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

Old Greenhorn · April 13, 2025, 09:50:17 AM

True Bob, but the X-cut chains have different filing angles than most chains, so the roller guides should reflect that difference and from what I can see, they don't.
When you wrote NRAND I assume you meant BRAND and yes of course that is their label for their chain.

Spike60 · April 13, 2025, 02:03:23 PM

Thanks for the spell check, Tom. Doing this on my phone. To continue......That sheet you posted shows chains such as H23, H30, H42, H47. Those are all Oregon made chains, which is likely what you bought. There shouldn't be any Xcut info in those packages. Oregon still makes a fair amount of chain for Husky. There are still several configurations that Husky has yet to make themselves such as .325 in .058.

Spike60 · April 13, 2025, 02:11:31 PM

A few from memory...

H47.....72LGX
H42......73LPX
H21....21LGX
H23....20LGX
H30.....95VB
rhyme or reason.....ZERO.

DHansen · April 13, 2025, 02:24:34 PM

Considering the N and B are right next to one another on the keypad, well give you a pass on that one Bob.

Old Greenhorn · April 13, 2025, 02:47:09 PM

Just to be clear, that sheet came out of an X-cut chain box I bought at TS about 10 days ago. No kidding, no mistake.

Spike60 · April 13, 2025, 03:00:30 PM

Wow. Pointless to stuff the Oregon sheet in the Xcut box. Can't even get most of those chains anymore. Which Xcut was it?

Old Greenhorn · April 13, 2025, 05:21:26 PM

It came out of a SP33 blister pack. Yeah they are all Oregon chain numbers but all the other numbers for guides and files and suck are husky and the photo shows the husky tools. And husky's name is on the sheet in at least 2 places.
It's a mystery, but hopefully the folks at husky will set me (us) straight.

Big_eddy · April 13, 2025, 11:53:51 PM

The old 3/8 roller guide (blue)and the X-Cut 3/8" roller guides (middle) have different tooth angles. I think the old is 20 and the X-Cutis 25, but I might be off by 5 degrees one way or the other. If you file with one guide then the other, you will notice the change. x-Cut chain cuts just fine filed with the older guide, but better with the new one. Oregon chain cuts a bit better filed with the newer guide too, IMO.

Not sure about the flat versus 10 degree, but I'd expect that's there too.

The 3/8 X-Cut guide is marked C83/C85

Pre X-Cut 0.325 guide on the left.

doc henderson · April 14, 2025, 06:42:59 AM

That must be why they call you @Big_eddy ! boom. (mic drop).

Old Greenhorn · April 14, 2025, 09:10:02 AM

Ed, what did you measure to come to those conclusions? Are you going by eye? You wrote " Not sure about the flat versus 10 degree, but I'd expect that's there too." but this is the most significant difference between X-Cut and other chains.. I can't debate it without data, so if I can make time today I will take them all out again and see if I can confirm or correct your findings. I did already measure every dimension on those guides and find no substantial beyond .003" or so. I did not attempt to check the actual face filing angles as this is very tricky to do on those guides. I'll see if I can maybe do that today.

Old Greenhorn · April 14, 2025, 11:31:05 AM

OK, this ain't easy, but I have to retract all my comments about the roller guides not being any different. Seeking to confirm what Big Eddie said, I did some more checking and measuring this morning. My first mistake was having 2 Xcut guides next to each other for comparison. I had thought one was Standard because the markings were different. Turns out they were the same. When I compared the correct guides, I could find the differences. I also checked the face angles for both types in 3/8 and .325 and see the 5° difference there also. I was completely in error on the whole thing and now understand with a new level of certainty. I immediately wrote an email off to my new friend at Husky and apologized and asked that he disregard my questions regarding the roller guides and not waste his people's time. I did however, keep the other question of the datasheets as an active question.

It's hard to admit I was wrong, especially after I detailed it in writing, but I think it's more important to make the correction the same way, both here and in my emails to Husky. Making mistakes is easy, admitting them is a lot harder.

I apologize to all but at least now I know a LOT more about these guides than I ever did before. Knowledge is power.

DHansen · April 14, 2025, 10:06:26 PM

Thank you Big Eddy, that cleared things up for me and I was making the same mistake Old Greenhorn was making. I was comparing two X-Cut roller guides. One was from a file kit that was X-Cut, the other was the roller guide packaged alone. On the back of the box it is marked with a C as in C83/C85. I see the difference in the two now that you have pointed it out. Clearly the old version (blue one) is different.

Old Greenhorn · April 15, 2025, 08:57:55 AM

To be fair, the markings on these things are not very consistent and a bit cryptic. I have 5 of these things and it seems they all follow different marking standards. I did mention this in my apology note to Husky. Also colors aren't reliable either. I have both blue and unfinished and see no pattern. The rollers I have are in orange, blue, or clear. We didn't discuss it here, but there is a clear visual difference in where the window slots are on the raker gauge plate are located. I note the the X-Cut versions all have a little flange bent on the leading edge of that plate and the standards do not.

DHansen · April 15, 2025, 09:11:10 AM

My marking with the C was only on the packaging and not on the tool. Seems like keeping the tools organized will be almost as bad as keeping the chains and bars organized. Sure do wish they were color coded and someone had a chart.

Big_eddy · April 15, 2025, 09:31:28 AM

In case you were not aware, the round hole on the side of each roller guide is a file size gauge, sized to match the file size stamped on the guide.

A lot easier to use than finding the 10x multipliers and trying to read the obscured markings on the file then converting to mm.

Not as much an issue of 3/8" chain (5.5mm or 7/32") but one of my 0.325 guides is made for 4.5mm files and the other for 4.8mm (3/16") and it does make a difference if you use the other size.

Old Greenhorn · April 15, 2025, 09:37:55 AM

Yeah, that too. Some of mine (file holes) are marked in metric on one side and imperial on the other side, some just metric, and some not at all. It can make an old man downright grumpy.
I'll have to look into that issue of the 4.5 (.177") verses the 4.8 (.188 or 3/16). That's a .01 difference and doesn't seem like it should make a big difference, but if you say so. I'll have to check my guides to see what they are marked, that is, IF they are marked. I don't know if I even have 4.5 files.

Big_eddy · April 15, 2025, 10:29:59 AM

I was off by 5 degrees on the Top Plate Filing angles.
C83 /C85 is 30 degrees and H47/48 (LGX) is 25 degrees.

Husky recommended angles and file sizes are available on their site.

https://www.husqvarna.com/ca-en/learn-and-discover/file-and-filing-device-recommendations/

Old Greenhorn · April 15, 2025, 10:40:56 AM

I don't see any 4.5mm files in that list. I have not checked my roller guides yet.

Big_eddy · April 15, 2025, 11:07:01 AM

I'm the first to say it's confusing and hard to figure out what filing kit or guide to use for what chain.

I search all over the US and Canada Husky sites and the info is just not obvious. Certain filing kits show available in Canada and not the US and vice versa.

Somewhere a long time ago I bookmarked this PDF that put it all in one place.

https://www-static-nw.husqvarna.com/-/files/aprimo/husqvarna/chains/documents/pos-pop/jt-781012.pdf?v=aeaf9260

Hopefully the link works

John Mc · April 15, 2025, 01:29:06 PM

Quote from: Old Greenhorn on April 15, 2025, 10:40:56 AMI don't see any 4.5mm files in that list. I have not checked my roller guides yet.

4.5mm is approximately 11/64". Some of the low profile 3/8" pitch chains call for 4.5mm. (If I recall correctly, the chain on my Milwaukee battery saw calls for that size.)

beenthere · April 15, 2025, 01:57:19 PM

The Chinese knock-off's also add to the confusion.

Old Greenhorn · April 15, 2025, 04:21:45 PM

That's a good chart Ed, I printed it out, now I gotta find a place to hang it. All I need is a chart like the one spike has in his head that cross references the Oregon to the Husky code number, just like the one Spike has in his head.

As for those Chinese chains, they ain't even worth talking about. They follow no standard and the side plates are thicker so Husky roller guides won't fit them anyway. Heat treat on the teeth is all over the map. Tried a couple several years ago and that was enough, Sharpened that chain once and that was enough for me. They are in the back of a drawer somewhere. I'll try them again when pigs fly.

DHansen · April 15, 2025, 07:42:47 PM

And then we'll have an Old Grumpy Greenhorn. Well we have been warned.

Old Greenhorn · April 15, 2025, 08:10:56 PM

In case you hadn't noticed, you already do.

Spike60 · April 16, 2025, 10:33:49 AM

Well you folks know way more than I do about those gadgets. Was comical when a customer would buy one and ask me how to use it. Admitted I hadn't the foggiest. "But you sell them". Yes, but I don't USE them. Gotta follow the limited directions on the package and figure it out. Follow unqualified advice from me and you might ruin a chain! Usually we'd both laugh.