Semi Chisel, Skip Tooth in .325?

[jkmola]

I've been reading through a lot of the posts on here, enough so that everything is getting jumbled together. But I have determined that I would like to try a semi chisel, skip tooth chain. But I'm having a hard time locating any in .325. Is there such a critter, without buying a roll of it? I'd like to try just a single loop first, see how I like it.

Saw is a MS290 with an 18" bar. And I've done the muffler mod.

I'm cutting standing timber, clearing some trees on my property. I'll also be scrounging trees to feed the habit of an insert I'll be installing shortly. If nothing is available in what I was asking for, I'll take any recommendation as to a good chain for my purposes. Thanks

 

[TreePointer]

Just a thought:

Assuming you did a muff mod to get more out of your saw, why take a step back in performance (cutting speed) with skip chain and it's 1/3 fewer cutters? I'd try a loop of Stihl full chisel (RS) chain before semi-chisel skip chain.

When I had a 290 (20", .325, .063), I went from RMC3 (semi-chisel, low kickback chain) to RSC (full chisel, regular/pro chain). It was noticeably faster.

On the other hand, I'm all for trying new configurations on saws, so if you do manage to get skip chain on that saw, give us a full report on how it runs.

 

[Clarkbug]

Its your saw, but with the skip tooth and muffler mod you should be able to get away with 3/8" without too much fuss. Just might make it easier for you to find. (Yeah, I know that isn't what you had asked.....)

If you do want it in .325, here ya go!

http://www.baileysonline.com/Chains...ndPRO-20RCS-Chainsaw-Chain-Per-Drive-Link.axd

 

[jkmola]

I've used full chisel, in fact it's all I've ever used. But it dulls rapidly, and I can never seem to get it sharp enough on my own so I'm always dropping them off to get sharpened. From what I've gathered, the SC is easier to sharpen. I'd like to find out.

CB - See that's one of the things I might be confused about. I'm under the impression that if I wanted to use 3/8, I'd have to have a different drive sprocket, and nose sprocket? And thanks for the link - can you tell me how I go about determining how many drive links I would need to order? I'm not sure how to figure that out.

 

[TreePointer]

I've used full chisel, in fact it's all I've ever used. But it dulls rapidly, and I can never seem to get it sharp enough on my own so I'm always dropping them off to get sharpened. From what I've gathered, the SC is easier to sharpen. I'd like to find out.

In my experience semi-chisel teeth are no more difficult for me to sharpen than full chisel chain. Some will say that skip chain is easier to sharpen only because it takes less time to address the fewer teeth.

 

[TreePointer]

If you want to use chains with a different pitch, you must also change the saws drive sprocket and the bar's tip (aka nose) sprocket. Most bars sold on homeowner and midlevel saws do not have a replaceable bar tip, so the solution almost always is to get a new bar.

The number of drive links (DL) is determined by the bar you use. This information is stamped on the bar.

 

[jkmola]

Awesome. Thanks for that info!

 

[Clarkbug]

Yup, you would need a new bar and sprocket like treepointer said.

If you have a chain that fits your saw now, just count the links and go from there. But if you have a bar with the paint on it, it should say the number of links.

 

[duramaxman05]

I have ran 3/8 skip tooth chains before. They cut just as fast as a regular and take half the time to sharpen. I think they cut as good because it keeps the wood chips and dust away better. This is just my opinion from what I have been around them.