.325 and .375

[Canyon Angler]

OK, I'm a newbie and I'm confused. Dumb question but here it is:

I have a MS-310 with 3/8" chain on 20" bar, .050" and 72 drive links.

OK, last I checked, 3/8 = .375

But then I see talk about 3/8" chains with .325" something or other.

.325 does not equal 3/8

Can someone explain what's up with all this for me?

Sorry for the dumb question and thanks for any replies.

Jeff

 

[CaseyForrest]

3/8 is 3/8, .325 is .325. There is no 3/8 version of .325.

.325 is usually reserved for the smaller displacement saws. Narrower kerf compared to 3/8. Although I use .325 on my 361, but thats only because I had a .325 bar for it already.

 

[Canyon Angler]

Thanks CaseyForrest. I guess I was misunderstanding what I was reading.

 

[Diesel JD]

I think the 3/8" is a better chain if you have the ponies to pull it. A 310 is kinda borderline, either one would work, but you need a .325 bar and sprocket for it. As long as you are happy with the way it performs, just stay with the 3/8" chain. If you buy Stihl you'll be buying 33 series chain or Oregon 72 series. Good luck,
J.D.

 

[UrbanLogger]

Dumb Question

I was wondering...Some manufactures will say (or give you the option) to use .325 or 3/8 chain on the same saw? Is this possible, if you have a common size bar that is .050? Oregons website gives you the .325 or 3/8 option (for my Deere CS62). I would think the drive link spacing would be different, thus it wouldn't match up with the drive sprocket? I am using the .325 chain supplied and aftermarket .325 loops, but if possible, I'd like to use a little more agressive 3/8 chain as I know the saw will power it.


Can anyone shead a little light on this for me?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

To switch from .325 to 3/8s, you need to change the chain, the drive sprocket or rim, and the bar.
Some saws do better with one over the other, some are close in performance, typically the 60cc saw size is the cut off.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I was wondering...Some manufactures will say (or give you the option) to use .325 or 3/8 chain on the same saw? Is this possible, if you have a common size bar that is .050? Oregons website gives you the .325 or 3/8 option (for my Deere CS62). I would think the drive link spacing would be different, thus it wouldn't match up with the drive sprocket? I am using the .325 chain supplied and aftermarket .325 loops, but if possible, I'd like to use a little more agressive 3/8 chain as I know the saw will power it.


Can anyone shead a little light on this for me?

If you wish to switch to 3/8 from .325, youll need at the minimum a 3/8 spur or rim, depending on your drum set up. As for the bar, if its a replaceable sprocket, all you need is a 3/8 tip. Otherwise, woull need a bar with a 3/8 sprocket tip.

Stihl has RS chain in .325, RS being round ground full chisel. So you can get a more agressive cutter, and keep your pitch.

 

[musch]

There are a couple of distributors (I'm not going to name names) that label their 3/8 chains .375.
Not to be confused with the low-pro .325.
I was mixed up about this too.
The .325 is definately thinner, for smaller saws.

 

[Diesel JD]

Yeah if you want to switch from .325 to 3/8, if you have a sprocketnose, you'll need a new bar or sprocket tip, if you have a hardnose bar, it only cares about gauge not pitch. But at minimum you need to change sprockets. I really like the .325 on small adn smaller midsized saws. i would say that around 60ccs a saw does real well with 3/8" maybe a tad smaller. Generally its 35ccs and less is lo pro, 35-55ccs is .325 and 55ccs-100 is 3/8" and over 100ccs could be 3/8" or .404.

 

[Canyon Angler]

Well, my MS-310 supposedly has 4 bhp and with a 20" bar and 3/8" "green" chain she seems to pull through 18" white oak and red oak just fine...then again, maybe those muffler mods hot-rodded her!

 

[Diesel JD]

Personally I'd switch to the 3/8" yellow chain. I'm running the 3/8" sqaure chisel on my 390, which is the big brother of the 310 and it cuts pretty good. Mine's still stock...but I need to do that muffler mod sometime.