Anonymous Poster
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Who makes a decent chainsaw?
- Thread starter GrantMO
- Start date
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StanInCalif
Silver Member
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- Jul 16, 2001
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- Northern Sacramento Valley, Calif.
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- JD 300B, JD 4310
Speaking of kickback, The pointed nose on the bars of modern saws is an integral part of the anti kickback mechanism. As the chain rounds this sharp bend, the anti kickback pawls flip up and prevent the teeth from digging in. I wish I could explain it better with diagrams, but I am quite computer-challenged. Maybe somebody out there can help. Or you can roll the chain around the nose of a saw so equipped and visualize it. The "pawls" are simply tails sort of "cantilevered" on the links. The reason I mention this, is because I've seen guys replace these bars with the older blunt round nose type. They were having trouble with the chains coming off, and this was their solution. A better solution, of course, would have been to watch the chain tension more closely. These guys were crew supervisors and obviously not aware of the liability they were setting themselves up for.
This is one of those "don't try it at home- conditions may vary" things, but I have tried to make these saws kick back, and they wouldn't do it. Again, I welcome a better explanation of what I'm trying to describe. - Stan
This is one of those "don't try it at home- conditions may vary" things, but I have tried to make these saws kick back, and they wouldn't do it. Again, I welcome a better explanation of what I'm trying to describe. - Stan
alan40
Platinum Member
Just purchased a Husqvarna 55. Love the saw except for one thing. The chain really heats up doing any sideways cutting. Smoking and the bar turns gray at the hot spots. I've checked the flow by running the saw above my cement floor so you can see the oil spray and it seems to be putting oil on the chain. I'm not using the Husqvarna brand bar oil but it's one I've used with my other saw with no problems at all. Maybe I need a heavier oil or maybe it's a problem with the automatic oiler. Taking it to the dealer tomorrow to see what they say. Thought I would go armed with any suggestions you may have.
Also has anyone come up with a fool proof way to sharpen a saw besides take it to a pro. When I do mine sometimes it cuts right/left or anywere it wants./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Take care,
Al
Also has anyone come up with a fool proof way to sharpen a saw besides take it to a pro. When I do mine sometimes it cuts right/left or anywere it wants./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Take care,
Al
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time toi give me all that info. I made a few cuts to a tree that had the low limbs I needed to mow under. As for the big brush / tree pile, I just moved them whole with the loader.
MY GOSH (politically acceptable phrase) I love that loader!
Rogue
MY GOSH (politically acceptable phrase) I love that loader!
Rogue
JohnMiller3
Elite Member
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- Jan 15, 2001
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- Capital District, Upstate New York
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- Satoh S650G, MF135, MF165, JD5205
<font color=blue>...When I do mine sometimes it cuts right/left or anywere it wants....</font color=blue>
My Poulan would do the same... the bar was slightly bent... my eye couldn't see it, but a new bar corrected it...
<font color=blue>...chain really heats up doing any sideways cutting. Smoking and the bar turns gray at the hot spots...</font color=blue>
Sounds like a dull chain... and this is a new chain?
"You are what you eat, drink, think, say and do..."
My Poulan would do the same... the bar was slightly bent... my eye couldn't see it, but a new bar corrected it...
<font color=blue>...chain really heats up doing any sideways cutting. Smoking and the bar turns gray at the hot spots...</font color=blue>
Sounds like a dull chain... and this is a new chain?
"You are what you eat, drink, think, say and do..."
dmccarty
Super Star Member
Kubotadriver,
You are absolutely correct about kickback when the chainsaw is making a horizontal cut to down a tree. I have not had it happen to me but I worry a bit about it. I figured/guess/HOPE that if it does happen then the kickback will be more away from me than it would be if the saw was cutting vertically.
I don't want to minimize kickback. If anyone reads my Magnus Opus and gets that opinion I worded things incorrectly. BUT you see/hear very little of kickdown and I think its much more dangerous than kickback. The saws are designed so that if there is kickback hopefully you have the strength and proper hand positioning to control the movement. I have found this to be easy to do when cutting vertically. Controlling kickback during a horizontal cut is much more difficult since the hand that is forward on the saw is not inline with the motion of the saw. In a vertical kickback the forward hand/arm is inline with the motion and I have not had a problem controling the kickback. My saw, and I assume all saws built today, have the "shield" that if it impacts your arm will stop the chain during a kickback.
At least a horizontal kickback is away from the body. What is bad about the kickdown is that it is very difficult to stop if there is not a decent distantance between the saw bar and the ground/body part. The body injury aspect of kickdown is fairly easy to prevent. Just make sure that there are no body parts under or in line with the saw.
As far as I can tell there are two kickback and one kick down scenerios. Vertical and horizontal cut kick back and vertical cut kick down. If anyone knows of a different way the saw can move. PLEASE let us know....
Of the three kickbacks/down I think the easiest to control is the vertical cut kickback. Kickdown is somewhat easy to control if you have a foot or so before hitting something. Horizontal cut kickback I would think is the worse to control.
I have also wondered how much the saw has to do with kickback. Would a lighter saw make kickback harder to control or easier? Does the saw weight have an impact on the likely hood of kickback?
Kickback is bad not matter how you slice it, so to speak! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I'll try to write an addition to the Chainsaw Magnus Opus in the next day or so. I'm sure everyone can't wait! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Oh, I did not write the Skunk Post but I do seem to recall it being kinda long..... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
This really should be its own thread over in Safety.......
Later....
Dan
You are absolutely correct about kickback when the chainsaw is making a horizontal cut to down a tree. I have not had it happen to me but I worry a bit about it. I figured/guess/HOPE that if it does happen then the kickback will be more away from me than it would be if the saw was cutting vertically.
I don't want to minimize kickback. If anyone reads my Magnus Opus and gets that opinion I worded things incorrectly. BUT you see/hear very little of kickdown and I think its much more dangerous than kickback. The saws are designed so that if there is kickback hopefully you have the strength and proper hand positioning to control the movement. I have found this to be easy to do when cutting vertically. Controlling kickback during a horizontal cut is much more difficult since the hand that is forward on the saw is not inline with the motion of the saw. In a vertical kickback the forward hand/arm is inline with the motion and I have not had a problem controling the kickback. My saw, and I assume all saws built today, have the "shield" that if it impacts your arm will stop the chain during a kickback.
At least a horizontal kickback is away from the body. What is bad about the kickdown is that it is very difficult to stop if there is not a decent distantance between the saw bar and the ground/body part. The body injury aspect of kickdown is fairly easy to prevent. Just make sure that there are no body parts under or in line with the saw.
As far as I can tell there are two kickback and one kick down scenerios. Vertical and horizontal cut kick back and vertical cut kick down. If anyone knows of a different way the saw can move. PLEASE let us know....
Of the three kickbacks/down I think the easiest to control is the vertical cut kickback. Kickdown is somewhat easy to control if you have a foot or so before hitting something. Horizontal cut kickback I would think is the worse to control.
I have also wondered how much the saw has to do with kickback. Would a lighter saw make kickback harder to control or easier? Does the saw weight have an impact on the likely hood of kickback?
Kickback is bad not matter how you slice it, so to speak! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I'll try to write an addition to the Chainsaw Magnus Opus in the next day or so. I'm sure everyone can't wait! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Oh, I did not write the Skunk Post but I do seem to recall it being kinda long..... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
This really should be its own thread over in Safety.......
Later....
Dan
dmccarty
Super Star Member
Alan40,
There was a thread a while back on chain saw sharpening. There was a decent conversation on the electric sharpeners and where to buy them. The conversation happened sometime this year I think.
I have round hand files made by Sthil that match my chains. I just eye ball the angle to match the teeth and file away. Maybe 4-5 strokes per tooth. Maybe more if the tooth is really dull. Once the point it gone from the tooth, usually because I put the bar into the ground, I take it to the dealer and for six bucks he brings the chain back. But I use the hand file on all the teeth before each Chainsaw WorkOut Session...
When my bar has been smoking its been because the saw was not cutting well. That has always been a dull chain or a loose chain. The bent bar is one I had never thought of or experienced.
Good luck...
Dan McCarty
There was a thread a while back on chain saw sharpening. There was a decent conversation on the electric sharpeners and where to buy them. The conversation happened sometime this year I think.
I have round hand files made by Sthil that match my chains. I just eye ball the angle to match the teeth and file away. Maybe 4-5 strokes per tooth. Maybe more if the tooth is really dull. Once the point it gone from the tooth, usually because I put the bar into the ground, I take it to the dealer and for six bucks he brings the chain back. But I use the hand file on all the teeth before each Chainsaw WorkOut Session...
When my bar has been smoking its been because the saw was not cutting well. That has always been a dull chain or a loose chain. The bent bar is one I had never thought of or experienced.
Good luck...
Dan McCarty
Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
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- Location
- Knoxville, TN
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- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
Alan40,
I was part of the discussion on sharpening your own chain. I discovered there was a WHOLE lot about chains that I didn't know.
What started my frustration was that I rotated between 3 brand new chains. I would "touch up" the edge on them a couple of times then I would take them out for the "pros" to do.
Long story short, I was at home getting ready to fell a LARGE dead (beetle bugs in pine) tree. Tree was leaning to right, cut wedge for right side fall, go to felling cut and tree leans LEFT and pinches bar. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
Not to worry, I ran inside garage grabbed extra bar (THANKS TBN) and FRESHLY sharpened chain back from the "pros". Went out removed power head and reassembled saw with "professionally" sharpened chain.
@!&&*&%^&#($&(* thing cut like a butterknife against steel. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Words, public forum and general ettiquite won't allow me to tell you how I REALLY felt with that "professionally" sharpened chain that cut worse AFTER they sharpened it than before.
I finally got the tree down, participated in the thread and finally, bought (I believe from Madsens..again, thanks TBN) a 100 foot roll of chain and had it looped for me. Today, I have a box of loops (23 I think) ready to go. I'll still touch up the edge but I have totally lost interest in having a pro do them. When they get that bad, I'll just toss the chain.
Anyone want to buy some slighly used 20" loops for 3 "flex-payments" of $19.99 ?? I'll even pay the LAST payment FOR you! So you only pay TWICE. If you order NOW withing the next 10 minutes, I'll also throw in my empty bar oil jug!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Richard
I was part of the discussion on sharpening your own chain. I discovered there was a WHOLE lot about chains that I didn't know.
What started my frustration was that I rotated between 3 brand new chains. I would "touch up" the edge on them a couple of times then I would take them out for the "pros" to do.
Long story short, I was at home getting ready to fell a LARGE dead (beetle bugs in pine) tree. Tree was leaning to right, cut wedge for right side fall, go to felling cut and tree leans LEFT and pinches bar. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
Not to worry, I ran inside garage grabbed extra bar (THANKS TBN) and FRESHLY sharpened chain back from the "pros". Went out removed power head and reassembled saw with "professionally" sharpened chain.
@!&&*&%^&#($&(* thing cut like a butterknife against steel. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Words, public forum and general ettiquite won't allow me to tell you how I REALLY felt with that "professionally" sharpened chain that cut worse AFTER they sharpened it than before.
I finally got the tree down, participated in the thread and finally, bought (I believe from Madsens..again, thanks TBN) a 100 foot roll of chain and had it looped for me. Today, I have a box of loops (23 I think) ready to go. I'll still touch up the edge but I have totally lost interest in having a pro do them. When they get that bad, I'll just toss the chain.
Anyone want to buy some slighly used 20" loops for 3 "flex-payments" of $19.99 ?? I'll even pay the LAST payment FOR you! So you only pay TWICE. If you order NOW withing the next 10 minutes, I'll also throw in my empty bar oil jug!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Richard
