New guy. .404 chain

[njolliff]

Just wanting to know what are the benefits to running a .404 vs a 3/8 chain? What difference will you notice side by side?

 

[mdavlee]

.404" will be a little slower cutting but will last longer and go longer between sharpening. If you're in dirty wood all day semi chisel .404" might be the way to go.

 

[SawTroll]

.404" will be a little slower cutting but will last longer and go longer between sharpening. If you're in dirty wood all day semi chisel .404" might be the way to go.

Even .063 .404 harvester chain can be a good idea on a really strong saw - if you still can get it.

 

[Typhke]

Even .063 .404 harvester chain can be a good idea on a really strong saw - if you still can get it.

What would be the difference between harvester and normal .063 .404 chain?

 

[Adirondackstihl]

What would be the difference between harvester and normal .063 .404 chain?

High tooth.............I think

 

[ray benson]

Off Oregon website

OREGON brand chain for mechanical-harvester timber harvesting equipment
Note:
1) Do not use on hand held saws
2) 18HX presets with the “gold” tie straps MUST be used with 18HX harvester chain

 

[SawTroll]

Off Oregon website

OREGON brand chain for mechanical-harvester timber harvesting equipment
Note:
1) Do not use on hand held saws
2) 18HX presets with the “gold” tie straps MUST be used with 18HX harvester chain

I believe all brands say something like that, and that attitude may be the reason .063 harvester setups are getting scarce....

 

[njolliff]

It would be ran on a ms 660 with a 36" cannon super bar. I mainly use this saw to cut firewood. Oaks mainly. But I do a lot of cedar work as well. What type tooth would you all recommend?

 

[njolliff]

Does cannon even make a 404 36" super bar? I cant find one on baileys.

 

[sawfun9]

I don't know for sure, but I expect the harvester chain may have the rakers set lower. I think I might heed the warning about using it with a handheld saw. And I generally don't heed warnings all that much.

 

[olyman]

i have a 70 cc saw,,with a 24 inch bar. and a 100 cc, with a 30 inch bar. the 70 is 3/8 58 chisel....the 100 is 404 63 chisel. while these aren't the same cc,,but ill tell you what. cutting thru a 24 inch oak,,that 404 cuts like a madman....and the 70 aint bogging down,either...your mileage may vary

 

[srcarr52]

Does cannon even make a 404 36" super bar? I cant find one on baileys.

Yes they do, check out Cannons website. I'm sure if you call Baileys they can hook you up with the one you want.

 

[heimannm]

.404 chain cuts a wider kerf than 3/8 and so requires more power.

On the other hand, .404 take a bigger bite with each tooth so used in the right combination may cut faster than 3/8 if your saw has the oomph.

.404 will have fewer teeth and will be somewhat easier to sharpen (easier to see what you are doing) and will certainly hold up better in most difficult cutting situations due to the large tooth.

In my opinion, the 066/660 saws are more chain speed and less torque than a lot of the saws I run. I had 3/8 chain on a 25" bar when I had an 066 and even then I could not push as hard as I can with some of the equivalent displacement McCulloch saws.

I ended up selling the 066...

Mark

 

[Flintknapper]

i have a 70 cc saw,,with a 24 inch bar. and a 100 cc, with a 30 inch bar. the 70 is 3/8 58 chisel....the 100 is 404 63 chisel. while these aren't the same cc,,but ill tell you what. cutting thru a 24 inch oak,,that 404 cuts like a madman....and the 70 aint bogging down,either...your mileage may vary

^^^^^^^^^^^

Similar experience here. I have a 77 cc saw with a 24" bar...running 3/8 chisel, it cuts pretty fast and smooth.

I also have a 103 cc saw with a 32" bar (sometimes run a 24" on it) running .404 chain (68 LX) and an 8 pin rim.

The bigger chain (and saw) will suck you right up against the log until it hits the dogs...whether you want to or not. I don't know how they compare in speed, I have never timed them....and don't care really.

My purpose for running .404 is to increase the time between sharpening.

In that respect....I believe it holds up better in the dirty conditions I do most of my cutting in. It's just a more rugged chain, but NOT the best chain for everyone.

 

[IEL]

For really dirty wood, 404 chipper chain might be just the ticket. I think Carlton still makes it. Hard to find though......

 

[harrygrey382]

for a given diameter of sprocket, and equal raker depths, I'd wager on 3/8 being quicker on any saw. But 404 comes with lower rakers, so you'll get more bite, and for a given tooth count, 404 sprockets are bigger. IMO the fractionally small increase in kerf would have a negligible affect on cutting speed (I think BobL showed it was a few thou's difference). So these might make it seem like 404 cuts quicker if the saw has the torque. But the if you upped the 3/8 chain speed or lowered the rakers on that same set up it would go quicker. And if you don't have torque to spare the bigger bite and heavier links of 404 will make things real slow.

Only advantages to 404 are more dirt tolerance and stronger - only needed on 110cc + IMO

 

[rocketnorton]

for a given diameter of sprocket, and equal raker depths, I'd wager on 3/8 being quicker on any saw. But 404 comes with lower rakers, so you'll get more bite, and for a given tooth count, 404 sprockets are bigger. IMO the fractionally small increase in kerf would have a negligible affect on cutting speed (I think BobL showed it was a few thou's difference). So these might make it seem like 404 cuts quicker if the saw has the torque. But the if you upped the 3/8 chain speed or lowered the rakers on that same set up it would go quicker. And if you don't have torque to spare the bigger bite and heavier links of 404 will make things real slow.

Only advantages to 404 are more dirt tolerance and stronger - only needed on 110cc + IMO

have on 2 saws, pioneer ra, 100cc, had .400 pioneer chain... skil 1690, 139cc, not running as yet, but that's whats on it. ra has lot of vibration, some of which is from chain... .400 that was on it had less raker/cutter height diff than .404.