.325 vs. .375 chain

[257xp]

I would like to hear some opinions on 325 chain vs 375 chain. i cut all hardwood maple oak and cherry, a little hickory for firewood, been running a 375 20" chain for years, was wondering if there would be any benefit to switching to a 325 chain... cutting with a stock 257.
thanks:cool2:

 

[sodbreaker]

Not sure the specs of your saw but my own experience between the two pitches is that generaly the .325 will cut faster then 3/8 with any given saw but the .3/8 will have a longer serivce life. My experience your mileage will vary

Sod Breaker

 

[257xp]

Not sure the specs of your saw but my own experience between the two pitches is that generaly the .325 will cut faster then 3/8 with any given saw but the .3/8 will have a longer serivce life. My experience your mileage will vary

Sod Breaker

makes sense the 325 would cut faster, never really thought about the service life,.. I guess there is a trade off there.
thanks

 

[sodbreaker]

A bigger(longer) tooth has more surface area and therefore more ability to wear.

 

[SawTroll]

makes sense the 325 would cut faster, never really thought about the service life,.. I guess there is a trade off there.
thanks

Be aware there are lots of more or less crappy and/or badly designed .325 chain out there, so be very picky about the exact model you try. Oregon LPX is a good starting point, Stihl RS(C) isn't far behind, but cuts a wider kerf.