Hand-Filing Husqvarna X-Cut Chain

[Junk Meister]

It definitely sums up the majority of chainsaw related videos I have ever seen. They speak like an absolute authority on a subject but 20 seconds in, it's clear they have NFI what they are talking about.

An old Saying "Those that think they know it all, fudge it up for those of us that do".

 

[Stump Shot]

An old Saying "Those that think they know it all, fudge it up for those of us that do".

The day comes that I know it all, think I'll up and quit.

 

[Stump Shot]

I'm laughing at this thread

 

[sawmikaze]

It definitely sums up the majority of chainsaw related videos I have ever seen. They speak like an absolute authority on a subject but 20 seconds in, it's clear they have NFI what they are talking about.

The tales told on the internet about chainsaws are literally hilarious. There's been some good ones on here over the years.

I've said this before..

You could tell some of these people you have video of their sister taking it asss to mouth and they'd take that better than you telling them something about their chainsaw/chain.

Some of the weirdest people on this planet congregate around chainsaws..I have a few theories why...

 

[dall]

The tales told on the internet about chainsaws are literally hilarious. There's been some good ones on here over the years.

I've said this before..

You could tell some of these people you have video of their sister taking it asss to mouth and they'd take that better than you telling them something about their chainsaw/chain.

Some of the weirdest people on this planet congregate around chainsaws..I have a few theories why...

you talking about my older sister ?

 

[ZERO]

Buy your plane ticket early then...

Yes Sir., but to meet the 372OE.
I just may run out and buy this chain just for that purpose.
Maybe some @Squareground3691 massage on them teeth.

 

[Seachaser]

An old Saying "Those that think they know it all, fudge it up for those of us that do".

I have a BIL that does. Even if he’s never picked up a file or saw.

 

[Squish9]

Shallow

I think hedgehog said somewhere .018”?

Had a look at the new loop I have and all the depth gauges are between .023 - 024.

So they are all higher on a new chain than Husqvarna's specs call for. No sure why they have done that, the box it comes in recommends 025 (0.65mm)

I have set them all to .025 like I have on the round filed loop and hopefully can give them another try next week.

I still don't see why the factory shape would be any benefit, it looks interesting but when checking everything it's still just a 60 degree top plate cutting angle and side plate angle.

I suspect the difference has come from me holding the file handle down creating more top plate cutting angle compared to the factory grind.

That or the wind was blowing the right way and I held my tongue at the perfect angle while sharpening, accidentally creating the world greatest chain, but that seems unlikely given my long history of f'ing things up.

 

[Squish9]

I bought a new 20" loop of C85 again the other day. This time I tried seeing if there is any difference in its cutting speed when new VS using a husky roller guide and a 7/32 file.

The factory shape does nothing for it in the wood I cut. It is a fantastic chain tho and I am defiantly buying more.

 

[Skiptooth Fred]

Out-of-the-box X-Cut vs "something else" out-of-the-box, X-Cut should cut faster (usually). X-Cut is basically race chain, it's good stuff when speed is considered.

With that said, if you tune "the other chain" to your saw and the wood you're cutting, then yes X-Cut can be outrun, but taking a stroke off the X-Cut depth gauges and repeating that until the X-Cut chain creates the same load as hand-filed chain, X-Cut will likely come out ahead with the OEM cutter profile. It is fast chain, and being fast is what it's designed to do, and it unconventionally does that. Filing it is a bit of a pain-in-the-ass, but hey, it's basically race chain.

Mind you that's my opinion from studying the profiles of that and other chains, under magnification and in test wood. I heard about X-Cut at a get-together where @bradb123's ported saws were tearing it up, and he was running X-Cut ( @bradb123 is a really nice guy by the way).

A little off his point but surrounding such. I l understand where he is coming from, out of the box it is fast and the smoothest in the hand I have ever run(on 592 or smaller 61) My other chains i compare it to are the carlton and oregon full chisel skips, yes totally different. Once it is round filed it still cuts very good but to me a little loss in speed is felt, remembering though there is plenty of power on hand, round filing though seems to open it up chip wise if/and, as you say, the ‘rakers are taken down’ it hooks in hard as he has found and shown. Now, I didn’t do that straight away on the first xcut chain use, as I would with other chains before use. On my 61 it was out of the box very noticeably the smoothest chain, this saw goes hard for a stock saw now thirty years old, holds its own with any its size and some bigger. But my issue and words with Husky since it first was released downunder is/was, its pointless to put a round file in it and turn its first sharpen into the same as everything else on the shelf is regardless, so make us a hand file to suit its grind, i don’t carry a grinder around in the bush, actually i’ve never owned one! Also if they wanted feedback at the time then we need to keep the tooth as close to factory to really test it.
The U.S has been up on square grinds and ported saws for years imo not so here in Au’ except now in the race saws ripping posts etc, but never prior in the bush, one learned alone how to hand file and do it fast and well, days weren’t needed to be any harder! And it’s a very expensive chain compared to others mentioned, so then to not keep that grind shape seemed crazy to pay around a third extra for that first run prior to a sharpen. It also does drag a little sap, its not bad though. So to me overall I love it, yes it can be filed to run fast, but its too expensive for to me at the end of the day for its no further in front. Good post on both sides

 

[Skiptooth Fred]

Had a look at the new loop I have and all the depth gauges are between .023 - 024.

So they are all higher on a new chain than Husqvarna's specs call for. No sure why they have done that, the box it comes in recommends 025 (0.65mm)

I have set them all to .025 like I have on the round filed loop and hopefully can give them another try next week.

I still don't see why the factory shape would be any benefit, it looks interesting but when checking everything it's still just a 60 degree top plate cutting angle and side plate angle.

I suspect the difference has come from me holding the file handle down creating more top plate cutting angle compared to the factory grind.

That or the wind was blowing the right way and I held my tongue at the perfect angle while sharpening, accidentally creating the world greatest chain, but that seems unlikely given my long history of f'ing things up.

Without the last sentence you would have given up, thats the whole reason why imo you now want a saw to run well, you understand its all in the chain, look after that and any saw will perform much better and to its full potential. This is when chainsaws become enjoyable machines to run

 

[Skiptooth Fred]

Might call Xcut racy round, maybe a touch more durable than round and easy to change the angle for more durability

Ain’t square, just flat faced

IME it has chip clearing problems full comp bar buried in fibrous stuff. I think because it’s wide open straight across so it doesn’t shuttle the chips to one side or the other. Maybe. Offset base ground stihl seems like it would.

I have a theory…

XCut and round, the top plate has to grab a chip and wedge/pull it up a bit before the side plate can sever the chip. This requires hp, force, time. Square, the side cutter is even with the top plate, so the chips are immediately severed.

Working corner is also more supported. Cutter is also more hollowed for chip flow.

True about fibrous timber I also note little sap drag on tooth but its pretty good.

 

[Skiptooth Fred]

Has anyone else tried this? I'm trying to work if the results I got are a one off or if it's common for it to work better round than the original shape

I have a couple of hexa chains and filed one round so I can see what happens with that next week.

It will perform good either way, if you can file, and i’m guessing you can because you notice whats going on in the cut, then you will feel the difference. During the day for me it comes down to performance tally gained as opposed to time out of wood. For me I can round file a saw on the ground a damn site faster than square, even without my glassesand sometimes it may only be seconds and half a cut before it needs doing againit aint rocket science in these conditionsStay sharp for that is safe and rewarding

 

[mainer_in_ak]

What in the fking world would possess somebody to try and duplicate the factory grind of C83 chain with hand files?

Or even with a grinder?

Who has time for this sht?

 

[Loony661]

What in the fking world would possess somebody to try and duplicate the factory grind of C83 chain with hand files?

Or even with a grinder?

Who has time for this sht?

My thoughts exactly. Round file and back to cutting in a couple minutes.

 

[Loony661]

What in the fking world would possess somebody to try and duplicate the factory grind of C83 chain with hand files?

Or even with a grinder?

Who has time for this sht?

But to answer your question: the guys who don’t use saws professionally. Time is money.

 

[Philbert]

What in the fking world would possess somebody to try and duplicate the factory grind of C83 chain with hand files?

Once they figure out something that works, it might not take a lot of time to do.

If they just understand their chain better, and move on, there can be value in that too.

Philbert

 

[davidwyby]

What in the fking world would possess somebody to try and duplicate the factory grind of C83 chain with hand files?

Or even with a grinder?

Who has time for this sht?

Apparently a couple of your “online neighbors”, fellow forums members have time and have taken an interest. Why not? We all do some things just for the fun and learning of it. Some of us are following along and learning vicariously. C83 is generally regarded as the fastest out of the box chain and decently durable, so why not? Have you not learned not to be a &!@$ here yet? I’m not gonna insult you if you decide to buy a lathe and welder and post about tinkering with them in your garage. If you don’t have anything of value to add to the conversation, don’t waste your valuable time posting.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

Bought a 100ft roll of c83 for $345. It's decent as is, but in frozen wood, it cuts much better round filed, stays sharper round filed as well. Easy on the files. Still have about 13 ft left of my roll of EXL.

Don't get me wrong, I like the stuff for how easy it is on the files, but that factory grind is not that great in every scenario. It's fine in frozen softwood, but skips n chatters in the frozen hardwood.

Chill out David, I don't even know what a "a&!@$" is., hurts my feelings!

U can't just scold me and walk away, u have to hold me for like 10 seconds and encourage me. u can get me a lathe to make up for the name calling.

Xoxo

 

[ZERO]

These cut very well in the square format.

Introduce a few "racing elememts" into the chain to open up the safety features, she cuts like ... o baby.

The crescent moon square cut chain took me by suprize how well and smooth it cut in 6 year old dry hardwood, before a full square conversion.

It helped to have a North Woods powerplant back up that chain build by the legendary @Stump Shot