Stihl Chain

[CabinFever]

So I recently posted about purchasing a stihl ms 461 soon.  I am not too familiar with different chains and such.  Would anyone  mind sharing some basics about chain and what I should running. (pros and cons of different chains)  I will be cutting mostly oak.

Thanks,

Daniel

[sawguy21]

Your dealer will likely recommend 33RS, 3/8 pitch, .050 gauge semi chisel. This is a good all around chain suitable for clean wood. If you are bucking where dirt and sand may be an issue you may want 33RM, round top chipper chain. It is not as aggressive as RS but tends to hold an edge better in less than ideal conditions.

[Greyhound]

Your dealer will likely recommend 33RS, 3/8 pitch, .050 gauge semi chisel. This is a good all around chain suitable for clean wood. If you are bucking where dirt and sand may be an issue you may want 33RM, round top chipper chain. It is not as aggressive as RS but tends to hold an edge better in less than ideal conditions.

That's exactly right  Just keep it sharp, no matter what chain you use.

[49er]

I prefer .063 gauge on long bars. I use both chisel and semi. I have used Stilh chain but I think the price is a rip off. I really like my 28inch ESlite bar. It is lighter than a 24inch standard bar.

[DonnerParty]

The saw will likely come with 3/8 .050, unless another size chain is the standard for loggers in your area. I run 3/8 .050 on almost everything. Stihl bars are great and are comparable with pricing from other companies. Stihl chain is expensive, but I have found it to hold up better and stretch a lot less during heavy use, which is worth the extra $ for me.

As mentioned above, RS is full chisel. Cuts great, but slows down immediately when it loses its leading point, so you have to keep it sharp. It's pretty much the standard for pros, so is easy to find.

RM is semi chisel. Can sometimes be better when you are cutting a lot of dirty wood, but I don't like its performance, in general, and it's often tough to find in longer loops.

Any sharp chain will outcut any other style chain that is dull. Learn to sharpen properly, if you don't already know how. Buy one of the Stihl plates that holds a round file; it will give you the proper hook and has an angle guide on the top so you can visually keep track of your cutter angle. Use a protractor and keep your depth gauges around 6 degrees down from the leading cutter edge.