Skip Link chains

[MountainStoveGuy]

I loaned my 372 xp to a friend, he returned it tuned from a shop, and completly detailed like a new car. He also put a new skip link chain on it. I think i will loan it to him again First thing, i have never heard of a skip link untill yesterday, then i see it in a thread in the hearth room. WHats the deal with these chains? I would think you would get more vibration. I havent tried it yet, but what should i expect?

 

[Roospike]

I loaned my 372 xp to a friend, he returned it tuned from a shop, and completly detailed like a new car. He also put a new skip link chain on it. I think i will loan it to him again First thing, i have never heard of a skip link untill yesterday, then i see it in a thread in the hearth room. WHats the deal with these chains? I would think you would get more vibration. I havent tried it yet, but what should i expect?

Skip chain has its place . The normal placement of skip chain is for a longer / max size bar , like say a 32" bar for your 372Xp . When you put that much bar and chain into wood and fill up the length of the bar with log it dont take quite so much power to pull the 32" of chain . + the skip chain lets the wood chips clean out of the cut better in larger wood. (broken link removed)

 

[Roospike]

(broken link removed)

 

[BrotherBart]

Semi-skip is good for the long bars like Roo says. Full-skip keeps stringy stuff like cedar and redwood from clogging the saw.

Of course they also put skip-link chain on the little baby consumer saws to make them seem more powerful than they really are. I tossed the skip-link on the baby Poulan before I ever even fired it up and replaced it with full link semi-chisel.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Thanks, do i run any risk of overreving the enging? im only running a 20 inch bar. Should i take this off my saw? Roo, thanks for the link, i will have to read that when i get to work.

 

[BikeMedic2709]

I have an older (HomeLite SuperXL) saw that I use for limbing and smaller rounds. (It is a lightweight saw. Anyway, I run a skip-tooth chain on it. It really helps insure high RPM's on low displacement saws. (Doesn't "hog" as much material.) With the higher RPM's it can actually cut faster. Most skip-tooth chains also have a narrower kerf.

 

[ourhouse]

We run skip chain on most of our saws at work and I run it on my saws at home. We like it because you can run a high and it is very fast to sharpen if you hit something. There is half the teeth to file. It cuts allmost as fast as fullcomp chain. We run it on bars from 16"-48" on 372s 575s 394s and 3120s.

 

[ourhouse]

MSG you shouldn't have a problem over reving you'r saw with a 20" bar and skip chain. I run a 372 with a 16" bar and a 8 tooth sproket with the motor turned up to almost 14000rpm. If you keep you'r saw sharp and in the wood cutting at full rpm you should never have a problam over reving the motor. As long as don't hold you'r saw wide open for a long time when warming it up to start cutting wood. I have seen people burn saws up doing that.

John

 

[Roospike]

MSG you shouldn't have a problem over reving you'r saw with a 20" bar and skip chain. I run a 372 with a 16" bar and a 8 tooth sproket with the motor turned up to almost 14000rpm. If you keep you'r saw sharp and in the wood cutting at full rpm you should never have a problam over reving the motor. As long as don't hold you'r saw wide open for a long time when warming it up to start cutting wood. I have seen people burn saws up doing that.

John

You must have an older 372xp , the newer ones 2004 up have the rev limiters on them ( RPM limited coil ). I can run that max and over high carb setting and it will only rev so high , one wouldnt want to over set the max high carb adjustment with the set up as is. I haven't run the skip on the 372xp with a 20"-28" bars as it revs so damn fast now . I bought all my chain from one roll so i ended up with the 32" chain full also. I would think the slip on the 32" would run better popping stumps tho.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

Hey thanks for all the info, my 372 is about 2003 vintage. I have some chain making tools i will have to ask you guys about when im not so damn tierd. Im going to bed. Thanks for all the feedback. I will get to try that skip link for the first time tommorrow!

 

[minesmoria]

I only use full skip chains, i have a husky 359 with 24" bar as for the rev caps i cut it off the carb and adjusted the carb richer i have it at 12800 to 13000 instead of 13500 factory set plus with the walkerized muffler power is even better.

 

[ourhouse]

Thoes rev caps are the first things I take off after the brake in time. I have a tac. and set the saws right around where they're supposed be at. Some saws I adjust a little more than I should. I have not blown up a saw "yet". But I am very carefull on how I run my saws. Some of my saws are 15+ years old.