Oregon "PowerCut" chain

[Ed]

Anyone tried it?

My dealer gave me a demo loop today, 72EXL072. Looks like good stuff, has a coating on the teeth, inpressive chassis as well.
He said it's the fastest cutting chain he's ever used, very resistant to dirt as well.

I'll put it on the 2171 and give it a workout this weekend.

Ed

[HolmenTree]

Post some pics too Ed.
It looks competitive in similar design to Husqvarna's new X Cut chain.
I haven't tried either  yet.

[Ed]

first is the new Powercut, Rapid Super and 72lgx in the back.



 

Powercut



 

Ed

[HolmenTree]

Nice looking chain.

[ButchC]

Every time Oregon improves #72 it looks more like Stihl RS  ;D

Is Husqvarna actually producing their own chain now?  I have not paid much attention to them as they had been selling rebadged Oregon for more money.  Web site says they are but so did it when they were selling Oregon with their name on it.

[HolmenTree]

Every time Oregon improves #72 it looks more like Stihl RS  ;D

Is Husqvarna actually producing their own chain now?  I have not paid much attention to them as they had been selling rebadged Oregon for more money.  Web site says they are but so did it when they were selling Oregon with their name on it.

Actually Butch the Oregon 72LG introduced in 1982 was copied by Stihl to make the 33RS design what it is today.

Yes Husqvarna has their own Scandinavian  chain plant now.  Only chain I know of available here in North America is a .325 semi chisel they recently introduced here.

[ehp]

the new Oregon chain is to be a lot more accurate on how it is made compared to the LGX chain. the LGX chain gets its measurements based off the racker, the new chain is based off the rivot holes. LGX chain is off sometimes quite abit from  length of the cutter from side to side and the side plate angle

[Woodcutter_Mo]

 How is that PowerCut chain for sharpening with the file? I am running an Oregon "speedcut" 95txl chain on my 024 and 2 of the 3 chains I currently have for it, about half the cutters are too hard to scratch with a file. I'm going to bring them in to grind them, hopefully the cutters will cooperate with a file after I do that. 

[Ed]

No news on how the chain cuts, sorry.

With 10"+ of snow over the weekend, my time was spent in the plow truck.

Have some logs that I can get to, try to start cutting them up this week.

Ed

[nativewolf]

No news on how the chain cuts, sorry.

With 10"+ of snow over the weekend, my time was spent in the plow truck.

Have some logs that I can get to, try to start cutting them up this week.

Ed

You could at least saw some snow for us.

[Ed]

Made it to the log pile today.....13 logs, dead Ash & a couple dead Elm, guessing just over 3 face cord when split.

Wow.

This chain is impressive, I previously had a new 72lgx chain on, this blows it away. Pulls itself through the cut very well, nice & smooth in the cut. Still looks new.

Only tightened the chain after the first log, stretch, so far is minimal.

The logs were clean, can't say how it holds up to dirt.

Guess I'll go pay for it, pleased so far.

Ed

[OH logger]

the 4 I ordered from stahls just came in the mail. right as the ground is thawing    go figure

[Ed]

Let us know how you like them.....

I'll be trying this chain on different saws, it should kick butt and take names on my dual port 046, also curious to see what it does on the slower, smaller 032.

Now I need to get my 066 rebuilt, this will get me motovated.

Ed

[nativewolf]

Guess I will order  pair for the stihl ms362cm and see how they do, I'm not much of a cutter myself so I tend to be hell on chain.  My logger/cutter however, he's a demon with a saw.  We'll let him run it on his husky 372.  

[Spike60]

This new chain is being very well received by my customers. Even winning over a few Stihl chain users, and that wasn't happening with the LGX. Feedback is great out of the box sharpness, excellent edge holding with minimal stretching. Files nice too. Oregon spent a lot of time working on the "feed pressure" and this chain has a wide, easy to find sweet spot. They use a CBN wheel to fashion the cutter. (cubic boron nitride) So, there's a lot of stuff going on with this new chain.

Husky 3/8 chain will not be out until summer. For some reason they are holding it til they can release it at the same time as the 572. Don't understand that thinking myself. Lot of guys will be locked into the new EXL by the time the Husky chain shows up. Got a feeling pricing will be an issue as well. The EXL only went up about a $1 my cost. From what they've done with the .325 Xcut that is already out, I'd expect to see the 3/8 stuff be $5-$8 a loop more. It will have to be a superior chain if it's priced like that.

LGX is supposed to go away at some point down the road in the Oregon label, but should continue as private label chain for Husky, Echo, and whoever.

[ButchC]

Checked out the 3/8 050 inventory last night and its time to stock up. So I guess I will order up a reel and put it to the wood. Gotta tell ya it will be a  tough road for the newcomer, I like my Stihl RS and RSK chain a lot.

[Woodcutter_Mo]

 I could use another couple chains for the 455 and 372, I think I may order some to try out. I'm anxious to try out the Husky c85 chain also once it is released in the USA as well. 

[nativewolf]

This new chain is being very well received by my customers. Even winning over a few Stihl chain users, and that wasn't happening with the LGX. Feedback is great out of the box sharpness, excellent edge holding with minimal stretching. Files nice too. Oregon spent a lot of time working on the "feed pressure" and this chain has a wide, easy to find sweet spot. They use a CBN wheel to fashion the cutter. (cubic boron nitride) So, there's a lot of stuff going on with this new chain.

Husky 3/8 chain will not be out until summer. For some reason they are holding it til they can release it at the same time as the 572. Don't understand that thinking myself. Lot of guys will be locked into the new EXL by the time the Husky chain shows up. Got a feeling pricing will be an issue as well. The EXL only went up about a $1 my cost. From what they've done with the .325 Xcut that is already out, I'd expect to see the 3/8 stuff be $5-$8 a loop more. It will have to be a superior chain if it's priced like that.

LGX is supposed to go away at some point down the road in the Oregon label, but should continue as private label chain for Husky, Echo, and whoever.

Thanks to all for the input.  I've ordered 2 chains and we'll test out with our cutter and myself (great vs idiot with a saw) and give some feedback.  

[Ed]

Ran into a friend yesterday, he bought a loop for his MS362, loves it.....not sure if he'll bother to use up his other chains.

Ed

[weimedog]

With the LGX and RS chain being as good as they are, the EXL has a tough act to follow. Going back to back with fresh chains & cutting cookies, its tough to see a huge difference from one to the next...a good design is STILL a good design after all these years! So at the most basic level if LGX is phased out, the EXL certainly picks up where the LGX left off from that initial "feel" perspective. If there is a difference, its not large. But I think that misses the point so haven't even tried to focus on that at our place. I have a few loops and sent some out with a couple of customers who live in the Hardwood for work.

Those little oil grooves designed to bring chain oil to the bearings between links must do something, as the chainsaw don't seem to wear or "stretch" as fast. That's consistent feed back.

Also they seem to file back to sharp as well as the older stuff. A net zero there.

Bottom line for me to this point is the EXL is a worthy replacement, but haven't seen a revolutionary performance jump with the chains as they come out of the box for the first 15 minutes or so. They do seem to, at least in one area, wear better. I suppose you can rationalize less times having to stop and adjust a chain means more productivity. And over the next few months, as they get used side by side with the RS typically used by that person, more things may come out. But the initial reaction has been universally positive.

One change in the Oregon product line I'm pretty stoked about is the "medium/land owner" (Not pro level) use VersaCut bars. Love them. As light as the Sugi's but half the price. Sure they don't have replaceable sprocket tips, and are a laminate design; but haven;t yet "exploded' when I've bore cut with mine. For the typical farmer/landowner that are a quantum leap over the other options at that price point in my most humble opinion. For me light bars are more important even than light power heads because of where they have their center of mass...out front..JUST an opinion BTW. Coupled with the smooth cutting EXL chain, its even a better deal for me than the excellent LGX/Powermatch combinations of yor...

Have to say one thing that will get me in hot water. Around here nothing is better than the Pro Level Stihl bars with their really rugged sprocket tips (The one s that have 6 rivits).. many adapt them to the Husqvarna's and even look past the weight because they ARE available, they last, and every one now has gone to the "training" and now bore cuts....everything. (From the side). Not certain I get that but its the rule not the exception in this part of the world.

[HolmenTree]

I'm curious, has anyone measured the DL thickness between the cutters on a .050 or .058 EXL chain?
Just wondering if Oregon went to .063 like Stihl 33RS has had since eternity. If so might explain lower stretch capabilities. Of course pre stretching would also have to fit into the equation.

I had to take a look at those "little grooves" in the EXL drive link. Looks to me more like a marketing ploy  then an actual working design.
I remember field testing the 72LG in 1980/81 was informed how the LubriLink side strap design with the indents on the corners drawing oil into the interior channel actually collected as much oil as the Stihl Oil O Matic design.

But it's interesting to see Husqvarna's new X Cut C85 chain has copied the Stihl Oil O Matic drive link groove......
Invented way back in 1970

[Spike60]

Before long, we'll be thanking them for inventing the electric light and discovering penicillin. :laugh:

[HolmenTree]

Before long, we'll be thanking them for inventing the electric light and discovering penicillin. :laugh:

Yes I agree Bob we do need trail blazers :laugh:

[weimedog]

Is "Pre stretch" where laundry & boots intersects the saw world? Do all innovations come from central Europe? Oregon has been an innovator in this industry for decades, but I guess its a good thing to obsess on a saw brand vs. something like well...something not constructive..  One thing we all have to get our collective heads around...from time to time... and again after the last few weeks here, the saw world & saw design doesn't revolve around a single brand or a single person on an obscure website. And when we see "obsession" there really is no harm in that, just we have to adjust our evaluation metrics to compensate when processing an opinion.  Its a big world out there and there are lot of smart, knowledgeable, and creative folks that do just fine without the connection to one particular brand or another.  In this case, it seems like the focus of Oregon & Husqvarna is on each other vs. Stihl. But back to the subject. The initial reactions to the New Oregon EXL Stretching is really the result of the initial wear on all the bearing surfaces from the link to bar wear surfaces to the link connection & bearing points. In some cases fast initial "stretching" is the result of the manufacturing processes final finish on all the bearing surfaces involved, including the bar & sprockets. Possibly a more accurate manufacturing process & better finish can minimize that "initial" stretching or wear?  Which is what Oregon is saying has happened in their case. Of course lubrication along with material characteristics will have an effect on wear over time.  Those grooves are there for a reason. Funny thing is they are there on the Husqvarna chains as well....similar design parameters?

[HolmenTree]

Bob junior, alot of good questions you presented there. Actually written short enough this time and to the point.
So as I asked earlier is .063 standard now on the DL upper half with the EXL chain ? 

[weimedog]

A person I'm blessed to have as a friend..
Ill measure tomorrow.  So explain why that thickness as compared to the pin/bushings or bearings design & characteristics  Or Vs. Materials characteristics . A little thickness differences could be offset by pin diameter or material hardness. I would assume all other things being equal that extra would be a plus. What was the typical lgx thickness? Guess I can measure that too.

[weimedog]

Looking at a .050 lgx and do see the step. But the gist of my question is about that initial stretch from burnishing all the surfaces vs. Wear over the life of a chain. Manufacturng tolerances can make the stretching or burnishing less a factor. Once the surfaces are broken in...then the design either lasts or not. The rs always  seemed to be harder ( material ). But to be honest, neither Oregon or stihl rs I've ever experienced would stretch to the point of failure. Before the thing was filed to dust. But the fellow running my test loops along with his rs told me he didn't seem to have to adjust it as much. I didn't pull that from him. He volunteered that info. So the thickness wouldn't really matter as much as simply the experience.  If it's the same, good...so what is the point i guess is my question. Me? More thickness equals more weight. A minimal amount but...more. And i recognise that doesn't mean a thing..

[HolmenTree]

Sorry having a hard time concentrating at the moment, I'm down in the big city with the family picking up a new dog. Presently my wife is trying on new clothes at a mall. :laugh:

Yes the 72LGX steps up from .050 to .058.
Stihl's 33RS steps up to .063 like most of their other chains.
More width more room for case hardening. Also benfits a wider rivet hub bearing for more wear endurance and extra oil holding capacity.

[weimedog]

Been typing in between salt trucks....stacking salt deliveries one tractor trailer load at a time. Couple of thousand tons... home away from home in a Volvo L120F

[weimedog]

With out really knowing their manufacturing process, my bet is they don't actually do case hardening anymore, probably s form of inductance heating and controlled temperature drop to get what they r looking for. Allows for a more consistent hardness thru out a part. But as the drive link is the bearing surface, a little more can't b bad. Question for the engineers would be how much is needed I guess. Either way what ever they did appears to work 

[ehp]

ran some of this new chain today but just in .058 gauge , it cut not to bad out of the box . Seems to stay sharper than the LGX so its forsure harder, once I file it I will know then.

[ehp]

now cannot say how the new EXL chain is done but the older LGX chain is put in a bath to harden it , water with salt and some other stuff . When the chain parts come out of that bath donot run up and grab a hold of it 8), it will ruin your day

[coxy]

so how are the teeth for filing are they hard to imposable like most of there other chain i have 10 new Oregon chains  that cant be hand filed 8 of the teeth are so hard it ruins the file i haven't used Oregon chain or bars in years the Oregon rep was in Boonville ny at the woodsmen's fest a few years back doing a talk study and i told him what junk there bars where he gave me a new bar that they just came out with at the time and told me to try it and let him know how it was well i cut 8 trees down cut them up in 8-10ft lengths a lobed the tops about a tank of gas on the bar it already started to flare and the tip went out just like the rest of there      i sent the bar back just like he asked me to and explained what i did and how long it lasted  and i haven't heard anything from him in 3-4 years  granted i didn't pay for the bar but would have been nice to here something back so i don't buy any bars or chain from Oregon   

[John Mc]

I've not had that experience with Oregon bars. The only time I've seen an issue is when folks let their chains get dull and try to make up for it by forcing the chain into the wood with muscle power or using the felling dogs (aka "dull chain over-rides"). Maybe you just got a bad one?

Most times I've run into teeth too hard to sharpen it's been because someone sharpened them on a grinder and overheated them. I did try Total chains some years ago (I think made by Carlton, back before Carlton was bought by Oregon?) A few chains each had several teeth that were so hard right out of the box that I ruined a few files trying to sharpen them. A sure sign of a heat treating problem at the factory. I stopped buying Total chains after that. Had he same problem once on a Woodland Pro chain, but I don't use them any more either. I use Oregon chains most of the time now and have not run into hard teeth out of the box.

[ehp]

no problems so far, the new chain to me is a lot like the stihl chain in hardness

[coxy]

got a bad one i had 6 of them in a row  >:(  i know a while back some one here had talked to Oregon about the chain and they sent them to Oregon and they sent them back new replacement chain said there was a problem at the factory with making the to hard  or something like that  

[ehp]

ya we got a bunch of rolls of 73 LGX chain that was the other way, did not get harden enough , very soft

[Woodcutter_Mo]

 I got a couple 73exl chains ordered for my 455 Rancher and my 372xp. Can't wait to try them out, the chain on the 372 currently is about gone. 

[Woodcutter_Mo]

 The 24" PowerCut chain i ordered for the 372xp came in yesterday. Just looking it over, it's got a clean and consistent grind and feels very sharp out of the box, like the Oregon SpeedCut chains I have for my 024. The profile doesn't exactly fit a round file, but its close and shouldn't be hard to file (providing the metal isn't over hardened like my SpeedCut chains apparently were) . I think I will test it out today. 

[wild262]

The 24" PowerCut chain i ordered for the 372xp came in yesterday. Just looking it over, it's got a clean and consistent grind and feels very sharp out of the box, like the Oregon SpeedCut chains I have for my 024. The profile doesn't exactly fit a round file, but its close and shouldn't be hard to file (providing the metal isn't over hardened like my SpeedCut chains apparently were) . I think I will test it out today.

        Soon as I use up my reel of RS chain, I will have to try this out.  Sounds pretty good so far.  I think after you sharpen it the first time, it should take to filing.  Keep us posted.

[John Mc]

The 24" PowerCut chain i ordered for the 372xp came in yesterday. Just looking it over, it's got a clean and consistent grind and feels very sharp out of the box, like the Oregon SpeedCut chains I have for my 024. The profile doesn't exactly fit a round file, but its close and shouldn't be hard to file (providing the metal isn't over hardened like my SpeedCut chains apparently were) . I think I will test it out today.

None of the chains I buy fit a round file profile the first time I sharpen them, but it doesn't take much to change that when I do sharpen them.

My biggest gripe with Oregon LG & LP chain is that ever since they started pushing their "sharp out of the box" advertising, they have been coming with way too much hook on the teeth - and the depth gauges are set too high (higher than Oregon's own specs - maybe they are trying to make up for the extra hook?). They do cut well out of the box, but that hook never holds up very well. I like them much better after I have sharpened them a couple of times (and I'm not doing anything fancy with my sharpening, just bringing them into the specs they say to use on their chains).

[Woodcutter_Mo]

The 24" PowerCut chain i ordered for the 372xp came in yesterday. Just looking it over, it's got a clean and consistent grind and feels very sharp out of the box, like the Oregon SpeedCut chains I have for my 024. The profile doesn't exactly fit a round file, but its close and shouldn't be hard to file (providing the metal isn't over hardened like my SpeedCut chains apparently were) . I think I will test it out today.

None of the chains I buy fit a round file profile the first time I sharpen them, but it doesn't take much to change that when I do sharpen them.

My biggest gripe with Oregon LG & LP chain is that ever since they started pushing their "sharp out of the box" advertising, they have been coming with way too much hook on the teeth - and the depth gauges are set too high (higher than Oregon's own specs - maybe they are trying to make up for the extra hook?). They do cut well out of the box, but that hook never holds up very well. I like them much better after I have sharpened them a couple of times (and I'm not doing anything fancy with my sharpening, just bringing them into the specs they say to use on their chains).

Comparing an LGX with the EXL, I can see what you mean with there being alot of hook on the LGX, I hadnt really payed that much attention but I have a loop of LGX on the 455 to compare and the EXL has significantly less. I could see a little difference by the OP's post with the picture comparison but in person I can really see the difference.
 

[Woodcutter_Mo]

 I did some cutting with the PowerCut EXL chain and it seems to be cutting great so far.
Heres another couple pics for comparison if anyone is interested.

EXL PowerCut rear in focus


LGX front in focus

[John Mc]

Comparing an LGX with the EXL, I can see what you mean with there being alot of hook on the LGX, I hadnt really payed that much attention but I have a loop of LGX on the 455 to compare and the EXL has significantly less. I could see a little difference by the OP's post with the picture comparison but in person I can really see the difference.

The LGX chain didn't come that way 5 or so years ago. Was the chain in your photo new out of the box, or had you already sharpened it yourself? Compare to this picture from one of Oregon's brochures with their sharpening instructions. It has nowhere near the beak sticking off that their new chain actually does:


Try putting one of Oregon's depth gauge tools on it, and see if they depth gauges stick up above the tool. Or put a straight edge across a couple of teeth and measure how far down the depth gauges are below the edge. Their specs call for 0.025". Last time I checked it was something like .015-.020" out of the box

[ehp]

been running the EXL chain on the landing , about half way used up now with this chain. Im pretty happy with it . Seems to stay sharp a lot better than the LGX as Im cutting up in sand/mud . I got a couple more new ones but if Im using a husky to cut up with I will be using this chain

[Woodcutter_Mo]

Comparing an LGX with the EXL, I can see what you mean with there being alot of hook on the LGX, I hadnt really payed that much attention but I have a loop of LGX on the 455 to compare and the EXL has significantly less. I could see a little difference by the OP's post with the picture comparison but in person I can really see the difference.

The LGX chain didn't come that way 5 or so years ago. Was the chain in your photo new out of the box, or had you already sharpened it yourself? Compare to this picture from one of Oregon's brochures with their sharpening instructions. It has nowhere near the beak sticking off that their new chain actually does:


Try putting one of Oregon's depth gauge tools on it, and see if they depth gauges stick up above the tool. Or put a straight edge across a couple of teeth and measure how far down the depth gauges are below the edge. Their specs call for 0.025". Last time I checked it was something like .015-.020" out of the box

Both chains are brand new with the factory grind. The LGX hadn't even cut yet. 
 The depth gauge tool I have is a Husqvarna (the little stamped metal tool with the Hardwood slot and Softwood slot) but the LGX depth gauge are just barely above the tool and the EXL are about flush. I'll measure them when I find my feeler gauges and a strait edge.

[OH logger]

ive always been a bigger fan of stihl chain not Oregon. are these new EXL chains as good as stihl chain ?

[ehp]

pretty close so far for me

[OH logger]

pretty close so far for me

thats good news cause they are a fair amount cheaper

[ehp]

I bought a 100 ft roll of this chain yesterday , Its close to the good stihl chain, maybe a touch softer but forsure a lot better than the LGX as far as hardness goes , does not dull as easy

[OH logger]

I bought a 100 ft roll of this chain yesterday , Its close to the good stihl chain, maybe a touch softer but forsure a lot better than the LGX as far as hardness goes , does not dull as easy

cheaper than stihl too aint it??

[ehp]

not here in Canada, I get the stihl chain for about the same price , you guys in the states get chain a lot cheaper than we do

[Woodcutter_Mo]

 So far I am happy with this PowerCut chain, it seems to be holding an edge well and still files pretty easy. There were a couple cutters that were hard to file the first time for some reason but after I filed through the hard outer layer they seemed ok. This also happened on my SpeedCut chains so they have definitely worked on hardening the cutters on the newer chains.