Yes why did the states perfer 050 ? I know Husqvarna use 058 as there main size. Here in Australia I don't even know that Stihl import then to Australia if they do it would be a small amount. Every Stihl saw 60cc and up sold new comes with 063 been that way for last 30 years. 050 is used here but only on 16 to 18 inch bars you be hard to find 050 in 20 inch bars It's interesting hearing from other countries what is common size there.
@IndianaDoug You can see how people who watch you tube videos about bar and chain gauge could get confused if one country recommends one size and another country recommends a different size. So after you go past a 36 inch bar yo what size do you use then 058 or 063 gauge
I’m agree with You! My experience is totally the same that you describes in this video. I run 45-50 ccm saws with 0.325, and 90 ccm saw with full chisen 3/8 chain, and they all work the way that you talked about. My Hq 390XP comes with 50cm lenght bar (72Dl 3/8 chain), and a 7 tooth sprocket. This saw has plenty of torque, and i’ve changed to 8 toothet drive spocket. I works fawlessly with 50cm long bar, 72Dl full chisel chain. No matter it is soft of hard wood, the power can handle the 8 toothed sprocket, and the chain speed is mutch better.
It’s funny that I’ve even seen in an Oregon brand catalog a 13” saw bar that will fit a 562 to a 3120 BUT it’s only available in an 058. Can you imagine, a 13” bar & chain spinning to incredibly high RPM’s with a high revving 372! Phenomenal!!!
Pretty good info! We ended up running everything 40cc and up in 3/8 or 404 if needed on the bigger. We’re also getting 3/8 full skip in bulk. The saws we have run it just fine but that’s probably the exception to the rule. I did a good bit of testing and comparison before settling on our setups. The .325 chain dulls quicker for us, doesn’t clear the cut like we need, and is too difficult to sharpen the way we do it. Best chain for us is 404 because we live in a sandbox 😢
@ 500 36” full skip Does what we need including maintaining an edge. Sharpening and swapping chains takes a lot longer than 404. The 404 done right isn’t the power hungry monster it’s made out to be. Still slower than 3/8 in most applications and it is more expensive. I even experimented with 404 on a modded 50cc saw. Power and cutting speed was sufficient for us for certain uses. The rim sprocket parts I put together for testing were literally out of the scrap metal bin and got way too sketchy. Haven’t done anything with it since except bitch about 3/8 dulling so much quicker and how stupid expensive carbide chain is.
What's common and available varies by location. .058 was very common in my area where it's mostly husky saws and they used to come with oregon bars/chain in .058. Once husky started using their own bars/chains most saws are .050 now. Stihl was .063 years ago but is .050 now. I've run a lot of .325, it's soother limbing and a touch faster on a 50cc saw. On a 60cc saw it's a toss up on which is better between .325 or 3/8.
I have three echo saws. 40cc 50cc 60cc. The factory bars were 18, 20, 20. Only the 50cc had a 0.325 chain. The 40 and 60cc are 0.375. Some people swap the sprockets, but you lose torque. What’s the point? So I’m ditching it. I love the weight and balance of it, so it’s a shame. They could’ve designed it with an 18” and 3/8 or something.
Stihl RS &RM chains come in .058 in the UK, but you only see new Stihl saws in .050 and .063. I run a Ported Husqvarna MKII 550 XP and a 357XP both with 20 bars in .325, .058. I have tried an 8-tooth sprocket but have gone back to a 7-tooth. My MS 462 is really light with a 20'' Stihl Light bar and is a good one saw does everything.
Thanks for that update on 058 The 058. It's a regional thing I was certain that stihl did make .058 but not used here, 063 is the one we mainly use here in Australia Thanks Patrick for that update
Hey Tinker, question for you regarding your statement that chain strength increases with an increase in the driver gauge. Wouldn't the chain strength be based on the thickness of the tie straps rather than the thickness of the drivers?
You have to go back to the 70s when metal was not as good as it was as it is today. Every company had their way of doing things. Yes, thicker tie straps are also on some chains. These days, with high carbon chains being much stronger, there really is no need for the 3 gauge sizes, but they still make 3 gauge sizes because of demand for it
7:52 I have three different ID rim sprockets that I keep on hand. Stihl has a small one that I think is around 17mm. It’s stock on 241 and 261 and some other models. I also have Oregon small(19mm) and large (22mm). It’s ridiculous needing to keep three different sizes in when a single I.D. would easily fit 25cc to a ported 125cc saws.
This is Correct. But there is a practical reasons a 22mm spline isn't suited for say a 7 pin .325 sprocket, you can't do it as the spline is too large. The smallest please pin count you can employ on a 22mm inner spline rim is 9T. Notice how you CANNOT buy a 7T large spline or 22mm spline socket? I don't like Stihls proprietary small 17mm spline, years ago when it 1st came out, I was stuck paying $33 for a new OEM rim untill AM options started coming out. That cost adds up when using the saws commercially.
My go-to is 8tooth, 20" on my ms660 running 3/8 050 skip. I have a 28" for bigger trees but I still run the same style of chain. Cuts thru doug fir like butter. .325 leaves a nicer cut if your milling, that's been my experience
I run battery operated saws. My EGO CSX5000 came with .325 with a 20" bar. When I switched it to a 24" bar; I went with 3/8, and the saw pulls it just fine. Now if I can only get the batteries to stop overheating 😢
I can't really explain it; but battery operated saws are just plain fun, albeit very expensive to run to complete a project, because of the quantity of very expensive batteries required to keep them running.
Thank you 👍 I have an 088 125cc in Virginia USA switch bars also.
Good one👍🏻 Chinese bars/chains seem to use .058” a lot. We’ve demanded .050” here in the states.
Yes why did the states perfer 050 ?
I know Husqvarna use 058 as there main size. Here in Australia I don't even know that Stihl import then to Australia if they do it would be a small amount. Every Stihl saw 60cc and up sold new comes with 063 been that way for last 30 years.
050 is used here but only on 16 to 18 inch bars you be hard to find 050 in 20 inch bars
It's interesting hearing from other countries what is common size there.
@ most guys here use .050” bars and chains, not .058” I have a 37” 119dl bar/chain combo in .050”
@IndianaDoug You can see how people who watch you tube videos about bar and chain gauge could get confused if one country recommends one size and another country recommends a different size.
So after you go past a 36 inch bar yo what size do you use then 058 or 063 gauge
@ largest bar I have is the 37”/119dl, it’s rarely needed here in Midwest USA. 20” to 24” is mostly used.
It seems to be kind of regional in the US. Where I'm at almost everything stihl 3/8 is 0.63.
I’m agree with You! My experience is totally the same that you describes in this video. I run 45-50 ccm saws with 0.325, and 90 ccm saw with full chisen 3/8 chain, and they all work the way that you talked about. My Hq 390XP comes with 50cm lenght bar (72Dl 3/8 chain), and a 7 tooth sprocket. This saw has plenty of torque, and i’ve changed to 8 toothet drive spocket. I works fawlessly with 50cm long bar, 72Dl full chisel chain. No matter it is soft of hard wood, the power can handle the 8 toothed sprocket, and the chain speed is mutch better.
Good to hear. Thanks for your comment
Please keep your informative videos coming!Thank you!
It’s funny that I’ve even seen in an Oregon brand catalog a 13” saw bar that will fit a 562 to a 3120 BUT it’s only available in an 058. Can you imagine, a 13” bar & chain spinning to incredibly high RPM’s with a high revving 372! Phenomenal!!!
Pretty good info!
We ended up running everything 40cc and up in 3/8 or 404 if needed on the bigger.
We’re also getting 3/8 full skip in bulk. The saws we have run it just fine but that’s probably the exception to the rule. I did a good bit of testing and comparison before settling on our setups. The .325 chain dulls quicker for us, doesn’t clear the cut like we need, and is too difficult to sharpen the way we do it. Best chain for us is 404 because we live in a sandbox 😢
You must be running 80cc saws with 404 yes
@ 500 36” full skip
Does what we need including maintaining an edge. Sharpening and swapping chains takes a lot longer than 404. The 404 done right isn’t the power hungry monster it’s made out to be. Still slower than 3/8 in most applications and it is more expensive. I even experimented with 404 on a modded 50cc saw. Power and cutting speed was sufficient for us for certain uses. The rim sprocket parts I put together for testing were literally out of the scrap metal bin and got way too sketchy. Haven’t done anything with it since except bitch about 3/8 dulling so much quicker and how stupid expensive carbide chain is.
Do you guys still have 1/2” chain over there? A guy I know had some big saws and he ordered 1/2” 0.058 chipping chain from Australia.
We have 1/2 and 3/4 chain but used for harvesting
What's common and available varies by location.
.058 was very common in my area where it's mostly husky saws and they used to come with oregon bars/chain in .058.
Once husky started using their own bars/chains most saws are .050 now. Stihl was .063 years ago but is .050 now.
I've run a lot of .325, it's soother limbing and a touch faster on a 50cc saw. On a 60cc saw it's a toss up on which is better between .325 or 3/8.
Stihl still has 0.063 . I have a 16 bar 063 on my 2024 ms261
I have three echo saws. 40cc 50cc 60cc. The factory bars were 18, 20, 20. Only the 50cc had a 0.325 chain. The 40 and 60cc are 0.375. Some people swap the sprockets, but you lose torque. What’s the point? So I’m ditching it. I love the weight and balance of it, so it’s a shame. They could’ve designed it with an 18” and 3/8 or something.
Thanks for your comment
Thanks for sharing
Like to see you do a review on the chain locker
That's just a simple plastic case. I store my chains in used ice cream containers
Stihl RS &RM chains come in .058 in the UK, but you only see new Stihl saws in .050 and .063. I run a Ported Husqvarna MKII 550 XP and a 357XP both with 20 bars in .325, .058. I have tried an 8-tooth sprocket but have gone back to a 7-tooth. My MS 462 is really light with a 20'' Stihl Light bar and is a good one saw does everything.
Thanks for that update on 058 The 058. It's a regional thing I was certain that stihl did make .058 but not used here, 063 is the one we mainly use here in Australia
Thanks Patrick for that update
Hey Tinker, question for you regarding your statement that chain strength increases with an increase in the driver gauge. Wouldn't the chain strength be based on the thickness of the tie straps rather than the thickness of the drivers?
You have to go back to the 70s when metal was not as good as it was as it is today. Every company had their way of doing things.
Yes, thicker tie straps are also on some chains. These days, with high carbon chains being much stronger, there really is no need for the 3 gauge sizes, but they still make 3 gauge sizes because of demand for it
7:52 I have three different ID rim sprockets that I keep on hand. Stihl has a small one that I think is around 17mm. It’s stock on 241 and 261 and some other models. I also have Oregon small(19mm) and large (22mm). It’s ridiculous needing to keep three different sizes in when a single I.D. would easily fit 25cc to a ported 125cc saws.
This is Correct. But there is a practical reasons a 22mm spline isn't suited for say a 7 pin .325 sprocket, you can't do it as the spline is too large. The smallest please pin count you can employ on a 22mm inner spline rim is 9T. Notice how you CANNOT buy a 7T large spline or 22mm spline socket? I don't like Stihls proprietary small 17mm spline, years ago when it 1st came out, I was stuck paying $33 for a new OEM rim untill AM options started coming out. That cost adds up when using the saws commercially.
I just ordered 8 tooth .325 in small spline. I have 7 tooth in small spline also.
I also have 9 tooth .325 22mm spline.
@ Get rid of 22mm and 17mm, that is practical. It’ll never happen though.
My go-to is 8tooth, 20" on my ms660 running 3/8 050 skip. I have a 28" for bigger trees but I still run the same style of chain. Cuts thru doug fir like butter.
.325 leaves a nicer cut if your milling, that's been my experience
Yes maybe better for smooth milling cut
I run battery operated saws. My EGO CSX5000 came with .325 with a 20" bar. When I switched it to a 24" bar; I went with 3/8, and the saw pulls it just fine.
Now if I can only get the batteries to stop overheating 😢
High discharge of the batterys will certainly cause them to get hot. I have the same issues also with chainsaw battery
I can't really explain it; but battery operated saws are just plain fun, albeit very expensive to run to complete a project, because of the quantity of very expensive batteries required to keep them running.