Replacement chain for MS180

[minnnt]

Hi, having recently bought my first saw, a Stihl MS180,i was wondering if there is a better option for a new chain when the time comes or should i just get another Picco chain? I can't fault the chain, it's great and cuts lovely.

I will be doing infrequent felling and hopefully chopping some firewood for friends etc.

Also, if i do change the chain, do i need to chainge the bar or is it ok to use different chain on the original bar that comes with the 180?

Many thanks, David.

 

[windthrown]

Picco (low profile) is the only bar and chain that Stihl recommends for that saw. You may have either the .043 picco or the .050 picco bar on that saw. It will be stamped on the right side of the bar, near the dogs. Many consider the narrow picco .043 stuff as actually being better, as it has a narrower kerf. Narrow kerf means smaller width of the cut, so less work for the saw.

I run picco on my 250 size saws. The .325 has too wide a kerf, and those bars tend to pinch in the cuts on me with the smaller saws. No way you would want to run that on a 180. So I would stick with whatever you have on that saw.

 

[biggenius29]

You do not need to change the bar when you change the chain. They do recomend to flip the bar over though when you change the chain though.

 

[treeslayer]

and clean the bar out, run something inside the rail to clean out the gunk. you should search posts on here about sharpening by hand, see if you have the touch. save some money.

 

[Rookie1]

Like windthrown said, it should have3/8 .043 gauge picco on it. That stuff cuts good but is not very meaty,there was a post a while ago about a tree guy liking it but breking teeth off from getting aggresive. 3/8 .050gauge picco is a little more meaty and therefore more durable but you might not like the way the saw cuts with it. You do need to change the bar if you change chain gauges. I have a whipped out 017 and have tried both and I like the .043 better.

 

[minnnt]

Hey guys, thanks! :biggrinbounce2: Thats just the type of advice and help i am looking for!

I will be sharpening by hand, it's part of the job so i will certainly not be paying a dealer to do it!

The chain that came with it is a 0.50 picco. So if i try the 0.43 picco next time will the same bar be ok? And for what reason do they suggest you turn it over?

Thanks alot, David.

 

[zr900]

No you cant / shouldn't use 043 in a 050 bar. To sloppy and premature bar/chain wear.

Flip the bar to get more even wear? I flip mine every day that I use it.

If you were happy with the 050 stay with it.

Pico is also called 3/8LP low profile for non stihl brands.

I like Oregon 91VX for 3/8LP JMO

 

[minnnt]

ok, thanks, i will look into a new bar too then when i need a new chain.

 

[Rookie1]

You could price out the difference in gauges for chain and bars for that matter. The .043 isnt as popular as .050 or even big chain like normal 3/8. In aftermarket there are alot of choices for reg 3/8 and less for 3/8 .050 and lesser for .043. Stihl uses the .043 on the pole pruners alot. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[MrDrift]

I have the .043 on my 180 and it cuts great. I just use it for bucking mostly and it does just fine. I've gone though one chain now and had a hard time getting a replacement. The .050 was definitely easier to find. The .043 has only a low profile chain available, but with the .050 you can get a more aggressive chain as well. Just keep in mind if you go to the Type 90 chain (.043) that the rakers get filed to .018" rather than the .025" that the Type 91 (.050) chain gets filed to. And like was mentioned earlier, you need the matching bar for each chain. So far I've only used Stihl chains, but I have a few Oregon chains on the way to try. Definitely cheaper on the price, roughly half, and it seems that everyone recommends them.

:greenchainsaw:

 

[minnnt]

thanks mr drift. so the oregon chain i need if i decide on the 0.43 is type 90? whats the oregon bar to go with it? also what size bar are you using?

cheers buddy.

 

[MrDrift]

If you go to oregon's website and use the selector guide it will list the bar and chain combo for you. Should be a 90SG Micro-lite chain and matching bar. I run a 14" on mine.