Pitch preference

[Stumper]

Those with experience with large displacements and both .404 and 3/8ths....Pros/cons of each?

 

[Pacific]

My 051 has 404 chain on it she pulls the chips out when bucking the big stuff the old saw has lots of bottom end grunt to pull I had a 28" bar on it but put a 33 back on it.

My 046 Mag with a 28" and 3/8s does just fine for falling and bucking I don't have any saws bigger than the 051.

 

[Ax-man]

Hey Stumper,

Personally on a bigger saw like an 088 or my other big saw an 076, I prefer a .404 not so much for the chain, but because the bar is heavier and won't get bent so easy.

This spring I cut a co-dom Elm stern about 30 some odd inches , 12 ft high, the darn thing actually split right in two, I've cut alot of co-doms but this was a first for me to have split like that while on the stump. Anyway, when the tree split the bar was bent into almost a U shape. The bar went back into shape and no damage thankfully, if it was a 3/8ths, I don't think I would have been so lucky. There have been a couple of other times with those big saws that I was glad they had those .404 bars on them.

I have to be careful with our 66 with the 3/8ths 32" bar on it, it doesn't take much to bend that one. It doesn't have to be a bad bend either, one would swear it wasn't bent, put it on a flat piece of square steel, shine a light on it, sure enough a sliver of light is under the bar that explains why it isn't quite cutting straight.

I have to admit when though when Xander posted his picture with the kids sporting that 088 with that long 50 some odd inch bar in 3/8ths, I was jealous and want one of those.

Larry

 

[Stumper]

Er.... Pst... Larry, The bars are the same except for the sprocket..063 3/8ths and .063 .404 run on the same bars.

 

[MacDaddy]

Keep all the saws the same And 3/8 will cut faster than 404 and probably cheaper I dont buy 404 Also the 404 rim is smaller than 3/8 8 and larger than a 7 so you can gear lower with 3/8 for a real big bar

 

[Ax-man]

I must be missing some thing here. Are you saying that a 3/8ths 50 gauge chain will run on a .063 gauge .404 bar and visa versa. I have never heard of a .630 gauge for 3/8ths pitch chain.

 

[MacDaddy]

oregon 72 is 50,73 is 58,75 is 63 gauge chain all 3/8 chisel

 

[Ax-man]

I'll be darn , I have never bought Oregon chain, that explains it, when our Sthil dealer changed hands I bought the chain sharpner, breaker and spinner and boxes of Sthil chain, there was some Oregon chain that went with the deal only I didn't have the code numbers to find out what it kind of chain it was. Threw it off to side and forgot about them.

Looks like I owe you again Mac, those numbers are familar, now I can figure out what those chains are.

Learn something new everyday.

Larry

 

[Al Smith]

I guess that I always kept the saws to what ever size chain they came with,with only a few exceptions.I have an old Mac 44a,that came with 7/16,which is rare as a hens tooth,and was changed to .404.I also experimented with 3/8 ,on a Mac 250,and it improved it's cut speed ,tremendously.

 

[Stumper]

Al, Mike and others who hit the poll without a reply-Thanks, This is what I was looking for. It sounds like running 3/8ths everywhere makes sense.

Larry,Just to add to your store of trivia---Stihl is the company most responsible for keeping 3/8ths .063 alive. American saw makers pretty much standardized on .050 for 3/8ths long ago. Husqvarna went for .058 and Stihl was the .063 company. Gradually everyone has migrated toward .050. .404 is still .063 standard but .080 is made for mechanical Harvester applications. --Which brings us to another question:


Is .063 a real advantage in durability on big saws?

 

[Crofter]

.063 guage chains have slightly less than 10 % greater thickness at the rivet hole and hub section compared to .050 and.058 . The tie straps do not appear to be any thicker, but this was measured on oregon and Carlton chain. Should relate to less elongation from wear.