325 chains.. is this just how they are? Or is something wrong?

[rumatt]

I have a muff mod 261 with a 16" & 18" bars with Stihl RM and RS chains. I feel like in order to cut at reasonable speed I need to push down a bit on the saw... and if I do, it does indeed cut better.

Pushing down is normally a sign of a dull chain, but I sharpen them by hand with Stihls 2-1 sharpener, and I even bought a new RM chain to test out. It produced largely the same result. I'm cutting mostly oak.

Should I try filing down the rakers a bit, to take bigger bites? The saw is fine - not bogging and is roaring away. I feel like I just need a more aggressive chain.

Just to prove it's not all in my head, I don't feel this way about my 241 w/ picco chains, or my 461 with 3/8 chain. They grab hold of the wood and pull nicely.

 

[Dub11]

Pic of chain?

I has the 2n1s in all 3 flavors and I have had nothing but good results.

Have you measured you rakers to see if they are at the right depth? Maybe that flat file is worse out.

 

[huskyboy]

+1 Pics of the chain

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

Either the chain is on backwards or the rakers are too tall.

 

[Duane(Pa)]

Rakers may be high even on a new chain. There is a ton of "safety" built into just about everything these days...

 

[Basher]

Cutter shape and depth gauge setting contributes the most to a good self feeding chain. The guys are correct, we need picts of the chain, both sides and top closeup.

 

[rumatt]

RM chain, after 4 passes with a 2n1 sharpener. Before starting I marked the cutter surface with a red sharpie, so you can see that the silver part is all fresh after sharpening

 

[rumatt]

.

 

[rumatt]

I can't measure the rakers because I don't have a guide.

But I have a theory.

1. Rakers were high even when new
2. My first few passes with the 2-1 weren't quite settling down all the way into the cutter. I noticed that the first few strokes were hitting just the top edge of the cutter and not setting fully in.
3. Since it wasn't setting flush, it was held up too high and it hadn't touching the rakers (they were uncut)
4. After 4-6 more strokes, the file got seated in there and remove all the red marker from the cutter - afterward, I see it took a nice slice off the rakers.

I'm going to buy a gauge and measure them.. and see how it cuts now.

 

[Dub11]

That doesn't look right at all.

This was after the first time using the 2n1 last year.

 

[rumatt]

Yeah that looks very different. WTF?

Mine is a new Stihl RN chain. Only sharpened by me, twice with the 2-1.

Yours looks like an RS?

 

[Philbert]

What size file are you using?

Philbert

 

[Dub11]

But in general, folks like 325 chains, eh? Over 3/8? Even on a relatively strong (eventually to be ported) 261?

I've used and liked 3/8s on a ported 026. The .325 is better for limbing imho.

 

[Stevetheboatguy]

Possibly the wrong size file or wheel?

The sharpened pic looks odd.


Steven

 

[Dub11]

Yeah that looks very different. WTF?

Mine is a new Stihl RN chain. Only sharpened by me, twice with the 2-1.

Yours looks like an RS?

That's some old chain that came of a Homelite 150. It was the only loop of 60dl 3/8s I had on had at the time.

 

[concretegrazer]

No hook. Wrong file in the jig or wrong 2n1.

 

[rumatt]

What size file are you using?

4.8, but they measure 4.65mm in my micrometer

 

[huskyboy]

View attachment 155734.

Not enough hook + your using semi chisel which won’t cut as fast as chisel. Throw away that dumb guide and freehand it is the best thing I ever did learning to hand file. Use a raker guage. Look up buckin billy ray on youtube and check out some of his hand filing videos. Your gonna get 100 different opinions on chain filing, but this should steer you in the right direction.

 

[rumatt]

The sharpened pic looks odd.

I noticed that the right side cutters look less weird than the left. I'm going to make a few more passes and see what happens

 

[Dub11]

I noticed that the right side cutters look less weird than the left. I'm going to make a few more passes and see what happens

Could you have maybe used it upside down?