Bar Size on The 200T

[treemandan]

How many people who have filed their chains have filed into the tie straps? You guys all immediately took the chains and threw them away, right?

I am quick to discard a climbing saw chain, perhaps to quick, I toss them at about 50% wear. By the time it gets to that point it has had a hard life and I feel better not having it near my face. It does take a long time for me to wear a climbing chain to 50% as they don't get mangled like a ground saw might. When I file it I go light.
If it had some sort of trauma that would compromise its operation then its gone as well. But no, a few scrapes with a hand file on the straps is not to bad. A kink, bend or stiff joint? Why mess around when its a few bucks? Like my underwear, I like to have something fresh and clean every once in a while.
It does surprise me how fast a chain stops when it comes off the bar, at least when it comes off in one piece. Still, like a hazzard tree, you don't exactly know how it will fall.

 

[treemandan]

relax farmer. people just covering their arse is all. i got some of that green chain and took those rakers right down. all better now.


14in is perfect for your 2hunge jchips. if you are feeling real good about your saw and want to get it even lighter go ahead and get a composite lite bar. i love how forgiving those bars are. and hey your old and these bars are light. perfect combo. lol

just a few questions. What is 2hunge jchips? And are you sure you took the rakers down and not the safety hump things? I went a little deep on the rakers and found that it was bad, very bad.
And yes those composite bars are nice, very nice.

 

[treemandan]

I am quick to discard a climbing saw chain, perhaps to quick, I toss them at about 50% wear. By the time it gets to that point it has had a hard life and I feel better not having it near my face. It does take a long time for me to wear a climbing chain to 50% as they don't get mangled like a ground saw might. When I file it I go light.
If it had some sort of trauma that would compromise its operation then its gone as well. But no, a few scrapes with a hand file on the straps is not to bad. A kink, bend or stiff joint? Why mess around when its a few bucks? Like my underwear, I like to have something fresh and clean every once in a while.
It does surprise me how fast a chain stops when it comes off the bar, at least when it comes off in one piece. Still, like a hazzard tree, you don't exactly know how it will fall.

By the way this is now after learning a few things and being able to afford it. You should have seen the crazy crap I used to work with.

 

[oldirty]

just a few questions. What is 2hunge jchips? And are you sure you took the rakers down and not the safety hump things? I went a little deep on the rakers and found that it was bad, very bad.
And yes those composite bars are nice, very nice.

whatever was in front of the teeth got a haircut. (ive since made sure never to use that chain again)



2hunge is my slang for the 200t. suppose i had 200 dollars right? well to me that is 2hunge. i call a hundred a hunge. the 200t is, to me, the 2hunge.

jchips would be jimmychips for short.

 

[juststumps]

we run 8 200t's .. when they got purchased (not all at once),,,we told the dealer ,,,14" bar and the pro chain......he just swaps them out... no charge..

all the saws come set up as stihl's recomended set up....doesn't mean you have to walk out the door with it..... just ask.... works for us...

 

[treemandan]

whatever was in front of the teeth got a haircut. (ive since made sure never to use that chain again)



2hunge is my slang for the 200t. suppose i had 200 dollars right? well to me that is 2hunge. i call a hundred a hunge. the 200t is, to me, the 2hunge.

jchips would be jimmychips for short.

Ooops, not the rakers! Only about a 16th of an inch gap when you lay a straight edge over the teeth should be fine, I think. You can take the safety humps out completely. The rakers are your friends.
I see that now: 2hunge. I would still call it a 20 but some people think I am talking about something else.

 

[Frank Boyer]

A 1/16" gap is .062" or about 1 1/2 MM. Spec on Stihl PM chain is .65 MM (.026"). You are very low on your rakers.

I use a 14" bar with Stihl PM chain on my HT 101 and 200T. I am to old and heavy to climb and bought the 200T because it is a small light high performance saw.

 

[2FatGuys]

This is a hilarious thread...

We have debated "To file or not to file" the humps. Why?

I haven't had a hump chain in at least 20 years! I make SURE that I never buy them or get them when buying a saw. It seems to me that if you are a pro, and you are concerned about safety and profit, you would be buying the correct chains to start with. If you do, then the point is moot.... no grinding off humps necessary!

 

[Podaltura]

I have 12" carving bar, and the standar of 14", and 16" for some works. The prefer for me: carving bar and 1/4 chain. Light, and much more safety than the 3/8 low profile chains.

 

[treemandan]

A 1/16" gap is .062" or about 1 1/2 MM. Spec on Stihl PM chain is .65 MM (.026"). You are very low on your rakers.

I use a 14" bar with Stihl PM chain on my HT 101 and 200T. I am to old and heavy to climb and bought the 200T because it is a small light high performance saw.

Yes you are right 1/16 is way to much. After messing around taking to much now I just lay a file over the teeth and if I see daylight its good. I guess the gap is the same width as a matchbook or a little less. Someone told me the cardboard of a matchbook is about 1/16 of an inch, I just looked to see if he was right, he isn't. All these years I was wrong for believing him. I tried taking more than that once and the chain always jammed in the cut. If I take them down it is just a quick pass with a flat file.

Nobody else use the low pro chains? I think you guys are missing out.

If anybody thinks this thread is hilarious: at least its not called " how do I sharpen the chain on my wild thing", which sells for 94.95. Who in their right mind would pass up that deal?

 

[farmer]

You should get yourself a depth guage. There only 3 or 4 dollars.

 

[treemandan]

You should get yourself a depth guage. There only 3 or 4 dollars.

To late for that now as my eye does the job just fine, now. The actuall thickness of a matchbook is .025" which falls into proper specification. That is about what my eye gets me.
I also have a set of those Pferd file guides with the tooth and raker files combined. I think this is one of the better guides to have in the field. You can take the raker file out and just use the round file. They are like 20 bucks a pop.
I don't ever recall seeing full chisel chain on any little saw.

 

[HolmenTree]

I'll admit I use the 61 mini chain on my ms200 also, if I go back to the 63PM it seems to cut like a dog. The 61 mini doesn't stand up like the 63 but if its kept sharp the extra speed overcomes any lost durability.
I've tried the 1/4" RM chain but try and find a 1/4" sprocket nose bar.About 20 years ago the 020Stihl was available with 1/4" sprocket nose bar and chain but I wish you luck finding one today thats the way it is here in Canada anyway.Your only option is a solid small tip carving bar,which barely cuts in a plunge bore cut and if you use your saws felling sight mark to aim a top,branch or whatever it doesn't line up with the different contour of the carving bar. The power you lose with the friction of the solid tip makes the 1/4" cut slower than the 63PM. I prefer 12" on the MS200 if I need more I'll use my 026pro 16".No one that I know of has ever made a full chiesel mini chain.
= bar groove size: 61PMMini [.043"] 63PM [.050"] 1/4" RM [.050"]

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I run 12 inch on mine but have some with 14 and one with a 16. I wouldnt run full chisel chain on a top handle, my jobs dangerous enough as it is.

 

[Kogafortwo]

rich guys and saws

The ms200 is pretty much a climbing saw [and overpriced]. A H.O. or other rookie could get a comparable rearhandled saw for less than half of the cost for a ms 200. Odds are even a rich person won't throw $300 more at a saw that is specific-use anyway.

Did you guys see the thread a few weeks ago from the guy in NYC with a modified 880? Never underestimate peoples' ability to spend money on stuff they don't need.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Did you guys see the thread a few weeks ago from the guy in NYC with a modified 880? Never underestimate peoples' ability to spend money on stuff they don't need.

Look how many harleys about with only a few thousand miles on them. I know a plumber that has a 3120xp and 385xp new, used once and hes had them 5 years.

 

[pdqdl]

Dremel on a chain ?

...I ground the humps off of the tie straps with a dremel tool and it didn't take long.

You might want to consider Oregon 91vs chain: no safety tie straps, depth guages are "non-safety". Semi-chisel cutter. Cuts fast !

I wish somebody would make a low profile chain in chisel tooth, but that doesn't seem likely.

 

[hornett224]

if it's a Stihl dealer.............

just tell him you want the yellow chain.it seems to cut smoother than the green for some reason. i noticed a lot of kick back with the green.E-Lite bar is nice too.14" on mine.

 

[elmnut]

we run 8 200t's .. when they got purchased (not all at once),,,we told the dealer ,,,14" bar and the pro chain......he just swaps them out... no charge..

all the saws come set up as stihl's recomended set up....doesn't mean you have to walk out the door with it..... just ask.... works for us...

He is right!