chain switchover ?

[upandcommer]

Ok here is my dilema I am buying a new big boy for felling and bucking big wood an old mac .404 chain i have a brand new ms290 .325 pitch and i also have my old poulan 3/8 pitch. I need to figure out how to get everything on the same page as far as chains is concerned. DO i need ot convert the stihl and the mac over to 3/8 since it is the easiest to find and find bars for?? the poulan is not gonna pull .404 and the stihl would struggle with it. Also am i correct in assuming that a sprocket change and bar changes are all that is needed for the changes? I was thinking of moveing everything over to 3/8 .5 instead of .325 .63 and .404 .63 any problems about switching?

 

[DanManofStihl]

Chain

I would keep the saws where they are a ms 290 will struggle even with 3/8s chain let alone .404. For a change over all you need is a sprocket bar and chain. A big saw will run 3/8s or .404 fine I use 3/8s all the time on my 066.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Here are some other things to consider. The gauge would have to be the same, .050 is prettty common. Bars, if roller nose will need to be changed even if gauge is right. You also need to find if if drive rims or sprockets are availible for the pitch/saw combo you choose. Probably not a problem switching the Stihl but the old Mac very well could be as could the Poulan if they have spur clutches. All in all a lot of hassle to have common chain if you ask me, but you didn't, lol.

 

[skwerl]

Most 290's I've seen are running 3/8. If you want to run only one size chain, it would have to be 3/8. Should work fine, locating a sprocket for the old Mac would be my only concern. But I've never owned a Mac so I wouldn't know.

 

[THALL10326]

Ok here is my dilema I am buying a new big boy for felling and bucking big wood an old mac .404 chain i have a brand new ms290 .325 pitch and i also have my old poulan 3/8 pitch. I need to figure out how to get everything on the same page as far as chains is concerned. DO i need ot convert the stihl and the mac over to 3/8 since it is the easiest to find and find bars for?? the poulan is not gonna pull .404 and the stihl would struggle with it. Also am i correct in assuming that a sprocket change and bar changes are all that is needed for the changes? I was thinking of moveing everything over to 3/8 .5 instead of .325 .63 and .404 .63 any problems about switching?

Are you trying to say you want the same chain to fit all the saws or you just want all of them to be the same pitch?

 

[Lakeside53]

I would keep the saws where they are a ms 290 will struggle even with 3/8s chain let alone .404. For a change over all you need is a sprocket bar and chain. A big saw will run 3/8s or .404 fine I use 3/8s all the time on my 066.

3/8 runs fine on a 290. It's all that's sold out here. Get all your chains to 3/8 0.050. If you're running a 20 inch bar on the 290, try full or semi-skip.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

3/8 runs fine on a 290. It's all that's sold out here. Get all your chains to 3/8 0.050. If you're running a 20 inch bar on the 290, try full or semi-skip.

Agreed. The 290 will do a 3/8 with no problem. 029/20"-24"/3/8" is one of the most common homeowner set ups out our way.

Jeff

 

[upandcommer]

well i found a 3/8 for the mac

but it is 8 tooth the options for the set up for my 290 are 7 or 8 tooth which is better this does directly affect chain speed if i am nto mistaken so the concensus is to switch everything over to 3/8 .050 so off shopping for bars and sprockets I go. I am thinking of buying a whole reel of chain and haveing a friend of mine spin me a number of chains for all my saws so i have say 4-5 chains for each saw. also what is the difference between spur sprockets and rim and drum sprockets??

 

[Lakeside53]

but it is 8 tooth the options for the set up for my 290 are 7 or 8 tooth which is better this does directly affect chain speed if i am nto mistaken so the concensus is to switch everything over to 3/8 .050 so off shopping for bars and sprockets I go. I am thinking of buying a whole reel of chain and haveing a friend of mine spin me a number of chains for all my saws so i have say 4-5 chains for each saw. also what is the difference between spur sprockets and rim and drum sprockets??

Rims float back and forth so they wear the chain a lot less. Go with Rims...

 

[tony marks]

a lot here run 8 or more, especially on modified saws. ive got an olympic 962 that handles 8 real easy an chain speed is faster. but she cuts plenty fast on a 7 and im thinking the saws stronger.. also hoping it will help the motor last better. at least thats my thinking on it.

 

[Lakeside53]

but it is 8 tooth the options for the set up for my 290 are 7 or 8 tooth which is better this does directly affect chain speed iQUOTE]


The 290 will do much better with 7 tooth than 8 if you are using a 20 inch bar. Use an 8 for a 16 inch bar. If you want the chain speed up on a 20, use Semi or full skip.