Shoot, I was about to reply that a sharp chain is the best chain! As others have mentioned, make sure you are taking down the rakers periodically. Many file guides also include a raker depth gauge. That is critical. You can have the sharpest cutters in the world, but if they are not making contact with the wood, it's hopeless.... I use Stihl chain, and it's good but harder to file. I also use "on sale" Oregon/Carlton/Woodland/etc.... chains, and they do just fine, and are a little easier to file. Whether it's Stihl chain or not, I touch them up throughout the day whenever I detect the chips are too powdery. Want to see confetti flakes. Note the difference between full-chisel (square corner on cutter) and semi-chisel (rounded corner). Full-chisel cuts better, but dulls very easily. I have come to prefer semi-chisel, as it improves productivity -- less breaks for filing needed. If you hit dirt with full-chisel, it's a goner. Semi-chisel is a lot more robust overall and more tolerant of abuse. For most ground operations, or when dealing with dirty logs, semi-chisel is the way to go. Full-chisel would be ok for clean wood and felling cuts. Finally, do not get hung up on whether a chain is a "safety" chain or not. I always hear people claim that safety chain sucks, but you can only tell the difference when doing plunge cuts with the tip of the bar (that is the only scenario where the safety rakers come into play). For 99% of straight cuts along the length of the bar, there is zero difference in cutting performance with safety chain. In the meantime, it gives you a significant reduction in kickback if you ever do accidentally plant the tip. Unless you are a pro making plunge cuts all the time, safety-chain is just fine, and better for your health!