Archer chain

[3browns]

So I know I am way late to the party but I was finally able to run the Archer 3/8" .050 68dl semi chisel I picked up a year and a half ago

I hand filed one loop and left the other stock

I put the stock on first with my new 18" Tsumura bar and fired up the saw to burn out the fogging oil from November

Just the couple of minutes running at a fast idle and with a couple of half ass piss revs caused the chain to stretch noticeably

I know everyone says it stretches so I tensioned it again and started cutting

I was surprised that just a couple minutes into taking some branches off a blown down Kiawe tree (mesquite) and it was loose again

Tensioned it again and started cutting my way down the trunk and damned if it didn't need tensioning again really quickly

WTF...

The trunk had about a half inch of weathered wood but the core was still mostly solid and is HARD



I made a few dozen 2-4 inch cuts on branches and a couple dozen cuts on the main trunk and the chain was done



Now I have to admit that this tree is sitting in a field of red volcanic rock and blowing red dirt and it was probably chock full of grit but I was not impressed

I am going to try my hand filed loop next and will report back

I took an informal poll and apparently 9 out of 10 cinnamon ants did NOT like Archer chain cutting into their nest

The 10th didn't vote because the MFER crawled up my arm and bit me so I strangled him

Little bastard...

 

[RI Chevy]

Yikes. The chain stretch was exactly what I encountered as well... Try and find a good test piece of wood. Run both the unfiled out of box chain and the hand filed chain head to head. See what you think.
Wood looks petrified. Like it needs to be made into knife grips. Lol
I hate ants...

 

[3browns]

Yup

Tough stuff

Apparently someone on the island is making Kiawe charcoal

Folks also like it for fence posts because just like in the Southwest it lasts forever

I’m saving the best stuff for smoking venison

 

[RI Chevy]

Cool. Does the wood have a scent?

 

[Czed]

Cool. Does the wood have a scent?

burning he burned and the chain through it by the looks of it.

 

[3browns]

Cool. Does the wood have a scent?

When it’s burning it smells exactly like mesquite because it’s a very close cousin

Folks like it here for smoking meats just like folks in the Southwest love mesquite for smoking

 

[Czed]

I've got 6 loops now 4 .50 gauge and 2 .58 gauge
84dl after initial stretch no issues.
cuts like any other round file chain.
8 ten is cheaper so i bought some of it too.

 

[3browns]

burning he burned and the chain through it by the looks of it.

I think what you are seeing is the reddish purple color of the heart wood

I didn’t burn the bar or chain

 

[RI Chevy]

Nice. Mmmm. Now I'm hungry...lol
I gotta get a couple loops of that 8tens and give it a try. [emoji106]

 

[3browns]

All the Oregon I brought is full chisel and it’s not going to be happy in this dirty dusty wood

Might get a couple loops of 8 Ten or Upstart semi chisel

I guess they make semi

 

[Czed]

so far the china stuff has done great for me
and 8 or 10 guy's i sold it to.
but of course there's inconsistency with china stuff.
probably why it's still affordable.

 

[3browns]

Well so much for my second try with Archer chain

I put on my hand filed loop and went out and cut a few cookies off the end of the trunk I cut yesterday

Didn't seem any better or any worse than the factory loop

No timed cuts or anything, just casual observations

Again just a minute or two and it was stretch city and time to tighten it

Then I cut into a smaller branch and POOF!!!

It was a tight junction with two other branches and the space between them had filled up with red dirt

The minute my chain hit the pocket of dirt it looked like an explosion in a Roadrunner cartoon

Just a cloud and when I came in my wife said I looked like a raccoon around my safety glasses

Didn't think to take a pic until I was already in the shower

Needless to say the chain was pooched so I put the factory loop back on to touch it up and damned if there aren't 2 cutters that I cannot even scratch with a brand new Stihl 7/32" file

I remember a few cutters on the one I hand filed seemed to have chrome I had to break through but they eventually filed ok

These 2 cutters are BLUE and hard as a diamond like they got heat treated and then didn't go through the tempering process or something

I just ordered a round diamond file off ebay and hopefully it will break through to softer steel or I may just have to use it on these cutters

IDK...

I will refile my hand filed loop and try another standing dead tree that is near this one

Until then the score is tree 2, me zero

 

[RI Chevy]

Sounds like you might need to spend the money on one of those carbide cutter loops of chain for your wood.
Sorry to hear of your issues...

 

[CrystalRiver1]

So I know I am way late to the party but I was finally able to run the Archer 3/8" .050 68dl semi chisel I picked up a year and a half ago

I hand filed one loop and left the other stock

I put the stock on first with my new 18" Tsumura bar and fired up the saw to burn out the fogging oil from November

Just the couple of minutes running at a fast idle and with a couple of half ass piss revs caused the chain to stretch noticeably

I know everyone says it stretches so I tensioned it again and started cutting

I was surprised that just a couple minutes into taking some branches off a blown down Kiawe tree (mesquite) and it was loose again

Tensioned it again and started cutting my way down the trunk and damned if it didn't need tensioning again really quickly

WTF...

The trunk had about a half inch of weathered wood but the core was still mostly solid and is HARD

View attachment 219746

I made a few dozen 2-4 inch cuts on branches and a couple dozen cuts on the main trunk and the chain was done

View attachment 219747

Now I have to admit that this tree is sitting in a field of red volcanic rock and blowing red dirt and it was probably chock full of grit but I was not impressed

I am going to try my hand filed loop next and will report back

I took an informal poll and apparently 9 out of 10 cinnamon ants did NOT like Archer chain cutting into their nest

The 10th didn't vote because the MFER crawled up my arm and bit me so I strangled him

Little bastard...

View attachment 219745

 

[3browns]

Sounds like you might need to spend the money on one of those carbide cutter loops of chain for your wood.
Sorry to hear of your issues...

That thought actually crossed my mind

I can’t keep doing what I am doing, that’s for sure

I actually enjoy sharpening chains but at this rate it will get real old real fast

A lot of what I have to cut was probably pushed over by a dozer when they leveled the lot and build the septic and leach field

It’s had 12 years to gather blown dirt

I’ll let you know if the standing stuff cuts easier and is kinder to my chains

Thanks

 

[CrystalRiver1]

Yikes. The chain stretch was exactly what I encountered as well... Try and find a good test piece of wood. Run both the unfiled out of box chain and the hand filed chain head to head. See what you think.
Wood looks petrified. Like it needs to be made into knife grips. Lol
I hate ants...

Bet that stuff will burn mega-hot! #cremationwood

 

[3browns]

Sounds like you might need to spend the money on one of those carbide cutter loops of chain for your wood

Just looked at carbide chains

$100 plus shipping

Going to have to think hard on this

 

[RI Chevy]

But its about your only alternative for that kind of wood.

 

[3browns]

Bet that stuff will burn mega-hot! #cremationwood

If I wasn't concerned about burning the island down I would have tossed boy scout water and a match on those @#$%^& ants yesterday

 

[3browns]

But its about your only alternative for that kind of wood.

Yeah, that's the truth

Or buy 10 Chinesium chains and just throw them away...