I have an older 346XP that came with chain which has holes in the drive links. I bought 2 new chains that fit the saw at the local lawn and garden center. The new chains have no holes in the drive links. All the chains and the bar are .058. The new chains overheat and seize up quickly when I try to run them. I assume it's the lack of holes, for oiling? Does anyone know a way to get these chains running on this machine?
346XP Chain Seize
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cuinrearview
Red saw lover
Are you sure the pitch is the same?
All the chains and the bar are .058
D
Deleted member 117362
Guest
Tim, was asking is your bar and chain matched 3/8 (.375) pitch or .325 pitch. Nose and drive sprockets must match chain pitch. .058 is gauge of bar and chain, must also match. Welcome aboard.
D
Deleted member 149229
Guest
According to the Oregon chart I looked at that saw came originally with .325 pitch, if the chains you purchased are 3/8 there is your problem, what Tim and Rex said. You can tear up a Saw or Saw parts running mismatched chain.
Well, Thanks, both of you. That may be the case, I will look and see if I can tell the difference. Is there an easy way to tell by looking? I thought the only thing that mattered was the size of the groove in the bar. I have had those unusable chains for 3-5 years just sitting there.
cuinrearview
Red saw lover
The distance between rivets is noticable when you lay the two sizes next to each other.
D
Deleted member 117362
Guest
You can measure distance between 3 rivets on chain and divide by 2, that is your pitch. Bar and drive sprocket should be marked with pitch. If bar is marked and other chains have worked, that should also be your drive sprocket pitch. Look at bar for markings near mounting holes (slot).
Welcome to A.S.!
The holes in the drive links were a feature of some Oregon and STIHL brand chains to help 'carry' oil around the bar, but have been copied by some other manufacturers. Some STIHL chains had grooves stamped into the drive links to help direct the oil to the rivets (also copied by others). These, and other features may help with chain oiling, but flat drive links will work too, if using the right size chain for your saw.
The key dimensional features of a chain are the pitch, gauge, and drive link count. If those are correct, a chain by any manufacturer will fit your saw. Here is one explanation of those terms:
https://www.baileysonline.com/pub/media/baileys/pdf/saw-chain-101.pdf
Sometimes, people will swap out a related component on a saw, such as a bar or drive sprocket, requiring a different chain. Since it sounds like you got your saw used, it may not have the original components supplied by the manufacturer, and you must match what you have (not just look up the saw in a fit guide). Many chains and bars have this information stamped on them, but it often wears off, and different companies use totally different marking systems.
If you post clear photos of your chain that worked, we might be able to help you. Otherwise, take the saw to a servicing saw dealer and ask what you need.
Philbert
The holes in the drive links were a feature of some Oregon and STIHL brand chains to help 'carry' oil around the bar, but have been copied by some other manufacturers. Some STIHL chains had grooves stamped into the drive links to help direct the oil to the rivets (also copied by others). These, and other features may help with chain oiling, but flat drive links will work too, if using the right size chain for your saw.
The key dimensional features of a chain are the pitch, gauge, and drive link count. If those are correct, a chain by any manufacturer will fit your saw. Here is one explanation of those terms:
https://www.baileysonline.com/pub/media/baileys/pdf/saw-chain-101.pdf
Sometimes, people will swap out a related component on a saw, such as a bar or drive sprocket, requiring a different chain. Since it sounds like you got your saw used, it may not have the original components supplied by the manufacturer, and you must match what you have (not just look up the saw in a fit guide). Many chains and bars have this information stamped on them, but it often wears off, and different companies use totally different marking systems.
If you post clear photos of your chain that worked, we might be able to help you. Otherwise, take the saw to a servicing saw dealer and ask what you need.
Philbert
Are you sure the bar is .058g and not .050?
Never seen one oe with 58
Never seen one oe with 58
