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Chainsaw cuts circles !?

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Old iron farmer

01-26-2002 12:17:24

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I have a Stihl 046 chainsaw with a 16" bar to cut firewood into chunks . When I put on or sharpen a chain , I turn the bar over as it says in the manual . Each time the bar is on one way , it cuts hard to the right ! I flip the bar over , same chain , and it cuts straight as an arrow ! I cant find any information in the manual on this . The dealer just wants to sell me another $50 bar ! Also I have a 20" bar for that saw and I am having no problems with that bar !

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Randy

02-08-2002 00:41:52

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Having worked as a faller for several logging companys for many years, I have experienced the same problem as you are having many times. The
bar is not shot, it just needs to be taken off and
have the rails ground. One side of the rails is
just a hair higher than the other side, making the
chain pull to one side. Most saw shops if they are
truely a real show shop have rail grinders. I have my own grinder, that consists of a grinder wheel
that goes on my table saw. Lay the bar flat on the
table an run the bar across the side of the stone
quite rapidly, so as not to heat up the bar rails.
Do each side several times until it looks like both rails have been ground and shinny. The stone
should only cost ten or twelve dollars and will last forever. A bar will last a long time if it's
ground occasionally.

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Old iron farmer

01-28-2002 13:36:57

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Thanks again for all of your input on my problem . The more input I get the more WE ALL LEARN ! Thank you !!!!!

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Dave in Mo

01-28-2002 09:53:16

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

I've got an 18" bar on my 026. Are you sure you have an 046? That's a big engine. Go online to Stihl webpage and ask what they want for a new bar. Tell them what your dealer wanted. Last year I snitched on my local dealer. They tried to screw me out of a 100 bucks on a new clutch. Told the factory and they made the dealer reimburse me for about 70 bucks. True story.

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Old iron farmer

01-28-2002 13:33:48

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Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Dave in Mo, 01-28-2002 09:53:16

Yes it is a 046 Stihl ! Paid a lot of $ for her too ! The next dealer is 113 miles away ! Will my nane remain closed when I nark on my dealer or MAYBE NOT ! The reason I bought a big saw , I am a truck driver and am home three days a month , so I don't want to be fooling around all day on a tree or too !

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01-27-2002 10:31:52

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

The easiest solution is to stop flipping the bar over with each sharpening. Run the saw with the better side of the bar down.

One thing not mentioned here is the possibility of a burr on the rails. A burr tends to affect a bar more when it is on the bottom of the bar, and isn't very noticeable on the top side. The most likely problem is that one rail is wore lower than the other. You may be able to work it down with a file. You should be able to find a 16 inch replacement bar for about $30-$35 from some of the companies that sell replacement chains and bars.

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steve

01-27-2002 06:05:46

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Sounds like bar is worn, We used to have this problem. Usually just bought another bar. There is quite a few after-market bars which are a lot cheaper than dealer. Make sure they are USA or Cand. made. The overseas ones don't stand up.

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Amule

01-26-2002 20:04:52

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Same chain and you flip the bar one side cuts
straight and the other cuts crooked ? The previous posts about the rails not being
parallel sound right.What amazes me is the
16" bar on a 46.That saw is over 5 1/2 horse.
I seems to me that if the chain is missharpened
or dull that you could put enough pressure
on the bar to make it cut ,not stall the saw
and burn the bar do to lack of lube.The local
Stihl dealer refused to put a 16" bar on my
buddy's 038 for that reason.I run a Sandvik
20" hardnose on my 46 and I really like it.

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Russ

01-27-2002 04:46:27

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Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Amule, 01-26-2002 20:04:52

Amule, you could have the same bar burning scenario on a little 2ci Poulan from Walmart with a 20" bar. The bottom line is that any chainsaw operator needs to know and perform basic chainsaw maintenance and operator skills. I`d bet that the dealer was trying to protect himself from having your buddies saw come back with a siezed engine from perpetual over revving from a dull chain on a short bar. This is the most likely, and common scenario. A 20" bar on an 046 is nice, but you will also find many pro firewood cutters running a 16" bar on saws like the 046 and even more powerful. I have one friend and one aquaintance who swear that the best firewood combo is an 066 with 16" bar and both of these guys have considerable experience. My friend is cutting over 500 cord a year and the other guy claims similar production and I have no reason to doubt him when I take a quick look at his output. Russ

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Amule

01-27-2002 19:39:30

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Re: Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Russ, 01-27-2002 04:46:27

Russ, Anybody who cuts 500 cord a year isn't a
casual user.Those guys are pros who know what they are doing .An 066 with a 16 inch bar
would be an awesome machine and I might try
a 16" on my 046.I doubt that you could tear
up a bar with a 2ci Poulan as quickly as
with an 046.You would probably realize something wasn't right just do to the fact
it wouldn't cut,only stall and bind.With
enough power you can force a dull chain to
cut.My comments were not meant to address what
professionals do but more aimed at the
problems encountered by the occasional user.

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John in MA

01-28-2002 14:04:51

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Amule, 01-27-2002 19:39:30

You can't force anything to cut if it's dull enough. I picked up a '70s Homelite SXL-925 (over 5 HP, great saw) with a 24" bar at a yard sale a while ago. Chain was as dull as anything I've ever seen. Just for fun, I tried to cut some wood to see what it was like--no go. You could stand on the thing and it still would just slide on the wood. No problem burning the bar with the 5 gallon per minute oiler this thing has.

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wdgloff

01-26-2002 18:40:18

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Get the bar ground. Any FULL SERVICE dealer can do this. Know anyone with a bench belt sander with a disc sander on the side? This is basically a bar grinding machine. Stihl even recommended getting one to the dealers.
Gte the rails even and no more circles.

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Russ

01-27-2002 04:31:33

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Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to wdgloff, 01-26-2002 18:40:18

That`s a good suggestion,that`s what I do. You do have to take great pains to make sure that the table and the platten are exactly perpendicular to one another and stay that way throughout the rotation if it is a disk sander.Obviously with a belt, it stays that way once set up. I`ve got a friend who has a cheap Sears, who`s disk must be mis-bored because it wobbles even when it`s tightend down. I have seen a few cheap ones that don`t though. Don`t mean to condemn anything. Make sure you keep the bar moving so you don`t grind low spots or overheat the rails and remove the temper. Russ

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Old iron Farmer

01-26-2002 16:39:33

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Thank you for all of your input on my trouble . I am very pleased that some people are still out their that don't try to make a pile of money off of people's problems that they don't understand . Thanks again !

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PCC-AL

01-26-2002 14:30:22

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

I agree with all the replies and especially, Russ. $50 for a 16" bar is too much.
By the was, when I bought my Stihl it came with a 16" bar, but I talked the dealer into swapping it for a 20". Normally, incorrect chain sharpening causes the saw to pull one way or the other. However, in your case I think the replies are right. Sounds like the bar to me. Good luck.

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Russ

01-26-2002 12:57:52

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

At first glance I`d say bbot is right about the cause. Does this happen with different chain loops or just one in particular? It doesn`t seem like many small shops have bar grinders anymore so you are often left to your own devices, in fact since I started using saws 25 years ago it was considered routine maintenance to level your bar rails with a flat file. There is a device made by Pferd to simplify this task and it sells for less than $20 from companies like Bailey`s. $50 is way too much for a 16" bar. Try www.baileys-online.com or www.cutterschoice.com

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Old iron farmer

01-26-2002 16:24:53

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Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Russ, 01-26-2002 12:57:52

It cuts hard right when I have THAT side of the bar down ! New chain OR old one ! Does that Cutters Choice have a MAIL catalog ? I ordered a catalog from Baileys !

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Russ

01-26-2002 18:26:55

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Re: Re: Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 16:24:53

Yes, Cutters Choice does have a catalog and I believe it`s even free. The catalog is full of stuff for saws and all kinds of outdoor power equipment and prices are generally pretty good. They sell GB bars which seem to be regarded well, on par with Stihl bars. BTW, if your saw uses rim sprockets, GB rims seem to hold up exceptionally well and they are just over $3 from Cutters Choice if you buy 10. Russ

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Ray

01-26-2002 12:53:49

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Take the bar off and file it back even, they wear the shoulders off on one side and should be maintained same as the chain this will cause pulling. The shoulders are on both sides of the chain groove. Hold it up to the light and sight down the groove and use a straightedge of some sort. I'm sure this will help

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bbott

01-26-2002 12:45:45

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Re: Chainsaw cuts circles !? in reply to Old iron farmer, 01-26-2002 12:17:24

Sounds like one side of the bar is out of 'level'... If you've been good about flipping the bar on every use, it may have been mis-manufactured.

Saw shops used to have grinders to re-level them, but I don't know how many of them still do this sort of thing.

I'd think that a real 'pro shop' still would. That or just run the good side until it's worn out.

-- bbott

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