Oh, well....now I understand the difference between .043" pitch, and ,050" pitch. The new chains wouldn't slide easily in the bar, and it drove nuts until I did some googlin', and looked at Gen-You-Ine Makita chains vs the Brand-X chains I bought at Cheapo Depot. The Brand-X chains were poorly marked, and had no "Also Fits" guide on the package. Rookie mistake, I guess.
Proper chains on the way, and I can finally finish cutting up all the logs in the backyard. I'll go rent a splitter later in the year so I can turn them into easily digestible sizes for the fireplace.
The OEM chain got severely dull from cutting out some of the dead juniper bushes earlier this year. Cutting that stuff is like trying to cut steel.....tougher than snot, and rapidly dulls the blade.
Many shops will sharpen dull chains
ReplyDeleteYep, tons of places around here. I wanted some spare chains so I could keep going when the one on the saw gets dull. I have a chain sharpener, and was shown how to use it by our "tree guy", so I'll resharpen the OEM chain, but wanted to see of the two replacements I bought fit the bar, and they don't.
DeleteIf it's any consolation, I did the same thing, twice, THEN, bought a BAR AND A CHAIN and it still didn't fit
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they made 7289 different chain pitches, links and guide bar combinations.
Freakin' Horror Fright electric chainsaw has some oddball gear on it and a funky bar retainer.
So don't feel bad buddy, there is someone out there way dumber than you.
ME!
LOL!!
HAH! The info in the Makita manual lists two different chain pitches for this saw. They don't tell you that the "pitch" refers to the slot in the bar that the chain rides/slides in. I thought it was just the width of the cutting link on the chain,
DeleteOf course if I would have looked at the chain itself, it has a nice "P90" stamped on every link. Nope, I bought one Makita would call a "P91".
Anybody need a couple of brand-new chains? Yours for the cost of a flat-rate box, say $10.
We have done similar for other things. You all be safe and God bless. :)
ReplyDeleteYep, it was entirely my mistake.
DeleteNever had that problem with my Stihls. Just sayin...
ReplyDeleteI didn't want a gas-powered one, and I've had excellent results with all my other Makita power tools.
DeleteThe joys of home ownership. BTDT. At my age I appreciate my apartment and the excellent maintenance man on premise.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but in my twisted way I enjoy it. After we'd been living here a few months, I told SLW that when I was in high-school, if you lived in a house like this, your parents were doing *very* well. Guess I finally made it....
DeleteYep, always pay the money. That is NOT the place to cheap out.
ReplyDeleteThe chains I bought are good quality; they just don't fit. But I agree 100%. Having a chain come whipping off the saw would be at least as bad as getting hit by a broken arresting cable!
DeleteIf it's any consolation I would have bought the wrong chains for my chainsaw too if I had one. Anyway, I thought that in America you had those animals that chopped up wood for you? You know, woodchucks? Groundhogs?
ReplyDeleteJuniper bushes! You could make gin!
Very good to see you back in fine fettle, Jules!
DeleteWoodchucks and beavers can chew wood, but they're hard to employ, want constant breaks, increased benefits, and take forever to do the job.
Yes, these junipers produce berries in large amounts. They also produce prodigious amounts of pollen, and are rated a "9" on a 1-to-10 sacle of Allergy Misery!