Is safety chain garbage for all?

[livemusic]

Wondering about my brother using safety chain or not. He has little experience with a saw, is a bit intimidated by one but is entirely capable of using a saw, we grew up on a farm. His employer is a university and they are kind of stick-to-the-rules types, a bit conservative overall. He/they have a Stihl ms290, 20 inch bar, and my brother didn't realize he was getting into the dirt when he used the saw. The dirt here is chert rock! Anyway, we bought a new chain, he needs a spare anyway. It is Stihl 3689 005 0081... which is .325 .063 RM3 81 DL. Now, I am doubting this was a wise choice as some say a safety chain just won't cut worth a flip. But I watched a youtube of a guy testing green against yellow chain and the yellow barely beat the green in cutting the hardwood log. Looked like the green cut fine to me. Some say they can never get the green label to cut good and it's garbage, so, hmmm.

Personally, I don't like safety chain with the extra bumper, hard to file. I bought it for my brother because of anti-kickback but if I just teach him about kickback, and use a non-safety chain, maybe that's enough? I am leaning toward the ideal for him being a non-safety semi-chisel chain, since semi is better for some dirty wood? Which he could get into because it will be blowdown or wind-blown trees for him. What do you think?

Another issue will be sharpening. If he takes it to a dealer to sharpen, they are just going to grind it with a machine and will not touch the rakers. He could buy a Stihl 2-in-1 but I dunno if those file safety chain bumpers well.

Lastly, back to his employer... I bet if they bought a chain, it would be a safety chain. And if you go into a dealer and do not demand non-safety, they are going to sell you a safety chain. There is also the issue of someone other than my brother using the 290 and having little/no experience with a saw. Hmmm...

 

[Duce]

Would just instruct him where on bar kickback normally occurs and how to avoid it. Everyone will experience kickback sooner or later and would pass on safety chains, but that's all up to person doing cutting.

 

[Wilhelm]

Kickback is a bitc#, feeling it will make You aware of it's danger, someone telling You about it not.

If Your brother is not a chainsaw enthusiast and others may be using the same chainsaw & chain setup - stick with safety chain.
Even if safety chain cuts slower, it won't matter to Your brother unless he wants to cut stopwatch timed cookies.
Utilizing safety chain may be cheap additional insurance to keep Your brother a little bit safer.

Your brother cutting into dirt indicates that he has yet to develop a feeling for the saw and/or learn how to buck without touching the ground.
A shorter B&C setup could help in that regard too.

I'd say, semi chisel safety chain.
Get him a couple spare loops, show him when and how to properly swap them out.

 

[andyshine77]

In normal cutting good quality safety chain will cut not too far behind regular chain, the difference is in bore cutting or lack there of.

 

[1.5hp]

use mine for cutting roots & stumps.

 

[Philbert]

It’ not ‘safety’ chain. It’s ‘reduced kickback’ chain. If your brother, or anyone else, does not know how to run a chainsaw he can still get cut, or hurt in many other ways, while using it.

If he, or his repair shop, does not understand how to properly sharpen a chain, it is easy to blame the ‘safety chain’.

Philbert

 

[BangBang77]

It’ not ‘safety’ chain. It’s ‘reduced kickback’ chain. If your brother, or anyone else, does not know how to run a chainsaw he can still get cut, or hurt in many other ways, while using it.

If he, or his repair shop, does not understand how to properly sharpen a chain, it is easy to blame the ‘safety chain’.

Philbert

Winner winner, chicken dinner!!!

 

[rogue60]

Cuts fine I don't notice any difference myself apart from boring if someone has lacklustre safety chain on there saw its there sharpening nothing to do with the chain.

 

[MinnWeekendCutter]

Reduced kickback chain can cut very fast, it wouldn’t be directly applicable for the Stihl saw in question but look up the SP33G chain that Husqvarna recently released. It’s a low kickback chain that cuts very well.
Training/instruction makes the biggest difference in safety that I’m aware of. Teach him the basics and get him motivated to learn the safe/efficient operation of a saw. He will be safer and save time and money on equipment.