What bar and chain to buy for 357XP?

[Deadman]

I just bought a Husky 357XP from Amicks, and i bought a 20 inch bar and chain for it. It cuts awesome, and is not yet broken in.
I'm looking to buy another bar and maybe a few chains to keep sharpened and ready to swap in case I dull one out.
What brand is reasonably priced, but also good quality. Any suggestions of where to buy them?

My main usage is personal firewood cutting. I cut clean/non skidded trees that are Red Oak, White Oak, Beech, Hard Maple, Hickory, Ash, and Ironwood. I don't want a chain that dulls immediately if you hit a little dirty spot.
So what would you suggest and why?

Thanks, I'm already hooked on this board! :rockn:

 

[IchWarriorMkII]

Are you after a different length bar, or a back up bar the same length?


If you are after a chain that cuts in dirty wood, a semi chisel chain is probably what you are after.

Also, what pitch?

 

[spike60]

I have the Jonsered 2156, which of course is essentially the same saw. I think that these saws feel much better balanced with an 18" bar on them. To me, they are a little nose heavy with the 20". You will still have the 20" that came with your saw should you need the extra length, but I think you will be happier with the 18" for general use.

Semi chisel chain for firewood is not as fast but is somewhat more forgiving than chisel if you cut some dirty or frozen logs. And having to sharpen it less often means the chain will last longer. A lot of people on the site don't like anything that compromises speed or power, and will brand me a heretic, but the semi chisel chain seems to go a long while without needing to be touched up.

 

[Deadman]

I have a few 18 inch bars and a LOT of chains for my Husky 351. They should fit right on it, so I'll try the 18 inch suggestion and if that works better, then I'll use all the 18 inch bars and chains that I already have.

I have OREGON bars and chains, are those ok, or JUNK?

If I like the 18 inch bar from my 351, I'd still consider buying another to have on hand, so I'm still open for suggestions.

How much slower does a semi-chisel cut if they're both SHARP?

Thanks again guys, sorry I'm kind of a Nubie. I love to search, so I'll have to do more of that tomorrow.

 

[Urbicide]

I run a 20" bar and 3/8th's .050 guage semi-chisel (Bailey's Woodsman Pro) on my 359. I have not been too happy with the Oregon pro-lite bar. There are not as many bar options available in the small Husky mount as there are in the large Husky mount or the various Stihl mounts. I have a GB Pro-Top to try out. It is a bit heavier than the Oregon.

A round chisel chain would work well as long as the wood you are cutting is green & clean. Throw in dirt and/or other abrasive conditions and I would stick to the more forgiving semi-chisel.

 

[spike60]

I have a few 18 inch bars and a LOT of chains for my Husky 351. They should fit right on it, so I'll try the 18 inch suggestion and if that works better, then I'll use all the 18 inch bars and chains that I already have.

I have OREGON bars and chains, are those ok, or JUNK?

If I like the 18 inch bar from my 351, I'd still consider buying another to have on hand, so I'm still open for suggestions.

How much slower does a semi-chisel cut if they're both SHARP?

Thanks again guys, sorry I'm kind of a Nubie. I love to search, so I'll have to do more of that tomorrow.

OOOPS! Don't do that Deadman! The chains from your 351 are .325 pitch and the one on your 357 is probably 3/8. They cannot interchange.

What you could do is change the sprocket on the 357, so that both saws can run the same chains. If you do that, the bars will also interchange.

 

[Urbicide]

You will have to make sure that your drive rim is the proper pitch for your chains (either 3/8 or .325). Replacement rims run around 3 or 4 dollars. The hassle is you have to pull off the clutch in order to do so. Husqvarna makes a tool for removing the clutch or you can make one yourself. These rims do wear and should be replaced when worn.

Carlton saw chain guide. See page 27 for drive rim info.

http://www.sawchain.com/images/complete book.pdf

 

[computeruser]

Semi chisel chain for firewood is not as fast but is somewhat more forgiving than chisel if you cut some dirty or frozen logs. And having to sharpen it less often means the chain will last longer. A lot of people on the site don't like anything that compromises speed or power, and will brand me a heretic, but the semi chisel chain seems to go a long while without needing to be touched up.

+1. Heretic my ass: it is all about having the right tool for the job.

A semi chisel chain like Stihl RM is a welcome change from a round-ground chisel (Stihl RS, Oregon LG, etc.) when cutting dirty wood. Even in clean wood you get a lot more time between sharpenings. And sometimes it is more important to have a durable, long-lasting edge on your cutters than to be running the fastest thing out there.

An example - When we're hiking in the woods doing trail clearing in the nature preserve it is semi chisel all the way, even when we're working far away from the floodplain (sandy wood is hell on any chain). This way I can get by with a spare loop in my pocket in case I really trash the loop on the saw and can skip having to carry a file with me. Five or six tanks without having to touch the chain up is entirely possible with semi chisel in reasonably clean wood.

 

[zemmo]

You will have to make sure that your drive rim is the proper pitch for your chains (either 3/8 or .325). Replacement rims run around 3 or 4 dollars. The hassle is you have to pull off the clutch in order to do so. Husqvarna makes a tool for removing the clutch or you can make one yourself. These rims do wear and should be replaced when worn.

Carlton saw chain guide. See page 27 for drive rim info.

http://www.sawchain.com/images/complete book.pdf

And don't forget the pitch of the sprocket in the bar nose, must also match with the chain and drive sprocket.

 

[minkota1]

Hey Deadman, I know there's always a debate about bar length here, but I prefer to run a shorter bar if possible, I've got two 359's and they run a 20" bar real well, but they really run a 16" fast! Also less teeth to sharpen
Anyway, semichisel is probably what you'll want for chain.
Jon

 

[SawTroll]

I have a few 18 inch bars and a LOT of chains for my Husky 351. They should fit right on it, so I'll try the 18 inch suggestion and if that works better, then I'll use all the 18 inch bars and chains that I already have.

I have OREGON bars and chains, are those ok, or JUNK?

If I like the 18 inch bar from my 351, I'd still consider buying another to have on hand, so I'm still open for suggestions.

How much slower does a semi-chisel cut if they're both SHARP?

Thanks again guys, sorry I'm kind of a Nubie. I love to search, so I'll have to do more of that tomorrow.

Imo 18" is a bit much on the 351 for general use, but it really is up to your expectations.

Oregon stuff is perfectly OK, but not as good as Stihl.

 

[SawTroll]

OOOPS! Don't do that Deadman! The chains from your 351 are .325 pitch and the one on your 357 is probably 3/8. They cannot interchange.

What you could do is change the sprocket on the 357, so that both saws can run the same chains. If you do that, the bars will also interchange.

A 357xp should do quite well with a .325 8-pin sprocket, skip the 7-pin ones in that pitch........:biggrinbounce2:

 

[woodfarmer]

it has always been my experience that small stihl and husky bars are made by windsor so your really not getting a stihl or oregon bar anyway

 

[SawTroll]

it has always been my experience that small stihl and husky bars are made by windsor so your really not getting a stihl or oregon bar anyway

Canada is a bit different, for some reason, in this regard.........:bang: :bang:

 

[Deadman]

Glad I posted this, because obviousely there is alot for me to learn on the chain differences before I make ANY decisions.
I really didn't know there were that many variations, and pitches, and all that.
Thanks for all the great suggestions.

When I cut with the 357XP, my left arm seemed to tire out faster than my Right arm, so I'm wondering if thats because the bar is a Tad too long and its working my left arm to keep it up? (this was limbing downed trees)

 

[SawTroll]

Glad I posted this, because obviousely there is alot for me to learn on the chain differences before I make ANY decisions.
I really didn't know there were that many variations, and pitches, and all that.
Thanks for all the great suggestions.

When I cut with the 357XP, my left arm seemed to tire out faster than my Right arm, so I'm wondering if thats because the bar is a Tad too long and its working my left arm to keep it up? (this was limbing downed trees)

Yep, put a shorter (16" ?) bar on it for general use - use the longer one only when you really need it.........

No modern 60 cc saw balances really well with a 20".....

 

[MAG58]

A 357xp should do quite well with a .325 8-pin sprocket, skip the 7-pin ones in that pitch........:biggrinbounce2:

Should I use a .325 8-pin on my Jred 2159 also? Cos I use 15" or 18" NK .325 bars on it. And why?

 

[SawTroll]

Should I use a .325 8-pin on my Jred 2159 also? Cos I use 15" or 18" NK .325 bars on it. And way?

Just try it, sprockets are cheap, even here in the Land ot the Wikings......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:



...but I think I would prefere 3/8"x7 on the 2159.....:yoyo: :yoyo:

 

[MAG58]

Just try it, sprockets are cheap, even here in the Land ot the Wikings......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:



...but I think I would prefere 3/8"x7 on the 2159.....:yoyo: :yoyo:

Yes sprockets are cheap, so I try it. I use .325 NK 13", 15", and 18" and flip the 15" between 2152 and 2159, after what wood I'm cutting. And one dealer here sell .325 NK bars and chain fore a really good price.

 

[SawTroll]

Yes sprockets are cheap, so I try it. I use .325 NK 13", 15", and 18" and flip the 15" between 2152 and 2159, after what wood I'm cutting. And one dealer here sell .325 NK bars and chain fore a really good price.

They do here also, but only in 13", witch I don't use, even the 353 is notisably rear heavy with those.......