Do i go with .325 Narrow Kerf or 3/8LP?

[Franny K]

sounds like you are going fine to try out .325NK. I tried going back and forth with 3/8lp and the earlier (which includes the Woodland Pro product) .325NK on my Husky 338xpt and a Stihl MS251 and often removed the .325NK real soon after putting it on. There are new versions of .325NK from Husqvarna, Oregon, and Stihl. The Stihl one now available is called 23RS pro and has product code 3690. The husky one and the Oregon one have bumper drive links where the Stihl does not and is a chisel tooth. The Oregon and Stihl have oil related features on the drive links, not sure if the Woodland Pro even has holes in the drive links. I only mounted the Husqvarna I believe sp33 or something like that for a short while and determined it did not do as well as the Stihl 3690 product.

It does not take much modification to make a bar so it works on the 55 model you have one way and the 041 mount the other way, the NK .325 product is generally rated to 55cc.

 

[jchipps]

sounds like you are going fine to try out .325NK. I tried going back and forth with 3/8lp and the earlier (which includes the Woodland Pro product) .325NK on my Husky 338xpt and a Stihl MS251 and often removed the .325NK real soon after putting it on. There are new versions of .325NK from Husqvarna, Oregon, and Stihl. The Stihl one now available is called 23RS pro and has product code 3690. The husky one and the Oregon one have bumper drive links where the Stihl does not and is a chisel tooth. The Oregon and Stihl have oil related features on the drive links, not sure if the Woodland Pro even has holes in the drive links. I only mounted the Husqvarna I believe sp33 or something like that for a short while and determined it did not do as well as the Stihl 3690 product.

It does not take much modification to make a bar so it works on the 55 model you have one way and the 041 mount the other way, the NK .325 product is generally rated to 55cc.

Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware that Stihl even made a .325NK chain that was non-safety, much less chisel too.
I've always preferred Stihl chains when given a choice, and normally run 33RS on my other 2 saws. Great chain!
I'll definitely give that 23RS Pro a try on the 141 if I can find it. Bailey's doesn't list it on their site. Any suggestion on where to find it?

 

[ammoaddict]

Here is a great deal on a bar and chain that will fit your 141.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oregon-...FqwUN-gJdeKMWwJ_6uMaAkm-EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[ammoaddict]

I bought one of these for a 35cc saw. For $18.18 for a bar and chain, you can't beat it. It cuts very good. It is an anti- kickback chain but it just has the little humps not the big shark fin deal. For a small limbing saw, there is nothing wrong with anti kickback chain.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[Franny K]

I'll definitely give that 23RS Pro a try on the 141 if I can find it. Bailey's doesn't list it on their site. Any suggestion on where to find it?

While the Stihl dealers or their employees don't generally seem aware of the change in the .325 chain in 0.050 gauge I believe this product is what is going to be available instead of the type that is just the 0.063 gauge stuff with necked down drive links. It is pretty easy to look at the drive links and see if they are necked down. I got the first loop at my local Stihl dealer perhaps a year ago, unfortunately they make chain with 3 tie straps in a row. I have got more off ebay but "bargain" sellers seem out currently. There is a seller at Walmart.com but they don't specify if their product is the 3690 or not.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143942533276?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
https://www.ebay.com/itm/402959133597?hash=item5dd23c6b9d:g:cDcAAOSwNjdg3IYI

 

[jchipps]

While the Stihl dealers or their employees don't generally seem aware of the change in the .325 chain in 0.050 gauge I believe this product is what is going to be available instead of the type that is just the 0.063 gauge stuff with necked down drive links. It is pretty easy to look at the drive links and see if they are necked down. I got the first loop at my local Stihl dealer perhaps a year ago, unfortunately they make chain with 3 tie straps in a row. I have got more off ebay but "bargain" sellers seem out currently. There is a seller at Walmart.com but they don't specify if their product is the 3690 or not.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143942533276?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
https://www.ebay.com/itm/402959133597?hash=item5dd23c6b9d:g:cDcAAOSwNjdg3IYI

I went to a Stihl Dealer today and asked for a 16" loop of 23RS Pro
They only had the 23RM Pro which of course is the Semi-Chisel version.

I assume the 23RM also has the narrower profile like the 23RS?

I hope so, because I went ahead and got a loop of that for now, so I can try the saw out once I receive the .325 drum & sprocket I ordered.

Their 16" pre-made loops were 67 drive links, so the guy made me a loop with 66 from their bulk spool. $19.00 bucks.

I then swung by Tractor Supply and picked up an XF-250-66 narrow kerf bar which I believe will fit just fine, but i haven't had the chance yet to really check it out on the saw. (will do that tomorrow)

Just waiting on my sprocket now.

 

[Franny K]

I assume the 23RM also has the narrower profile like the 23RS?

23RM means .325 .050 Rapid micro or semi chisel I suppose if it has the drive links that are 0.050" all the way from the top to bottom it is essentially NK (narrow kerf is likely a trademarked term owned by some other entity) I read that there would be 4 choices in this new class of Stihl chain, chisel and semi with and without bumper drive links but this is the first I have heard of any other than the 3690 code chisel. Last I looked at Oregon NK .325 chain and it wasn't the newest version with the fancy features on the drive links the drive links were necked down. It definately needs the proper connector parts vs the Oregon .325 stuff rated to 62cc max.

 

[jchipps]

Today I verified that the 23 RM Pro that I bought is indeed the narrow kerf such as the 23 RS Pro you spoke of.
I measured it's width across the tie straps with calipers, .150 which is the exact same dimension as the 3/8 x .050 Low Profile chain that's currently on the 141.
I could also see that the .050 drive links were the same width from top to bottom with no step down.

The 23RM Pro chain I got also has those funky looking (hollowed out) depth gauges like the pics I've seen of 23RS Pro. (I believe the number code of the RM is 3693)

A friend of mine has an 021 Stihl with a 63PM-55 chain which I assume is 3/8 x .050 Picco (I'm still learning these Stihl numbering designations) It's Yellow chain, Semi-chisel, no anti-kickback, and it too measured .150 width across the tie straps.

23RM means .325 .050 Rapid micro or semi chisel I suppose if it has the drive links that are 0.050" all the way from the top to bottom it is essentially NK (narrow kerf is likely a trademarked term owned by some other entity) I read that there would be 4 choices in this new class of Stihl chain, chisel and semi with and without bumper drive links but this is the first I have heard of any other than the 3690 code.

 

[davidwyby]

Following because I want to try some 63ps or 23rs on my ported 2156.

 

[Franny K]

I did some measuring and took a couple of pictures about this topic. If you have a Stihl you have the advantage of being easily able to get into the mini spline picco. I measured from my preset tie strap pile and a short piece of the 23RSpro I got from changing a 78dl to 72. The 63PS3 as you can see is used and an earlier version without the dimpling.

From a chassis point I think the two Stihl products are of similar strength. Seems the .325 tooth sticks up more and actually is thinner. I did not evaluate if the tip is farther to the side.





Reading on here the idea that there is more space for chips between the 3/8 spacing, might make a difference.

 

[davidwyby]

Awesome

thanks!

 

[Brettl]

I did some measuring and took a couple of pictures about this topic. If you have a Stihl you have the advantage of being easily able to get into the mini spline picco. I measured from my preset tie strap pile and a short piece of the 23RSpro I got from changing a 78dl to 72. The 63PS3 as you can see is used and an earlier version without the dimpling.

From a chassis point I think the two Stihl products are of similar strength. Seems the .325 tooth sticks up more and actually is thinner. I did not evaluate if the tip is farther to the side.

View attachment 947417

View attachment 947418

Reading on here the idea that there is more space for chips between the 3/8 spacing, might make a difference.

This sounds like good news for us Stihl guys. I've wanted to convert my 024s to Picci but I can't find a Picco bar with the proper bar mount. Since they're. 325 pith I'm going to look into this .325 nk chain.

 

[NSEric]

This sounds like good news for us Stihl guys. I've wanted to convert my 024s to Picci but I can't find a Picco bar with the proper bar mount. Since they're. 325 pith I'm going to look into this .325 nk chain.

That's a super common 3/8lp/picco bar, I have one on my 5800 chinese saw.
It's the same mount as the smaller stihl's, 023, 018 etc. They're dirt cheap and all over amazon and ebay.
Edited it add, I just looked at your list of saws you own, you have a bar to try on your 024 on your 200t or 192tc to confirm the bars for smaller stihls fit.

 

[Brettl]

That's a super common 3/8lp/picco bar, I have one on my 5800 chinese saw.
It's the same mount as the smaller stihl's, 023, 018 etc. They're dirt cheap and all over amazon and ebay.
Edited it add, I just looked at your list of saws you own, you have a bar to try on your 024 on your 200t or 192tc to confirm the bars for smaller stihls fit.

The 024 uses a 3003 series bar. There's no 3003 bar with a Picco sprocket that I'm aware of. The super common 3/8 Picco has a smaller mount,, the 3005 series.