Chainsaw Repair
Chain - Grinders - Filing - Wood Milling - Tools - Welding - Machinist - Mowers - Tillers => Chain - Bars - Grinders - Filing => Topic started by: newowner? on September 08, 2014, 11:49:43 pm
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i was out cutting trees yesterday and my chain came off for the first time. i noticed the damage right away but i am just wondering if the chain is salvagable if i file down the burs, but am worried because i dont want the bad links to wreck my drive sprocket, any tips?
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You could splice a section in but I would buy another chain and use that one for parts. The bar rails will be beat up, get that fixed before installing a new chain and keep it properly tensioned.
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it was tensioned good when i started... it flipped off when i got it stuck in a tree and tried to work it out the lazy way instead of pushing the tree off of it. i put a new chain on after inspecting the bar, i didnt see anything majorly wrong with it, but if you can tell me what to look for i would be very greatful
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Is the new chain jumping off the bar too?
Buy a couple wedges
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no, i think the only reason the other one did was because it was wedged into the tree and while i was yanking and revving the saw it came off from sideload or something. i should have just wedged the tree and i would have been fine, i put the new chain on and cut another 10 trees or so, with a couple tensionings of course and never had another problem. but how do i inspect and identify bar damage? and whats the best way to fix it? also im assuming those teeth are chewed because i didnt hit my brake early enough after the chain jumped, correct me if im wrong
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It usually messes up the chain one way or the other when it jumps no matter what you do.
You have to just use the old chain for spare parts.
The good looking drivers probably have dings on them too that will need to be filed off before they will fit in the bar again.
Look for odd looking places on the bar where the chain may have jumped off. Sometimes it will break out part of the chain rail.
I would look at the sprocket too?
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The chain in the picture is no longer good. Save for parts.
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Most chains can be salvaged. The cutters on that chain do not look like they have much wear; only 4 drive links appear to be damaged. If you have a spinner and breaker, or know someone that does, those links can easily be replaced with links from a donor chain, or with identical links of Oregon chain (they made that Husqvarna chain), which is easier to find.
Some dealers will do this for you for less than the cost of a replacement chain. Some will not.
Chains jump the bar for a number of reasons. Sometimes it is tension. Sometimes they get stuck and pulled. Sometimes small twigs get tangled between the bar and chain when cutting brush. Usually, filing off any burrs on the drive links is sufficient to make the chain usable again. Sometimes, bent links need to be replaced, if the chain was twisted. In your case the holes in the drive links (Oregon Lubriwell™), designed to help carry oil around the bar, are weak points that sometimes snap off.
As I understand it, most of the damage to the drive links occurs from the sprocket, not the guide bar, so you may not see damage along your bar rails.
If repair is not an option for you, then replacement is your best choice. It might be possible to still run that chain with the rounded off drive links, and this may add some additional wear to your drive sprocket. But sprockets, chains, and bars are all consumable/wear parts. So that is up to you.
As noted, if you decide not to use it, save it for parts. Down the road you might run into similar problems (or hit some rocks) and find someone who is able to make the chain repairs for you.
Philbert
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awesome, great replys guys, i think ill get myself a chain break cuz extra links are always good to have, and my husky dealer sells oregon chains aswell so its good to know the two work together. any pointers on finding a chainbreak?
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and your right only about a quart or two of fuel on this chain
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I have one of these Granburgs. . . . It is much less expensive than the professional ones but does work. I take it to the woods as I have a Oregon professional type set-up at home. Close to $65 with shippig
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Granberg-Combination-Chain-Breaker-Rivet-Spinner-/281387477784?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4184002b18
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chainsaw-Chain-Breaker-Repair-Tool-Portable-field-use-must-have-equipment-/360790302268?pt=US_Hand_Tools&hash=item5400c71e3c
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/$(KGrHqZ,!q!F!IToukWDBQQBoRYzbw~~60_57.JPG)
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awesome thanks guys!!
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I normally agree with 660Magnum on most things. But I got one of those Granberg Break-N-Mend tools, just for field use, and was very disappointed in it. Still have it for emergency use, but it does not compare to a bench set. I also discourage buying a no-brand spinner and breaker set off of eBay or from Harbor Freight, etc., as I have known guys that can't get parts for them (punches, spinner anvils, etc.) later on.
A few years back I used birthday money to buy the basic Bailey's combination set on sale then for about $100, after seeing that it was what they actually used in their own shop!
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-Chain/Chain-Breakers-Spinners/Chain-Breaker-Spinner-Kits/WoodlandPro-Chain-Breaker-Spinner-Combination.axd
I have been happy with it. The other sets I would recommend would be the Oregon branded ones (about $240 for the set) or the Precision Tooling set that uses the same parts (about $120).
http://www.baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-Chain/Chain-Breakers-Spinners/Chain-Breaker-Spinner-Kits/Precision-Tooling-Chain-Breaker-Spinner-Combination-with-Chain-Chart.axd
Spinner/breakers are a lot of fun, and let you save/repair/re-size/salvage chains, etc. Make sure that you buy a bunch of the pre-sets and tie straps at the same time, unless you plan to get those from your local dealer, because shipping will kill you if you only need a few. Get some extras and practice on scrap chain to get started. ***Also be sure to get all of the punches and spinner anvils you will need for the chains you use. The Bailey's set comes with all of them: the Oregon and Precision tooling sets require some parts for 1/4", 3/8 low profile, and .325 chain to be purchased separately. Speak to a live person to be sure you get what you need. ***
Philbert
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The Granberg is OK for the person that is only going to be doing a couple chains a year.
Compared with a $200 bench setup, the Granberg is miserable but it will punch out and spin up a nice chain. Takes a little muscle, don't think your wife could do it?
Come to think of it, you best be knowing what you are doing with the expensive bench breaker/spinner tools too.
Speaking of knowing what you are doing, I got a almost new Husky 350 chainsaw one time for $120 because it was no good and the chains wouldn't stay on the bar. He had two chains with the saw and he said that neither would stay on the bar.
When I got it home, I looked at the chains and they had 3/8 pico or low profile presets on .325 chains where they were put together. I took a few hours and filed all the dings off the drivers and installed .325 presets on the chains and everything worked fine.
The story goes on . . . he had pried the clutch cover off with the brake "on" and torn up the brake band. But that was a inexpensive fix.
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There's more than one way to skin a cat .You can grind off the rivet heads in leau of a punch .If you know how a rivet can be peened rather than spun .
FWIW I get a fair amount of damaged Stihl branded chains every year from a tree trimmer buddy .I just cut them down from say a 24" loop to a 20" loop.More times than not a derailed chain only messes up a few drivers or a rocked chain a few cutters .
I've replaced sections of Oregon chain but I have pre sets and tie straps galore for that .Not too many for Stihl .
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I was thinking that we should start a separate 'Spinner and Breaker Thread'. Then I 'searched' and found we already have one!
http://chainsawrepair.createaforum.com/chain/chain-breaker-and-spinner/
So I will add any additional comments there, and refer the OP as well.
Philbert
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wow thanks guys, you more than answered everything that i asked, being a noob... it raised more questions though, presets? tiestraps? low pro? how do i know what my out of the box saw came with? im using an oregon 95vpx072g because thats what my dealer told me would work on the saw. what kinds of chain can i experiment with? the box says 325" and .050. how do i tell what size the rivit is and all the other things i need to know to buy connectors and stuff lol. and if i buy hammer on rivets are they better or worse? i have grinders and hammers and punches and stuff, by profession im a hd mechanic lol, never played with this little stuff though
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nevermind guys i just had to look at a couple other threads, i found all i need to know about presets and stuff on the chain identifying thread. thanks for helping me figure all this out, i hope to be able to help other ppl on this site as i learn more :)
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Before we know it . . . You will be one of the chainsaw pros with all the answers . . . Helping other people.
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This stuff can get addictive. If you just had the one chain you wanted to save, per your original post, you might be able to take it to a local dealer who would do the repair for you, at less than the cost of new chain. And much less expensive than buying a spinner and breaker.
If you are a hands-on kind of guy, and it sounds like you are, and think you will be doing a lot of this stuff, it pays to have the right tools!.
Philbert
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i cant wait to be able to help others magnum. and your right philbert, it is addictive, i bought a 450 because i had one tree fall in my backyard and i was too cheap to hire the right ppl to come cut it down, but i love cutting, and am finding more and more reasons to own a saw, i rent my so called services out to a couple buddies who need about 20 cords per year to heat their houses and shops, so i make it all back, the reason i was gonna get a spinner and breaker was because then when i butcher another chain i can just buy a spool and never have a problem, and i hate downtime, i have an extra chain, bar, bolts, carb screw driver, fuel, oil, sparkplugs, sharpeners, everything i need even if i just step out the door, some call me an extremist, i call myself prepared lol
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Don't lend your saw out to any of your buddies or it may ruin your day. Unknowing people tend to tear them up.
You always run your own saw.
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Don't lend your saw out to any of your buddies or it may ruin your day. Unknowing people tend to tear them up.
You always run your own saw.
+1 on that.
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+2.
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haha funny you should say that... thats why i bought one, i had a buddy who needed some trees chopped down to move a house to his acreage plot and we screwed around with his dads chainsaws for an hr or two before we just chopped them down with axes lol. i swore then id never own a piece of crap saw lol