Parts Question
I have a 445 xtorq and it is a great cutter with a 18 inch...
Parts Question posted November 4, 2014 by Andrew Gruetzmacher
795 Views, 3 Comments
Question:
I have a 445 xtorq and it is a great cutter with a 18 inch bar and a H25 chain. I am just starting to sharpen it on my own. Did it free hand a few times just to get it through the fire wood at hand but it dulls fast and I am thinking that my angles are just not great. I found the sharpening guide kit online for .325 but did not notice that there were two different types .325 pixel and .325. One is for the H30, which is .050 and one is for the H25, which is .058. Is the guide for an H30 chain going to be usable on an H25? Or should I be returning it?? I just want to get it right without trashing a chain in the learning process. Also, this is probably in the forum somewhere or in the manual but what is the 'pixel'?
Answer
hello Andrew.
the diameter of the file that is used is the real issue. the file used must be appropriate to the pitch of chain.
the chain may be sharped to 3 different angles. 25* 30* 35* however, all cutters must be sharped to the chosen angle.
all cutters must be identical in length after sharped. eyeballing it usually does not accomplish this.
a 25* angle will stay sharp longer, but cut slightly slower. a 30* angle will dull more quickly, but cut slightly faster. a 35* angle will dull much faster but cut slightly faster still.
the file diameter is very important because of the way it makes contact with the cutters tooth. too big a file will blunt the cutface of the cutter. the correct file will contact the cutter so it will achieve the correct balance of sharpness and bluntness.
the h-25 is as follows. .325 pitch .058 gauge with 66DL on the 18" length.
most chains are factory grind at 25*. most woodsman sharp at 30*. but once again, a fielders choice.
obviously, the goal is a sharp chain, but the single most signifigant item of interest, is the length of each and every cuttooth. if these are even fractionally different, then you can't achieve a true, straight, plumb slice thru the work. it will halfmoon thru the log.
you should be using a 3/16" file for .325 chain. and you need an accurate dial caliper to identify the shortest cutter and then make every cutter match that length.
after you have sharped a few times, then you need to lower the rakers. the rakers are in between each cutter and determine the depth that a cutter can bite into the work. the file guide will show you if the rakers need lowered by placing it across two cutters with the raker poking up thru the port. then use a *** to take the top of that rake flush.
I recently started using the timberline sharptool for doing round ground semi's. it has a backer pawl that makes all cutters turn out identical length because the carbide stops taking material when identical length is achieved. but that tool is roughly $150.00 or more with all the angle guides and various sized carbides. I started using it because I sharp many, many roundies for clients.
if memory serves, 5/32" is the small, 3/16" is the standard .325, 13/64" is the odd stihl 3/8chain file size, and 7/32" is the standard on 3/8" pitch chain.
a 3 corner chisel file is the professionals choice for sharping square ground full chisel chain, but that requires a lengthy education and extreme attention to detail. that detail takes a long time to master...
good luck Andrew...
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Thank you Mr. Smith for your detailed answer. It turns out that I did not have a H25. The chain that came on the saw had H25 on the tooth links so I assumed that was the number. As it turns out, the driver teeth had 30 on them. In any case, the bar is a .05 width not .058 like the H25. So, my real issue was whether or not the guide that I purchased was going to fit on a thicker bar, but it turns out I ordered the right guide and the wrong chain because I thought I was so right that I never even bothered checking the specs written right on the bar. After free handing for a while I did check lengths of each tooth and made them as uniform as I could and used the guide. A snap compared to trying to do it freehand more because I can focus more on pressure and good strokes than on the angle I am holding everything. Didn't do much cutting as all my wood is stacked but the few hunks I did really seemed to mimic what I remember the saw cutting like when I first took it home from the store. It all worked out except for the H25 chain that I ordered that is going to be .058 drive teeth. I will take that as a fairly cheap learning tax if I can't return it. Same way I learned that a 5/32 or a 7/32 is not going to be able to "wing it" when in a pinch. (those were the only two choices at the store at the time two years ago and I figured I would by both and see which one would work best...close enough right??? haha) So now I have spent about 30 dollars total on extra stuff between a wrong chain and some wrong files in the past 4 years but feel that I have learned the lessons the best way possible (by failure). Thanks again for your input.
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glad to hear you worked it out Andrew. if you keep that saw perfect clean in the oiler/clutch area and the bar track and oiler holes clean and open, then you will avoid most issues that affect performance. the saw should be put away empty of all fluids and run until starvation kill. that will keep it easy starting and work ready.
if any problem arises, just revisit this forum and I will help to resolve it if you need advice. good luck and be careful...
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