# Replacement chainsaw blade?



## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

I'm trimming a few acres of mesquite bush and trees. I have at least 5 different types of mesquite - some of it is harder than granite, and some of it is rather soft - somewhere between cast iron and cheap steel. Most of the branches are about the thickness of a soda can or less, but there is still quite a few that are about 8-10" across. The blade that came with my chainsaw lasted through 4 bushes/trees. I've got about 100 more to go. I don't care if I burn out the chainsaw in one season (cheap Ryobi 18") - once I've trimmed them up I can maintain with a tree saw and pruning sheers - but I don't want to buy 20 more blades to get it done. My only options are Home Depot, Lowes, and ACE. What should I be looking for? I assume the blade that came with it was a cheap throwaway - that's how bandsaws and tablesaws come equipped. I can't stress enough how hard this wood is.


----------



## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

There are carbide blades available(I don't know about for Ryobi). They tend to stay sharp longer but require a diamond wheel to sharpen. Carbide tends to be somewhat brittle and price is high.


----------



## ETWW (Mar 27, 2011)

If there is no chainsaw shop in your area, then purchase a couple of Oregon chains for your saw at the box store. Make sure the saw oiler is keeping the chain oiled and take time to grease the sprocket on the bar tip every time you fill the tank with fuel mix. Use chain lube and not motor oil to oil the chain. The chain lube is sticky and won't get slung off like regular oil will.

Also, keep a file with you for your chain and touch it up regularly. If you allow it to get totally dull before sharpening, it really needs to be sharpened with a chain sharpener instead of a file...unless you have lots of time and energy.

Green Mesquite should not be that difficult to cut with a sharp chain...no more so than Hickory or Bois d' Arc and I've cut a lot of those. It goes without saying that you should keep the chain from touching dirt. One brush against the ground and the chain will be dull.


----------



## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

ETWW said:


> If there is no chainsaw shop in your area, then purchase a couple of Oregon chains for your saw at the box store. Make sure the saw oiler is keeping the chain oiled and take time to grease the sprocket on the bar tip every time you fill the tank with fuel mix. Use chain lube and not motor oil to oil the chain. The chain lube is sticky and won't get slung off like regular oil will.
> 
> Also, keep a file with you for your chain and touch it up regularly. If you allow it to get totally dull before sharpening, it really needs to be sharpened with a chain sharpener instead of a file...unless you have lots of time and energy.
> 
> Green Mesquite should not be that difficult to cut with a sharp chain...no more so than Hickory or Bois d' Arc and I've cut a lot of those. It goes without saying that you should keep the chain from touching dirt. One brush against the ground and the chain will be dull.


Thanks for the pointers. I think the oiler might have gotten clogged because it's not going through as much bar oil as before - I'll have to see if i can figure out how to clean it out. 

The green limbs are all in the 3-4" range and yes, they do cut rather easily when the blade is sharp. It's the petrified deadwood in the 8" range that's killing me. The first stump cut semi-easily. The next one took forever and it seemed like the blade was sanding it's way through rather than cutting. And that's just one cut to get it off the bush, not multiple cuts to get it down to fireplace size.


----------



## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Pick up a couple of Oregon chains, and learn to sharpen them. Mesquite is REALLY tough on chains. It's the price you pay... 

Yeah, mesquite that is no longer green can be a real bear to cut up. It is a challenge to work, but can be very rewarding.


----------

