You know the stuff that has the rounded tooth? Full Chisel definitely cuts faster in many situations. When I'm out in the woods and run one of the saw with Semi Chisel, I don't really notice the speed difference, but I do see three small issues that in combination has made me re-evaluate my entire thought process relative to my work chain.
As compared to Full Chisel chain, Semi Chisel:
1) Doesn't cut quite as fast
2) Semi Chisel seems to wear better in the hard and dirt wood I usually cut.
3) Semi Chisel seems to take an edge easier when I have to file in the field to sharpen it.
4) I get less chain "stalls" where the saw just pivots on the bucking spikes and jams the chain to the point of stalling.
Think its time to invest in a few loops and see...
Quote2) Semi Chisel seems to wear better in the hard and dirt wood I usually cut.
I think that's it's main advantage, it's more popular with guys that have to cut dirty or abrasive logs as it doesn't seem to dull as quickly, so it certainly has it's uses.
Ian
I'm really liking nk semi chiesel on a 40 cc saw, cuts fast and stays sharp. Steve
Filing semi chisel in the field is a little easier to put an edge on then chisel chain for most folks. The semi's large working corner takes less precision to get it sharp.
But myself mostly filing chisel all my life I have a harder time with the semi chisel because my eye is trained to watch the small pointy corner of the chisel.
Semi chisel is recommended for frozen wood also. If you run .325 b/c try the narrow kerf Oregon 95VP .325 chain, if your used to regular 20LPX the 95VP will surprise you with its aggressivness and cutting speed.
Willard.
I guess you really did like that loop of semi last Sunday. :)
Before saws became a bit of a hobby and I got more into the speed thing, I usually ran semi-chisel for my firewood cutting. Like most of you have said, it does have some advantages.
A. It's much more forgiving, and will hold an edge noticeably longer.
B. When you do need to sharpen it, it takes less effort.
C. Because of A and B, semi-chisel lasts longer. I always figured that a loop of semi would last 2 or 3 times longer than full chisel.
It is all we run in australia on the hardwoods!!! The full chisel is quicker but you are forever sharpening it and thus it doesn't cut as much wood before it is worn out. full chisel is better in the softwoods though, and in my experience with it it does give a bit better finish in the cut.
Also not all chains are created equal, I find stihl to reliably be the best in every regard, but carlton, windsor, oregon and gb even though they may look the same to the naked eye all perform differently, I found the windsor semichisel to cut faster than the carlton equivalent but didn't stay sharp as long, or vice versa cant remember which way it was at the moment.
One of the things I've noticed with full chisel chain is that the different brands seem to be rather particular about being sharpened their own way. If I sharpen a Total (aka: Woodland Pro) chain to Oregon specs for all of the angles, it doesn't cut as well as if I sharpen it to the Total specs.
I'm curious how any of you have found the semi-chisel chain works for bore cutting compared to full chisel. This is where I really noticed the difference in cutting speed, but I haven't tried semi-chisel in years, and may not have had it properly sharpened or depth gauges set correctly last time I tried it.
John Mc
Are you guys talking about semi chisel, or chipper chain? The semi chisel has the corner with a small flat at about 45 degree angle, (I think).
The chipper chain has a full round corner. I grew up using full chisel, and I have no issues sharpening it.
The first time I saw a chipper chain, I thought it was the biggest pile of junk ever, it was sharp but would not cut hardwood worth a crap. Then I found that the chipper chain is very sensitive to raker height. I have never adjusted rakers on full chisel, so doing so was new to me.
The semi chisel on small saws seems to work well, because the tooth is so small, the corner radius is real small, and it works more like a chisel.
Personally, I would never buy a chipper chain.
Just my opinion... Terry
Please ignore the flip flops.
Joe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CikpOHfqd38 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CikpOHfqd38)
What would be a good aggressive chain for my 24" Husky 570? I'm looking at Oregon 72LGX 84 for $14. a pc. How aggressive is it and how's the price?
I'm not even sure if they make true chipper chain any more but that's all we had back in the day here amoungst the corn fields . I think semi is a tad faster providing it's not guard chain .
Semi certainly is more forgiving than chisel .
Just a little side track .It's amusing to use true chipper on something like green cottonwood or soft maple .If it's real sharp the stuff will pull big old fluffy chips like a wood planer .I mean like 3 inchs long .