chain saw chain recommendations?

M

Mark H_NO

Well-Known Member
I have a Ryobi 18" electric chain saw. It was free. I feel like the chain dulls quickly. I put a new chain on, Oregon brand from Home Depot. I spent a day cutting up oak from a tree I had cut down, and the chain seemed dull. I was dealing with the stump, and tried sharpening, and had some success, but gave in and replaced the chain again. After a couple hours carving the stump, it seemed dull. I'm getting better at sharpening, but would like a chain to last longer. I know oak tree stumps and roots are probably hard work, but still...When I was cutting the top off the stump, so I could use the stump grinder on top, I had that saw smoking...

Does anyone have recommendations for chains? Thanks,

Mark
 
The stump from about 6 inches above ground level to the roots will include dirt, rocks and foreign material that will dull the chain quickly. The box store chains that everybody likes to buy is the lower grade of the 3 grades of chain that Oregon produces. First confirm what @MParr mentioned about the chain and bar properly oiling. Lack of oil can lead to dulling, and even in some cases make the chain appear dull even though it isnt. And it may benefit you to go see a actual small engine shop that sells chain and that knows what they are talking about and not just trying to sell chains.

Home Depot will be selling the lower quality either Ryobi branded chain or what Oregon would call a S62 chain. And what you need to be looking for would be something like 91PX062G, 91PXL062G or 91VXL062G

Or get on Amazon after doing some reseach into the different Oregon chains and find a chain that is more on the professional side of quality, and I think you will be happier with the results.
 
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Mark H_NO said:
I have a Ryobi 18" electric chain saw. It was free. I feel like the chain dulls quickly. I put a new chain on, Oregon brand from Home Depot. I spent a day cutting up oak from a tree I had cut down, and the chain seemed dull. I was dealing with the stump, and tried sharpening, and had some success, but gave in and replaced the chain again. After a couple hours carving the stump, it seemed dull. I'm getting better at sharpening, but would like a chain to last longer. I know oak tree stumps and roots are probably hard work, but still...When I was cutting the top off the stump, so I could use the stump grinder on top, I had that saw smoking...

Does anyone have recommendations for chains? Thanks,

Mark
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You can get many sharpenings out of a chain. The key is actually being able to sharpen a chain correctly. Either by hand or with an electric chain sharpener. When you start seeing smoke coming off the chain and bar when cutting, STOP. Your chain is dull. You are just pissing into the wind.
 
I forgot to mention a couple of things.
It's not uncommon for chainsaw bars to become twisted. This happens for several reasons. Improper operation. The bar getting pinched where the chain rides. Cheap Ryobi saws aren't something that I would buy. Good homeowner saws from Echo, Stihl, and Husqvarna can be had for a reasonable price. Remember, good ain't cheap and cheap ain't good.
I have an old Poulan Pro 16 and it's been a great saw. It was made by Husqvarna.
 
Thank you all. I am oiling, filling the reservoir multiple times a day. When I see smoke from the chain/bar, I stop. When I said the saw was smoking, I was talking about the motor.

Yes, the chain I bought was Oregon S62. I'll do a bit more research, and also check if my bar is bent. Working on that stump takes angles I'm not accustomed to.

I watched the sharpening video from Steve's Small Engine Saloon, and got a sharpening kit with files and guides. I have a friend I will try and get some coaching from tomorrow..
 
How about Husqvarna brand chains? I see tons of 3-5 packs cheap on Amazon. Selling chains in a 5 pack gives me no confidence it'll stay sharp for long. The Husqvarna comes in a 1 pack.
 
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Mark H_NO said:
How about Husqvarna brand chains? I see tons of 3-5 packs cheap on Amazon. Selling chains in a 5 pack gives me no confidence it'll stay sharp for long.
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Make sure that you stay within the original specifications of the chain that came with your saw. Your saws owners manual should have that information.
 
One thing that you can be sure of is that no electric chainsaw is going to do the job of a 2 stroke unit.
 
True, but it was free. I was surprised how well it did cutting up the oak tree. It beats the heck out of a 16" 2 stroke my buddy has. I think his clutch is slipping, and the high speed mixture may be off. We picked it up out of father in law's garage, no telling how long since it got real use...

I don't normally need a chain saw much around the house, until I got that huge oak cut down... By the way, I did check the spec's on the chain, and am following.
 
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