Chain Questions for New Saw

[River Hill]

I just received my new 357XP and this is my first real saw. Thank you guys so much for you help in choosing this saw. I am still a newbie, but I continue to learn from reading this site. I think I am getting what you guys call the saw bug. I can't wait to break in the saw on Saturday morning. I do have a chain question. I received a 18" 3/8" .050 68 bar for my 357XP is this the correct bar? I just need to know what chain I should use. It came with a H46 068G. I have read on Husky's website and from the manual about using a H42 or H80. What are the differences in these chains and what would you use and why? Thank you again for your help and understanding. The bar is a HT-280-68

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Husky uses Oregon chain, stamps their name on it and change the numbers. I dont know their number system, but I would run 3/8 square full chisel. 72LG (Oregon#) is a good starting point. Depending on how you use your saw, use a 20" bar (no bigger than 24")

Husky bars are also made by Oregon

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Oh yeah, the 18" bar you have will work also. I would keep it if you have a larger saw for say, a 24" bar or bigger. Otherwise I would get something more universal, like 22" or so

 

[River Hill]

My bar is a H-280-68, can I still use a 72LG?

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Probably. It should say on the bar that it is 3/8, and it should have the gauge. That saw probably comes with .050 gauge (drive tang width) chain, so 72LG will probably fit it. Maybe one of the dealers here with a book can verify for you, or your dealer certainly can.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Oh yeah. Full chisel chain has much greater kickback potential than standard safety chain. If you are new to saws, DO NOT put this chain on until you become familiar with them.

Otherwise you will look like this:

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Why would LG be good for a new user? It has no safety features whatsoever.

 

[Tony Snyder]

I do not agree that you need to change your bar to 20 or 22inch. (where are you going to find a 22 inch bar? I would buy up some, if I could find them) I also do not agree with the recommendation of "square chisel", if square chisel means square ground. What else would putting the term "square" with chisel mean?

Eighteen inches of bar in 3/8ths pitch is a nice starting place for a saw of 57cc displacement, even if it is a hot 57ccs.

I would be careful about the .050 assumption on the gauge. I don't know about Husky, but their Jonsered sister saws are delivered with .058 gauge.

I very respectfully disagree with some of the advice you are being given.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Tony square chisel is square chisel. It has a 90* cutter as opposed to a round cutter. How long have you been in this business? Square chisel doesnt have to be square filed, what kind of idiot would recommend that to a newbie?

If you could read and understand I said 20" would be a better all purpose bar, but then I noticed he had an 18" and said that would be fine.

Quit drinking the cheap stuff please

 

[River Hill]

Okay guys it's time to relax. If you are getting frustrated please come out to MD or VA and help us clean up from these storms. The H46-68 is Husky's standard chisel chain and the H80 is there low kickback chain. My guess is the H46-68 is comparable to the Oregon 72LG. Yes this blade is .50. Thank you guys for your help but I don't want to cause any arguments.

 

[jokers]

Hi River Hill
You made a very good choice with that saw.

First order of business is the bar because it is your most expensive cutting component. The HT-280-68 is the correct bar. It is a solid bar with replaceable sproket tip, 3/8 pitch and .050 gauge requiring 68 drive links to make a loop. This bar is the equivalent of the Oregon KO95 mount pattern in a PowerMatch Plus. With this bar you can use Oregon 72LG which is an aggressive chain with virtually no kickback protection. Anti kickback features on chain are generally a poor substitute for proper operation and caution.

Next order of business is the chain and the Husky chain labelled H46 is the correct chain, 3/8 pitch and .050 gauge. I`m not certain because it has been so long since I`ve seen an H46, but I believe that it is more like Oregon 72LP with ramped depth gauges. you might as well switch to the LG when you start buying chains, just realize that you are the most important sfety component to saw operation.

Don`t worry about the other chain types listed in your manual, most dealers won`t have them anyway if they sell any other brand of chain. H80 I think is lo pro 3/8 and I have no idea what H42 is. Are you sure it wasn`t H47, which is .404?

Russ

 

[jokers]

Sorry for the redundant post, I started to reply and then got sidetracked before I realized that River Hill had answered his own questions.

Thanks RH for clearing up the chain designations.

Russ

 

[SWI Don]

72LG is 3/8" round chisel chain .050 ga. without the low vibe ramped depth gauges.

72LP is 3/8" x .050 ga. and has the ramps before the depth guages but otherwise appears to be the same tooth as the LG. This is the stock chain that comes with larger husky saws at least my 372xp did.

72CL is 3/8" x .050 ga square ground or square filed. This chain has no ramps so is basically the same as 72LG but is ground square. Some people like it because it cuts somewhat faster and smoother but it is a challenge to file by hand. Probably not your first choice unless you feel up to the challenge of learning how to square file or plan on buying a square grinder or know someone who has one. Some people do buy it and file it with a round file, after a few filings it basically turns into LG chain.

72V is 3/8" x .050 ga ANSI approved safety chain. This is also a full chisel design but has huge wide depth gauges. This is the "safest" chain if there is a such thing as safe chain, but I believe the performance is below all the others above.

Basically if your dealer carries Oregon chain you want to get a chain that starts with 72 with this bar. In Oregon's chain numbering system 72 is 3/8 x .050, 73 is 3/8 x .058, and 75 is 3/8 x .063.

All in all enjoy your new saw and be safe!

Don

 

[Stumper]

Tony, If you are wanting some 22" bars Bailey's has 22" Carlton Bars for the large Husky mount for $20-both .050 and .058 gauges. Oregon catalogs a 22"bar (or used to-I ordered one ten years ago-I'm still waiting (Actually after a month I told the dealer "forget it -just sell me a 20!"

 

[Tony Snyder]

Huskyman,

I'm just fussing about terminology, and ours seems to be a little different. I call 72LG round ground chisel. and reserve the term "square" to mean square ground or filed chain.

I did not intend to offend you, I was just trying to politely disagree.

I started selling saws in 1979, Husqvarnas and Echos. I have handled hundreds and hundreds of bars and chains over that range of years. I primarily handle Carlton chain nowadays. I like it because of the File-O-Plates.

I guess I was wrong on the .050 gauge thing on the Huskys, like I said my Jonsereds normally come with .058 gauge.

We should be allies, you liking Husky and all. Lets have peace.

 

[River Hill]

Thank you guys for takin the time to answer my questions.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Sorry I snapped Tony, bad day yesterday was vented on the 'net. I apologize.

River Hill you made a good choice with that saw. Now run a tank through it, get hungry for power, and modify it

 

[max2cam]

IMHO, the terms "full" chisel and "semi" chisel are less confusing than introducing the word "square" in the context of the cutter shape. (Or simply chisel and semi-chisel).

The minute the word square is used, the question pops up whether the person means "square ground" which is a different and separate issue.

Thank you.

 

[Tree Machine]

chisel chains

Square chisel I would take to mean square ground, where you would use a special square file to sharpen it. Full chisel would mean the tooth that comes to a point-point and Semi-chisel, or round-ground chisel would mean the tooth curves over; a 'round' point.

I run full-chisel chain, .058 on both my 16", 24" and 36" bars. I like the .058, even on the 346's 16" bar as it has a little more beef and heft than the .050 gauge.

SWI Don, thank you for a most informative and complete reply. -TM-

 

[SWI Don]

Thanks TM,

I probably should have included the semi-chisel (chipper) chains but I really don't have interest in them so am not familiar at all.

If I was real ambitious I would have done the cross reference chart for the carlton, laser, woodsman pro, stihl, etc. but I would have to had enlisted the help of some of the guys here familiar with their respective favorite brand of chain.

River Hill - Hope you'ved had a chance to have fun with your new toy - um I mean tool.


Don