Question on chain saw bar and chains

[Philbert]

Oil delivery is likely.

But MS460 came with 3/8”, .050 chain.

We assumed it was to send people back to their STIHL dealer, instead of local hardware store.

Philbert

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I honestly never cared, just kept them sharp. Maybe 050 stretched a little more, but I never really felt a big difference

 

[Sidecarflip]

The bar seems in good shape.

Really, how did you determine that? You do realize that all bars become flatter the more you run them and they all develop burrs on the outer edge of the outside rails with use. You have to check the 'rock' with a straight edge and regrind it to have the proper rock which is different with every make of bar and every different loop used.

I use our 14" vertical wheel grinder with it's table set at 90 degrees to the wheel to re-rock bars and a flat ******* cut file to remove rail burrs. as the bar flattens out, the cutters won't engage the wood and even lowering the rakers won't help. The cutter teeth must engage the wood at an angle or they won't cut aggressively. You also need to check the groove depth on a reground bar as the drivers have to have enough depth in the groove not to rub the bottom of the groove, They have to be proud of the bottom at all times and I clean my bars of swarf in the groove regularly. I use a Tee slot cleaner from one of my vertical mills but a putty knife works as well and don't forget to clean out the oiler holes in the bar as well.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Finally, I don't hand file any loop, they all get precision ground with a dedicated chain grinder. I have 2 actually, one is set up to grind cutters, the other is for lowering rakers only and I grind a lot of loops for my arborist customers as well. Loops have gotten expensive to the point where they realize that tossing a rocked loop isn't profitable today when I can grind them numerous time a lot cheaply that tossing one and putting on a new one. I won't grind any really rocked loop or one with rusty drivers either. They all go in the scrap dumpster and they all know that so they keep them in plastic buckets with oil in them (that I supply btw) and I make up new loops if they need them. Bulk chain and links and rivets are a lot cheaper than buying ready made loops at retail.

 

[Lightning Performance]

But MS460 came with 3/8”, .050 chain.

We assumed it was to send people back to their STIHL dealer, instead of local hardware store.

Philbert

Stihl does strange things.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I honestly never cared, just kept them sharp. Maybe 050 stretched a little more, but I never really felt a big difference

Stihl 050 drivers were all 063 milled down on the bottom years ago. NK chains I do believe are 050 drivers.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Stihl does strange things.

They certainly do and that includes over baffling their mufflers. among other things.

 

[Lightning Performance]

They certainly do and that includes over baffling their mufflers. among other things.

Naw

 

[farmer steve]

Ran this on my 026 and now my 261. .325 /.063

 

[Piotr Pakuła]

Rapid Micro is very popular.

I bought them because you can't buy a skip chain here

 

[Philbert]

I’ve posted this before.

Drive links on *many STIHL chains are 0.063” at the top, but swaged down to 0.050” or 0.058” at bottom.

Drive links on *many Oregon 0.050” chains are 0.058” at the top.


*Note that this goes out the window with narrow kerf and low profile chains*

Something you learn when spinning and breaking, and buying presets for many different chains.

I suppose that having a common top gauge lets them use the same chain rivets (?), and lets different gauge chains run on the same width bar (just different gauge groove) (?).

Any ‘chain stretch’ should be the same.


Philbert

 

[sean donato]

I’ve posted this before.

Drive links on *many STIHL chains are 0.063” at the top, but swaged down to 0.050” or 0.058” at bottom.

Drive links on *many Oregon 0.050” chains are 0.058” at the top.
View attachment 1153700

*Note that this goes out the window with narrow kerf and low profile chains*

Something you learn when spinning and breaking, and buying presets for many different chains.

I suppose that having a common top gauge lets them use the same chain rivets (?), and lets different gauge chains run on the same width bar (just different gauge groove) (?).

Any ‘chain stretch’ should be the same.


Philbert

I've seen this on several brands of chain. Never thought much about it, but it would make perfect sense.

 

[Sidecarflip]

I’ve posted this before.

Drive links on *many STIHL chains are 0.063” at the top, but swaged down to 0.050” or 0.058” at bottom.

Drive links on *many Oregon 0.050” chains are 0.058” at the top.
View attachment 1153700

*Note that this goes out the window with narrow kerf and low profile chains*

Something you learn when spinning and breaking, and buying presets for many different chains.

I suppose that having a common top gauge lets them use the same chain rivets (?), and lets different gauge chains run on the same width bar (just different gauge groove) (?).

Any ‘chain stretch’ should be the same.


Philbert

That entirely depends on the amount of bar oil, the loop is getting, easy to tell if enough is enough by looking at the bottom part of any bar. if the bottom of a bar has brown buildup on the outside of the rails, it needs to have a bit more lubrication Chipping away paint is another indicator.

Finally using used motor oil to lubricate any chainsaw is a bad practice in itself unless it's a throwaway Chinese saw or an old clapped out Poulan or a McCollugh or a Simson Sears, or Western Auto pile of junk. Real saws need a bar lubricant with a high tack ratio and clean as well. But then it's your dime, not mine.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I bought them because you can't buy a skip chain here

Much prefer the cutters be in regular sets myself. Full comp, semi skip or skip sets. Eventually you get to hyperskip but no use for that. I don't currently own a 72" bar.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I’ve posted this before.

Drive links on *many STIHL chains are 0.063” at the top, but swaged down to 0.050” or 0.058” at bottom.

Drive links on *many Oregon 0.050” chains are 0.058” at the top.
View attachment 1153700

*Note that this goes out the window with narrow kerf and low profile chains*

Something you learn when spinning and breaking, and buying presets for many different chains.

I suppose that having a common top gauge lets them use the same chain rivets (?), and lets different gauge chains run on the same width bar (just different gauge groove) (?).

Any ‘chain stretch’ should be the same.


Philbert

The only NK presets I stock are 325. Lp is it's own thing. Picco is it's own thing as you know. My harvester chains run bigger pin truniouns.

Nothing in 080 fits anything normal. Old 7/16" and 1/2" isn't my thing although I do have cutters and presets for Sabre. No drivers for those. Gave Lee Harvey my only 9/16" chain I ever found about ten years ago. Probably still hanging on his wall. It was at least three feet long or more. Odd stuff.

 

[Piotr Pakuła]

Much prefer the cutters be in regular sets myself. Full comp, semi skip or skip sets. Eventually you get to hyperskip but no use for that. I don't currently own a 72" bar.

You're right if you have too much power in the chainsaw

 

[Philbert]

I don’t want to derail this thread too far.

I posted more stuff on presets in this thread, if folks are interested:

https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/presets-for-spinning-and-breaking-chain.345609/

Philbert

 

[Lightning Performance]

You're right if you have too much power in the chainsaw

Has nothing to do with available power.

 

[Piotr Pakuła]

Has nothing to do with available power.

Then the company made Micro and Picco unnecessarily

 

[dboyd351]

Cutting better close to the power head indicates a dull chain to me - you can put more pressure on the chain there.

Agree with Buzz

I am in Virginia. Had a Stihl MS 250 for awhile. It came with a .325 .063 chain too. Didn't make sense to me either, but as they say Stihl does strange things that make no sense to me.