.325 users what yellow tag chains are you using?

Most all my .325 chains are considered 'safety' versions with extra bumpers. Not the ridiculous type, but they aren't yellow tagged either. Wondering if a non-safety will be too grabby in the brush and small limbs? Probably going to try some LGX soon as I found them still available for purchase and are my favs for 3/8. Someday I might feel rich enough to try the RS stuff.

What are you using? Smooth cutting? Hold edge? Easy to re-sharpen?

 

I use the RS. Meets all your criteria. Not sure if the .043 .325P is yellow tagged though. Since I got my 241 my 261 has become a shelf queen. My cutting doesn't often entail cleaning up trees, limbing etc.

Ill buy Stihl chain new, but will use other brands if they come with a saw or in a bulk lot etc. as I rotate quite a few chains on my 20" .375 bars. My Disney cut was killer on chains.

Buy a loop and you'll be pleased.

I don't know what brand of chain it is but whatever was on the little Echo 2511 was very grabby.

 

I got a loop in amazon cart, waiting for them to throw me a bone on it (.375). Been in there a couple years, so not sure if said bone will ever come. I do quite a bit of brushing with my 50s that all wear .325 .050. It won't be worth the increased speed in a buck if it's snagging in the little stuff for me. I do own and use depth gauges. Just had to run a chain this morning. (allegedly the rusty bucker put it into the dirt a bit yesterday) I flat out stink at hand filing the little 3/8lp chains. They are what my pole saw and battery unit use. Don't understand because generally I'm happy with my file work on the bigger stuff.

 

Do you file in the field, on the bar? Im a hand filer myself using the Stihl 2 in 1 for .375 11/64" file, Oregon generic guide for 325 & 325P, 3/16 & 5/32 respectively.

If I'm motivated enough and a chain has hit metal. dirt, rocks etc i'll put it in the vise for more control. Seems to come out better. Admittedly, I'm not religious about checking the rakers on the smaller chains. When a sharp chain doesn't seem to grab even though its sharp I'll give each raker a couple strokes with the flat file.

Ive done the in the cart trick myself. If they don't offer you a deal within a week or two chances are you wont get it.

 

I used to field file. Now mostly in a vise since I got the fancy chain vise to put in a...vise. I'll wait for 2-3 needing done and knock them all out at once. Not needing to have them mounted to a saw changed things for the better. The vise tool is just a simulated bar section essentially. Now I will generally only touch chains if I have to when out & about. Somehow, back when I had no idea what I was doing, I could pull off some great sharpenings on tailgates or in the dirt. I knew almost nothing. When I put them in the wood they'd just go. My two buddies ended up selling their MS311's that they bought because my 350 Hooskie was outrunning them in the cut. I didn't think a whole lot of those saws but I'm guessing that sharpening had a lot to do with the speed of my cuts vs theirs. They let the saw shop tell them what they wanted instead of just figuring it out ahead of time. "Firewood" saws.

I tried the 13/64 files for my .375's. I didn't find any benefit so I went back to 7/32. I don't use a file guide these days. Used to use a Husky flippy one.

 

I said 11/64 but meant 13/64, my bad.

The Stihl 2 in 1 requires 13/64 so the 7/32 wouldn't fit otherwise I'd be using them. Sometimes I'll just free file with no guide.

I have a rechargable Chinese "Dremel" which I used once in the field. I broke all three stones within a half hour as they were so cheap. Didn't really like it. Guess I'm too old school.

I bought a stump vise which I've staked into a scrap 2x10, 2x12 and sharpened on my tailgate. Get a double pronged one as mine is a single.

Yeah its funny how average cutters are amazed how "fast" your chain saw cuts when all it takes is a sharp chain.
Its not brain surgery.

My former 290 at 56cc's seemed underpowered for what it was. Cut a lot of wood with only a 16" bar. Once one uses pro model saws there's no going back.

 

Back a pile of years ago I did a back to back with 325 and 3/8 on 2 different saws. They were very close but 3/8 took the speed advantage. 325 cuts smoother for sure.
Most of the 325 I had was Stihl RS. I finally gave that saw to my sone so I’m 100% 3/8 now. It just simplifies grinding.

 

Other than a stint with the husky tool, I've always done free hand. Consistency is the biggest downfall for me. Sometimes I will sharpen a chain and it ends up not 'hungry' at all, even when everything looks like it should be to my eye. I started with a Top Handle and quickly moved on to the 350. Ran it from 01ish to 2014. (can't remember exactly when I got it) I had picked up the Jonsered in 2014 which was the main use saw for a year or so until I bought the 550. My woodcutting began picking up speed in the early 2000s.

I do own one of the Pferd guide file thingies....can't recall where I put it. From what I remember it did a nice job.

I tried not to rub it in too hard that my little orange saw was out working their new 'big' Stihls. I wouldn't have been able to make a good recommendation to them I don't think at the time...ignorant. I do know that I used to ogle the 357s & 359s when I'd go to the saw shop to get stuff. I can clearly remember thinking '$700...for a saw??' bahaha Back when you could buy a running car for that money.

 

Sprocket diameter gives a little more fps to the 3/8. I find that stock 50cc saws lack the grunt needed to pull like I'm used to with 3/8. Or at least on the one I tried it on. Turned a simple fall into an almost disaster (my bumbling helped). Soured me a bit. That's why my 6100 has a Husky bar. It was the small mount I used for experimentation on the 550. Nope, not for me. Won't ever tell anyone not to use it though. We all like what we like.

 

Helps that mine are all ported.

 

Muff modded pro saws are all the higher my tolerance is for. To be honest, when I get my chains sharp and the screws turned right I have never thought of any of mine to be 'slow'. My favorite saw is not at all fast. It could be tuned to spin a bit more and I could grind the transfer covers but I *really like the power characteristics as they are. Engagement is butter. Will take minute throttle inputs and transfer to subtle chain movement. Seems happy to run and cut anywhere in the throttle. Fits perfectly with my 'finesse' approach to sawing. I get on with the Echo for same reason. It's got some butt down low where my 550 is a scream fest. 550 is 'fast', but has to be run that way...high strung even for 50ccs.

 

I have always used yellow.325 and I like it aggressive. 16” bar so it’s easy to polish up.
The Pferd 3n1 made it even easier

 

Interesting. I often file in my vise but its just a normal harbor freight vise. What setup are you using?

 

Mike's Chain Vise. Only place/way I know to get them is to PM Homelite410 on OPEforum. He literally makes them. Mine is similar to this one. One of the best tools I have ever bought. I think I paid $120. Might be a little more these days.

Edit: Here is Mike's email addy... [email protected]

 

Fastest cutting round chain out of the box is hands down 23RS nano, which works fine with a non nano bar. 3690 005 0072 just change the last number to the number of drive links you need, and the second number to the appropriate gauge bar.

 

I need to get/make one of those. I never did like filing a chain right on the saw. The idea of having a small pile of tiny metal filings coating the chain you just sharpened, and sending that into the cut always made me cringe.

 

I like how Stihl RS holds an edge better than anything else I've tried. If not for the price I'd have more of it, but I'm always looking for deals on it either used or open box on eBay. My only running saw right now that uses 0.325 is my Jonsered 2150, and for that I bought a 100' roll of Oregon LGX, which means I won't be buying any more 0.325 for a long time to come. Considering how little I actually go through 0.325, rather than buying a roll of LGX I would've bought either a few loops of RS or a partial roll of it.

 

The only .325" pitch chains I use is Husky H21. Which IIRC, is Oregon 21LPX. It's chisel but has the bumpers. It's pretty smooth.

I've thought about trying C35 or 25RS chains. But I have 10 or so H21 chains that are in great shape and will probably last me the rest of my life at the rate I cut and sharpen.

NYH1.

 

Valid point, but isnt it inevitable metal filings are getting on/in the chain whether on the bar or not? Grinding with a wheel going fast lessens this I imagine.

 

Grinding "swarf" as it's called is extremely small bits of metal mixed with broken down tiny pieces of grinding wheel. Although it's technically abrasive, it's much finer than metal filings produced with a round file. I always wash my chains after sharpening them, before putting them back on the saw. That way none of the grit gets cycled into the bar groove or fresh teeth on the chain. This is just me being fussy though, and it comes from years of dealing with critical surface finishes and assembling things without contaminates for a living. This is all only a firewood fetish after all; we're not putting people 30,000 feet into the air. Different world...