Picco 3/8LP round chisel cutter chain

[flushcut]

 

[Cut4fun]

I prefer the 63PM (now it's PMC) without the safety bumpers.

Still havent found a 45dl or 56dl PMC or PM. What is the difference in PM1 and the PM and PMC? I found a 45dl of PM1 to buy and try in the same cant. Even though I really dont think it will come close to the PS3 in the cut.

 

[SkwerI]

Never heard of PM1. The P stands for Picco (which is Stihl's term for 3/8" lo pro), M stands for micro which indicates a rounded cutter tooth and if there's a 3 then that indicates it's the safety chain. The C stands for Comfort which is Stihl's new generation of a lower vibration chassis.

PM is the regular, old style 3/8" lo pro without the safety ramps
PM3 is the regular, old style 3/8" lo pro with safety ramps
PMC is the new chassis regular 3/8" lo pro without safety ramps
PMC3 is the new chassis with safety ramps

If your local dealers don't have a particular length, then that means they do not have the capability of breaking and spinning loops from a roll. Most dealers only buy prepackaged loops these days and they pick and choose which sizes they wish to stock.

Unfortunately I'm not in a position to spare any PM chain right now. I have enough left on my roll for about 2 more chains and my Washington source no longer carries any 3/8" lo pro. I would like to locate a roll of the new PS chain but I'm not paying the local rate of over $500 per roll including tax for a 100' roll of Stihl chain.

 

[Cut4fun]

I was told by seller this PM1 was replaced by PMC. I think he is wrong.

I just found this on stihl. Dude must be wrong on the PM1

The STIHL PICCO® Micro™ 1 with triplehumped
tie straps has been specially developed
for use on small chain saws. Smooth running
with low kickback tendencies

I really dont want that triple humped bs to test.

 

[Cut4fun]

Guy that works in a stihl dealership just confirmed my suspicions on the PM1. Thanks for the help. No triple hump crap for me.

 

[Jed]

Just got back from the saw shop, and I'm like a kid in a candy store. You'd think a 40 year old man would be able to put things in perspective a bit and realize that a saw chain is a tool. A tool is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Nope. For me, it's not that way. The very smell of the oil on the stuff (Are there intoxicants in there?) is enough to make me half-giddy with anticipation.

I didn't feel like such a terrible geek when I talked to the guy in the saw-shop though. Here's a guy probably 66 years old (coolest guy you've ever met btw) who's not even a tree guy, and he made even my juvenile excitement totally pale by comparison. So I walk into the shop and said, "Yeah I don't know, I... just stopped by on the half chance that you may have heard of the advent of Stihl's new full-chisel arborist ch..." The guy doesn't even wait for me to finish my sentence, but just stops dead in his tracks, does an about face on his heal and pulls this little box off the wall. He cusses the little tabs on the cardboard box cause he can't get it open and finally just rips the damned thing, spilling out the oily chain on the pristine cleanliness of the heavily Stihl marketed counter-top. "I've been through over 300' of this stuff so far," he said. "We're having a hard time keeping loops made up. It just cuts way faster--smoother too apparently." "15% faster, I guess." I somewhat rudely interjected--but his eyes lit up. "Yeah. It's just a lot better than that old stuff."

I'm thinkin I could just squeeze a double-bevel file in there. Those silly safety humps are coming off via the dremel tonight. The square file won't exactly fit in there all that well but if you flatten out the angle a little bit...

The guy at the shop said not to bother. He says you need to round file it. It looks like the factory grind would take at least a 10 degree--maybe even a 15 degree upward tilt with the small file to accomplish. Really, really aggressive beak on the side-plate. Kinda surprised me.

Better quit while I'm ahea... well I won't say "ahead" but... My daughter wants to play at the park. First time the sun has shown his ugly face here in months!

 

[flushcut]

I expect a full report by monday.

 

[Jed]

Don't encourage me Rajan! Butch might ban me from the House for exceeding the nerd limitations.

 

[flushcut]

Don't worry getting giddy in a saw shop it is par for the course being a tree guy. I think you would pass out if you met my wrench he is I think 87 and still cuts. The wood floors are soaked through with bar oil and has the last thirty years of saw models hanging from the rafters. Truly an old timer but the guy knows saws like no other I have meet.

 

[Jed]

Yeah: I wanna end up like that guy. Didn't even use my climb saw today. Ran around with Scotty doing stupid light-clearance jobs for the City of Bellevue. (snippy-snip hand-saw stuff) Works really slow right now.

 

[flushcut]

Slow here too, but I ran a nice easy maple removal that was a referral so I think that's a lock.

 

[Ax-Man]

Is this new chain going to replace PM totally or will that still be available??

I like the looks of the cutter tooth. Square cornered chisel chain is neat to run but it dulls down quicker than regular chain. I seriously doubt you will have isses of dirt up in the top of a tree where the 200 is the top dog but you still have to deal with dead trees and limbs that take that fine edge off a chain.

Any info how it should be sharpened, 90 degrees straight and level across the tooth or with a 10 degree tilt to the file. The cutter tooth looks like it requires a 10 degree tilt on the file.

I know we had a technical discussion on this just recently and it seems Stihl's present day stance is to sharpen all chain no matter weather tthe cutter shape is round , semi round or square to be sharpened 90 degree with a round file and no more tilting of the file for the square cornered chisel.

 

[Al Smith]

Most if not all Stihl is a straight 90 over .I couldn't find the stuff at the shop when I went for parts .They'd never heard of it .

 

[Cut4fun]

The paperwork in the chain box didnt even have the PS3 listed. I did keep the box with numbers and tossed the worthless paperwork.

Stihl dealer in cincy has it. How far is that from you Al.

I haven't check with my 4 dealers up here yet. But I know if I can get it in bulk, I know some wild things and strato poulans that are going to wear this stuff in the future.

 

[Al Smith]

Cincy is around 125 miles .

 

[Peter]

I have some PS3 on order, should be here next week.

I don't mind sharpening frequently, my 200T gets a little touch up most days its out, sometimes a little tickle at lunchtime too if I'm cutting dead elm or something.

 

[Al Smith]

I doubt seriously if Stihl holds some type of patent on the stuff except maybe the kickback links .If there is a market one could about bet on Oregon having it soon .On the other hand with few exceptions little hot running trim type saws are built for the pro market so time will tell on the saleability .

 

[Jed]

AxMan: Here's a weird and really funny thing. I really won't go into the details, but I'll just tell you that I've had to mess with a lot of nasty full-comp round corner Stihl safety chain in my day, (I call it "stump-grinder" chain because the best arguments that its proponents can give to justify its existence is: "Well I'll tell ya one thing--when you hit nails in a log or wire or... etc. It sure holds up a lot better.... blah blah bla... etc. etc. etc...") and I can honestly say, that I doubt very seriously whether any less filing--btw, should that really be our main objective in the first place?--is really required when running that heavy, Godforsaken trash.

A square corner cuts better. Will anyone ever argue with that and why? Sorry boys, but I'm a bit pissed at this guy at our shop and I'm taking it out on you boys, but seriously--what's so hard to understand about that. If the chain gets dull: sharpen it. Really? Is it THAT big of a deal? How long's it gonna take ya. Give it to one of the old-timers and he'll have that thing screamin again in twelve minutes. I HATE stump-grinder chain!!!!!!!!!

 

[Al Smith]

Well semi will take a lot more abuse than chisel, that's a known fact .If you run a saw long enough you will hit something also a known fact .Seldom though would you hit something up in a tree though .

 

[Jed]

True enough Al. I'm just tired of my local, little shop controversy when it comes to ordering chain!

 

[Dave Shepard]

I got tired of jumping through hoops, and blank stares, too. So I buy from the TreeHouse now.

 

[Al Smith]

I don't fool with them either .Most times what few chain I order either come from Baileys or Amicks .Hell I can buy them 50 percent under what the locals sell them for anyway .Too bad they can't sell Stihl chain over the net ---legally

 

[HolmenTree]

I haven't had the chance yet to try out this new Stihl LoPro chisel, but I have been running .325 chisel on my top handles MS200 and 338 Husky. The .325 chisel feels real aggressive on the little top handle at first when your used to only using the little Picco chain. But it sure limbs a spruce tree and blocks it down fast like there's no tommorrow. The bigger .325 chisel tooth has so much more chip flow and chip clearance over the little Picco chain with alot less binding when limbing and blocking.
For best performance with the 35-40cc saw I keep the depth gauges high [ which by the way works best in a chainsaw speed cutting competion] also alot safer for reduced kickback when your cutting a limb inchs from yor nose, 50 feet off the ground. I use a 5/32" rather then the bigger 3/16" file to sharpen the .325 chain to match the little top handles power.

Willard.

 

[Al Smith]

A lot of truth to that Willard .The top handles are like little Jack Russels .A lot of little bites instead of big bites.They do just great if you run them in the torque curve but they aren't Clydesdales .

 

[Magnus]

I can't figure out why they call it chisel?
It has no scuare corner, has it?