Best Chainsaw Chain Brand? (10 BRANDS), Stihl vs Oregon, Husqvarna, Carlton, Forester

can we have an new test.

would like to see if there are some brands that got better or worse
and test husqvarna x-cut

If you are doing a lot of cutting, would it pay to have the carbide tips?

Awesome tests - your videos are by far the best and most informative on YT. I have watched hours of them and they are all excellent. I started with your videos on automotive lubrication/additives then watched some of the firearm products now I'm onto the chainsaws. Really appreciate all of the unique and unbiased testing, it really helps us consumers to pick the right products to buy!

Great video I know a lot of folks don't care about this part of a chain but I would have liked to see when you put a chainsaw over cardboard and run max speed how much oil is coming out. Only because my Husqvarna 450 Rancher has a fixed oilier I don't like that but its not been a problem so far. I do run the thinnest bar oil I could find.

I been using Oregon and Stihl chains for over 20 years, like both. I recently picked up some cheap carbide chains on Amazon from a company called Byane. Stihl cuts faster out of the box, but the carbide is better so far with occasional metal where I cut firewood.

what about ARCHER and THE DUKE'S chains?. fairly cheap and have had good results. they are worth a test and have great reviews. love the videos, i always watch them before i make a purchase!

Hexa Chainsaw chain compare to other types?

Great video!!

Carbide chains are used by fire departments because they remain sharper for longer when cutting through nails or other metal things you may run into when using it on a house. It's not for wood specifically.

Oregon, Stihl and Husquvarna chain for me. In that order. I usually sharpen with Oregon files by hand unless I’m doing a lot of cutting and then I use the Chicago Electric sharpener to save time. Both methods work great.

Stihl Chisel for fast cut in clean wood. Stihl round tooth in dirty wood conditions. Stihl chain stretches very little.. Buy Stihl files to sharpen. Stihl chain costs more but you file and tension less. Oregon second choice. Carlton is junk...

That's a good looking saw!

Are you using new bars and the tensions all equally tighter . Kinda lot of factors also that dictate your cuts. Just guessing here myself wouldn't know. 🤔

My Milwaukee chainsaw came with an Oregon chain mounted. It went through fresh poplar logs like the proverbial hot knife through butter. After a few hours, I needed to swap out the chain. I could only find some generic chains, so I installed one and went back to work. The new chain had cutting bits that were thicker and more aggressive than the Oregon, but just could not hold up: I've gone through two of the replacements and the Oregon performed better than both. Moral of the story: Buy more Oregon chains and recycle the rest. Thanks for the review!

Thanks for the video

Dolmar actually, Makita only the branding.

I stumbled on the 8Ten as it came with a kit and I was super impressed, even after sharpening it a few times - from that point on, buying their 3 pack seems the only way to go..

Hi. I just picked up ten Stihl chains for the sweet deal of 80 euros. I have one thing that I am curious about that you could make a nice test about. How much less energy does it take if you step down from 1,5 mm gauge compared to 1,3 mm and 1,1 mm and how much less power does it draw if you use 12 inch bar compared to 14 and 16 inch bar? That is something I have been discussion with my friend especially when using battery powered saws like Husqvarna, Stihl and Echo. Can a shorter thinner blad and chain saw save you from buying that third or fourth battery?

As always an excellent and thorough and methodical test . I really appreciate all the care and documentation you do on these tests . I know this video is a bit older and you may not see this, but I would love a follow-up on the chain comparison with you sharpening each chain with the same sharpening system to compare the longevity of a new sharpening on each chain, and also it would be great to get a comparison of the stretch of the chain over time as maybe an indicator of the build quality. Though this is a fair comparison that you did in this video, the factory edge on the chain teeth really only matters for a tiny fraction of the life of the chain, though it can be a metric for the build quality and machining that went into the chain.Thanks!

Carbide may be slower, but they do cut through more nasty material

In my experience, if there is a chance that dirty wood is present, the carbide chain is the way to go.

40 years of logging, I use Oregon , Stihl stays sharp a little better, but Oregon is easier to sharpen, less file🪵🤔

I’ve had my best luck with commercial grade Stihl chains. The teeth are larger and will rip through wood. The Oregon uses the micro chain.

I will say that the full chisel 8ten chain I received cut as well as any chain I've taken out of the box, but I can't wait to see it hand filed to have more to compare it to. I'd put my money on any chain if you ran it on a stihl for a tank of fuel

Carbide chains require special equipment to sharpen. Might as well consider them a single-use

I also consider chain stretch as a testament to quality of a chain

48 years of Stihl chain!Tried others,but 👎.I think Stihl just uses better steel.

The cheap brands aren’t tempered evenly

Amazing what a few years can do to price on Amazon (12/19/2024):
8Ten $41.95 (3 pack makes it $14 per chain)
Oregon $20.11
Husqvarna $23.38
Forester $21.95

Thanks Husky

Awesome.
Your videos are the best

What about a test on which chain oil is best? I've been using the Stihl one for years with absolutely no issues, but friends of mine are swearing that the Husqvarna is much better, but I couldn't really tell.

Would love a new updated video with electric/battery chainsaws!

Here 4 years later and i belive its time to revisit this video with one added step. Which chain takes and holds a resharpening best. I believe stihl would take the lead again as Oregon chains have always seemed to not hold a resharpening as well but maybe its just me

There is no option for me to subscribe

Another factor to chain quality is how fast they stretch.. I've found that "name brand" chains will need a slight tension adjustment with each tank, where some of the really cheap chains will need 2-3 adjustments per tank.

I've also found, that a really cheap chain, as long as it has a good aggressive profile, can be sharped/ground/shaped to match the cutting performance of a name brand chain, and is easier to sharpen (softer), but they won't hold the edge as well. This may actually be a wash though, because less sharpening strokes and pressure are required to bring back the edge.

I don't worry about being fast ..cutting a log..iam more careful than that..

Another great test of practical products. I agree that Oregon appears to give service similar to Stihl, but at a noticeable savings. Thanks again for making us smarted & saving us $$.

Northern Canadian here....55 years old, and have been cutting since i was 14 the only 2 brands I have ever used are Oregon and Stihl...as do most pros up here. So not really surprised they are the quickest but glad I have not wasted my time and money....one more test which is hard to do is longevity...most Oregon/Stihl make it through 4 -5 seasons (years) on average . I'm cutting and bucking between 20-25 trees....averaging 15 inch diameter ( 12 -20) alot are standing deadwood. But as your test indicates you Do Not hit ground, if you do break out the file....quicker to take the time to sharpen it ( or carry a spare chain and swap it) than to try to slog through.

Not being this guy, and I’m way late to comment, but testing them on the same saw isn’t doing them justice.

You kinda need to taste them on their saw, the one they were designed for right?

I wonder if anyone tests the longevity or number of cuts per chain like they do with light bulbs and other electronic parts that switch on and off in cycles. It would take too much wood and manpower, but maybe the companies have something on their data/spec sheets? I was surprised on the sanded wood test how Stihl went from first to last!

Good job, thank you!

It`s all about personal tastes here, if I`ve always had Husqvarna saws,, I dislike their cutting chain , the metal seems to soft to me, I have to re-sharpening to often. Am addicted from Oregon plates and full chisel cutting chains for years (72 LPX) but when out of stock, I never say no to a Stihl chain , more expensive but the metal feels harder to me, you have to push harder on the file , the sharpening is way more durable....

This Guy has the most annoying, monotonous , booming self opinionated and machine gun voice I have ever heard. as soon as he starts to speak I switch off, a mono tone and shouting example of How Not To conduct a Review. All his videos are the same shouting at the camera format, at lightning speed with Technical detail that No One needs at all. What a totally boring man.

The absolute worst chains I've used over 50+ years of cutting were two different brands of carbide tipped chains. What a waste of money, time, and expectations!
Great video! You appeal to my OCD "affliction!"

Great comparison video. Unbelievable the Oregon rating. My experience with Oregon is a sorry chain that dulls so fast. So much downtime to resharpen. Having great luck with Woodland Pro full chisel. Very hard metal. That is not on your chart.

Looks like a very well done test, very good job. .lot better than myth busters lol.i seen a couple of things they tested and I knew Damm well their findings were false