Stihl Hexa chain

[davidwyby]

The red lines are the important angle. The balance between speed/self feed and durability. More vertical, more durable. Hexa is pretty vertical and flat and it seems durable in my testing. My latest fast recipe is a std grind or 7/32” file followed up by a few licks under the leading edge with a 5/32”. (Blue lines) Fast and slices tough desert pine better than a durable grind, but the edge rolls off quickly in dart hard dirty Eucalyptus that the hexa keeps cutting in.

 

[davidwyby]

 

[isaaccarlson]

The chain I posted above is not a high flow or low drag chain. It is a regular old work chain with as-specified angles, but ground deeper to make a more durable edge.

If you want a fast chain...
#1 is sharp
#2 is chip flow
#3 is reduced drag

You can make a chain much more efficient, and that allows you to run it faster and take a bigger bite. You can do a lot to a work chain to make it faster without sacrificing durability. Square filed, with the shelf, directs chips straight under the cutter. Round can be made to flow the same way, but it takes longer to resharpen, so it's less convenient for a work chain. Dog-boned links hold chips and keep them out of the next cutter.

Look at how the chips would flow through the cutter on this chain. See how the shelf and open corner act like a funnel? The chips are directed right at the most open part of the tooth.

 

[Squareground3691]

I have seen a LOT of variation in chain sharpening. Enough to tell me that my round ground chains are faster than most of the chains out there, whether round, square, hexa, or goofy. I have tried square and it wasn't any faster than my round ground. It looks to me like hexa has a beak profile halfway between round and square. It may stay sharp longer, or it might not. The way I grind, the beak is pretty much the same as hexa anyway. Maybe that's why my chains are so fast. The "hexa" part doesn't matter, it just a sales gimmick that gives people a better beak profile IMO.

Just curious, you think round ground chain , is as fast as square ground chain , do you grind square chain with a Silvey, Simington square grinder ?

 

[isaaccarlson]

Just curious, you think round ground chain , is as fast as square ground chain , do you grind square chain with a Silvey, Simington square grinder ?

I got a few loops and it was square, so I tried it before converting it to round. I was not impressed.

Remember, most chains out there are nowhere near sharp and the angles are way off. The only place I have been and seen truly sharp chain is the forum gtg's. I have seen round chain that was litterally "razor" sharp and it cut like crazy, right along with the square.

 

[Squareground3691]

I got a few loops and it was square, so I tried it before converting it to round. I was not impressed.

Remember, most chains out there are nowhere near sharp and the angles are way off. The only place I have been and seen truly sharp chain is the forum gtg's. I have seen round chain that was litterally "razor" sharp and it cut like crazy, right along with the square.

Was that outta the box square chain, or ground on a Silvey or Simington grinder before you used it ?

 

[isaaccarlson]

Probably out of the box.

 

[Squareground3691]

Probably out of the box.

Outta the box chain

Probably out of the box.

Outta the box chain isn’t even close to being sharp , compared to after grinding it in a square grinder , it actually cut pretty crappy outta the box .

 

[Skeans1]

That shouldn’t cut too bad, out of the box square is dull you need to at least drop the rakers most of the time it needs ground.

 

[kurtz]

Outta the box chain isn’t even close to being sharp , compared to after grinding it in a square grinder , it actually cut pretty crappy outta the box .

Oregon especially. Stihl square cuts okay out of the box but Oregon has top beaks and a curved top plate, it feels dull, but after a grinding it’s as good as stihl and faster/smoother than round ground or filed.

 

[isaaccarlson]

Oregon especially. Stihl square cuts okay out of the box but Oregon has top beaks and a curved top plate, it feels dull, but after a grinding it’s as good as stihl and faster/smoother than round ground or filed.

It was stihl chain. I checked it over before using it and it looked pretty dang sharp. I wouldn't mind trying square again. I'll have to dig out my double triangle file, if I can find it.

 

[Squareground3691]

It was stihl chain. I checked it over before using it and it looked pretty dang sharp. I wouldn't mind trying square again. I'll have to dig out my double triangle file, if I can find it.

If you ever have a chance, get it professionally done on a square grinder who knows what they’re doing, it’s night and day difference.

 

[davidwyby]

I think fast round will beat slow square but square won’t have the tiny delicate little working corner.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I'm looking for files, but nothing available locally. The ones online are $20, is that normal for a file?

 

[Squareground3691]

I'm looking for files, but nothing available locally. The ones online are $20, is that normal for a file?

Unfortunately the supply line is pretty slim right now, and prices are high , just like everything else.

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

How many chains can a file do? I know it's subjective to how dull and how many teeth there are.

Never used files, just electric sharpeners.

 

[Squareground3691]

How many chains can a file do? I know it's subjective to how dull and how many teeth there are.

Never used files, just electric sharpeners.

I believe he’s looking for double bevel chisel files for square chain.

 

[Squareground3691]

I'm looking for files, but nothing available locally. The ones online are $20, is that normal for a file?

Madsen’s has them for 15.95 ur better off buying a dozen there cheaper that way . https://25a85704-43f0-44ae-a772-95c...d/25a857_0e7555a52b58439ab2112501778bceb1.pdf

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

I believe he’s looking for double bevel chisel files for square chain.

Understood. I was just wondering due to I'm looking into trying to use a file.

 

[isaaccarlson]

How many chains can a file do? I know it's subjective to how dull and how many teeth there are.

Never used files, just electric sharpeners.

It depends. The old stihl files lasted me a LONG time. Newer files not so long. That's why I have a hard time paying $20 for one.
I don't want to buy a dozen just to try it.