# chainsaw blades



## wallace (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi all, I've been watching this site for awhile. Now I need to pick your brains. I recently got a cheap petrol chainsaw for cutting up logs for my woodturning unfortunately its not as good as I thought and seems to struggle with cutting. The chainsaw is brand new but not an expensive make. What would improve the cutting, a better quality chain? Any advice would be great. Mark


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

wallace said:


> I recently got a *cheap* petrol chainsaw. The chainsaw is brand new but *not an expensive* make.


I would say that is your problem, if it's ''cheap'' it is probably just underpowered. Not that inexpensive tools/saws won't work...just not as fast/easy as something with the proper power to do the job. If the chain is sharp (I assume it is since it's new) I would not look at making any changes there.





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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

wallace said:


> Hi all, I've been watching this site for awhile. Now I need to pick your brains. I recently got a cheap petrol chainsaw for cutting up logs for my woodturning unfortunately its not as good as I thought and seems to struggle with cutting. The chainsaw is brand new but not an expensive make. What would improve the cutting, a better quality chain? Any advice would be great. Mark


Like Daren said CHEEP mean's just that under powered. A different chain unless you bought a different saw with more power Like a stihl or a good tree cutting unit. Take it back good luck


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## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

Toss itttttttttt


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Before I tossed it I would try a different chain. Chains cost MUCH less then chain saws.

It is possible that you got a saw with a bad chain.

George


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

GeorgeC said:


> Before I tossed it I would try a different chain. Chains cost MUCH less then chain saws.
> 
> It is possible that you got a saw with a bad chain.
> 
> George


I would try a different chain also since you already own it. I have a cheap green Poulan I inherited that runs a 3/16" semi chisel chain. I wanted a spare but they were out of the suggested one at the big box store so I grabbed a 1/8" full chisel chain. It was like night and day, it cut so much quicker since the original chain was apparently grabbing a big enough bite to bog it down. It worked so well I have picked up a few for my collection of cheap Homelites as well.


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## mrbentontoyou (Aug 3, 2010)

wallace said:


> Hi all, I've been watching this site for awhile. Now I need to pick your brains. I recently got a cheap petrol chainsaw for cutting up logs for my woodturning unfortunately its not as good as I thought and seems to struggle with cutting. The chainsaw is brand new but not an expensive make. What would improve the cutting, a better quality chain? Any advice would be great. Mark


no matter how much power a saw has or how much it cost it will not cut well with a dull or improperly filed chain.

you may as well start experimenting with the chain (chains, hopefully you have a few) now because even if you do graduate to a better quality/more powerful saw it will soon become useless if you can't properly maintain your chains and diagnose problems with them. 
worse, you can ruin a saw by forcing a dull chain through wood. 

first off, absolutely do not allow the spinning chain to touch dirt. 
dirt dulls chains fast. so does bark, but dirt is way worse.

second, and i swear i'm not trying to be a smart ass, make sure the chain isn't on backwards. 

third, sometimes brand new chains don't cut well. chains are designed to be re-filed and re-ground many, many times and often they don't start really cutting well until after a few sharpenings.

in order to help you it would be good to know brand and displacement of the saw in question, bar length, chain size and type. you also did not mention how exactly the saw is behaving. is the saw bogging down? chain grabby? is the chain spinning freely but not cutting much? these answers will help diagnose your issue. 

even really wimpy saws will cut wood if the chain is tailored to the available power. i have a 94cc saw and a small electric saw and a couple in between, they all cut well with properly addressed chains.


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## wallace (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi all, Thanks for the advice so far. I've got the spec of the saw and it is:-
52cc, max speed 8500, bar length 45cm, chain pitch 0.325"
I only paid £50 for it and its still under warranty so I may just take it back and buy something decent. I think I am just expecting too much from it.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

That picture is so fuzzy it made me giggle...A 52cc saw should cut wood. I see wear on the bar, so I guess you have used it some. Have you ever sharpened the chain ? If not I would start there.




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## wallace (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi sorry about the dodgy pic, it looked ok at the time. Anyway the saw was cutting but not as well as I'd expected. I have had a look on utube for advice on sharpening chains and will have a go. Here is a pic of a stump I was trying to chop up.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Yea those dirty stumps dull a chain in a hurry. You will have to sharpen several times before you get that thing busted apart.




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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

If the saw is running at peak performance and has a sharp chain it should cut fine as long as you're not expecting more than it can deliver. A 52cc saw is no wimp, but those logs appear to be on the outside range of what a saw that size can cut efficiently even with a sharp chain. Bot that you shouldn't cut logs twice the diameter of your blade length because you can, just don't expect it to cut like it would with only 2/3 the bar buried in wood. 

I didn't notice anywhere where you said what length bar you're using. If that's the cahin that came with the saw it's safety chain and that stuff is rubbish as you say in UK. Also, as fuzzy at that picture is that cutter appears to be dull as a butter knife. Get some new crosscut chain that isn't safety chain and I bet you'll fall n love with the saw. If it still seems underpowered with new non-safety chain in log diameters meant for the saw, you might want to spend a little more coin on a better saw. 







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## pwoller (Dec 12, 2010)

Try a fresh chain or take it in and have it sharpened. Doesnt matter the brand of saw or the power if your rakers are too high then none of them will cut.


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## wallace (Feb 17, 2011)

thanks chaps for all the advice.


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