New Husqvarna 346XP Yikes

ultraglide62 · Aug 9, 2012

I use an Oregon bench grinder and I find it very good and repeatable. The chain is much sharper then when I use to hand file and I thought I was good at it!!
You should set the stop to sharpen the cutter with the shortest top plate length and keep that setting for both the right hand and left hand cutters. That way the chain does not run off one side or the other and also wear the bar rails uniformly.
The key to great chain life is to keep it out of the dirt, use good bar and chain oil, tension properly and never let it get too dull as it overheads and causes the chain to stretch. Good luck be safe.
Ultraglide62

Car Doc · Aug 10, 2012

Hey LD1,

I read you and yes its each his own I am waaay to lazy and not near skilled enough to file or field dress a chain..

However as far as grinders go speaking from my experience anyway seeing several people attempt to sharpen my chains before I bought my own grinder. It completely depends on how aggressive a person gets on a bench grinder as to how much gets taken off. fwtw I adjust mine to just barely touch the cutters thats all it takes just enough to see sparks.

As with all tools it is all operator skill and knowledge even a hammer is a tool that can be used with finesse.

I was paying a small engine shop at one time to sharpen my chains and they were a Stihl dealer (not that makes any difference its just a fact) I was replacing chains after 3 sharpening's average they were hacks selling a lot of chains to unsuspecting folks.

Now days I get years out of my chains easily 3 seasons is my guesstimate and I swap chains before I overheat them normally have at least 2 and mostly 3 sharp chains with me for each saw. I believe in letting the saw do all the work I am lazy or lazy smart or something like that.

defed · Aug 10, 2012

i know enough to stay out of the dirt...or at least try to...inevitably i hit it eventually. i was helping a guy from work cut up some stuff and every cut he was hitting the ground. i told him that that dulls the chain and he looked at me like i was from mars. then he saw how easy mine cut the same stuff (this was even w/ my poulan) and he started to believe me. worst part is, he had using it duller than dull be for wks. apparently didn't know you could sharpen them either.

as far as my cheap grinder, the chain stop has to be readjusted for each side, doesn't auto center. i still do a pretty good job keeping both sides the same. i just figure if i get the file, and it's easy enough, i can take a few minutes after every few tanks of fuel and give them a quick touch up. keep it sharp, take less off at a time, less heat, less stress...etc. usually ready for a break by then anyway.

LD1 · Aug 10, 2012

defed said:
i know enough to stay out of the dirt...or at least try to...inevitably i hit it eventually. i was helping a guy from work cut up some stuff and every cut he was hitting the ground. i told him that that dulls the chain and he looked at me like i was from mars. then he saw how easy mine cut the same stuff (this was even w/ my poulan) and he started to believe me. worst part is, he had using it duller than dull be for wks. apparently didn't know you could sharpen them either.
.

Some people

radioman · Aug 10, 2012

LD1 said:
Some people

You might be right about some people. But I blame it all on the dealer. just a couple questions to the customer and they are either well on their way with a new toy or they get some tips first before leaving store.
sadly- these kids of people are rare...:confused3:

LD1 · Aug 10, 2012

radioman said:
You might be right about some people. But I blame it all on the dealer. just a couple questions to the customer and they are either well on their way with a new toy or they get some tips first before leaving store.
sadly- these kids of people are rare...:confused3:

Or it could be someone who bought from a box-store:confused3:

defed · Aug 11, 2012

i think he inherited it from his grandfather.

Car Doc · Aug 13, 2012

I dont know about you guys but we have so much sand in the bark chains and bars get a beating whether you are stumping or not. Its a lot worse closer you get to the ground but nonetheless inevitable sand is part of your day here.

defed · Aug 13, 2012

no issues like that here.

i think my 346xp has gotten its power. no problem cutting big stumps or logs. was taking down quite a few stumps and finally got some dirt after about 10. then, after sharpening it from that, i hit a piece of angle iron today, and from the mark it left, i thought for sure the chain was going to be bad...i didn't even see any obvious knicks on it and it was still cutting pretty good, so i finished what i was doing before i resharpened.