Why would you want 3/8 instead of .325 on a 550?

[bucketofguts]

Power Saw Chains like Outer Space are hard at best.

 

[bsmith717]

Bar and chain are fine, what sprocket do you have?

Whatever the sprocket that it comes with. When new

In an earlier post you gave a different guide bar part number than the one in the photo....
This bar from the photo is the Pixel/Narrow Kerf type. This is evidenced by that tapering symbol to the right of the markings.
The chain is probably SP33G, so the chain and bar combination matches.

If you're having problems, make sure the drive sprocket is .325. Normally it should be, but if you don't know the history of the saw, it's better to check.

Sorry about the incorrect info earlier. I just looked at the 16” bar/chain combo for a 550. Didn’t want to be pulling the power saws out too early this morn!

But in other power saw news, I scored a very very lightly used Echo CS-4910 with the OE bar/chain about two hours ago for $80.

Unless there’s some secret to this saw that makes installing the bar/chain different than my CS 400/491/590 Weimars 6200

 

[coffeebrk]

Ok, so this stuff is used....
I never run a used, (new to me) bar and chain without thoroughly inspecting both. Too many times the drivers are knackered and it's down right unsafe. Plus even if the chain is pulling ok it can still screw up your sprocket in a hurry, cripes!

 

[bsmith717]

Ok, so this stuff is used....
I never run a used, (new to me) bar and chain without thoroughly inspecting both. Too many times the drivers are knackered and it's down right unsafe. Plus even if the chain is pulling ok it can still screw up your sprocket in a hurry, cripes!

Nothing on my saw is used, it’s brand new.

The use two days ago was the first time I used it after doing the auto tune rips a few days before that.

 

[REJ2]

Show a pic of the rim drive sprocket with any markings. Its the missing link!

Edit: just looked, outboard clutch, a little tougher than just peeking at it.

 

[farmer steve]

Hey buddy, thanks for the response.

I was just mentioning the deal about the wider kerf because it really didn’t make sense to me to want to switch from the 050 to 058 just like 325 to 3/8.

I see people bad mouthing 325 all the time and it just seems silly to me. Actually there’s a guy on YouTube that switched to 3/8 and he showed his cutting speed went up by an appreciable amount.

A fellow member and I did a comparison test with 2 ms 250's. He said his saw was a dog with .325 chain while mine ran great with 3/8 lp chain. He couldn't believe there was that much of a difference until I let him run mine vs his. He went home with his saw set up to run 3/8lp. I feel the same about .325 vs 3/8 on a 50cc saw(unless ported).

 

[coffeebrk]

Nothing on my saw is used, it’s brand new.

The use two days ago was the first time I used it after doing the auto tune rips a few days before that.

Cripes!
Brand new! Should be perfect, mine works great

 

[rahtreelimbs]

So a .050 chain does not remove less material compared to a .058 chain?

The bar/chain I have on mine is.

Husqvarna 596008966 RP16" BAR, HT250-66. 325, .050​

Husqvarna 531300437 16-inch H30-66 (95vp) Pixel Saw Chain, .325-Inch by .050

The .050 or. 058 size is the width of the drive link. Has nothing to do with the cutter

 

[bsmith717]

A fellow member and I did a comparison test with 2 ms 250's. He said his saw was a dog with .325 chain while mine ran great with 3/8 lp chain. He couldn't believe there was that much of a difference until I let him run mine vs his. He went home with his saw set up to run 3/8lp. I feel the same about .325 vs 3/8 on a 50cc saw(unless ported).

Were the chains the same?

 

[bsmith717]

The .050 or. 058 size is the width of the drive link. Has nothing to do with the cutter

I’m not saying you’re wrong but it is difficult for me to believe that the cutting edges above this wider base isn’t also widened.

 

[farmer steve]

Were the chains the same?

1 .325. 1.3/8 lp. Switched my buddies to 3/8lp and it cut way better.

 

[cscltd]

I’m not saying you’re wrong but it is difficult for me to believe that the cutting edges above this wider base isn’t also widened.

if you look at pic of chain your posted, you can see a line just above the “33” stamped on link. The part above the line is .058” thick, below the line is .050” thick. The drive links is run through a die and squished to .050 chain and not run through die for .058 chain. Hence same width is cut.

 

[bsmith717]

if you look at pic of chain your posted, you can see a line just above the “33” stamped on link. The part above the line is .058” thick, below the line is .050” thick. The drive links is run through a die and squished to .050 chain and not run through die for .058 chain. Hence same width is cut.

Thank you for that exceptionally clear reason why I was wrong sir.

 

[bsmith717]

IDK what’s up with this bar/chain. It just doesn’t run through smoothly like every other one of my sticks do.

 

[stihltech]

OK 40 years of saws, chains and bars, and I never knew thickness of the driver on the chain had anything to do with cutting speed.
The driver thickness must match the bar groove,
The pitch of the chain (.325, 3/8 picco, 3/8 which is NOT the same as picco or extended pitch or whatever the manufacturer wants to call it) must match the sprocket and the bar nose sprocket.
There are various types of cutters on each of there types of chain (lo pro, safety, regular, round tooth, square tooth, etc.) and different rakers to go with the teeth.
So now I have either explained it or muddied the waters further.
For the bar you have pictured it takes .325 pitch with .050 (50 gauge) drivers 66 drivers in length.
The type of tooth is whatever you want to use. 90% of the chain leaving out shop is a single raker square tooth design. Stihl calls it rapid super.
You can use any make chain on any saw, as long as the gauge, pitch and number of drivers match.
I hope this helps.

 

[bsmith717]

this may help illustrate what I’m experiencing

1/3

 

[bsmith717]

2/3

 

[bsmith717]

3/3

 

[coffeebrk]

My b&c

 

[Mad Professor]

The numbers on the bar and chain seem to be a fit/match. SP33G chain 0.325 pitch, 0.050 drivers Bar is 0.325 pitch 0.050 groove.

Is this the chain that you said "jumped off" when you did the autotune?

If so check over all the drivers carefully that they are not damaged/peened. If they are damaged they will be thicker at damaged spots and bind in the bar groove. You can fix damaged drivers if they are not too bad with a small flat file or a dremel.