Chainsaw chains

[fizzy]

I use Oregon chains on my Stihl no problem at all.
I also use rapeseed veg oil for lubrication. Far cheaper than anything else and good for the environment as well. Comes in handy little 1L or 1.5L bottles.
Only drawback is if you don't use the saw for a while it totally gums up. Easy to sort. Spray the chain with WD40 and pull it around a few times with a gloved hand.

 

[zzr1200]

I use Rotatech chains from Northern Arb, they sell on eBay and are not soft chains they last just as well as dearer ones. Some on arbtalk have had problems with quality but I have had loads and not had any bad ones and they are less than half a Stihl chain price.

I buy chain by the roll and make my own up.

Sharpening them properly is most peoples problem with chains.

If you use a mains powered chain grinder the angles are slightly different from hand filing.

 

[Farside]

there krap and soft as xxx . i bought one and it went blunt after half a dozen cuts cost a tenner and the oregon ones are 16 quid buy a branded one like oregon or similar

That's the size of it. Oregon chains aren't all that pricey and they last well. Still bloody annoying to hit a nail with one, though.

 

[AVI_8]

Oregon or Stihl, I personally use Oregon, anything other is Chinese crap and wont last long

 

[Migmac]

Don't go and see how much is sitting in @8ob's shed...

I could imagine

 

[MCKDAVID]

My thoughts, after getting chainsaws in regularly to repair / service (probably do around 40 or 50 a year) over the last 4/5 years or so,

For me OEM are still the best option for the domestic or light user, considering that they're the fit and forget option, and will last them years with the use the'll get. Price isn't really a consideration as the smaller OEM chains aren't that much more expensive than the oregon etc equivalent.
Agree with, @zzr1200 the longevity is proportional to the sharpeneing. It's a thing some folks just can't get their heads around. I dont see why, it's really not that difficult... lose count of the number of chains I sharpen each year, must be in the hundreds overall, but what really kills them is the cutting up firewood or whatever on the ground, and filling the saw with soil / mud / dirt........ That kills them rapidly, blocking oilers, overheating chains etc... depending how blunt they are, I'll just do them with a file directly on the saw, if they're really bad, I'll put them on the machine, and dress the chain back to the right angles, and take the rakers back down...

Obviously this is ignoring professionals cutting every day where they're getting sharpened every tank or so etc, but most of these are buying chains on reels and making to suit, so not really comparable.

If they're somewhere between the two extremes, I'd say half of my customers, firewood mainly, and farmers clearing fallen trees etc. it's definitely worth going to the likes of aftermarket price wise.
I've tried a lot of suppliers, but stick with "saegenspezi" now. They're a German supplier, but they can get parts for all saws, including the "oddball" ones. Pretty decent prices, and their own brand bars and chains are lasting well, not had any comeback from customers after I've fitted their gear... overall build quality is definitely on a par to oem I'd say.. prices are well below though...

Don't know how well their costs would stand up to brexshit customs and transport add ons now, but over here, pricewise can't fault them...

 

[cheb]

I'd like to make my own chains up but I can't find suitable split links anywhere. Any pointers as to who sells them?

 

[8ob]

Don't go and see how much is sitting in @8ob's shed...

Had to take all the chain making gear out of the chainsaw shed, the guys were getting sloppy with it and mixing up all the links and then there were the piles of chains where they mis calculated the length. I need to grab one of them and train him up.
Not all of the other brand names are crap and if you check out where Stihl/Oregon have chain making plants you may get a shock, some of it is rolling off the same production line as the unbranded stuff.

Bob

 

[mtt.tr]

Had to take all the chain making gear out of the chainsaw shed, the guys were getting sloppy with it and mixing up all the links and then there were the piles of chains where they mis calculated the length. I need to grab one of them and train him up.
Not all of the other brand names are crap and if you check out where Stihl/Oregon have chain making plants you may get a shock, some of it is rolling off the same production line as the unbranded stuff.

Bob

Peak pretty much makes everyone's chains

 

[KemppiFrog]

I picked up an Einehall mains sharpener off Amazon. Very good and quick. Our local B&Q stocks Oregon, so that's what I use. Mckdavid's link will be interesting.

 

[pedrobedro]

I'd like to make my own chains up but I can't find suitable split links anywhere. Any pointers as to who sells them?

You are joking aren't you ? It's not like a pushbike chain, a split link wouldn't last one trip round the bar.

 

[AVI_8]

Had to take all the chain making gear out of the chainsaw shed, the guys were getting sloppy with it and mixing up all the links and then there were the piles of chains where they mis calculated the length. I need to grab one of them and train him up.
Not all of the other brand names are crap and if you check out where Stihl/Oregon have chain making plants you may get a shock, some of it is rolling off the same production line as the unbranded stuff.

Bob

Spill the beans then Bob, what’s the name of them and where do you get them?

 

[cheb]

You are joking aren't you ? It's not like a pushbike chain, a split link wouldn't last one trip round the bar.

I keep saying this place needs a deadpan smiley.

 

[James1979]

Had to take all the chain making gear out of the chainsaw shed, the guys were getting sloppy with it and mixing up all the links and then there were the piles of chains where they mis calculated the length. I need to grab one of them and train him up.
Not all of the other brand names are crap and if you check out where Stihl/Oregon have chain making plants you may get a shock, some of it is rolling off the same production line as the unbranded stuff.

Bob

Have you got a bench ruler / chart for them?

Might have to talk to a friendly Stihl dealer for one.

 

[Justme]

Just looked to see how much a reel of 325 chain is, frightening. A couple of us used to buy a reel and make up our own chains.

Check out .404 then, OWCH

 

[Justme]

Stretching I found the be a more common issue.

Its wear not stretch.

 

[Justme]

I'd like to make my own chains up but I can't find suitable split links anywhere. Any pointers as to who sells them?

They come with the reels of chain.
PS not split links but rivetable ones.

 

[mtt.tr]

Its wear not stretch.

Nope they do stretch.

And cheap ones especially on ms200 seem to be the worst for.

 

[tom2207]

i sharpen my oregon ones and the sharpening file only lasts a couple of sharpens before its worn out there that hard . i catch the chain on nails or wire fence thats what blunts them mainly

soil just wipes a chain out too in a blink of an eye ,,,

 

[brightspark]

soil just wipes a chain out too in a blink of an eye ,,,

yep people used to ask to borrow mine . cutting tree roots out and cutting railway sleepers . yea it will cost you 90 quid though . wot for 2 new chains and a cutter bar that your going to knack