Great approach as a system. I also look forward to seeing how it performs for you in hardwood. Im in Montana so our forest is 99% softwood. Thanks for the shoutout.
Glad to see you decided to stick around. Now whoever told you that stihl is everyone’s favorite saw hasn’t talked to me lol I’m a husky man to the bone.
Good info! We’ve been using Hexa for a while now and it’s been great for us!! We cut in nasty conditions, lots of sand and hard packed clay on the logs. Hard dead oak, fresh oak with dirt and rot, and some pine. We tried round chisel and didn’t have the best of luck with it so we went to my old square filed but it isn’t always that easy to touch up now. I decided to try Hexa after talking to a few pros and seeing the results myself. Because of our conditions we went down to 25 degree top plate and rakers at 35 thou using the WCS gauge guide. We still haven’t bought the actual, stupidly priced, Sthil HEXA but converted Oregon, Sthil, Husqvarna, and some Archer 3/8 and 404, chisel and some semi chisel. There’s only a slight improvement in some conditions with semi chisel and not worth switching. But we only carry one file in the field so, for us, it’s worth it. Semi chisel or carbide chain is obviously the sane choice for our conditions but we like the struggle bus to go fast before the tires quickly go flat. 😂 Actually we like how smooth the hex is, and it’s quick to give it a few strokes to sharpen it up. We usually get 1-4 tanks, sometimes up to 8 in very clean pine with 404 before the chain needs two strokes with the file. For anyone wanting to try it, the files are around 13 bucks without the handle. I recommend using a round file to get a nice clean surface for the HEXA file, especially when converting square. Make sure the gullet is clean and flat, and not down into the tie straps. The cost of the files are cheap enough to convert a spare round chisel chain and go back to round if desired. There’s better cutting performance at 30 or 35 degrees but dulls quicker than 25.
I like this concept. Not necessarily for myself but I've seen enough poorly sharpened chain to know there are plenty of people that would benefit from this. Awesome vid as usual Doug👍can't wait to see you try it out👊
I just wish stihl could keep up with the demand of parts and bars and chains for stuff they already have on the market . I play hell around here with dealers getting the right stuff I need now for saws that have already been out for 20 years .
Good stuff bud. Was at John Deere today and asked the Stihl guys there when they would have them...... they have no ETA in our area, what a surprise! Thanks for the info bud!
good video you are right the price is to high. but every thing stihl is i hate the new oil and fuel tops have broke 8 of the and have had gas run down my leg from them coming off. i love the 28 super, 41 av and the.046 i have. hate the 360 pro and 230ms. take be safe and well.
Be excited to try one out… but as for filing around nothing will beat round file when it comes to time and money… chain and files are cheaper and way faster to file… “square ground” I believe will always be king and round file second just my experience and opinion
I really wanted to try the hexa chain, and I probably still will when I can get my hands on some. The reason I’m on the fence is the special file required to sharpen it. I like the Stihl RS chain. Easy to sharpen and no special file required.
We finally got hexa in my part of canada last month locally and i just discovered last night i have stihl version of square grind also i picked up last month i had no clue they made it until past night
Might try one if I see it at my dealer....I fail to imagine how it's better than conventional hook chain, plus having to learn new filing technique....makes me go "hmmmm"
That’s funny. A lot of Stihl or Husqvarna dealers are sometimes rental outfits and the person at the front counter doesn’t know too much about products.
The way I typically untangle chains is to use the correct sequence of curse words in a row, but it has to be at just the right volume to scare it back to the right orientation. The Hexa looks like its a decently engineered chain. That specialty file reminds me of a safe edge file and should make sharpening straightforward. I'm curious about its durability in hardwoods compared to standard round filing. Thanks for the honest review.
Your voice and mannerisms are so soothing. You are articulate speaking and bring calmness to your community that you are educating. Well done, masterful!!! We love you Indiana Doug, you make the world a better place to live in!!!
Hello Doug, I don’t think i will be going this route, however it is nice to have the option! I just bought the HF bench top chain grinder, and will be doing a set up, fine tuning video in a few days, then a comparison video between the timber tuff and the HF units, for bench top units, but my go to is the Oregon sure sharp hand held for field work, it is a 12 volt Dremel type tool. Ps can you show a close up of the grinder wheel dressing tool , and any information on where to get it. Thanks
Seen every style of chain cut ridiculously fast when the person knows how to file well. I don’t know what is better. I’ve only ever tried square and round for me square is better but I guarantee there’s guys that can file a round that will smoke my square. I’m interested in hexa just to try it. I’m a Husqvarna guy though. Lol
I've mostly been an Oregon chain user, don't really care for their files vs others, but since I got the Neo Tec 8105, I have been using their chain and 8TEN chain that has been pretty good, I will probably never try Hexa chain due to price.
Square grind does cut a whole lot faster than your typical round filing but I suppose like most things it depends on what your doing if It makes sense. You can use that file on a round file chain to change the cutting edge
When I switched over, it was in the mid 70s, out of desperation on a snowy day. (Necessity is a mother), so without a proper file, I found a goofy file in the drawer, and used that. easy to use, great results, affordable and available files, just use them like a chisel bit file, it give the same top plate, and a curved rather than strait inner cutting line on the side plate. I went to square recently, and I am going back to goofy today.
Been wanting to try the hexa system! As of last week, no word on when it'll be available at my local dealer. At that price point I kinda hope I don't love it😂 oregon exl has been my go-to the last couple years! Excited to see the video and hear your opinion👍🏻
Yer stihl chain pricey. But on it most days. An cheaper easy to file cos soft. Just brought some hexa be good to try. Maybe no good for me but yer. I rekon chain works well after 2 sharps. Not new. Maybe slower but pulls thro nice. Dont want to agro chain n allday tree work. Pull thru the wood. Buetiful. Thanx bro
Don't lie now Stihl products are affordable 🤮 lol. I want to try the stuff, but my dealer is waiting on his BIG display "in his words", sounds like Stihl is really going to push the stuff "big surprise" at those prices it's going to have to be a game changer, I definitely have my doubts about that, but I will give it a fair shake. Enjoy the rest of your labor day everyone.
It's really not new, or fancy. A goofy file will give almost the same results, just a different configuration. Square filing has been around for MANY years, this is a spin-off for the inept.
65 bucks for that shit? the best 3/8 cutting speed chain is the husqvarna c85 x cut and with the same size, in Portugal it costs just over 25 euros / 27 dollars in your country things are very expensive
Here's what bothers me; the market share that they have selected is a group of people who don't even know how to use toilet paper, and have no business owning or even looking at a chainsaw. Quite frankly, people who don't know how to wipe their own ass should have learned something 20 or 30 years ago, instead of trying to be a yuppie flock, way too late in life (Most of the clowns who buy this don't even know how to sharpen a knife) , , not the curious people like us, the hobbyist, or the guy who knows whats up, but is looking for a quicker cut, with an easy maintenance edge. no, Stihl is appealing to they guy who wants to be one step up on the average guy, (just to feel all high and mighty). (Yeah, I'm day drinkin'). BTW, THANKS for the video.
Hexa is still not here in the Upstate of South Carolina. Hell my Stihl rep. still hasn't got a file yet. He has gotten two chains to demo "until they were dull". I can appreciate the innovative aspect of this new cutting system. There hasn't been anything new in chain for decades. Stihl will have to do something about the price or this project is going to fall on it's face.
I got nothing against Stihl. I just wish they were more consistent with new consumer product dates. I understand beta phases, but I don’t think they do.
It's all very well the new design and extra efficiecney, IF everything is done methodically and as it's suppose to be. But engineers and designers of these new systems really should visit the bench floor where the real workers are at.... full day fighting heat, sweat, obstacles and brush. The quotas on the back of their mind, the foreman is pushing the productivity, because theyre being harassed by the penny pinchers. The guy in the field needs to be able to place their chainsaw down, feel into their pouch, grab the file and INSTANTLY, it works it's magic. Complicated mathematics, angles and divisions must not be part of the problem. Engineers need to understand this , and stop standing on pedestalls thinking "how good am I". If a particular file needs to be designed in such a way for the perfect grind. The holder for such file needs to be designed as such, that it sill fit in only one such way, so as to create to perfect grind, first use straight away.
I got a question that is a s***** chain that you have look at the rakers on it they should have single acres to set a double Acres that's an anti-kickback chain that you use in not a real steel chain get it together bro
This has got to be the dumbest comment I’ve personally had. I feel like I lost 20 IQ points from reading it😆 You obviously are trolling bc there’s was no “double raker” chain in this video.
Mike's a good dude...I found him on Instagram first...great content...hexa chain..mehh...just the new thing ..it cuts good what I've seen ...nothing special IMO 🤙🏻😎🪓
