I bought my first chain saw in almost 20 years.
It's a 16" Craftsman 12 amp electric chain saw.
I tried one of those really big ones years ago and liked it but was never able to get any gas powered chain saw to work worth a darn and so I got rid of them. I had a need so I bought this electric one. I looked for the highest powered one I could find at Lowes. Didn't shop anywhere else or even look into them. I had a short need and if it didn't work so well it was only for this one project.
MAN WAS I EVER SURPRISED. This works so much better than any one I've ever known with a gas engine on it. I have cut so much more stuff than I originally intended and my Quarantine project has really grown.
But I have no idea how long a blade is supposed to last, how you take care of them and do they ever quit stretching.
How do you know when you need a new one? Are there certain styles or brands that cut better and last longer?
I can see that soon I will run out of adjustment room due to the stretching. Is that the time to get a new one?
The time to get a new one is now. That way when you twist it by pinching it, or dull it by hitting dirt, or stretch it by tightening it too much, or wear it by running it dry, you'll have the new one ready to install. The time to put it on is when you get ticked off at the old one.
Oh, electric chain saws are a very effective application of the torque capability of an electric motor vs. a gas engine. They're also capable of chewing right through the safety chaps that would stall a gas saw.
That's about all I've got. A couple of weeks ago, I took the chain off of my electric pole saw to clean under the drive pulley, and it wouldn't cut after I replaced it, so I'm obviously no expert.
One interesting thing in the instructions was that it said to use vegetable oil if you were cutting down trees instead of just chopping up downed trees.
So Canola or Corn oil?
I actually have been using vegetable oil and watching the blade carefully. It appears to be well oiled and doesn't get as junky looking with the vegetable oil
I had one small tree and 3 limbs that needed to be dropped, but I've dropped about 12 trees and uncountable large limbs in the past 2 days. Now my back hurts
I've never stretched a chain. I've worn teeth down to nubs, run chains dry for years on end because couldn't get the oil cap off, even bent a bar, but actually stretching a chain, let alone past what the adjuster can make up? Never.
I don't know whether to be impressed by the saws capability or concerned for your safety over crap build quality.
In reply to RevRico :
Every chain saw I've ever used the chain stretches.
This one cuts good, but need adjusting regularly. Fortunately this model makes that easy. That's one thing I liked about this one and actually was the deciding factor on this one versus the other brands.
I've cut hundreds of cords of firewood over the last 25 years, and I've never seen a chain stretch more than a few mm. Are you sure you have the bar torqued down enough? Other than that, the three most important factors are sharpening, sharpening and sharpening. Not only will a sharp chain cut more easily, but a properly sharpened chain will cut straighter. Normally I'd say sharpen after two tanks of gas, but for electrics let's say every hour of cutting, or after every time you hit soil or rocks. And don't neglect to file the rakers. There are lots of videos online to help.
if you're not confident in your sharpening skills, try one of these https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/filing-tools/2in1file/. It looks like a gimmick, but it works stunningly well and makes perfect sharpening a snap.
NOT A TA said:
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:
Oh, electric chain saws are a very effective application of the torque capability of an electric motor vs. a gas engine. They're also capable of chewing right through the safety chaps that would stall a gas saw.
That's about all I've got. A couple of weeks ago, I took the chain off of my electric pole saw to clean under the drive pulley, and it wouldn't cut after I replaced it, so I'm obviously no expert.
Chain on backward?
I don't think so, but it makes sense. I'll check.
In reply to carguy123 :
Learn to sharpen your blade, it's not complicated especially if you buy the tools to do so now.
Keep refilling chain oil in the saw.
Don't run the saw in dirt. if you hit dirt resharpen right away.
If you hit something that dulls the blade ( ingrown bolt or porcelain ) Re sharpen the blade immediately and move well away from that area to cut further.
realize that frequently when the chainsaw blade stretches it's also time to replace the guide bar. Worn sloppy chain bars slow a cut and add risk of snapping the chain
All I can say is don't run it into the ground. And I mean that literally- I think my chain was ruined when I cut the roots of a tree I was trying to get out of the ground.
Other than that, WRT maintaining it- IMHO one should balance the cost of what it takes to sharpen it (plus the time) vs. the cost of a new chain.
Turboeric said:
if you're not confident in your sharpening skills, try one of these https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/filing-tools/2in1file/. It looks like a gimmick, but it works stunningly well and makes perfect sharpening a snap.
I second that, but Pferd has the same thing for about $20 cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/Pferd-17301Pferd-Chain-Sharp-Filing/dp/B003M4LGPE/ref=psdc_9425917011_t3_B002V9X7H6.
I imagine they were making it for Stihl then the exclusive for them ran out and they started selling it under their brand. It looks exactly the same and both made in Germany.
Just echoing Turboeric. Those sharpeners are just about idiot proof, compared to the loose files I learned to sharpen with. The bench mounted electric files remove too much material.
I've used saws since I was high school aged on my folks' farm, then went to work for the NPS in college, where they put me through their S-212 Widldand Fire Chainsaw training. I scoffed at the idea, but believe it or not, I actually learned some things.
[Soapbox]
I can't express how important chaps are, I never used them until the NPS made me, and that first summer I witnessed 2x accidents, one of which I'm 99.999% sure would have been fatal were it not for the chaps. We were so far out in the boonies, there's no way we could have kept the dude from bleeding out before getting help, were it not for his chaps. Thanks to the chaps, he only needed a few stitches.
As Floating Doc has already mentioned, electric chainsaws are a whole different animal, and require electric saw rated chaps. My advice, put the saw down, and don't use it again until you've got a set of chaps on. Hopefully you wear a seatbelt when driving, if so, you should treat your chaps the same, put them on before using your saw.
[/Soapbox]
Turboeric said:
I've cut hundreds of cords of firewood over the last 25 years, and I've never seen a chain stretch more than a few mm. Are you sure you have the bar torqued down enough? Other than that, the three most important factors are sharpening, sharpening and sharpening. Not only will a sharp chain cut more easily, but a properly sharpened chain will cut straighter. Normally I'd say sharpen after two tanks of gas, but for electrics let's say every hour of cutting, or after every time you hit soil or rocks. And don't neglect to file the rakers. There are lots of videos online to help.
if you're not confident in your sharpening skills, try one of these https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/filing-tools/2in1file/. It looks like a gimmick, but it works stunningly well and makes perfect sharpening a snap.
^^^ All of this. I've worn out a couple of chainsaws, but never stretched a chain. I have the above sharpener and use it pretty regularly on my Stihl. I also have two spare chains for it, so if one gets too dull, I swap it out.
I've never heard of using vegetable oil. I just use motor oil to lube the chain. Seems to work well.
If a chain isn't getting oiled/lubricated, it'll stretch in a hurry. So if you are suffering from excessive stretch, your saw probably isn't putting out enough oil. I used to waste my money on actual bar oil, then I got smart and recycle used motor oil and it works great.
I've never heard of using vegetable oil but like an engine, I'd doubt it's giving you the protection you need for the moving parts.
I've used chainsaws regularly since 1984 when I got a Stihl 028 AV. I echo the good advice given above. Especially the chaps, I didn't know that electrical rated chaps were available. A sharp saw is safer.
I have seen vegetable oil based bar oil for sale at the local lawn mower dealer. I recollect it being 3 or 4 times the price of standard bar oil. I buy gallon jugs of bar oil from an Amish general store for about 6 bucks per gallon and I have used "broken in" engine oil.
I use chainsaw bar oil, whatever Walmart sells. The manual that came with my Stihl specificaly says not to use used motor oil. Good enough for me. A gallon of bar oil isn't very expensive and lasts me years.
I meant to add that I used an electric saw once and it worked well. However its small size and being quiet lulled me into a sense of complacency. I was cutting a small tree maybe 4 inches in diameter in a precariously tight spot next to a fence. I was nearly pinched between the tree and fence. I would never have put my stihl in that spot but that tiny handy saw called me to be a fool
+1000 on the recommendation for chaps. I'm fond of living...
In reply to Turboeric :
How long does it take to sharpen a blade? It seems like it would take as much time as you've just spent cutting.
This saw has a blade "feed" so I know the blade torque isn't an issue.
I wear my saw chaps for bird hunting often. They keep the dew and the thorns off my legs.
By Chaps, do you guys mean like leather leg chaps you wear when riding a horse in rugged terrain?
I'm going to buy another chain today so are there brands or styles of chains that are better than others?
It's rainy and cloudy today so I could even buy off Amazon and have it in time to cut some more tomorrow.
In reply to carguy123 :
Similar in design but not composition. The chainsaw specific ones have loose woven Kevlar middle layer, when the chainsaw blade hits that Kevlar layer, it pulls the strands into the saw, stopping the blade from turning. It's a chore to get the Kevlar out of the chain and guard, but at least you still have your leg.
carguy123 said:
In reply to Turboeric :
How long does it take to sharpen a blade? It seems like it would take as much time as you've just spent cutting.
This saw has a blade "feed" so I know the blade torque isn't an issue.
On my Stihl with a 20 inch bar, it takes 2 to 3 minutes to sharpen. If you do it regularly, you're just touching it up rather than grinding off pounds of metal. I've always used Oregon chains, and run them until the teeth are worn back to the little mark embossed into each tooth as a wear indicator. They last years.
