.325 on the MS361 ????

[kstill]

Hi all, I bought the ms361 today and ran 2 tanks through it before the sun went down. It is fitted with 20" bar 3/8 chain .063gauge (36RM 72 ).

Ok, here is the issue, I cut alot of Hedge, Black Locust, Hackberry, Red Maple, Oak, etc.. and when i cut toward the nose of the bar on limbs 6" round, sometimes the chain wont bite, it just walks side to side and when it does bite it chatters and jumps around in the cut.

I run .325 20" RM on my 034 and this has never happened.I can use any part of the bar I want and it is smoother and faster in hedge and locust than the 3/8 on the 361, its not bogging down but its just chattering like crazy!. It seems like the only way i can get an ok smooth cut is to have the dogs right up againt the wood,

I called my dealer and he said he would convert it to the .325 if I wanted him to. Which would be nice to have both saws running the same chain.What are your opinions on this?
If I do this , what would be the ideal rim sprocket size on the 361?

I really feel that my 034 is outperforming the 361

Kevin

 

[CaseyForrest]

I started out with .325 on my 361. The 3/8 actually cuts smoother and faster then the .325, IMO.

Was the chain you were using new or been sharpened a few times?

 

[kstill]

The chain is brand new, The dealer gave me a case and 2 chains. I tried both chains and was wondering myself if the chains have the wrong angles or something. (Bad chain?)

 

[CaseyForrest]

Safety chain or regular chain?

Also is it RS or RM?

The saw isnt the issue here, its likely the chain you are using, or possibly even the bar.

I just saw from the first post its RM....

 

[GASoline71]

I run 3/8", .050, round chisel, full skip, on a 25" bar on my 361. It cuts like a monster. No way that 034 should outrun that 361.

Gary

 

[kstill]

Non safety yellow label RM. 3/8 chain .063gauge (36RM 72 ).

 

[CaseyForrest]

It almost sounds like the chain isnt sharp. Thats usually what happens with me when they get dull, itll wander around unless I dog it in and push.

 

[kstill]

I actually thought the dealer put the chain on backward at first, i had to stop and look.The chain cutter doesnt seem to have much hook on it. I will take a pic and post it

 

[CaseyForrest]

No need, RM does not have a disticnt working corner like RS, or Round Ground Chisel. Rm works best in dirty, abrasive conditions. It holds it edge better, but there is some sacrifice in speed of cutting.

Check the sharpness of your chains.

 

[kstill]

They were brand new and felt sharp.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Check this out...

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=35416&highlight=3%2F8+361

 

[kstill]

So you are running the .325x9 rim ?

 

[CaseyForrest]

I was....It does spin the chain fast...but in my opinion to fast. Not enough time for the chain to clear the chips from the cut.

Lets put it this way...I was happier running a 28" bar and full skip RS on the 361 than I was running the 16" with .325 RS.

 

[kstill]

run 3/8", .050, round chisel, full skip, on a 25" bar on my 361. It cuts like a monster. No way that 034 should outrun that 361.

Gary

It shouldnt, but right now with the way the bar and chain chatter through the cut, my 034 is smooth and is making the cut faster.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Take that bar and chain back to the dealer and have him check it out.

Problem isnt the saw, and the 361 does run better with 3/8.

 

[kstill]

I am going to do that tomorrow, and i am taking a couple pieces of hedge with me to show him the difference. I know its the chain and not the saw.
I love the saw, since it has the side access chain tensioner and see through gas tank!
My 034 tensioner is in the front, PITA, and i dont know how much gas i got unless i check it or run out.

 

[kstill]

Well it raining today so im not going to mess with it.
Does anybody cut really hard wood with the 3/8? any problems?
Do i need to change my cutting technique and cut using the bar more toward the powerhead, it just seems like it would make more sense to use a .325 in really hard and hard dead wood. When i say the chain is chattering, i mean its actually jumping around in the cut.Is that common with the 3/8 chain? It cuts pretty smooth in hackberry, but the real hard stuff is a different story

I want it to cut smooth in any type of wood like my 034 with the .325, so would i be losing much by going the .325 on the 361?



Kevin

 

[SawTroll]

It almost sounds like the chain isnt sharp. Thats usually what happens with me when they get dull, itll wander around unless I dog it in and push.

That's my thought also, some times you will have to sharpen the chains before using them the first time.....

....and some times you will have to lower the rakers quite a bit also - happened on the chains (73LP) that I got with my 372xpg - about 7-10 strokes on the rakers were needed, with an 8 inch raker file........

For clean wood, RSC is far better than RM, anyway.

Another thing - I believe that in smaller wood .325 could be faster than 3/8", provided the .325 chain is RS/RSC and the sprockets are about equal diameter, but at some point chip clearance will become a problem with .325 - I really don't think it is worth the effort to change back and forth....

I use 3/8" RSC for clean wood, and RM for the odd dirty wood, 7- or 8-pin sprocket depending on the application (8-pin with the 15" bar only).

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

When i say the chain is chattering, i mean its actually jumping around in the cut.Is that common with the 3/8 chain?

Chain "chatter" or jumpy cutting is a product of it's cutters and/or depth gauges. It's where the chain meets the wood that determines how smoothly it cuts.

 

[deezulsmoke]

My 361 does the same thing on small stuff. I am running the non-safety chain with a 20" bar in 3/8". Its the chain in my opinion if you are running the yellow stuff, its non the smooth safety chain. Mine does cut smooth in the larger stuff though, the only problem I have is with small stuff. Big difference in safety versus non-safety chain in my opinion. Does yours look like it vibrates the bar side to side in small stuff ??