Your chain of choice on a 50 cc saw?

[Pioneer]

There seems to be several different opinions as to which type of chain is best for a 50 cc sized saw. .325? 3/8? 3/8 low profile? .325 narrow kerf? 3/8 narrow kerf?
What would you use for a saw that might be bucking hardwood up to the full width of a 16 inch bar? Speed is the deciding factor.

 

[82F100SWB]

.325 .050 is what I have on my Stihl's in 16". My Husky's have mostly .058, but I do have one new .050 setup.

 

[John Lyngdal]

Running a Stihl RS .325 .050 chain on mine with a 8 pin rim.

 

[Derf]

I have several 50cc saws. I like a 16” bar on all of them, but usually if I’m cutting something 16” in diameter regularly I’m not using a 50cc saw. That is to say, the bar isn’t frequently buried.

In NY, while blessed with lots of hardwood, I use the 50cc for thinning out pine, hackberry, sumac, wild grapevine and brush, as well as delimbing felled and fallen hardwood trees. If the saw is going to see a lot of small stuff, I use .325 x 0.050. I don’t worry about narrow kerf, although the new Husky SP33 chain I believe is a narrow kerf, but .325 tends to get caught less and throw a chain. Also, if the engine is right at 50cc and built for speed over torque, it’s easier to pull the smaller cutters. The .050 has less rotating mass since the cutters are thinner, and it makes the saw feel snappier revving it up. If I’m going to be cutting larger stuff 6-8” or more frequently, especially if the power head has low-end grunt, I have it setup for 3/8 x .058. The .058 clears chips better in the bar rails, and the 3/8 is smoother cutting than .325. In either case it’s a 7-pin rim sprocket.

If the wood is frequently 10-12”+, I’m going with a 60cc powerhead.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Although all my 50cc saws are 3/8 16”, I’m gonna try this 325 8T 20” on a muffler modified 261 and let you know how it performs.

 

[Gypo Logger]

I just noticed that the bar pictured above is made in the USA with domestic and foreign parts.
I didn’t think the Americans could make a quality bar and that only the Australians and Canadians can.
Can I expect more than a couple of cords out of this obviously inferior bar? Lol
I’m fully expecting that this American 1.3 m bar will need a 1.5m chain before I get through the first cord.

I can’t believe that Stihl would lower themselves to such a level as to allow these people to make any cutting attachments whatsoever!
This is an absolute outrage!

 

[farmer steve]

View attachment 780746 I just noticed that the bar pictured above is made in the USA with domestic and foreign parts.
I didn’t think the Americans could make a quality bar and that only the Australians and Canadians can.
Can I expect more than a couple of cords out of this obviously inferior bar? Lol

Funny i just noticed that on the box a bar came in yesterday. You should be able to get at least 3 cords of spruce before it's worn out.

 

[cuinrearview]

16" .325 on all of the 50s except the Dolmars. Those run 16" and 18" 3/8, they seem to like it that way.

 

[huskyespañol]

.325 / 0.58

 

[Matt93eg]

I like .325 and 16” on 50cc. They are fun to run.

 

[Czed]

.325 .63 18" rs stihl
has been the fastest cutting for me on a 261

 

[SuperDuty04]

View attachment 780745 Although all my 50cc saws are 3/8 16”, I’m gonna try this 325 8T 20” on a muffler modified 261 and let you know how it performs.

Looking forward to seeing the outcome.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Stihl RS .325 chisel will outlast and stay sharper longer than any other chain I have used, Oregon, Husqvarna, Carlton etc.

 

[Smcgill]

Running a Stihl RS .325 .050 chain on mine with a 8 pin rim.

Same here on my Husky 350 ..

 

[homemade]

The .050 has less rotating mass since the cutters are thinner, and it makes the saw feel snappier revving it up.

False. The cutter are the same regardless of the driver link thickness.

 

[Gypo Logger]

False. The cutter are the same regardless of the driver link thickness.

I think you’re both right to a degree. If you look at a drive link you’ll notice that the top of the drive link is thicker, possibly 063 regardless of the gauge.
Some saw racers surface grind all drive links to 050 for a thinner kerf.

 

[Ronaldo]

I have tested cutting speed on my 50cc saws ( Jonsered 2152 and Dolmar 5105) and found 3/8 to actually cut faster with the 16 inch bars that I have for them. That being said I have the 2152 set up with .325 as my trimming and fence row cleaning saw as the .325 tends to be less grabby on small diameter limbs, etc. The 5105 wears a 16 inch 3/8 for all around firewooding.

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

 

[cuinrearview]

I have tested cutting speed on my 50cc saws ( Jonsered 2152 and Dolmar 5105) and found 3/8 to actually cut faster with the 16 inch bars that I have for them. That being said I have the 2152 set up with .325 as my trimming and fence row cleaning saw as the .325 tends to be less grabby on small diameter limbs, etc. The 5105 wears a 16 inch 3/8 for all around firewooding.

Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

Exactly how I'd set them up. The AV on the Dolly really absorbs any extra vibes associated with 3/8.

 

[Smacktooth]

I’m running an 16” Oregon Speedcut bar and chain (95TXL) on my 545, it’s great. It is narrow kerf. Curious how it would differ from reg Kerf or 3/8, but not enough to actually buy all of that to compare

 

[computeruser]

Oregon 20LPX in a 13” NK bar with an 8t rim is what I use on both MM and ported 346s.

Have also run 3/8” Oregon LGX on a 16” bar with good results on these saws, but it is much more grabby when cutting little stuff that is between finger sized and wrist sized, which comprises a lot of what I cut. In finger sized springy stuff I throw 3/8” off the bar regularly, but never with .325”. If I was cutting firewood sized stuff only, I’d probably run 3/8” much or all of the time.

When I had 026s, they seemed to feel best with .325”. Dolmar 5100s felt best with 3/8”.