I know cheaper may very well be cheaper, but I just bought a Stihl chain for my MS261 e/w an 18" bar and it was ~$37.00. It is not like I am in some kind of production, just need replacement chains. My usual is not to stop and resharpen while on a sawing job, just stick a sharp one on and go. I have a "2 in 1" plus the saw shop will resharpen them for $4.
What I bought was: 3639 005 0074. I don't mind ordering online, but I don't want to order the wrong one. I am not brand sensitive, just want it to fit.
I found a local store that sells Stihl chains for a buy 2 get 1 free deal. It is called Grebes and they have everything from appliances (just bought a new washing machine, that's how I found the deal) to kitchen and cooking supplies to power equipment. Not sure if they do mail order but you might look into it.
Well, once I switched from Oregon LPX over the X-cut (husky) I just bought from my dealer and didn't care what it cost (within reason of course), but then he retired closing the last local saw shop we had. I try to buy the chains I need for the year at the Boonville show in August. But I messed up last year and when I needed a new chain for my 18" .325 bar, I had none. I have spares for all my other combos, but was missing that one. So I just got on Ebay and started price shopping. A husky OEM chain is just that, and with no dealer to support, I don't really care who I buy it from (as long as it isn't amazon) I will still get the same chain. So I got one for about $20 bucks that will last me quite a while. In August I will do a more proper inventory so that I can buy a year's supply at Boonville this year and get squared away. I like to have at least and extra new chain for each setup, but for 20" I like two. I don't swap chains unless I have an issue. I put a chain on and sharpen it until it's done on that saw, then replace it and save the take-off for a root chain..
I keep a tool bag that is just spare parts and tools for saws and when I open it, it looks like a mini Husky warehouse. ffcheesy
I think Oregon should be cheaper.
Or they are for me.
But I don't use Oregon.
I did for years.
Then a small dealer turned me on to a Sthil RS chain. Cost more but I can sharpen it better.
What I mean by better is, I can hit a rock with it and put the saw on the ground and sharpen the chain on the ground. I can get it back to where it was before I hit the rock.
With Oregon it takes about 3-4 filing to get it back and then by that time I have hit another rock.
I am claiming back fields and I cut my stumps very low, into dirt at times.
So paying the extra money is worth it too me.
In fact I just had to put an Oregon chain on. Made me realize why I spend the extra money. the auto parts store I work at sell Oregon, but after using that chain a few times, it made up my mind to go back to Sthil.
I know your situation is different.
I like WoodlandPro(Carlton) chain from Baileys. Not as much as Stihl, but if I had to pay list price like you are, that's what I'd use. I got a couple reels from ebay pretty cheap, and my newer dealer is reasonable on chain, so I buy Stihl. I'd suggest looking at different local dealers, and trying a chain from Baileys. It isn't an expensive gamble.
I have had good luck with Forester branded chain for several years now. No idea who makes it but it's a quality product.
I only use a couple of chains per year so it's not going to make me go broke, but I did suffer from a bit of sticker shock. :shocked2: I went to Bailey's and was overwhelmed by the options. I suppose that I should have allowed the online helper to help. :uhoh:
If the part# you gave was correct, this is what Baileys gives using their selector...
https://www.baileysonline.com/selectors/chainsaw-chain-selector.html?find=stihl-ms-261-18---45cm---325--063---1-6mm--chisel-134927&sid=WyHLrf5oTV
They have 10packs of WoodlandPro on sale, but you might want to try a single loop before committing to any quantity. These are the specs of the chain you linked, and can be compared to other brand chains...
Drive links - 74
Pitch - .325
Gauge - .063
Cutter type - full chisel
The first 3 specs are hard requirements. Any chain you get must match those to work. The cutter type is more flexible, and can be adjusted per preference and work type.
Thank You. I read the part# directly from the box so it has to be correct. :thumbsup:
Using the above information I found one on eBay for $15.07 with free shipping. We shall see and I am sure "China". :uhoh:
I've had 0% luck with Chinese chains. I've gotten them on used/found saws, and on other people's saws. Every one had hardness issues where some teeth/rakers were hard as diamonds, and at least one had weird geometry, where it looked like the designer went off a verbal description and a pencil sketch to design the chain.
Yup, I risked 15 bucks just for giggles. The "brand name" was Longer.
I am presently dealing with some side distractions that are causing me to have too much idle time. Hopefully I can regain my sawing schedule next week and not think about such stuff.
With customers and tailgunners trimming logs with my chainsaw, they will hit dirt and muddy logs without a clue. It's quicker for me to replace a dull chain and drop it off at the saw shop for resharpening.
If you do a lot of dirty wood, you might want to consider semichisel instead of full chisel chain. It'll hold a cutting edge longer, though really filthy wood will still dull it fast.
There's nothing wrong with your process regarding chains, especially given their usage and the shop doing the sharpening. If you do get hard teeth, you will never even know it. You focus on getting the job done for production and time is money, not to mention working hours lost while sharpening.
I used to get mine done by a local old guy that only did sharpening, but I found I only got 3 to 4 resaharps and it was done. He would just let the machine go. That got expensive replacing chains. Since I now hand sharpen, I am a lot more careful, get better cutting, and better control and am more particular on the chain type/brand. It also takes time, but its time that I have. But my application is very different. I have also found working on my skill level helps make a chain go a long way by not hitting dirt, which means better bucking practices. I still get the occasional piece of shale that is growing up inside a stump and you can't do anything about that.
You gotta refine a technique that works for you and stick with it.
Quote from: lxskllr on May 23, 2024, 09:46:09 AMIf you do a lot of dirty wood, you might want to consider semichisel instead of full chisel chain.
Yes, I read that while I was searching.
My help is generally clueless so I watch the chips and listen to the saw when I can and get the chain replaced.
Quote from: lxskllr on May 23, 2024, 07:58:04 AMIf the part# you gave was correct, this is what Baileys gives using their selector...
https://www.baileysonline.com/selectors/chainsaw-chain-selector.html?find=stihl-ms-261-18---45cm---325--063---1-6mm--chisel-134927&sid=WyHLrf5oTV
They have 10packs of WoodlandPro on sale, but you might want to try a single loop before committing to any quantity. These are the specs of the chain you linked, and can be compared to other brand chains...
Drive links - 74
Pitch - .325
Gauge - .063
Cutter type - full chisel
The first 3 specs are hard requirements. Any chain you get must match those to work. The cutter type is more flexible, and can be adjusted per preference and work type.
I have been running Woodlandpro chain for years and have had very good luck with it. I run semi chisel as we have more than our share of dirt around here. I just ordered some ten packs during the sale. I like Stihl chain saws but not paying there price for chains.
I get my chain at the local coop, which is also the Stihl/Husqvarna dealer.
The pricing on a single chain is about what you saw.
They have deals where if you buy a certain number the price drops dramatically.
I bought 7 chains at 1/2 price. Now that I've gotten better at sharpening them (thanks to you guys) I should be good for a long time.
Cheap sawchain never seemed like a financial winner for me. While running my arborist bussiness I always carried multiple freshly sharpened chains for each saw. Time was money, and much quicker to flip a chain than to take the time to file, especially on da long bars. Also could quickly switch to a mostly used up chain for stump flushing or wood that was saturated with metal. Filing was mostly reserved for evenings or rain days in da shop.
I have no idea whether it is any good or not but:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_5811.JPG)
The cheap chain came today, $16.07 delivered and at least it is the correct size. That is $21 less than the new Stihl chain that I just put on the MS261 so this one will have to wait a bit.
I haven't had good luck with cheap chain either. I've always ran Oregon and Stihl, Stihl chain definitely stays sharp better. I waffle back and forth whether it is worth the extra money😊
Member Gearbox likes Tri-link brand chain that they sell at the local fleet store. He said it is almost too hard to file. Maybe I should try a loop.
What would a proven Oregon chain cost that same size magic? I use mostly 24" Oregon EXL chain and I think it's about $20 now. Used to be $15
That is a legitimate question. I have never used anything other than Stihl chains and I experienced a bit of sticker shock when the new chain was $37.
I never considered an option and the saw shop has Oregon chains. It's not like I use many chains so the cheaper question was more out of curiosity. I am not necessarily a cheapskate, but I suppose that I do qualify as a penny pincher.
I always pay with a CC because I get Cabela's Points, but when the shop started charging 3.5% for CC use, I now pay with cash.
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Quote from: Old Greenhorn on May 22, 2024, 08:39:45 PMI put a chain on and sharpen it until it's done on that saw, then replace it and save the take-off for a root chain..
Aye Aye. That's a perfect approach.
That's exactly what I do, simple stuff works best for a simple guy.
I have also tried Forester chain and found it to hold an edge quite well, or maybe I'm just good at keeping it out of dirt??? I don't know, but it seems decent out of the box, with not a lot of vibration. I like it a lot for what it is, but still prefer Oregon.
From my perspective Stihl RS Is a better choice for chains .It costs more but it seems to last longer .Actually it's very seldom I need to replace a chain due to the fact I must have 40-50 loops hanging on nails ready to go .I recently bought two 16" loops of .325 for the little 3 cube saws .One Stihl one and one Oregon both from E-bay .Price $28 and $26 respectfully but those will last me 3-4 years or more .
I cut alot of little stuff like 6-8 inch wind blown dead ash .Doesn't need split but often has dirt on the bottom which will dull a chain .So it's a file every tank full which takes 5 minutes .Some say I should use semi chisel and some suggest carbide but I'll keep my chisel and just use the file more often .
I won't mention the name but a number of years ago a one time sponsor of this forum sold a "house chain " which I think was rebranded Carlton .$10 for a 72 driver .375 chisel .You get what you paid for and it was not a bargain .I think that chain was recycled paint cans and rusty nails .The deal right there plus they started back ordering things and they stopped sponsoring this forum I no longer do business with them .
Yeah I tried one of those chains once too Al, they were so soft I thought maybe they were copper or something😬
I like the Stihl chain, too. It definitely holds an edge better.
Al, educate me on a thought I've been having. The standard chain construction is an unhardened cutter, with a chrome plating. My understanding is that this is so it is soft enough to file, and the chrome forms the cutting edge. Has anyone ever made a hardened cutter, like hard enough a file can't cut it?
What gets me wondering this is going from sawchain to band blades. Band saw blades are hardened so the teeth are too hard to cut with a file- they need to be machine ground. Being I machine grind most of my sawchain as well, why not some hardened teeth.
I ask this realizing that I am prone to ideas that sound great but are actually terrible😂
How would you sharpen it in the field, it would likely require a grinder with a pricey diamond wheel. Stihl and Oregon make good chain, with frequent touch ups with a file they will last a long time and they are not expensive.
I've found this .On Stihl chain that at least to me is harder a less aggresive file works better than a fast cut .I have some I bought years ago from that company I no longer purchase from but I forgot exactly what that was .Could be "save edge " ?Like a standard Oregon file it doesn't take long to get the file so clogged up and bent teeth it will not hardly cut .Who ever makes the files for Stihl seem to do better than Oregon .
Now chrome ! I have some older Oregon chain that has no chrome just blued cutters .It holds up okay So I think it has more to do with the steel alloy is used to make the chain .Carbide would be okay if you are cutting through roofing but not as well cutting standard old firewood .Besides that even if you had diamond files of some form it would take you longer to file just one cutter than an entire loop of a standard chain .
Now as usual a story .Trotted into the one Stihl dealer I use of about 5 or 6 in the area to buy a 14" loop of 3/8" pico RS for a Stihl 200T .The counter lady,a teenager tried to sell me a loop of carbide .The owner over heard the conversation and broke out in laughter .He said in quiet conversation ,hon that guy can file a chain faster than we could grind one , he knows me very well . ffcool
I'll weigh in here just to say this" All (reputable) saw chain teeth are heat treated. It's something manufacturers don't talk about because they keep their processes close to the vest on that technique. Almost for certain there are two different heat treats on each cutter tooth, one for the top plate and one for the link section.
When I work in industrial fasteners we have plants that made millions of pop rivets. Most folks don't know that a (quality) pop rivet has two or three different heat treat values in the pin itself. The end that gets gripped is pretty hard, as it the opposite ends, while the section that is intended to be the break point has a very different hardness so it always breaks in the spot spot and under the right load.
The pins were dumped in a shaker hopper that lined them all up and dropped them in a hanging conveyor by the head, they would traveled at a fairly good speed and each heat treating element, either inductive or pinpoint torch tip would hit each pin at the right spot as it went by. This system would do more pins in a minute than I could count. I would imagine they do something similar with saw chain teeth.
Steel alloy selection for such teeth would also likely be considered proprietary by most. It's complicated. Softer malleable steel is required to do the stamping process without forming cracks, but that material state is much too soft for a cutting edge, so they need to be annealed to remove stamping stresses, then heat treated at at least to tooth area to hold an edge. How much to do each is always the question and when a compnay figures it out, they are unlikely to share it. ffcheesy
I didn't mean to suggest that the chains aren't heat treated. Like OG says, there is probably a lot of different heat treating values in play.
We accept without much fuss that we can't hand file a bandsaw blade because the teeth are hardened to beyond what a file can cut. I'd just like a saw chain that the teeth are heat treated to the same hardness. I don't care if I can touch them up in the field, I can just swap another chain on.
I guess I could just get heavy handed with the grinder and blue the teeth on a whole chain and try it out😁
I will throw my un professional 2 cents in . Most of my life Stihl was known as the superior chain. I have now used Stihl , Oregon , and husky xcut.
IMHO the Husky X cut is the best bang for your buck. They aren't that much different then Stihl chains and almost half the price.
As for Oregon , after trying several of their chains , I have nothing good to say about them. They shouldn't even be considered cheap seeing as how you go through a chain way faster. Soft garbage is the best way I can think of summing their chains up.
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I knew q guy that bought one. He said no, never again. Too expensive plus as was just mentioned, slightly dull is still dull and sharpening was not an easy task.
Quote from: Magicman on May 22, 2024, 05:32:41 PMI just bought a Stihl chain for my MS261 e/w an 18" bar and it was ~$37.00.
I pay around $20 cdn for a Stihl chain for my 261 / 16" bar.
The dealer is a 40 min drive away but I enjoy the drive and get to have a short visit with a old friend/ classmate.
So last weekend I was near his cottage and he always says to stop by so I did, we were talking about business stuff so I asked him why he gives people such a good deal on chain. He said " I could charge more for chain and sell less chain and make the same amount of money on chain OR give a good deal on chain and sell more chain make the same amount of money on chain but have a lot more traffic in the shop and while people are in the shop they buy other stuff like mix oil, chain oil, files, safety gear, saws.... so I end up making more money and now I sell enough chain that I probably make more money on chain too.
He was naming off places that people come from to get chain some were an hour and a half drive away so it seems to work.
That is a good business strategy. :thumbsup:
That's more or less what I do. I drive a long distance and pass many stihl dealers on the way to the dealer I like. His prices are great, it's a real sawshop and not a lawn and garden center, and he's a nice knowledgeable guy. Also, though it's a long drive, it's pleasant. The locals would have to step up their game faaar above what they're doing now(not gonna happen) to get me to shop around here.
All of the Stihl Duro chain I looked at, is carbide.
Quote from: Hilltop366 on August 08, 2024, 09:55:32 AMQuote from: Magicman on May 22, 2024, 05:32:41 PMI just bought a Stihl chain for my MS261 e/w an 18" bar and it was ~$37.00.
I pay around $20 cdn for a Stihl chain for my 261 / 16" bar.
The dealer is a 40 min drive away but I enjoy the drive and get to have a short visit with a old friend/ classmate.
So last weekend I was near his cottage and he always says to stop by so I did, we were talking about business stuff so I asked him why he gives people such a good deal on chain. He said " I could charge more for chain and sell less chain and make the same amount of money on chain OR give a good deal on chain and sell more chain make the same amount of money on chain but have a lot more traffic in the shop and while people are in the shop they buy other stuff like mix oil, chain oil, files, safety gear, saws.... so I end up making more money and now I sell enough chain that I probably make more money on chain too.
He was naming off places that people come from to get chain some were an hour and a half drive away so it seems to work.
Holy cow that is a great price. Last time I bought two 18" stihl chains it came to $52 cdn for each one.
Yes it is a good price.
I pay about $32 each for a sthil chain.
Check out saw salvage.com. 3 pack of 24inch 82 dl 50 gauge for 36 dollars I think. Tried it just for giggles but have been pleasantly surprised
25 years ago a 16" loop of sthil chain cost $10.50 at the saw shop I still use today. One time I brought my saw in for service and the lady asked me if I wanted them to sharpen the chain. I asked " how much does it cost?" She said $10.00. I said "I can buy a new chain for $10.50, why would I spend $10.00 to have one sharpened?"
Three and a half years ago when prices for everything started going up fast I bought enough chainsaw chains and sawmill blades to last me four years. As it turns out the saw blades have not gone up very much but the chains have. Also, the chains and blades I bought to last me four years will last me six, so I am in good shape.
I have my neighbor the chainsaw carver sharpen my chains. He uses a hand file and gets them sharper than new. He is the best.
I buy stihl chain by 20 chains at a time from the dealer, Stihl makes the chain I guess to sell to their dealers so dealers do not have to make chain out of a roll of chain, $500 a box so $25 a chain and that is for 72 drivers and $550 a box for 84 drivers in 3/8's chisel
Quote from: jwade on November 12, 2024, 12:24:56 PMCheck out saw salvage.com. 3 pack of 24inch 82 dl 50 gauge for 36 dollars I think. Tried it just for giggles but have been pleasantly surprised
I came to suggest same strongly. I have run it in dry hard dirty desert wood and it's good. Other chinese chain no good.
https://www.sawsalvage.co/products/the-dukes-professional-3-pack-full-chisel-chainsaw-chain?variant=44566188556506
Quote from: Hilltop366 on August 08, 2024, 09:55:32 AMSo last weekend I was near his cottage and he always says to stop by so I did, we were talking about business stuff so I asked him why he gives people such a good deal on chain. He said " I could charge more for chain and sell less chain and make the same amount of money on chain OR give a good deal on chain and sell more chain make the same amount of money on chain but have a lot more traffic in the shop and while people are in the shop they buy other stuff like mix oil, chain oil, files, safety gear, saws.... so I end up making more money and now I sell enough chain that I probably make more money on chain too.
That's exactly what I did. Sold tons of chain. I was afraid someone would catch on and do the same thing. But nope, rest of the dealers, particularly the Stihl guys, wanted to sell at list. In addition to what your friend said about store traffic, I think the focus should be on the volume users. The guys that load up on chain at logging shows and such. The woodsman field days in Boonville, ny was always a big draw for logging and tree service pros. So our approach was "Boonville all year". Owned the market down here, and I never had to stand in a dusty or muddy tent for 3 hot days in August. ffsmiley
Posted in wrong thread. Deleted here and reposting in correct thread.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7068.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357324)
I bought this Milwaukee "Hatchet" last week with the intended purpose for my tailgunners to shorten stickers to length. Knowing that they occasionally hit dirt, etc. and dull chains, I decided to order a spare chain so that I would not have to stop and resharpen. One Milwaukee chain was $24.97 plus tax from Home Depot.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_7095.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357422)
I found this 3 pack (German?) online for $19.26 including tax and free shipping.
Don't know how good they are but I though they would be worth the try. ??