Yes another chain/saw question

[sb47]

Just count the chain drive links already!

81 on both the older chain and the new chain. They are identical.

 

[Chevboy0167]

Remove adjuster screw mechanism and inspect for stripped threads???

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

81 on both the older chain and the new chain. They are identical.

Hang on a minute- we talking 20" bars here and 3/8th chain are we not?
At 81 you are sounding like .325.
3/8 should be 72DL should it not?

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Hang on a minute- we talking 20" bars here and 3/8th chain are we not?
At 81 you are sounding like .325.
3/8 should be 72DL should it not?

Yes. 3/8 20" is 72 unless you're talking about an echo or maybe some older stuff.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Yes. 3/8 20" is 72 unless you're talking about an echo or maybe some older stuff.

About the only chain DL count where loops will interchange between Stihl and Husqvarna mount.
But certainly not 81 if you want the chain to suit a 20" 3/8th bar.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

About the only chain DL count where loops will interchange between Stihl and Husqvarna mount.
But certainly not 81 if you want the chain to suit a 20" 3/8th bar.

Post 29 from the OP shows the bar as a 20" .325 bar calling for 81dl. So it's not 36RM. If it is 36RM it doesn't match the bar and there's no way that an 81dl loop even comes close to fitting.

 

[lone wolf]

81 on both the older chain and the new chain. They are identical.

You could prob put a one tooth larger sprocket on it and that would take up a lot of the slack. Problem solved.

 

[SteveSr]

You could prob put a one tooth larger sprocket on it and that would take up a lot of the slack. Problem solved.

This was probably the designers intended application... to use up most of the bar slot if the user switches to a 8T sprocket, which I assume is available and supported on these particular saws.

 

[Philbert]

@Philbert Is there anything that I missed?

There are similarities, but you might be overthinking it a bit. ‘Chain stretch’ on saw chain is simply wear of the rivets where they pass through the tie straps, or enlargement of the holes that they pass through. It can also be caused by improperly spun rivets.

Just stretch out a length and measure the distance between the farthest rivets that you can in a straight line, and compare that to a new chain. Or lay a new chain along side.

Bicycle chains are roller chains, and have many more components which can wear. They used to last the life of the bicycle, until they went to super light and ultra thin components. I use a ‘go/no-go’ gauge from Park Tool for those.

In both cases, the issue is that the chains will not align properly with the sprockets. On chain saws, the sprockets are normal wear items and pretty affordable. On bicycles, the alloy sprockets have become stupid expensive.

Philbert

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Post 29 from the OP shows the bar as a 20" .325 bar calling for 81dl. So it's not 36RM. If it is 36RM it doesn't match the bar and there's no way that an 81dl loop even comes close to fitting.

So it does- though I did state elsewhere I kind of skipped all the middle bit before my initial reply to the thread- but good old post #1 talked about this 36RM-72 chain#3652-005-0072 which is 20" 3/8th and 72 drive links.
So apologies for not picking up on somehow somewhere we swapped from 3/8 to .325....... so I'm out.

 

[eriklane]

Unsharp saw owners tend to push which generates heat and stretching chains that keep needing tightening and this cycles until you run out of adjustment. Get it shortened and focus on laser sharp teeth.

 

[PV Hiker]

Just checking that you are using a 36RM chain on a .063" gauge bar? You posted that chain gauge. In USA it is more common to have a 0.050" gauge width bar and use a 33RM chain.

As Harley has said show picture of the sprocket. Over time going through several chains your sprocket will wear out and when replacing chain it is best to replace the sprocket also.

So it does- though I did state elsewhere I kind of skipped all the middle bit before my initial reply to the thread- but good old post #1 talked about this 36RM-72 chain#3652-005-0072 which is 20" 3/8th and 72 drive links.
So apologies for not picking up on somehow somewhere we swapped from 3/8 to .325....... so I'm out.

I'm still waiting on information confirmation that the first chainsaw, MS362 if the bar is indeed a .063 gauge width to match the chain that the dealer sold sb47? We seemed to leave that chainsaw for talk about the 261.

 

[sb47]

Unsharp saw owners tend to push which generates heat and stretching chains that keep needing tightening and this cycles until you run out of adjustment. Get it shortened and focus on laser sharp teeth.

I don't run dull chains. I keep my chain as sharp as I can get it and by that I mean as sharp or sharper the when new. I have been hand sharpining for 15 years. I agree that excessive heat can cause stretch. But that is not my problem.

 

[sb47]

So it does- though I did state elsewhere I kind of skipped all the middle bit before my initial reply to the thread- but good old post #1 talked about this 36RM-72 chain#3652-005-0072 which is 20" 3/8th and 72 drive links.
So apologies for not picking up on somehow somewhere we swapped from 3/8 to .325....... so I'm out.

The first post I did include my 362 witch runs a 73 chain. I included it because I have the same issue with it as well. If I can solve the issue on one saw then that same solution should solve the problem on the other. I want to solve the problem on both saws but I'm sticking to the 261 for now because I use it the most. In fact I may just sell the 362 because I almost never use it. The 261 will cut just as much as the 362 with a 20'' bar. The 261 has a thinner kerf and cuts just as fast as the 362 with it's wider kerf. The 261 is lighter and gets better fuel millage.

I'm starting to think that because I have learned to how to keep my saw sharper and I'm filling less that I'm just not wearing down the teeth as fast as I did in the past. That does not explain the starting adjustment issue but does solve the issue of why I have more teeth left after the chain has stretched out to the adjustment limit.

 

[Woodslasher]

The first post I did include my 362 witch runs a 73 chain.

Boom! There's the problem with the 362. You need a 72dl chain, not a 73.

 

[sb47]

Boom! There's the problem with the 362. You need a 72dl chain, not a 73.

Sorry I meant 72. I counted them this morning. I don't know why I said 73.

 

[Jackbnimble]

I have been using the same chain and bar setup for many years. Same bar, same chain. But the last year or so I have been running into a new problem. When I put on a brand new chain and I adjust it I end up with half the chain adjustment already half way used up. Here is a few pics.

This is my ms362 with a brand new chain and as you can see it's already half way along it's adjustment. Im running a 20 bar with a 36RM-72 chain#3652-005-0072 and is what all the sthil dealers recommend.
View attachment 949178


Here is my MS 261 with the same issue. I also run a 20'' bar with a 26RM - 81 Part # 3686-005-0081. On this one you can see there is less then half an inch of adjustment before I run out of adjustment. It also has a fairly new bar so not a lot of bar wear ether.
View attachment 949179


By the time it stretches past the limit of the adjustment I still have over half the teeth left. I keep my chains very sharp and never run them when they get dull. I am cutting green oak and I can usually get 5 or 6 tanks of gas run before I have to touch them up unless I hit something. This is with a new sprocket so sprocket wear shouldn't be the issue. I am also cutting mostly large rounds of at least 12'' to 48'' so I'm in big wood most of the time. Is this normal? I don't remember having this issue a few years ago. Am I using the wrong size chain? What's going on here. Thanks

off topic a bit, but how do you know when to change your sprocket? i've never been sure. thanks

 

[sb47]

Remove adjuster screw mechanism and inspect for stripped threads???

Nope no stripped threads.

 

[HarleyT]

off topic a bit, but how do you know when to change your sprocket? i've never been sure. thanks

Generally, if you can see any damage, it is bad. I generally show the customer, and tell them to put on a new sprocket when they get some new chains, as running a new chain on an old shot sprocket will quickly damage {stretch} the chains.

 

[HarleyT]

And the main symptom of a wore out/shot sprocket is constantly having to adjust the chain tensioner, and having to take links out.