"safety chain" on >>----> Echo CS-306

[anlrolfe]

I've got a little Echo CS-306 that gets occasional use trimming or limbing small stuff. I've never really paid that much attention to the chain geometry and focusing on teeth and rakers when sharpening. Maybe I'm a bit dense(well within the possibilities) but I just realized this was "safety chain". The extra humps started getting into the way as teeth started getting short and both rakes and safety hump needed attention. Echo calls for 90SG or 91VG. I take it that "G" is guard?? I'm looking into using 90S052G on the 14" bar.

Any thoughts?

AR

 

[Chris-PA]

Well, it would have to be one or the other - 90 is 0.043" chain and 91 is 0.050". You need the right bar with the corresponding groove. Oregon calls the 0.043" "Micro-Lite". If you lift up the chain and look at the number stamped on the drive link you can tell which you have.

With either chain family the "G" versions have nasty big shark fin tie straps. I use a lot of lo pro and don't mind the safety chain that has ramped drive links, but the shark fins are pretty slow. Oregon sells the ramped drive link chain as 91PX or 90PX, and that works quite well. The Oregon chain is "chamfer chisel", in that instead of a rounded outside corner like normal semi chisel it has a flat that makes two sort-of points. I think it cuts very well.

Carlton is also commonly available, also cuts well and has a longer cutter. Oregon sells 91VXL which is different from all their other 91 chains and is essentially a copy of the Carlton design, with a little different heel on the cutter to reduce vibration (not that I've ever had a vibration problem with Carlton).

I have 0.043" gauge 90 chain on my 40cc Husky 142, and it really flies. Originally it was 90SG but I ground the shark fins off to make it essentially 90S. I've done that with 91VG too.

 

[anlrolfe]

It is the .043" and it's got the "Shark fins"

I bought .050" by mistake once. More than a bit snug in the bar and a trip back to exchange.

This is only 30.1cc but a joy to tote for the light work.

http://www.oregonproducts.com/pro/products/chain/90S.htm

http://www.oregonproducts.com/pro/products/chain/90PX.htm

I've looked up both but can't see significant difference??

 

[Franny K]

Click on the detailed view tab on those links you posted. The px one has a fancy humped drive link before the cutter. The only 90 series I have seen for sale is the shark fin one 90sg, interesting to find the others exist though there are other Oregon pdf files out there for discontinued product. I would suggest trying the stihl 61pmm3 or a sort of similar earlier code the cutters are harder to bend out of position and the chain in general is more robust, at least that is the word I choose to use. Probably would need to find a place with a spool of it as for some reason Stihl seems to like 50 link loops in that 14 inch.

 

[Chris-PA]

There isn't much difference in appearance or performance. It would have been nice if they used the same scale for both, but in the PX (bottom) the drive link has a ramp (with a divot in it). I really like it but Oregon 90 is hard to find locally around here. I wish they sold it in 18".

If you order it on line beware that the Carlton versions of 0.043" do not have narrower cutters - they use the same cutters as their 0.050" chain, so really you barely get a narrower kerf. I got a couple of those loops and I'm still irritated about it.

 

[Chris-PA]

Click on the detailed view tab on those links you posted. The px one has a fancy humped drive link before the cutter. The only 90 series I have seen for sale is the shark fin one 90sg, interesting to find the others exist though there are other Oregon pdf files out there for discontinued product. I would suggest trying the stihl 61pmm3 or a sort of similar earlier code the cutters are harder to bend out of position and the chain in general is more robust, at least that is the word I choose to use.

I'll have to look for that, but I kinda doubt they'll have any at the local Stihl dealer and probably not in the 56DL I need. I've got two decent loops so I'll probably just wait until I need to order something else on line.

 

[Franny K]

I'll have to look for that, but I kinda doubt they'll have any at the local Stihl dealer and probably not in the 56DL I need. I've got two decent loops so I'll probably just wait until I need to order something else on line.

I would think most sizable stihl shops to have a roll of it so they can make up loops for brand x pole saws that only have 10 inch bars.

 

[anlrolfe]

From what I can see, the PX chain has some kind of toggle that pops up at the raker when the link flexes around the tip. Not sure if this is added protection from kick-back at the nose??

I'm leaning towards the 90s052

Chris-PA said, I wish they sold it in 18"

I think I was a note that this was only available up to 16" somewere