Anyone tried Picco (Low Profile 3/8") on a Stihl 026?

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777funk

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I read someone here saying that they felt that this is a good combination. I have .325" and a 16" bar on my saw... i.e. the standard setup and no real complaints. It's been one of my favorite saws for several years now. But this picco'd;) my interest...

Low Pro is lighter and with a narrower kerf. There's never a good reason to have a thicker kerf than necessary in my opinion.

Any disadvantages to Low Profile chain? Any slower cutting vs .325 or 3/8? Go dull faster?

I always took it as a homeowner tool for whimpy saws... but maybe I'm wrong.
 
Looks like this has been done and with a video to boot:
https://************************/fo...t-3-bars-3-chains-5-sprockets-and-1-saw.3690/

Looks like cut speed is similar to the .325 and but it does make a difference in how hard the saw works. Probably the narrower kerf allows for less load.

EDIT: it blocks the firewoodhoardersclub dot com address with a bunch of asterisks. Ha. Oh well. Good thread that can be found with a little work. Here's the guy's video anyways.

 
Now time how long each chain takes to sharpen.

3/8" LP should have less cutters than .325 and less material coming off of the teeth with a smaller diameter file. Maybe a little faster to hand file?

I haven't got enough experience with the same tooth profile on different pitches, but 3/8" low pro goes dull fast when I'm bucking firewood in the woods.
 
3/8" LP should have less cutters than .325 and less material coming off of the teeth with a smaller diameter file. Maybe a little faster to hand file?

I haven't got enough experience with the same tooth profile on different pitches, but 3/8" low pro goes dull fast when I'm bucking firewood in the woods.
I like that chain its great.
 
They make a kit up north in Canada to convert. Plan on getting one shipped down one day to throw on mine. Maybe I'll use it more then.
 
I have a 14" Poulan bar that I may try to fit to the 026. I wonder if a standard 3/8 rim sprocket would run Low Pro 3/8 chain...
 
No it won’t work right. The drive links are different and it won’t sit in the drive sprocket or sprocket in the nose of the bar properly

If I can get the bar from the Poulan to mount up (bar mounting slot to brought to 12mm and maybe different oil holes), the bar will be ok. Just have to find out what to do with the rim sprocket.

Looks like a company called HL Supply may have it:
https://www.hlsproparts.com/Rim-spr...OFx1N9jeZhqv4gQTB5DFP08ctqufdHbcaAgXZEALw_wcB

Looks like there are plenty of 3/8lp rim sprokets on ebay for "026 and ms260" saws, but they also say they work on the 025 series of saws. Thought these little saws (smaller tha 026) had smaller drive hubs??
 
3/8lp chain on a 3/8” bar sprocket isn’t gonna work

Right, that's what I was trying to say above. I plan to use the 3/8lp (low profile) bar from my poulan modified to fit the stihl. The 12mm mounting slot won't be hard to come up with. Not sure about the oil holes. Haven't looked at it.
 
You can get a picco bar on alliexpress for a 017-025 that fits right on a 026 for 10-15 bucks. These have larger nose sprockets than the poulan picco bars too.
I ran a regular 3/8 rim with 3/8lp Oregon chain on the above bar on my ported Chinese 54cc saw. It worked great in hardwood but didn't load the saw at all in softwood, you could stand on it and it wouldn't slow down. I went back to .325 with a 8 pin rim but this saw is a lot stronger than a stock 026.
 
You can get a picco bar on alliexpress for a 017-025 that fits right on a 026 for 10-15 bucks. These have larger nose sprockets than the poulan picco bars too.
I ran a regular 3/8 rim with 3/8lp Oregon chain on the above bar on my ported Chinese 54cc saw. It worked great in hardwood but didn't load the saw at all in softwood, you could stand on it and it wouldn't slow down. I went back to .325 with a 8 pin rim but this saw is a lot stronger than a stock 026.

Thanks for the tip. I ordered a 14" bar for an 025 (with 50dl 3/8 LP chain) on ebay for $14. That bar/chain will zing with that saw I'm sure. Probably not enough load if there is such a thing. I have a whole bunch of old 52dl chains. I'm hoping they'll fit. Probably not... but never know.
 
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