Summer before last, my beloved P52 grenaded. I've had it since it was new, and a P51 originally. The wrist pin bearing had come apart and did enough damage that I needed to start with a different top end. My friend and member in AZ set me up with everything I needed to rebuild and re-BUILD the old girl - again, including a strong bottom end that mated beautifully with the jug in terms of squish.
It didn't seem as strong as it had in its previous iteration, and I was doubting my ability to build a Pioneer, though I've done a number of them. She got a lot of exercise last summer, though, and seemed to get stronger. My only way to gauge how it turned out its to compare it to my 655BP. I figure if I can speak of the two saws in the same sentence, I done good.
Go ahead and time them, if you want. I can't tell which is faster in that wood - they're within a few hundredths of a second. Doesn't matter anyway. This is where I apologize for bragging, but I'm mighty happy.
Yes, the bars are different. The chains are chisel filed the same, although the cutters on the 655 are shorter (faster). The 655 is spinning a 3/8 x 8 and made the same cut about a half second slower with a 3/8 x 7. (I didn't include and inter-tube video of that cut.) The P52 is spinning a 3/8 x 7, like it has for decades.
Of course, the 655 really comes into its own in bigger wood than I normally cut, but the old P52 sure holds her own!