Chainsaw tips/opinions

[sobi1998]

Recently bought a new Stihl MS 261c

Has a 20” bar and the green label saw chain

I plan on cutting lots of red oak, pecan, mesquite and any brush trees in my way.

I have a few questions I’d like y’all’s opinions on

1) is brand name bar oil worth the extra $7 (Stihl $22/gal. Vs Ace HW $15)

2) what’s the benefit of a full skip chain vs the chain it comes with?

3) how often do you find yourself sharpening your chain on hardwoods?

I plan on clearing 0.5-1 acre of brush this weekend. Wondering if I’ll need to buy a chain file before the task it done


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[Vaquero]

1 &2 , I don't know.
3 & file? Sharpen the chain after every tank of fuel.
Yes sir, buy a file. Any rotary or powered sharpener is a crutch and will shorten the life of your chain and bar.
Back in my prime, me and 3 other guys cut wood for extra money. One tank of fuel per man. When it ran out, you started hauling and loading. When the hauling was done, we cleaned air filters and tended to chains. The next day of cutting began with a cup of coffee and a fresh tank of fuel and bar/ chain oil.
A proper file and a little experience go way further than some gadgets and some more fuel.
We cut Mesquite in the fall through winter. I ran a craftsman branded Pouland that had a factory 20" bar. Once I put an 18" bar and chain on it, I was only bested by a guy from Colorado that cut with a stihl that sounded like a Volkswagen beetle.
His was originally a 48" but he couldn't get those parts here.
He wound up running a 36" bar and chain on a thunderfuck powerhead. He didn't load and haul near as much wood as the rest of us. But he cut more than his share.

 

[Axxe55]

For the most part, bar oil, is bar oil! Personally, I buy the cheapest I can find at WallyWorld, TSC, Lowes or wherever.

Buy several sets of chains. Buy a chain file. Go to Harbor Freight and buy this bench mounted chain sharpener. Well worth the money. We bought this same one about seven years ago and have used it a bunch!

https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-63803.html

Hardwoods will dull the chain much quicker than softer wood like pine. Pine cuts easy. Another reason I recommend having several sets of chains for the saw.

Keeping the chain out of the dirt as much as possible. Dirt mixed with the bar oil dulls a chain very quickly. Personally, I keep a couple of older chains just for cutting at ground level that might get into the dirt while cutting. Like cutting smaller stumps at the ground.

The theory or thoughts behind the skip chain, ( full skip, or half skip) is that there are fewer teeth actually cutting which is suppose to allow the saw to run at higher and more peak RPM which us suppose to be more efficient. Never have used them, nor have I ever made and sold them, so I can't say yes or no they are better or worse than a regular chain.

Let your chips and how much force you are using to cut to let you know when to sharpen or change chains. Key is making sure the chain and bar are always getting plenty oil as well. Lack of oul will very quickly dull the chain.