Speed cut. Marketing BS or genius?

[jake wells]

are the rails stellate coated

 

[CoreyB]

Well I got some loops of the 95txl to test out and I should have the new speedcut bar tomorrow. It is a 16" , the 20 " is still on backorder .
Husqvarna won't give me a part # or estimated date for their new sp33g or is it 38. .325 narrow kerf. I would love to test them side by side!
I will test the 95txl next to some Stihl ps using the 421
It won't be the same bar length but hey it is what I have and I don't want to two of the same length bars for the 421.
I have 14" 3/8lp , 18"lp and now will have a 16".325 narrow kerf.
What would be best to test it against the 18? It is a GB bar. Or the 14"? it is a dolmar bar. Or heck all three. I think I have some new 91 vxl for the 18 and 14 as well should I add that to the mix?

 

[Terry Syd]

I'd really like to see someone test one of the new 20" NK bars on a Dolmar 6100. I know it would be lighter and quicker handling, but whether it would cut faster is an unknown. Probably have to use an 8-pin for the NK.

With a 20" bar buried there may be a 'chip clearance' issue with the NK.

I do know that the NK chain would need to be resharpened to do a comparison with 3/8, the stock NK chain is set up for small saws and only takes a small bite (about 4 degrees of cutting angle). The 'softwood' setting on the raker plate for the Husky roller guide is 5.6 degrees, it works good and is not too aggressive for limbing.

 

[CoreyB]

I'd really like to see someone test one of the new 20" NK bars on a Dolmar 6100. I know it would be lighter and quicker handling, but whether it would cut faster is an unknown. Probably have to use an 8-pin for the NK.

With a 20" bar buried there may be a 'chip clearance' issue with the NK.

I was wondering about that earlier.
I wonder how it would work in hard wood? Would it just dull that much faster. I don't know if I will get a chance anytime soon to test the nk on the 6100.

 

[Terry Syd]

Hardwood is all I cut in Oz, the VP95/x works fine. It has the same curvature on the cutter as standard .325. The cutters on NK are 1mm thick versus the standard .325 being 1.5mm thick, but the chrome is just as thick.

I just started experimenting with reshaping the gullet and raker on the NK chains and it looks like it does help with the cutting speed. So there may be an issue with chip clearance in the longer bars using the NK with a lower height cutter. I'll have to do a back to back test with a modded chain and a stock chain to see if I am just fooling myself.

 

[CR888]

My only experience with NK chain is with .043 lo pro 3/8. For polesaw's & sub 35cc saws it seems quite effective in reducing the power required to cut. I find the cutters to be smaller thus less sharpening's per loop. I'd be interested to try some NK .325 on bigger 40-60cc saws, the guys who use it seem to really like it.

 

[Terry Syd]

I don't know what the more recent 20" bars are like, but the former Husky 20" bar had more width (not thickness, ie: kerf) and thus was not prone to resonance. I've had 18" bars that were more narrow, but they sometimes had a tendency to go into resonance in certain cutting conditions. The bar would start to vibrate and would open up the kerf.

You could always move the narrow bar to a different cutting position to stop the resonance, but the wider bars didn't need it. The difference in the two bars was only two drive links. Hopefully, the newer 20" bars used the same dimensions.

 

[Philbert]

The NK bars I have (16 and 20 inch) are definitely more flexible than standard guide bars.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

I've had 18" bars that were more narrow, but they sometimes had a tendency to go into resonance in certain cutting conditions.

Maybe you need to 'tune' your bar?

Philbert

 

[jake wells]

Maybe you need to 'tune' your bar?

Philbert

you can tuna fish but you can tuna bar.

 

[CoreyB]

Well I got the Oregon speedcut bar today. 16" 66dl .325 .050
It is noticeable lighter then a husqvarna same size.
By hand it seemed as stiff as the husqvarna but that is not much of a test .
I will try and get some more info and photos tomorrow.

 

[CoreyB]

I did get it modified to be able to work with the Dolmar 421

 

[CoreyB]

It is a good looking bar.

 

[plcnut]

These bars have been out for a while now.
Anybody have any new feedback about them?
Will the bar be trashed the first time he pinches it (it will be used mostly for converting standing-dead lodgepole pine into firewood)?
I am looking for a lightweight 20" bar to put on my FIL's new 550xp, and don't want to waste my money.
I would consider either the 3/8 or 325 50ga bar.

 

[Philbert]

I did some comparisons with conventional bars and noted it in posts 141 - 156 in this thread on A.S.:
https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...f-chain-and-speedcut-guide-bars.285694/page-8

Philbert

 

[sunfish]

These bars have been out for a while now.
Anybody have any new feedback about them?
Will the bar be trashed the first time he pinches it (it will be used mostly for converting standing-dead lodgepole pine into firewood)?
I am looking for a lightweight 20" bar to put on my FIL's new 550xp, and don't want to waste my money.
I would consider either the 3/8 or 325 50ga bar.

Good question. I want a light weight 20" .325 for a ported 346.
Been thinking about these.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I ran this set up in New York @ the spring get together. I was so impressed with it I didn't take a free bar and chain home and yeah I was on a 6100. Once the chain loads up it doesn't clear chip anymore. Light weight yes, fasterish, durable, who knows... Don't lean on it. It does nothing but slow down the saw. I'd call it small wood chain. Good for a climbing saw I'd bet. 50-60cc 14-18" bar. 325 20" was not moving chip out fast enough. Gearing up might help. More aggressive chain won't.

 

[Marshy]

I ran this set up in New York @ the spring get together. I was so impressed with it I didn't take a free bar and chain home and yeah I was on a 6100. Once the chain loads up it doesn't clear chip anymore. Light weight yes, fasterish, durable, who knows... Don't lean on it. It does nothing but slow down the saw. I'd call it small wood chain. Good for a climbing saw I'd bet. 50-60cc 14-18" bar. 325 20" was not moving chip out fast enough. Gearing up might help. More aggressive chain won't.

I ran their bar and 3/8 chain and I thought it cut well out of the box. Probably some of the best. It's hard to judge though when your cutting cotton wood and are use to cutting hard woods. Seemed ok. I left with a bar and a chain but haven't put many hours on it since. That's going to change soon through.

 

[Terry Syd]

325 20" was not moving chip out fast enough. Gearing up might help. More aggressive chain won't.

Was that an 'out of the box' chain? I've taken the NK chain out to 6.4 degrees of cutting angle and never had problem with chip clearance. Well, I did once, I was cutting a dried up pine tree and I had to keep moving my feet to clear the chips that were building up around my feet.

If it is an out of the box chain the cutting angle is closer to 4 degrees and would definitely be SLOW...