WHats your chain preference?? LGX LPX JGX for HARD maple & beech

[weimedog]

Been thinking about chain options. For me over the last few years LGX has been "preferred". I have adjusted the rakers to get the chain speed/bite I've been looking for to cut that wood we have out here. VERY hard maple, especially in the winter time. Beech. Oak. AND that "gummy" Ash.

Talked to a vendor/distributer this weekend at Boonville and was advised to consider LPX and for the 372 class saw JGX semi skip "square" ground chain.

SO I bought one of each. Thinking of doing timed cuts to see....then use them for a few hours and then timed cuts to see again who lasted. What is your prediction and more interesting is what is your recommendation from those who have made a living deciding these things??

Also it appears the market place has influenced that as the JGX is only available in .050 and .063.... and I have mostly .058 bars.

[ehp]

If you talk to loggers that make their living running saw LGX will be the most common chain and not just by abit

[sawguy21]

That's odd, one of our most popular chains was 73JGX 3/8 .058 skip tooth. It is full skip round ground, I wonder if this guy knew what he was talking about. 
I know little about cutting hardwoods, here in soft wood country the skip tooth is used with longer bars to help clear the kerf of chips. Don't try to sell a logger the lpx "green" chain.

[thecfarm]

I don't know the difference and would like to see each one side by side so I could see the difference.

[lumberjack48]

Cutting year round i preferred the Carlton A1LM, it is harder chain then the Oregon and softer then the Stihl, and cheaper then both of them. I always bought a 100' roll, it was the easiest and cheapest way for me.

[Pine Ridge]

I run lpx on both my 372s, i cut oak and hickory and everything else with it. If my dealer is out of lpx i get lgx, i've had good luck with both as they both cut fast, but i prefer the lpx myself. I tried jgx about a year or so ago ,i didn't care for it, as i run 20" bars , shorter than what most run skip or semi skip on. That rail or strap, whatever it is called on lpx chain , is not the same as the ones on the "safety" chains you see labeled low or reduced kickback.

[John Mc]

I don't know the difference and would like to see each one side by side so I could see the difference.

LPX detail:



LGX detail:


Note the difference in the depth gauges. LPX has a slightly different shape: the depth gauge itself has less of a ramp to it, but it has a separate ramp right next to it. LPX is supposedly less prone to kickback, and smoother in operation.

LGX supposedly cuts a little faster, but I can't really tell the difference in speed when both are properly sharpened (I haven't timed them, but I'll take the word of those on here who have used both far mmore extensively than I have.) LGX has a bit of a slope to the depth gauge itself, and no separate ramp.

There are those who claim that LPX bore cuts better than LGX (contrary to what you might think just looking at them). I've used both for bore cutting and find them both to do a good job. I suspect that LPX might be a bit better, but have not done side-by-side comparisons with freshly sharpened chains. (It may just be that my impression came from removing a worn LGX chain and replacing it with a freshly sharpened LPX?).

JGX is just the skip version of LGX. Frankly, in the size hardwoods I cut (rarely over 20", the majority under 16") I don't feel skip chain has any advantage. Where skip chain shines is on the bigger wood.

[thecfarm]

Gotcha and thank you. I run LGX but have no idea if it's the best or not. Kinda like some of those tractor,chainsaw,truck,ect guys. Some have never run anything else,so it's hard to say what is better than what they are using.

[HolmenTree]

The LG/LGX was introduced  10 years after the LP/LPX was introduced,  as an improved design.
The LGX offers a lighter designed chain with greater chip clearance and chip flow offering higher chain speeds.
The LGX offers smoother bore cutting as the leading edge of it's depth gauge in the cut has a larger radius.
With the LPX  chain rotating at the sharp angle of the bar nose quadrant the flat fronted depth gauge sticks up above the safety ramp on top of the drive link, with potential to increase kickback energy and vibration.
I field tested the Oregon LG chain before it was introduced in 1982.

[SawTroll]

The LG/LGX was introduced  10 years after the LP/LPX was introduced,  as an improved design.
The LGX offers a lighter designed chain with greater chip clearance and chip flow offering higher chain speeds.
The LGX offers smoother bore cutting as the leading edge of it's depth gauge in the cut has a larger radius.
With the LPX  chain rotating at the sharp angle of the bar nose quadrant the flat fronted depth gauge sticks up above the safety ramp on top of the drive link, with potential to increase kickback energy and vibration.
I field tested the Oregon LG chain before it was introduced in 1982.

That mostly sounds "upside down" to me - but I  may of course be off with the time-line? I find LPX both faster and smoother than LGX + better for bore cutting (more effective). The original LG also lacked the "low-vibe" chassis, that LP, LPX and LGX has. Chip clearance with long chain is better with LG(X), but usually not an issue with the lengths I use (24" an shorter).

With .325, LP replaced LG (there was considerable overlap though), and was claimed by Oregon to be better for all cutting purposes....

[ehp]

LGX bores better and cutting hardwood most fallers bore cut just about every tree , he said cutting beech and maple , not softwood , Most guys say the Stihl chain is the best and look how its made , just like the LGX, remember we are not talking firewood cutting we are talking what puts the trees fastest on the ground as time is money

[John Mc]

I find LPX both faster and smoother than LPX...

SawTroll - would you mind editing that phrase to show what you meant? There is one to many LPX in there. I THINK you meant to say "I find LPX both faster and smoother than LGX...", but I don;t want to put words in your mouth.

[HolmenTree]

 :D

[grassfed]

The LG/LGX was introduced  10 years after the LP/LPX was introduced,  as an improved design.

I think this has to be backwards because i'm pretty sure I have been buying LGX chains for longer than 15 years and the first LPX chain I owned came on a saw I purchased in 2005 0r 2006. I remember thinking that the LPX was an OSHA inspired design and tossing it the day I got the saw home.

[HolmenTree]

The LG was introduced in 1982 the LP in early 1970s
The X was added as a upgrade design about  10 years ago.

[John Mc]

The LG was introduced in 1982 the LP in early 1970s
The X was added as a upgrade design about  10 years ago.

I guess I had that backwards as well. I had always assumed that the LP was a newer introduction - an attempt to add some anti-kickback features without adversely affecting performance.

Maybe I'm just thinking that way because I had been using the LG first, before I even knew LP existed.

[lumberjack48]

 Look real close at the cutter on the LGX, and the LPX. The cutter on the LPX looks like it was filed with a 7/32 file. The cutter on the LGX looks like it was sharped with a 5/32 file, look, its as plane as day the difference in the cutters.
On a new LGX chain, a 5/32 or a 3/16 file fits in the factory grind, same with the Carlton A1LM. The LGX is by far the saw chain for production. Like was said earlier, us production fallers won't even run a LPX. As far as making a bore cut the LPX would be the better of the two. But this all goes back to how much hook you have on your cutters and how low your filing your rakers, kind of a catch 22.

[John Mc]

...But this all goes back to how much hook you have on your cutters and how low your filing your rakers, kind of a catch 22.

My pet peeve with the Oregon chain for the last few years - way too much hook out of the box, making the chain way too grabby. I like how it cuts much better after it's been resharpened a time or two.

[lumberjack48]

 I wanted to show you the Carlton A1LM, its sharpened the same as the LGX. Theres no way a 7/32 file will fit in the factory cut. You have to take about 4 good strokes with a 7/32 file, to get the file in the cutter.
I used nothing but a 5/32 file the last 5 yrs i logged. The thing is i used nothing but a 7/32 file for 25 yrs before i found that the 5/32 did a much better job. The chain was smoother, cut faster, i could sharpen faster and ect. But it does take a nak to keep the file the right height to get just the right hook on the cutter. I know that i would never go back to a 7/32 file.




 

[HolmenTree]

Nice pic lumberjack. But I have to add that all the chains back in the day had that near back slope side plate shape. But you're right a smaller file could easily put a good edge in that smaller curvature.

[SawTroll]

I find LPX both faster and smoother than LPX...

SawTroll - would you mind editing that phrase to show what you meant? There is one to many LPX in there. I THINK you meant to say "I find LPX both faster and smoother than LGX...", but I don;t want to put words in your mouth.

Done!

"I find LPX both faster and smoother than LGX + better for bore cutting".

This is in birch, which is what I mostly cut.

[SawTroll]

---

[HolmenTree]

Here's  some better pics about the 72LP . Check out the dates on lower page


  

  

 

[nitehawk55]

I was only 20 back in 75....years go by fast !

Going to be a new chain producer soon , Husqvarna should be introducing it's own factory made chain and bars in the near future .

[HolmenTree]

Sorry guys these pics aren't any better.
I tried the camera download on this site......very poor quality.

I'll  give the new  laptop a try again.