Haven’t seen much information on this chain from users here in the US. Anyone find it here and using it? Thoughts? Thanks!
Hope I’m not stepping on forum toes here . But, there is a thread over in the chain sub forum of OPE . My personal 2 centavos …. If I really want something faster than round filed/ ground chain , I’ll go with square . But, it is interesting to see the recent changes in cutter geometry …. X Cut , EXL ,HEXA ,etc.
I don't think it's a problem at all. This was the original: Stihl Hexa file and sawchain Stihl Hexa chain
Just more marketing bs. I have all round chain and it is way faster than the chains their demo videos and ads. Any (truly) sharp chain will cut faster than any chain that is not in tip top shape. I keep mine razor sharp and swap chains when they start slowing down, then grind at home. All it takes is a light touch with the wheel and they are ready to go again. I bet I can get at least 20 grinds on a chain If I don't hit anything.
I read somewhere that the HEXA chain would be easier for a (new) filer to learn than round? Don’t know if that’s true or not, might be just marketing bs to sell it to new chainsaw users. I’m pretty happy with round filed/ground but always interested in others who might be using the new fangled stuff I have not seen it in any dealers around here though.
since the file has a flat bottom to rest on the chain, it should be easier to learn, but nobody around here has it. I grind my chains deeper and they end up looking like hexa anyway, so maybe I've been ahead of them for a while?
I’ve been thinking about the Hexa chain myself but can’t help but wonder what I could get out of the ~dozen chains I already have if I square ground them. I’m not a huge fan of hand filing so a rig like the one in this video seems to fit the bill for me.
Square filed or ground is/was a game changer for me. It cuts much smoother, it's faster and is more durable than round. Filing it isn't easy to learn and the files are expensive. I see hexa as a sort of middle ground. It gives that true chisel profile on the top plate, which is more durable than a concave or hollow grind (which essentially leaves less material at the working edge). And the user doesn't have a bunch of angles to worry about. In my mind though, that steep angle of the side plate can make chains grabby if the depth gauges are lowered too much. And if you notice, most factory chains have compound grinds. Very hard to recreate. Here you can see the profile is not perfectly round. Here Stihl RS. I have seen some guys create that hexa-like profile with a round grinder by completely taking the round profile of the wheel to the bottom of the gullet: (borrowed pic from another thread here on fhc) That looks to me like it would suck the power right out of your saw, making it grabby and too aggressive cutting but it is similar to hexa.
I've tried some newer mousetraps. Seem to work just like the originals still do. All I really ask of chainmakers is to get the temper correct on their cutter teeth. If they really want to help me out they can work on driving down costs on existing products instead of making new more expensive ones.
Put it on today for a big dry ash. I knew there would be lots of noodling. Other than having to tighten it a few times I thought it cut very good. Will I buy another one? Maybe.
It looks like the side plate is 55° according to the picture above and my on screen protractor. Pretty dang close to what I'm running with my deeper grind.
farmer steve Did you like the chips it threw? Pretty smooth compared to round ground? I guess how it holds up and the ease of filing will tell you more with additional use.
I thought it cut a bit smoother than regular chain. Not sure about the chips but the noodles were pretty big.
