begrudgingly adding to the fleet

[fatgraderman]

My ms200 rear handle is going to be down for a little while (new carb, muffler, some other miscellaneous parts the will take a little while to get here). I end up doing most of my carving right now with a ms 261 with a cannon 14" quarter tip bar and .325 chain because the 200 has had it's issues that till now were unsolved. I'm probably going to stick a carving bar back on my 170. Is there any gain on going to .043 chain and bar? It's not a real strong saw. I was also looking at a ms241 while in the shop. I can't get an arctic in Canada (yet, but hoping soon, it really helps save my hands). All of my searchs make it appear everybody really like them and it would give me another C1 mount saw for a 8mm bar, especially when the arctic's get here. I can't find anything on a 1/4" spur for them though. Do they use the same as the 170-250? If I'm not able to find a 1/4" spur then what's the smallest bar you guys have had good luck with 3/8"pm3 on? lastly, I also seen for the first time a ms150 saw in there, it was a top handle. I could have interest in a rear handle 150 down the road, but do they have enough guts to do much with 1/4" chain? I guess that smaller body and the reduced weight would be nice when carving up a little higher (but dang they're expensive, and the rear handle only comes in the "easy to start" here).

 

[twoclones]

Earlier this year I put the 043 chain on a MS-192 and it does twice the cutting it did with a 'standard' 1/4 pitch chain. Uses the same spocket too. I highly recommend the 043!

 

[fatgraderman]

Cool. A loop of it should be in this morning. Thanks.

 

[lumberjackchef]

I also have an ms 251 set up with the .043 and it is very fast and smooth flowing. However after being given the 251 from a sponsor I have to say it has horrible vibration for trying ri do any kinda detail. The spring anti vibe is not stiff enough for my taste. No stability while on the throttle. I have heard that the 150 rear is the way to go!

 

[fatgraderman]

Thanks. I have a ms250 and I have a hell of a time with detail with it as well. It must have a little stiffer anti-vibe then your saw though. It's a little rough on my hands. I'm hearing good things on the 150 as well, but don't know anybody doing what we're doing. It's a little different spiralling then plunging and stuffing the bar right in there.

 

[fatgraderman]

I also have an ms 251 set up with the .043 and it is very fast and smooth flowing. However after being given the 251 from a sponsor I have to say it has horrible vibration for trying ri do any kinda detail. The spring anti vibe is not stiff enough for my taste. No stability while on the throttle. I have heard that the 150 rear is the way to go!

Holy crap! Does your 251 have the 1/4" .043 chain too? I have it on the 170 here and it takes a 1/8" file.

 

[lumberjackchef]

Yes it has the .043 gauge. I recently picked up a new favorite for running my dimetip. I got a vintage husqvarna 33 rear handle. I ported the muffler and modified an existing 1/4" sprocket that I was able to make fit. I absolutely love this thing. I have ran several hundred hours on a 250 set up with 12" dimes and 1/4" chain but Now I run picco mini bars on my 250's and the dimes on my little husky.

 

[fatgraderman]

I couldn't believe how small that .043 chain is. Didn't get a chance to try it today. I did get the new carb (#1129 120 0654) on the ms200. Waiting on some other pieces, but got a chance to try it out with the carb. That saw has never started and ran so good! That's the first time I've gotten to see what that saw can do! [emoji14]

 

[lumberjackchef]

Is your 200 a rear handle? And yes that chain is some small stuff eh?

 

[fatgraderman]

Yah. It is. On both accounts.

 

[fatgraderman]

Wow. I'm really impressed with that .043 1/4 chain. That slices through knots and stuff like butter! Can't imagine what it's like to sharpen, brand new standard 1/4 can be a pain with my jig, bet this will be worse. But love the chain, so I'll gladly try any suggestion. I'm reconsidering the 3/8 on the 261. I hope it's okay on a quarter tip, have to find some loops for that bar.

 

[fatgraderman]

Got the 3/8 chain on the 261. I would have liked to have done a carving chain, instead I used the pro-kit that included 3 chains, bar and rim sprocket. Hard to pass up the value but I did have to modify the back of the cutters same as .325. Well it plunges as good as my 1/4 carving chains and cuts like dynamite. I tried doing a bear just to see how it'd all work. Bears pretty mentally challenged but the saw works awesome. Time to get back to the caricatures I guess.