3/4 bar on Fabtek Head Chain Binding in Wood

[c greenham]

The chain cuts about two to three inches then binds. 

 

[Firewoodjoe]

It's not sharpened straight or the bar is junk. But I run the bars pretty bad. How are you sharpening it? And you have to maintain pressure on the feed wheels. Of which it should when you cut but bro g older style maybe not. 

[c greenham]

File the chain just like a chain saw chain. 

[Firewoodjoe]

Me too. That's fine but it has to be almost perfect. A chainsaw moves around cause it's a loose power head. That processer saw is fixed so it will stop when it starts to cut crooked. You have one side to aggressive. Are you using 5/16 files? 

[c greenham]

I have not long owned this unit, I have not sharpen the chain yet. 

I will look tomorrow, do you have any tips on sharpening the chain. 

[Firewoodjoe]

Sitting in the machine I tip the head so the saw is on your right side.  Open the feed wheels all the way and sit it on them. Watch your hoses. Shut machine off. Get out pull the bar all the way out/up then sharpen. You have to have a feel for hand sharpening like anything. Mostly to deep in the guilt and it will cut harder on that side. Causing it to walk. Then bind. 

[BargeMonkey]

How much hand filing time do you have ? Doing 3/4 by hand is asking to donate blood. I do all mine on a grinder with a borzon / CBN wheel. 

[mike_belben]

Make sure the bar rails are even height and especially have not spread.  The bar guage has to fit the driver side plates pretty close or the chain keels over on the bar and the kerf drifts out of the bar's plane, binding every time.  

I had a bar that couldnt buck a single piece of firewood.  I built a rail closer, spent an hour fitting it nicely, and now mill flat lumber with it. 

[BargeMonkey]

I clean all my 3/4 bars up with a Dewalt 20V grinder, get the side burr off, do the rail then clean the side off again quick. 
 I tend to leave my drags a bit higher on 3/4 with cutting HW. I've seen barely worn 3/4 off a firewood processor that looked good but was ran hard and stopped out, you get a chain that's trashed they do fly. Typically I will fix a decent chain 1x, after that it gets made into a slasher chain. 

[Firewoodjoe]

How much hand filing time do you have ? Doing 3/4 by hand is asking to donate blood. I do all mine on a grinder with a borzon / CBN wheel.

Why? I buy the Oregon 5/16 files and have zero trouble. Just like a chainsaw. I sharpen left and right handed though. A new chain sucks at first because it's initially done by a grinder and you have to fit it to a file. But it's fast and will cut hard maple with entire bar buried. I've sharpened one down to nubs where teeth were breaking off. 

[BargeMonkey]

It can be done, I've done it. Typically I'm cutting uphill and ROCK. I may change 1 chain in 5 hrs, may do 4 in 8hrs. My head also doesn't tip to make it real friendly. 5mins change a chain and go, I carry 8-10 chains, take out what's dull on the skidder at the end of the day. 

[Firewoodjoe]

Yeah I could see where the head not tipping would not work to hand sharpen. In this snow and hard maple I sharpen every 20 +\- cord. And I'm guessing 1500-2000 cord I've used two tips. Same two bars and show lots of life left. There almost $400 but these bars a crazy tough compared to a 3/8". I actually think I spend less money with 3/4" than I did with the chainsaws. 

[BargeMonkey]

I actually think I spend less money with 3/4" than I did with the chainsaws.

☝ you tell that to people and they think your crazy. I'm not as fast as a hotsaw but I'm not swinging a 6-8k lb head and I'm probably less than 5gal an hr. 

[moodnacreek]

Any chainsaw that is mounted, not hand held, can not cut a curve. It will go in a ways and stop. Like everyone says either one side is out cutting the other or the chain is not square on the bar rails.

[c greenham]

Found out the problem the bar was bowed not much maybe an 1/8.  Pressed it out with a shop press it cuts awesome now. 

Thanks for your help. 

[Corley5]

 8) 8)