I have a Stihl saw with name brand chain and almost new 20 inch Oregon bar. I keep the chail lubricated, but the chain seems to keep stretching. After only about 10 minutes of cutting I need to tighten the chain.
Can someone tell me if this is normal or if I may be doing something wrong.

There is clearance in all the rivets etc. As you run it in one direction all clearance lines up.
Usually in the first 10-15 minutes. After that you get normal wear and/or heat expansion.

Add to that that the chain itself is not steel that is all that hard. Each link only has to elongate by a few thousands of an inch; pretty soon you have to take up a 1/4"


80 links x 0.003"= 0.240" so it doesn't take much.

Are you saying after 10 min repeatedly? They stretch a good bit the first tankfull, but after that it should go most of a day cutting before it needs tightening.

Maybe it's not the chain...could be the bar isn't clamped tight enough and is working back a bit.

Yes a brand new chain will stretch quite a bit at first, but then it should really settle down and not stretch much at all after the first couple of uses (assuming home-owner level use, not an actual "logger" here).

Are you sure you're getting the bar tight when you adjust it?

You have the correct size chain and bar on your saw?

quote:

Originally posted by K Evans:
Maybe it's not the chain...could be the bar isn't clamped tight enough and is working back a bit.

This!

BAR IS DEFINITELY TIGHT and the bar and chain are correct for this saw.

Well,the bar tightening ,or loosening in this case was my 1st thought as I had the same issue with my Stihl.I know it's great to get free info here but you might be well advised to go to a reputable sm. engine shop + ask someone who does that for a living.So if it costs a little bit but answers your question,it's worth it.

+1 on asking a dealer. Any Stihl dealer will answer your questions for free.

I run my Stihl's fairly hard cutting around seven cords of wood a year. Wood is how I heat my house in the winter. I've never had one continue to stretch after initial break in of a new chain and never with a bar.

I suspect the bar is moving on yours or a bad chain. You didn't mention the brand of chain. The other possibility is not enough oil to the chain. Do you need to refill the oil tank each time you refill with gas? The oil tank should be at least half empty when needing gas.

I've run only Stihl chains and bars without issue for many years. Cheaper brands aren't really good economy in the end.

I find that every time I remove a chain to sharpen it I will have to re-tension after the 1st cut or 2. After that it is good to go for a long time. If your bar is not slipping (Stihl's adjusting screw should prevent this) then I would check the sprocket. First make sure it is the right one for the chain and 2nd they do wear out and need to be replaced. Also old worn bars can cause problems. I flip mine every time I sharpen.
C.G.B.

Although I don't heat with wood as my primary source anymore,35 years ago I did. When I got off work I would cut some trees in 8' lengths,throw them in the truck + take them home.45 minutes tops. Then on the weekends I would cut + split + stack. 2 hours tops.By winter I would have 7-8 cords.A little bit a day is no effort.

Try picking up on the Bar while you adjust the chain, then tighten down the bar while holding the bar up. Bar may be vibrating up while running and that will create slack in the chain

All great pieces of info.
All pats are original and I do add bar oil at every gas up.

I will try all the recommendations.

Thanks
Bob N

Dropped three big Fir trees today. Used a 36" bar saw and a 42" bar saw.

A little stretch on a new chain is normal and the chain will continue to stretch a little over time. But not as much as you are having.

Definitely pull up on the tip of the bar when tightening. Tighten the nuts real tight. The adjuster will not hold the bar in position.

Most folks do not tighten the chain enough. Pull up on the chain (in the mid section of the bar) and release, it should snap back down on the bar.

If you do not have a roller tip bar, buy one. Hard end bars eat chain.

Both of my big saws have adjustable chain oilers. I have them turned up to maximum. Bar oil is cheap.

Use a good bar & chain oil, not motor oil. Up here in the Pacific NW (Big Timber Logging Country) the oil is available in two grades: I use thin in the winter, thicker in the summer.

Lay newspaper on the ground, start the saw, run it over the newspaper, bar about a foot above the paper with tip pointed at the paper. You should see oil splatter on the paper when you blip the throttle.

And do not forget to grease the roller tip, there is a small hole that a special grease gun fits. I give the roller a shot of grease at every fueling.

Keep the chain out of the dirt and gravel beneath logs. A peavey is your friend, along with bucking wedges.

A dull chain will wear and stretch badly. Keep the chain razor sharp! If the saw stalls in the cut, the chain is dull. I have several chains for each of the saws, if one begins to dull, I immediately swap it out for a sharp one.


Buy a filing jig and learn how to sharpen the chain!

One more, do away with the original spur gear drive sprocket. Buy a Rim & Drum type sprocket. Google it if you do not know what it is. A good supplier is Baileys in California, the big West Coast Loggers "Candy Store".

The old type spur gear sprocket adds to chain wear.

Sawing firewood this week with my 795L McCulloch made in 1970. 36 inch bar, 404x.063 full skip chisel chain. This saw cuts like a beast and will pull a 60 inch bar&chain. Nice old West Coast muscle saw from the big timber logging days.

Dropped the trees in the front yard as they were a hazard during wind storms, afraid one would blow down and hit the garage and house. Biggest was about 150 feet tall and only 50 feet from the house.





Used the Homelite 450 with 28 inch bar for the smaller logs. Made in 1980. 404x.063 full skip chisel chain.



Note the plastic bucking wedges Keeps the log from pinching the bar, also lets you open up the cut as the bar gets near the bottom of the log, this lets you see when you start hitting bark: Keeps the chain out of the dirt and dulling rapidly. Bark on this Fir is about 1 inch thick. The axe is a Collins West Coast Fallers axe, with a big flat head and lots of weight for pounding in the wedges. Important when dropping a tree, the main rule here in Logging Territory is "Don't Linger At The Stump". Meaning drive the wedges in, make the final cut, and get the hell out of the way as the tree is falling.

Yes Virginia these big trees will kill you if you do not know what you are doing.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Nisbet:
BAR IS DEFINITELY TIGHT and the bar and chain are correct for this saw.

Some shitty saws just slip no matter what you do.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Nisbet:
BAR IS DEFINITELY TIGHT and the bar and chain are correct for this saw.

Some shitty saws just slip no matter what you do.

Grizz

And tight is tighter than most folks think.

I switched chains on the Homelite 450 (Always have several sharp spares), started up and began cutting. A few minutes later the chain was loose. No stretching I did not have the bar nuts tight enough. I thought I had them tight!! A chain adjust and retightening and I was off for several hours cutting with no more problems.

I do not use the cheap "scrench" that comes with the saw to tighten, instead, I use a quality long box end wrench. The 'ol scrench is just made wrong for tightening. If the saw is used a lot you have to replace the studs and nuts, they wear. Routine maintenance.

Bar mount studs are heated and the nuts are heat treated. With a hardened washer under the nut. Some saw makers skip the good bolts & nuts and use softer: Nothing but future problems!!!!

When my old saws from the 70's died and I went out brought a new saw about 10 years ago.

They are/were lighter for the same power and a lot easier to start. Another plus they use less fuel per cutting hour.

Always found McCulloch's very hard to start.

Not many of the old ones still in use.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
When my old saws from the 70's died and I went out brought a new saw about 10 years ago.

They are/were lighter for the same power and a lot easier to start. Another plus they use less fuel per cutting hour.

Always found McCulloch's very hard to start.

Not many of the old ones still in use.

I have a new Husky 455 for the general farm stuff. Light, fast with chisel full skip chain, easy to start, and a tank of gas lasts forever.

But I collect and play with the big old McCullochs just for fun. Especially when I have logs 4 feet in diameter to saw up! They were called "Muscle Saws" for a reason.


The big guys are hard to start due to the big displacement. Once I get one started and warmed up they start on one pull. Important is a good tune up: Clean carb, new plug, new points and condenser, proper adjustment. AND on the one I use a lot (older 250 McCulloch from the 1950's) I installed an electronic ignition module. And good gas, I run ethanol free. The oldies require 16 to 1 oil mix.

Yep,I had problems with McCullough + Poulan but always had good results from Stihl.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Yep,I had problems with McCullough + Poulan but always had good results from Stihl.

Out here in the Pacific NW Logging Country (Big timber!) Stihl is the king. Especially when we are dealing with the big saws.

McCulloch had its time in the late 1950's and 1960's. Big saws made on the West Coast.

When Hurricane Michael hit last October, I needed a bigger chain saw than my 16” Stihl. Went to the local Stihl dealer and had to wait an hour in line to get a bigger one.Nobody was buying the Echoes, Huskies, etc. There is a good reason for that.....