.050, .058, or .063, I am confused

[barbender]

Some of you guys put so much effort into sharpening a chain, if I had to put that much thought into it I think I'd just stay in the house😊

[DHansen]

Ouch!

[Spike60]

Thank You Barbender! 

I wanted to say that s couple pages back, but didn't want to irritate the violin makers here. (Laugh guys). I'll applaud the precision work and effort, but I think this is an example of the paralysis  that can take hold when you get immersed in too many details. What about this, what about that?  Put it in the vice, grab a file, and get ro work. There's wood needs cuttin!

Do I.  still have any friends?! 

[Old Greenhorn]

Nope, not a single one Bob.
Just kidding, of course you do, we are all just talking here and following out own interests. For me, being a machinist since I was 14 and a cutter grinder for a number of years, it's all about the angles and the proper geometry for the job. SO yeah, I put some time into studying and understanding how things are designed to work best, and a little more time into making that happen. But we are just talking saw chain here, so it you miss by a degree or 3, who's gonna know? I rarely use a guide except on a really fouled up chain when it's like starting over again.
 Besides, there has to be somebody to go to when you can't get things working right and that's when guys like me (anal retentive) can come in real handy.  When you had your customers seeking advice on roller guides, you could have sent them my way. 
 Just to be clear BB, the learning effort is a one time thing, but the use of that knowledge goes on for a very long time. Anyway, that's how I look at it.

 Some of us just really want to know. Speaking of which, I got a note back from Husky in Sweden this morning. In part of it, they gave this information about the Husky roller guides:

" There is very little space on the combination gauge for more information, however all the X-CUT combination

filing gauges has colored rollers.

3/8"mini (S93G) Dark gray rollers

.325"pixel (SP33G) Orange rollers

.325" (S35G, C35, C33) has Yellow rollers

3/8" ( C85, S85, S83G, C83 ) has blue rollers"

 I checked all the roller guides I have and cannot dispute this.

 Also, they have me scheduled for a video conference with them next Tuesday morning. They are saying (just like Bob) that there is no way they put those sheets in their boxes. They say somebody, like a dealer, added them later. Well as it happens I have a brand new chain in the blister pack that is unopened and contains that sheet. I am not sure if I will be around to 'take their meeting' and do the prework needed, but maybe I will. I am sitting on the invitation until tomorrow after I think about it a bit.

[DHansen]

Hey, Old Greenhorn, Thank you for posting that list.  I plan to copy that on a recipe card and keep in the draw with my roller file guides.  These treads may drag on, and kick the issue from side to side, but in the end we learn something.  I appreciate all the inputs and posts. I know I am better at saw maintenance, safety, chain sharpening, felling and cutting than I was three years ago.  There is lots of talent and experience among those who post here and they share their knowledge.   

[doc henderson]

Tom, if they are willing to put in 1/10th the time you have already invested, I would do it.  may help a bunch of guys and you may sleep better at night.
Spike, my old mentor Kenny Skeels used to say to us kids if we were overthinking or taking too long, "come on boys, you are not making love to it"!  i.e. get it done.

[barbender]

Please don't take my comments as telling you guys not to have a discussion. I don't mean that at all.

[Old Greenhorn]

Never thought that for a second BB. I thought what you wrote was funny and I do get it. We can all get anal about our 'special things' sometimes. I bet you have your 'things' too.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Hey, Old Greenhorn, Thank you for posting that list.  I plan to copy that on a recipe card and keep in the draw with my roller file guides.  .........

Well this kind of makes my point: You can sell stuff, but you really have to tell folks what you are selling to them. I realize that I pretty much asked for this meeting and they are responding in the highest road they can, so I need to take it, like it or not. I think there are a lot of other folks that would like a meeting such as this to air their frustration, I should not let it slide. I am concerned about the time difference and the language difficulties we may have. I have done this many times before but that was years ago in a very controlled environment. Now I am a retried guy in a small shop and I am not sure how they will take that. But it's an opportunity and I think I plan on emphasizing the need for clear documentation with their products and user education on new products. For instance, if they have and follow a color code on their roller guides, why not include this with the product when they sell it? Mr. Hansen's point is spot on: if he knows and has bought a bunch of these guides, and I have done the same, and there are thousands of others who have also done the same, WHY is this color code information brand new to us? Hopefully I can covey that thought with some kind of effect.

[DHansen]

I have a Husqvarna roller file gauge that is not on your list.  It has clear rollers. Marked 3/8 pitch, 7/32 file. blue body.  I use it on H48 chain.  Predates the X-Cut stuff.

[doc henderson]

Tom, have fun with it.  send them a link to this thread.  your one-page summary sums it up and point out all the time and mind power that went into solving a puzzle.  For a Husky guy, it is like getting an invitation to the white house. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I have a Husqvarna roller file gauge that is not on your list.  It has clear rollers. Marked 3/8 pitch, 7/32 file. blue body.  I use it on H48 chain.  Predates the X-Cut stuff.

I believe what you have there is what Husky is calling 'grey', which would be a 3/8 mini. I have the same one.

[DHansen]

My 3/8Mini is black with clear roller.  Take a smaller (4.0) file.  clearly marked on the body.

[Old Greenhorn]

Aw geez, now you got me all confused again! When I get in the meeting with them I will have to go over all this eith them again. But  please do note the sentence just in front of the color code listing ".......  however all the X-CUT combination filing gages have colored roller." Note it says X-CUT so I am wondering if that means non x-cuts have different color codes? I don't have that black one you have because I don't use that chain. Now I'm really confused.. I think it's beer thirty.

[DHansen]

I'll have some of that single malt scotch that Spike recommended.  We're going to drive everyone nuts!

[Big_eddy]

The blue one on the top is for Husky H47/48 and Oregon 72/73 LGX (which I think is now called EXL)

I.e. the pre X-Cut 3/8" chains 

[Old Greenhorn]

LGX and EXL are two different tooth forms, but I am no longer in memory of the differences. I don't know this for sure, but I think it's a fair guess that Husky would like to make all their own chains and phase out the Husky chains eventually. It just seems like good business sense. Of course, none of us know how this tariff nonsense will work out over the long run and it may change their point of view.

 I have my video conference with them in the morning and am trying to organize some questions. Got a note from them today just saying they are looking forward to some more feedback.

 I will say that today I tried out the new Husky C83SK chain on a 32" bar. This is a Square ground full chisel chain and skip tooth. I was curious mostly to see how it would cut, but also to see if I could still bore cut with it. Bore cutting with a skip tooth, I have been told, can be tricky. I am tickled to report that the chain just rips along and cuts great! Also, I had no issues boring through a log at WOT, cut like a dream! I love it. I wish and will mention it tomorrow, that they would make a version in non-skip tooth. Either way, I will get one of these for my 562 with the 24" bar.
 Now I have to get my list together.

[Spike60]

Be fun to get the report on today's discussion.

As far as Husky making all their own chain, it will take a while to get there. This is a major undertaking. Most of us think of the varieties and types of chain that we use ourselves. Generally the popular 3/8 and .325 chains. But the list of chain types is long, and getting longer. Lot of growth in the small chains like 3/8lp, and now there's even .325 lp or mini chains. .043 gauge. Different cutter profiles. Not long ago, 3/8 mini chain pretty much all shared the same cutters, and we're universally. 050. There are now a lot of choices in small chain, and many users are as particular about their preferences, as many of you have been in this thread.

Many of these chains are designed to be efficient, and therefore very quick. They need not be full chisel to get great results. I'm a big fan of the Oregon Speed cut on .325. Saws.

Lotta choices.....we won't be running out of stuff to talk about anytime soon.

[Old Greenhorn]

Bob, whats gthe number on that 'speed cut' chain you are talking about?

[Spike60]

Little note on the Oregon speed cut vs Huskys sp33g, cause it's one on the early places where they diverged. Both are .325 .050 chains. And Husky supplies the 33 with saws like the 445 and 450. So, it was important for them that it get the low kickback green label. Speed cut is not a safety chain and gets the yellow/caution label or whatever.

Point here. To which I was alluding to above, is that companies are introducing high performance chains for the pro users for smaller saws.

One of these quick .325 chains combined with an 8 pin rim on a 60cc saw like a 560xp or 262xp makes for a very quick saw.

[Spike60]

95 on the drive link. Not sure of the following letter designation  cause I don't have any still in the box.

[DHansen]

I think that is Oregon 20LPX .  I use it on the 550xp.

[John Mc]

I think that is Oregon 20LPX .  I use it on the 550xp.

Doesn't Oregon 20LPX has a 20 on the drive link?

I think the 95 is on the Oregon 95VPX.

Oregon 95TXL also has a 95 stamped in the driver, but it also has some other pattern stamped there as well:

If I'm not mistaken, both are narrow kerf, .050" gauge, .325 pitch chains

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I guess I owe a report here on my video conference with Husqvarna Sweden this morning. First, let me say that I clearly represented to them that I was not a dealer or a pro user. I was simply a regular user more than a weekend warrior but less than a logger type user. None the less I was striving to understand the product line and their chains and roller guides so I could share it with others.
I met with 3 of their people, I did not focus on titles. I dispensed with the detailed questions about color codes and which guide does what and focused my questions and comments on their communications to the end users. I pointed things they already know about how large companies work with moving information downstream, but how hard it is to go the other way. They seemed very interested in getting my opinions about many things because they rarely get direct feedback from users in the field. I pointed out that this, in itself, is a problem. Then I focused on the real issues I saw in that they have all these different roller guides and no 'master selection list'. They agreed that this could and should be fixed.
We talked about that chart that comes in the X-cut chains which they thought somebody outside Husky inserted in the packages I got. As soon as I showed them the package and chart they knew what had happened. Apparently the blister packed chains that are sold in TSC and other place are packed by Husky North America. The ones in boxes are packed in Sweden. They plan to contact and have a conversation with the USA folks about those sheets, they don't belong in there. They also agreed they need to update the datasheet entirely as it is way out of date. These are things they were mostly unaware of as far as I could tell.
From there on I just emphasized that most of their end users would just like to have access to comprehensive and up to date information on their products. Of course some will not read, use, or understand it. But for many like me and you, they will read it, understand it, and use it while also learning about new products they may not know of.
As an example I offered my compliments and congratulations on the 'new' skip tooth square grind chain and told them how great it cut. Then I asked how long it had been available? They told me about 2 years now. So I asked them "why is it that I only learned it existed last week?! and to make my point, I ordered two versions within an hour, so how many other users would do the same thig IF they knew it existed?" One or two of them looked at their desktops because they got my point. Turns out one of the fellas in the meeting had worked on the team that developed that chain and was feeling pretty good with my comments. It's one thing to have a good product that fills a need, but you have to tell people it's available.
We had 30 minutes scheduled for the meeting but it ran about 50 minutes. I put in a good strong plug for the forum and need to send them a follow-up email with the address. they asked if they could contact me with any further questions. Al in all I got the impression that they really wanted to hear the feedback I could provide and take some actions where they saw they need. They expressed their feelings that I was telling them things they did need to work on and fix. Tod be honest, I was impressed at their sincerity and genuine interest. It was a good meeting and I hope we see some improvements in getting the product data to us users.
It's a rare opportunity to have a conversation such as this and I was grateful for it.

[DHansen]

Well done Tom.

John, you are correct there is a 20 on those drive links.