How tight do you run your chain ?????

[junkman]

Looking down at my chain last night ,i could see the drivers all the way across the chain ,but it was still zipping around the bar just fine without derailing ,normally i am able to tighten so no drag on the bar when turning the chain ,and see a slight sag at the bottom of the bar ,this seems to be loose but not derailable in limbs ,how tight do you guys go ?

 

[merc_man]

I run mine so you gotta pulln to chain to see drivers. Maybe a little tight. This is on 16-20 bars. On bigger bars it may sag a little but still just as tight.

 

[exSW]

I run mine so you gotta pulln to chain to see drivers. Maybe a little tight. This is on 16-20 bars. On bigger bars it may sag a little but still just as tight.

I do this on the initial chain installation. They seem to loosen fairly quickly to pretty dang slack which is where I like them. Double check the bar nuts and we're off and cutting.

 

[junkman]

I do this on the initial chain installation. They seem to loosen fairly quickly to pretty dang slack which is where I like them. Double check the bar nuts and we're off and cutting.

That's the way i generally snug a new chain ,because of stretch ,on the mill it is a pain in the rear to readjust if get too tight though ,when smoke is rolling off the bar tip ,i think that's too much friction ,loose it runs the bar real cool actually ,i would not try to limb that loose though ,would derail for sure .

 

[fearofpavement]

I keep my drivers snug into the bar where you have to pull on the chain to expose them. I never let drivers show on the bottom of a bar, not even a long bar, that's too loose in my opinion.
Like mix ratios, to each their own...

 

[merc_man]

I was board so i figured i would see how many pounds it would take to pull a chain on a twenty inch bar so the drives are just barly above bar rails. It took 1.3 pounds. I wrapped a zip tie around chain and put a fish scale through the loop.
Crap i read wrong side of scale. 2.8 pounds.

 

[jake wells]

not tight and not loose just so it turns easy on the bar with my hand.

 

[Marshy]

I set it so about half or less of the driver can be pulled out of the rail.

 

[exSW]

Ask guys who have been into a bunch of saws. To tight kills way more saws than to loose. Also as a chain cools it tightens back up again. So watch that second adjustment.

 

[jake wells]

Ask guys who have been into a bunch of saws. To tight kills way more saws than to loose. Also as a chain cools it tightens back up again. So watch that second adjustment.

you let a saw get hot and the chain gets loose as it cools it will draw back to the same tightness.

 

[junkman]

not tight and not loose just so it turns easy on the bar with my hand.

I used to do it this way ,but in a sappy tree the pitch tightens it up too much ,now i let the chain droop a little on the bottom
On the chain in the image ,it was too loose ,but a pain to tighten up ,powerhead has to come off and mount that goes to bar studs ,so i just kept running it ,i was getting a grabby cut messing up finish on the boards ,must have been the drivers rolling too much

 

[czar800]

I run mine chains were there's no s

I keep my drivers snug into the bar where you have to pull on the chain to expose them. I never let drivers show on the bottom of a bar, not even a long bar, that's too loose in my opinion.
Like mix ratios, to each their own...

I run my saws the same way.

 

[exSW]

you let a saw get hot and the chain gets loose as it cools it will draw back to the same tightness.

I understand that. But a lot of guys will give a hot chain an adjustment to take some of the slack out. Then forget to loosen it when they're done.

 

[junkman]

Are you guys burning the paint off your bars from heat cutting ?

 

[jake wells]

even i make mistakes sorry guys @exSW

 

[jake wells]

Are you guys burning the paint off your bars from heat cutting ?

only on the tips.

 

[czar800]

Are you guys burning the paint off your bars from heat cutting ?

I have never had the paint burn! Only time I've blued the edge of a rail is because I got it pinched.

 

[junkman]

Since i swapped my bar tips and chain to .404 ,the bars seem to run cooler ,i think the wider spot between the drivers carry's more oil .

 

[jake wells]

I used to do it this way ,but in a sappy tree the pitch tightens it up too much ,now i let the chain droop a little on the bottom
On the chain in the image ,it was too loose ,but a pain to tighten up ,powerhead has to come off and mount that goes to bar studs ,so i just kept running it ,i was getting a grabby cut messing up finish on the boards ,must have been the drivers rolling too much

i can only imagine what the sap does to chain after it cools turning to glue yuck!

 

[junkman]

only on the tips.

I have never had the paint burn! Only time I've blued the edge of a rail is because I got it pinched.

You guys keep a sharp chain then ,it is amazing how many i see with the paint all cooked off from running a dull one .