I think my dealer put the wrong chain on my new Husky 550XP

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Detector$

Member
Dec 16, 2007
127
NC
Guys and Gals,
I bought a new saw yesterday.... a Husqvarna 550XP. I asked the dealer to switch out the factory low-kickback safety chain for a semi-chisel chain. I have an 18" bar, .325 pitch, 0.050 gauge.
I cut all day today and when I came in this evening to sharpen the blade I noticed he gave me two different file sizes.... a 5/32" and a 3/16". Not knowing which file to use I looked at the chain.
The chain they installed is a Husqvarna chain. The cutter tooth links are stamped with the number "25" and the guide links are stamped with a "30".
Two questions here....
  • When I look at Husqvarna's website, it says that "H25" chain is micro chisel .325 pitch BUT 0.058 gauge . Is it ok to run 0.058 gauge chain on a 0.050 gauge bar??? If it's not, I'll replace it ASAP.
  • Does the "25" stamp on the cutting link even mean that it's an "H25" chain?
  • Assuming everything is OK and the chain is right, which file size should I use?
 
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It looks like "H22" chain is the correct semi-chisel chain for 0.325/0.050 bars....
  • How do I know if this is H22? The drive links are stamped with a 30 on the cutting links are stamped with a 25...
  • Will 0.058 chain even fit into a 0.050 bar if, in fact, the dealer put the wrong chain on?
  • If he did put H22 on it (correctly) which file size should I use?
Thanks
 
I think the 25 stamped on the cutters is telling you the correct raker height, i.e. 0.025" below the cutting edge. The 30 on the drive link is telling you more about the type of chain you have. It indicates a 0.050" gauge, which is what you need, but it also indicates a narrow-kerf chain which may or may not be appropriate for the bar you've got.
 
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FWIW my bar is the Husqvarna 585 94 32-72 which is the "pro/X-Force" 18" narrow kerf "pixel" sprocket nose bar
 
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Well, there you go. You've got the right chain.

3/16" is the nominally correct file size for it, but some people step down to 5/32" late in the life of the chain, as the teeth get smaller.
 
I have used a heavier chain on a smaller gauge bar in a pinch, but you have to pretty much ruin the bar to do it. I imagine it's no good for the inside guides on the chain, either.

If the chain is heavier than the bar and you try to run it with the bar unmodified, it is like trying to operate the saw with the brake on- you will know right away that there is a problem.

Definitely not recommended outside of emergencies, unless you are working on your oil-soaked metal shavings collection.
 
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