3/8 used on a 3/8 low profile bar and sprocket

[ccs]

I have never done this but I heard you can run 3/8 regular chain on 3/8 low profile bars and sprockets.I looked at the two chains and the drive links do look to be the same size.I have a poulan 305 and was going to switch it from .325 to 3/8 but can only find the bars I need in low profile.The bar mount is an oregon 041 if you know of a bar with this size mount or one close that I can modify let me know.

 

[Crofter]

You can run 3/8 lo pro on a regulare full sized 3/8 setup, but you will have to look closely at wherther you can do it the other way. There may not be clearance enough in the guides under the sprocket cover. The larger cutters may eat the saw! Also make sure there is room enough in the bottom of the spur sprocket for the drive tang of the full size chain. The spacing is the same, but there is a slight difference in the profile of the two drive tangs.

 

[chainsawworld]

i tried to run reg. 3/8 on my stihl 023 for competition. for some reason the chain was draggy and not as free spooling as the lo-pro. i did find that for some reason that after one complete revolution a drive link would hang up on the roller nose and another on the drive rim. can't explain it. it slowed the 023 down so much i stopped looking in to it. now i run a greatly modified 3/8 lo-pro. i think i posted pics of it once. marty

 

[Marco]

Oregon does make o41 mounts for full size 3/8's, Poulan had used them on the Super 380

 

[begleytree]

Reminds me of the old "can I shoot 22s in my 22mag, 45s in my 410, on and on.
Use what it's made for. Match everything up, how fast is that chain running anyway, now how many times does it cut you when it slings? why take a chance? chain is cheap.
FWIW,my 3/8 lopro is 50 ga, my 3/8 is 63. one won't fit, and one isn't wide enough.
-Ralph

 

[woodshop]

Maybe showing how much I don't know... again... but curious what reason would somebody have for putting larger chain in a smaller saw designed for 3/8lp? What's the advantage? I would think a smaller saw would have a tougher time dragging that larger chain through the wood. If somebody would make an affordable 3/8lp rip chain that could take the abuse of my 395XP I would use it in my mill. Thinner kerf, less chain to drag through the wood. I've been told on a 36" bar regular 3/8lp could break using a powerful saw.

 

[ccs]

The saw came stock with a .325 chain and the cutters on the 3/8 are not much larger only tall.The .325 is about 7% lighter in weight than 3/8 chain.3/8 chain seems to stay sharper longer for me although .325 should stay sharp just as long.I'll look for a bar for a poulan super 380 or just keep useing .325 chain.

 

[jimbo1490]

I would be wary of this as the LP bars are much lighter duty units. I have warped a couple of 3/8 lp bars in extended cuts. Anyway 3/8 std. chain will eat up a lot more saw power so don't expect good results with this switch. I expect that extra friction will mean more bar heat as well; heat that LP bar is not meant to handle

Jimbo

 

[chainsawworld]

woodshop,
i attempted the larger chain to remove more wood in competition. looking at the attached photo, one would not think that the cutters are that much larger then 3/8 lo-pro (photo is of 3/8x50x60 full chisel). the 023 does not like this chain a bit but the husky 357xp that it is on now loves it. the 023 does turn the chain that is in my previous pic. very,very well.
as you can also see, it takes time to get chains just right. marty

the chains pictured in both photos are soft wood set-ups.