Bar/chain/sprocket ???

[dq72]

I own a 441 Stihl that's all stock and want to get a 32'' or 36'' bar/chain for it. I cut alot of firewood and most of it is 30'' across. Stihl offers 7,8 & 9 tooth drive sprockets. I currently run a 7 tooth with a 20'' b/c. I'm wondering if I should run a bigger sprocket to get more chain speed or just stay with the 7 tooth? And I'm thinking of running a full skip chisel chain in the hopes that it will cut through the wood faster without making the saw labor so much. I realize the saw is going to have to work harder to pull the longer chain but I'm trying to figure out the best bang for my buck. I'm looking for advice, opinions or suggestions from anyone on which sprocket and brand/style of chain to run. Thanks in advance.

 

[Ivan H.]

The skip tooth will go faster through the wood as long as it has a good edge.As for the sprocket I don't know.Maybe try the bigger one and see if you can tell.

 

[mtngun]

You'd get more responses if you posted in the chainsaw forum, but as long as you are here .......

36" bar is pretty long for a 441 but I suppose it could be done with skip chain. 32" is more realistic. Either will make your 441 nose heavy and cumbersome.

7 tooth sprocket because a 441 will be working hard with a long bar. Save the 8 tooth for short bars, say 20" or less.

I don't think you'll go wrong with any of the name brand chains as long as you avoid the "low kickback" stuff.

 

[Brmorgan]

If it's stock you're going to want to stick with skip chain on either of those bars, and definitely a 7-pin sprocket. While a larger sprocket will net you a bit more chain speed, you'll also lose a proportionate amount of torque, so the engine will bog easier. I know the strato 441s are supposed to have a bit more torque than their regular 2-stroke counterparts (440) but I still wouldn't recommend a larger sprocket on a bar that long. With shorter bars in smaller wood, like your 20", this isn't a big deal and you could probably pick up a bit of speed moving to an 8-pin if you kept your chain filed/ground accordingly. As mtngun said, either are too heavy to be ideal for that size of saw and will be nose-heavy, so get the shortest one you can get away with. I find 28" on a ~70cc saw to be a pretty good configuration especially with softwood; it'll cut well and it's balanced and comfortable to use. I have a 24" on my Husky 371 for general firewood duties, and that's a really nice weight balance but not quite so versatile. I have bigger saws for bigger wood though.

 

[BobL]

I have a 441, I wouldn't bother with anything other than a 7 pin on bars over 24". It has enough chain speed at 7 pin, as others have said 8 or greater will only allow it to bog down easier.

 

[oldsaw]

32 tops, skip chain, 7 pin. It isn't going to like it much, but it will pull it. Burying that bar in 32 inches of hardwood is going to give it a workout, but it can be done. You will be working the feed rate for sure. It will also help to go at those logs in two or three steps. Make the first cut with the nose down about 45° cutting the part farthest away from you, then come at the top flat or with a slight up angle. I'm not an artist like BobL, but you just need to imagine a triangle in a circle to envision what I'm talking about. The whole idea is not to have the saw trying to pull a full 32" cut out of the log at one time. This makes the saw see the log about 1/4 to 1/3 smaller than what it actually is.

I'd keep a 20-24 as a standard bar, and only break out the big one when I had to. It's going to be very nose heavy and not fun when not being held up by a log in the cut.

 

[dq72]

bar/chain/sprocket

Thanks to all who voiced their opinions. The info is very helpful. I've been looking at the Oregon ''reduced weight'' bar thinking that might be the way to go but they say it'll bend easier so I'm not quite sure about it. I recently heard of a company from Australia that makes titanium bars. Does anyone know anything about them? I'd guess they'd be pricey. I've also looked at the Windsor Speed Tip & ofcourse the Stihl bar. I'm open to suggestions. Thank you........

 

[Stihlman441]

Thanks to all who voiced their opinions. The info is very helpful. I've been looking at the Oregon ''reduced weight'' bar thinking that might be the way to go but they say it'll bend easier so I'm not quite sure about it. I recently heard of a company from Australia that makes titanium bars. Does anyone know anything about them? I'd guess they'd be pricey. I've also looked at the Windsor Speed Tip & ofcourse the Stihl bar. I'm open to suggestions. Thank you........

The GB Titanium bars are very good it will all come down to what you can get for your money.GB bars are all i use.

 

[BobL]

It will also help to go at those logs in two or three steps. Make the first cut with the nose down about 45° cutting the part farthest away from you, then come at the top flat or with a slight up angle. I'm not an artist like BobL, but you just need to imagine a triangle in a circle to envision what I'm talking about. The whole idea is not to have the saw trying to pull a full 32" cut out of the log at one time. This makes the saw see the log about 1/4 to 1/3 smaller than what it actually is.

I think he means like this - don't worry I already had this picture drawn up from a previous post.

First cut A then B then C. The drawing is not exactly right because it's better not to cut all the way across at an angle

I may do this sometimes when nearing the end of a widish, very hard (Aussie) hardwood slab and the chain is getting blunt. I rotate the mill, angling first one way and then the other, see sawing my way down the log. Provided you don't cut all the way across at an angle, this method uses a shorter cutting length. It actually feels like the millis cutting faster but it ends up taking about the same time to cut, but places a lesser load on the saw. However, it also makes a less smooth cut, every time you rotate this marks the wood on both sides of the cut, so I prefer not to do it. I now usually pull the mill out of the cut and touch up the chain when it gets this bad

Full discussion here.

 

[dq72]

The GB Titanium bars are very good it will all come down to what you can get for your money.GB bars are all i use.

I was told the GB company went out of business. you know if that's true?

 

[oldsaw]

Bob, no, I meant like this. I was trying to avoid doing a paint sketch because I'm so bad at it.

I'm talking a sequence on a big log of a red cut, blue cut, purple cut, repeat. That way the saw "sees" the log as being smaller than it actually is, less stress.

On a moderate size log, a red cut, purple cut, red cut, purple cut scenario would be fine.

Sorry I wasn't clear. Sorry about the bad artwork. Sorry about a lot of things, but that's a whole different topic.

 

[BobL]

No problems, or as we say here "no wucken forries mate".

Anyway I now get it, but even regular 'cant to board' cutting can do a similar thing. Once the sides have been trimmed off a log it's not as much work for the saw to cut the cant into boards as it is full width slabbing.

ie

 

[Stihlman441]

I was told the GB company went out of business. you know if that's true?

No that is not true they are still making bars in Melboure Vic Australia.

 

[oldsaw]

No problems, or as we say here "no wucken forries mate".

Anyway I now get it, but even regular 'cant to board' cutting can do a similar thing. Once the sides have been trimmed off a log it's not as much work for the saw to cut the cant into boards as it is full width slabbing.

ie

Okay, we are on the same page here. I thought he was first talking about crosscutting before getting into the rip, but ripping works the same way.

BTW, you are a much better artist than I am.

 

[BobL]

Okay, we are on the same page here. I thought he was first talking about crosscutting before getting into the rip, but ripping works the same way.

BTW, you are a much better artist than I am.

Ah , but you are a much better saw operator, I'd trade that for any artistic skills anyway!