?Another Chain Question

[Nailgunner]

My MS170 has one of these narrow bars and chains, the chain is Oregon 90SG: http://www.oregonchain.co.uk/products/forestry/chain/micro_lite.shtm#90SG
it's a 3.8" pitch chain, just narrower and with massive bumper links.

It's very narrow and the saw punches well above its weight because for any given cut size, it has to remove less wood than a conventional chain. I was wondering what a bar/chain in this width would perform like on a bigger saw. Increased speed vs rather delicate chain? thoughts?

 

[juststumps]

I have been going through the Baileys website and I noticed that there are different types of chains and pitches. I think the chains and pitches are related but I dunno.

I noticed

1 Chisel Chains
2 Semi-Chisel Chains
3 Harvester Chains
4 Ripping Chains.

What are they all about? Which is best for me as I want to cut through the logs as fast as possible with my Husky 455 Rancher? Do I need to change the bar to run a different pitch chain? Does the bar have to come from Husky?

Yes I did read the post about that particular saw and saw that the proffesionals here would not have bought that saw. I already have it though and it is what it is. I do cut wood kinda frequently though as I like to season my own wood. I am into competition BBQ and I keep all kinds of pecan and oak around. The saw I had (still have) before the hurricane hit us is the Poulan Pro 46cc PP4620AVX. The Husky is much more aggresive.

if you want an honest opion,, just buy a good chain, keep it sharpened, and run it the way it is for now...til you get a better handle of things, i really don't think you need to make any changes, or experiment...doesn't sound like you are an everyday user, and i don't think you will see much improvement, for the cost !!! JMHO

 

[Jonny Quest]

Yes, I saw that. I am not sure what "kerf" means, much less "narrow kerf".

Kerf. Think of the kerf as the width of the cut. The wider the kerf, the more wood has to be cut out. The more narrow the kerf, less wood is cut out. This is why there are "narrow kerf" systems - as they can make a thinner cut, requires less power. Many of the smaller saws are set up to run a narrow kerf chain. Narrow kerf is also known as "pico". Oregon has a narrow kerf bar called the Micro-lite. If your run this bar, be sure to also run the narrow kerf chain (Oregon 95VP). I don't know if there is a 20" bar/chain set up - as I've only ever seen 18" and smaller.

JQ