Replacing .043 bars and chains with .050?

[softdown]

Had problems with popping 16" low profile .043 chains on my Milwaukee battery saws. Did much better with 14" bars and .050 chains/bars. About a 75% reduction in popped chains.

Just realized that I previously ordered 10" .050 bars and chains to replace the .043 bars and chains on my new 10" pole saws. Have not used the pole saws yet but I'm wondering if I was out of my mind. Do chains readily pop on pole saws? Perhaps I read something somewhere?

Doesn't seem like .050 would be so necessary on 10" bars. Then again, things may get spindly on a pole saw, especially with the extension (which I just ordered).

 

[HarleyT]

I use the .050 on my polesaw, and would not switch back.

 

[Philbert]

Had problems with popping 16" low profile .043 chains on my Milwaukee battery saws.

Please define ‘popping’. Breaking? Jumping out of the bar groove?

0.043” gauge chains usually cut a narrower kerf than similar 0.050” gauge chains. Going to the wider kerf will take more power to drive them, making your battery-powered saw, or pole saw, feel less powerful.

I am not a big fan of 1/4” pitch chain, and was not impressed with my limited used of ‘Nano’ chain, but generally like the Oregon Type 90 and 91 chains (as well as the STIHL and Carlton versions) on both battery saws and pole saws, including my battery pole saws.

Philbert

 

[Franny K]

The Husqvarna battery pole saw I have came with 0.050 gauge chain. The battery top handle came with 0.043. It is all 3/8 lp so the drive links have the same shape and size so one should not derail easier than the other tensioned similarly, but the smaller chassis of the 0.043 will "stretch" more.

Your Milwaukee chainsaw is a gear reduction design I am pretty sure. It can probably put more tension on a chain than a direct drive one.

Like Philbert asks define pop.

I have used quite a bit of the Stihl 61pmm3 which is 3/8lp 0.043 and never had one break.

 

[billyboy]

I have a echo 360 T with 16”, 50, 3/8 lo pro and was have trouble with chain “popping” off when I tried to slash cut small piles of branches to make them more compact for the grapple bucket. I found that if you didn’t hit the pile at WOT the chain was more likely to pop off, derail because it would grab instead of cut. Longer bars would be more susceptible to that one would think. When this bar is shot I will go to a 14”.

 

[Philbert]

have trouble with chain “popping” off when I tried to slash cut small piles of branches to make them more compact

That will increase the likelihood of any chain jumping out of the bar groove. The small sticks and twigs get under the chain and lever it off like tire irons.

Philbert

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Only time ive seen chains break is hitting metal hard. .050 gauge lo pro chains are a bit more robust than .043 versions.

Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk

 

[Franny K]

I have posted it before, the curvature of the bar comes into play. The thin top to bottom 7 tooth nose bars are probably straighter than some choices with a larger diameter nose. Examine how much the kerf and the bar thickness differs for these two classes of chain discussed here. There is more space for the bar in the 0.050 stuff so it will cut farther before the bar starts getting some squeezing forces on it.

 

[4CornersPuddle]

Examine how much the kerf and the bar thickness differs for these two classes of chain discussed here. There is more space for the bar in the 0.050 stuff so it will cut farther before the bar starts getting some squeezing forces on it.

The parallel to this observation, Franny K, is what led to my using .404 .050, and then .404 .063 bars and chains on my Husqvarna 480, my 2100, my several 281s, and 288s over the many years of my felling career. Two big benefits to consistent, solid, relatively trouble free performance compared to running 3/8ths pitch chain were less chain stretch, and more importantly, fewer instances of the bar being pinched in a cut.
The introspective timber fellers around me would join in discussions of the relative merit of the slightly faster speed in the cut of the 3/ 8ths vs the time and energy spent pounding on a wedge to free the bar from a suddenly closing bucking cut or chopping through a twisting, pinching long limb.
Damned Engleman spruce limbs were the worst for the twists and spring back. Doug fir was the most forgiving. Their limbs would jump out of the way. YAY Doug fir!

 

[softdown]

Please define ‘popping’. Breaking? Jumping out of the bar groove?

0.043” gauge chains usually cut a narrower kerf than similar 0.050” gauge chains. Going to the wider kerf will take more power to drive them, making your battery-powered saw, or pole saw, feel less powerful.

I am not a big fan of 1/4” pitch chain, and was not impressed with my limited used of ‘Nano’ chain, but generally like the Oregon Type 90 and 91 chains (as well as the STIHL and Carlton versions) on both battery saws and pole saws, including my battery pole saws.

Philbert

Jumping out of the bar groove. I replaced the .043 chains on my 16" Milwaukee saws with .050 and found no difference other than the stability of the chain - staying in the groove much better.

Guess I just fed up with .043 - switching to .050 costs a little bit.

 

[softdown]

I have a echo 360 T with 16”, 50, 3/8 lo pro and was have trouble with chain “popping” off when I tried to slash cut small piles of branches to make them more compact for the grapple bucket. I found that if you didn’t hit the pile at WOT the chain was more likely to pop off, derail because it would grab instead of cut. Longer bars would be more susceptible to that one would think. When this bar is shot I will go to a 14”.

14" made a really big difference for me. Though I am unsure what helped more - downsizing to 14" from 16" or upsizing from .043 to .050.

 

[1289]

.043 is really a mini toothed Picco, big difference 61mm3 vs 63PM or VXL.

At least here the MS 170 size saw + VXL chain is a much more practical combination. The chain lasts many times longer and is cheaper.