one of them pedistal mounted belt sanders.

Some other thoughts:

Operator error? Not insulting you, but are you pushing down on the saw in the cut? or are you letting it do the work with its own weight?

Another thought is that the chain could be the wrong pitch. That is the thickness of the drive teeth on the underside of the chain. They MUST match whatever the bars pitch is.

[GBeck]

I will look at the bar tonight...that has to it no way could it be user error..

and LD1, yes I sharpen my own, I use a chop saw looking grinding disk, not sure the make.