New Saw - Need Chains / sprocket

[kfons]

I just got my first saw, a used Stihl 026 (not Pro). It currently has a .325 X .063 X 67 drive tooth chain.
An Arborist friend suggested I go to a 8 tooth sprocket with a semi chisel chain. My saw has a RIM procket no the star shaped one,
1) Can I / SHould I change from a 7 to 8 spline sprocket?
2) If I do this, does this have an effect on the chain length / number of Drive teeth?
3) Where can I get the 8T sprocket?
4) How tight should the chain be? (sorry I'm a total newbie)?


Kevin

 

[CaseyForrest]

You can get an 8 tooth rim, either from the Stihl dealership, or you can go aftermarket from Baileys (site sponsor.) Switching over may or may not necessitate more drive links, it depends on whether or not the chain you are using is new or used. I would recommend you starting out with some RM chain, you wont notice much difference in cutting speed, but the RM is a little more forgiving to "operator error."

As for tightness, mount the chain and bar, put the clutch cover on and loosely install the bar nuts. Now, pull up on the bar, and insert your scrench into the adjuster hole and crank until you take up the slack from the bottom of the bar. Tighten the bar nuts, and if you can pull no more then 3 or 4 drive links clear from the top of the bar, you are good to go. Keep in mind, the chain will stretch as it gets warm, and will also stretch a little when its new. So you must recheck tension after cutting for a few, and then remember to loosen it up when you are done.

Switching over to RS chain will cut allot faster, but you must pay more attention to where any dirt is, RS does not like coming into contact with terra firma! Other than that, it sharpens with the same file.

 

[computeruser]

I just got my first saw, a used Stihl 026 (not Pro). It currently has a .325 X .063 X 67 drive tooth chain.
An Arborist friend suggested I go to a 8 tooth sprocket with a semi chisel chain. My saw has a RIM procket no the star shaped one,

Congrats on your new saw. You made a good choice! Caseyforrest pretty much covered it, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway.

1) Can I / SHould I change from a 7 to 8 spline sprocket?

Without knowing exactly what you're going to be cutting, my guess is that right now, probably not. Try out your current setup and see what you think of it. If all you're doing is cutting small limbs off of fallen trees before going to work with a larger saw on the rest of the tree, then the higher chain speed might be an advantage. But if this is an all-around saw that is going to be using all of its bar length on a regular basis, you might appreciate retaining the torque of the 7tooth setup.

As for the semi- versus full-chisel (round chisel) chain choice, I'd suggest that you pick up a loop of each and try them out. See which one meets your needs best. You may find that what you're cutting makes the choice of one or the other pretty clear, but that is usually best determined by trying a couple types of chain out first.

I run a 16" bar, .325 Stihl RS (round chisel) and a 7 tooth setup on my 026Pro. For the kind of small hardwoods and limbing that I usually use this saw for, this setup works well.