Stihl ms500i with a .404 chain?

[Westboastfaller]

Never had a need for it.. May have used iit on a companies 2101 31 yrs ago?
I couldn't think how it could be grabby compared to other chisel chain unless it was filed that way. That should be able to be controlled?
Some of the softest hardwoods are the grabbiest like some birch, Aspen, cottonwood, Arbutus, Sweet Chestnut
Or are some 'hungry'? Western Hemlock is grabby

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

If you have the money and want, mate go ahead, buy one and enjoy it. I have no need for a fire and no access to firewood. If I did I would go out tomorrow and buy myself either a 462 or 500i and a 661.

As for going to .404, I hate having all different size chains. I wish everything ran 3/8” and I could just buy a roll of it. I would probably even run 3/8 on my 260 on a 12” bar (if they even do that?) instead of 16” & .325.

i have every chain size from 1/4” to .404 and my file rack looks like this... multiple chain sizes is a PITA!



The .404 looks cool though

 

[Westboastfaller]

I suppose if they are filed the same with the wide kerf It will grab more. Especially with more power then you will soon realise you will have to file different.


"Round chisel is grabby"

 

[North by Northwest]

LOL! Cutting wood puts stress on a saw. Run a .404 chain, and it will blow your hair back.

Run oem .404 on a 52 yr old 58 cc Pioneer 11-60 with a 20 " Oregon bar & semi chisel chain. Keep your chains sharp , no strain , no problems !

 

[stihl86]

I run the .404 on my 880 and it is not grabby, cuts super fast and holds an edge like nothing I have ever experienced. I recently bought two 80dl, Skip, Chisel .404 at $25 a chain.

All advantage, no downside that I have experienced. As far as hard on the saw, need big bearings and the 500i is not big enough a saw. Bull S.

My ms290 came with a .325 chain, I upgraded to a 3/8. All good, despite all the negatives highlighted above.

You will load the saw more, no doubt. Skip will help. One note. They went to .325 because it cut faster for displacement.That‘s a fact. May only be a small amount, but still.
As you said “Want” is a strong driver. You want it do it.
There was never ever a problem with that saw family’s bottom end.
Never. If it falls on its face. Live and learn.

 

[user 122190]

Well what are you waiting for?!

Money and for the saws to be available.

 

[user 122190]

You will load the saw more, no doubt. Skip will help. One note. They went to .325 because it cut faster for displacement.That‘s a fact. May only be a small amount, but still.
As you said “Want” is a strong driver. You want it do it.
There was never ever a problem with that saw family’s bottom end.
Never. If it falls on its face. Live and learn.

I ran my ms290 with 3/8 against my neighbors ms390 with .325. Beat it handily in wood about 8 inches. Of course last time I shared this, the good folks here said the 390 would have beat in larger wood. LOL! No matter what, I'm wrong, situation was wrong, wrong gas mix, wrong color, wrong time, temperature, season, wood, bark, raker, type of chain, maker of chain, or the chain was mounted backwards, etc, etc.

Of course this entire thread was "Stihl ms500i with a .404 chain?" It is even in the title and was answered in the 4th reply. Thank You! But of course there are the regulars that GOT to put in their 2c, unrelated and want to do see a cage fight to the death over the wrong subject.

 

[user 122190]

If you have the money and want, mate go ahead, buy one and enjoy it. I have no need for a fire and no access to firewood. If I did I would go out tomorrow and buy myself either a 462 or 500i and a 661.

As for going to .404, I hate having all different size chains. I wish everything ran 3/8” and I could just buy a roll of it. I would probably even run 3/8 on my 260 on a 12” bar (if they even do that?) instead of 16” & .325.

i have every chain size from 1/4” to .404 and my file rack looks like this... multiple chain sizes is a PITA!

The .404 looks cool though

I was pretty much 3/8 all the time too, until I found myself owning a ms880. First time I ran it in some really really big wood, fully burying the 41" bar, I became a fan of the .404.
Chips were being tossed of a size 2 or three times bigger then the 3/8 ever tossed. I got to much invested in the 3/8 for the ms290 and ms461, but a new saw, a big saw where the bar and chain is included, why not go with the more aggressive set up. I can still use the 500i with my 3/8 B&Cs. Why get another 3/8 set up when I already have plenty of them for my other saws?

 

[stihl86]

I ran my ms290 with 3/8 against my neighbors ms390 with .325. Beat it handily in wood about 8 inches. Of course last time I shared this, the good folks here said the 390 would have beat in larger wood. LOL! No matter what, I'm wrong, situation was wrong, wrong gas mix, wrong color, wrong time, temperature, season, wood, bark, raker, type of chain, maker of chain, or the chain was mounted backwards, etc, etc.

Of course this entire thread was "Stihl ms500i with a .404 chain?" It is even in the title and was answered in the 4th reply. Thank You! But of course there are the regulars that GOT to put in their 2c, unrelated and want to do see a cage fight to the death over the wrong subject.

Well, the MS290 - MS 390 race must have been held during correct barometric conditions that favored the smaller displacement saw.
( I personally feel the MS390 is a pig. No offense to the local swine population)
I haven't heard any complaints about the 500i. Except you cant get them.
Brand new tech for a SAW. You will post results I hope, regardless of the audience?
The saw is a beast. I want to see a MS881i.

 

[Andyshine77]

I was pretty much 3/8 all the time too, until I found myself owning a ms880. First time I ran it in some really really big wood, fully burying the 41" bar, I became a fan of the .404.
Chips were being tossed of a size 2 or three times bigger then the 3/8 ever tossed. I got to much invested in the 3/8 for the ms290 and ms461, but a new saw, a big saw where the bar and chain is included, why not go with the more aggressive set up. I can still use the 500i with my 3/8 B&Cs. Why get another 3/8 set up when I already have plenty of them for my other saws?

Big chips don't mean faster cutting, same goes for a more aggressive chain. In the pulpwood you guys cut I bet you could likely get away with cutting the depth gauges off. Your money, your saw do as you please.

Yes it sure seems like everyone in our country is an ******* these days.

 

[drf255]

.404 is for big saws.

I run .404 RM on my ported 395 and ported 3120 for production cutting and milling because I get logs dropped off and they have some sand in the bark. .404 puts a lot of load on a saw, but it has a bigger cutting tooth which stays sharp longer (especially the semi-chisel).

So you “can” run .404 on a 500i, I‘m just not sure why you’d want to.

 

[Rennsman]

You will load the saw more, no doubt.

Some doubt.

3/8 or 404 you still run the saw around the same speed in the cut, let’s say 9000rpm, you just cut slower with 404.

Outside of an overly aggressively sharpened 404 chain shock loading things over time, how highly the saw is loaded is up to my hands, regardless of the chain, I choose the load that is placed on the saw, and it would be the same with either chain.

 

[North by Northwest]

.404 is for big saws with big bearings. I have and do on my lightly ported 395, but even than I prefer 3/8. In real hard wood .404 can get grabby, but it does hold an edge longer. I also ran it on my 084 here and there.

If your cutting dirty hardwood .404 is the way to go . Agree that with today's higher rpm designed saws unless your rakers are maintained well "grabby " may be the result . I have 2 pioneers vintage mid 60' S ( 11:60 & P-20) both Oem from the factory equipped with .404 . However , they 58 c.c. & 50 c.c. also have full cageTorrington ball bearing bottom ends . I actually have sourced a .404. 28 " bar & chain combo for my Dolmar 7910 XD for next spring . Wether .404 is suitable for a 500 i is up to speculation I suppose .

 

[Andyshine77]

Some doubt.

3/8 or 404 you still run the saw around the same speed in the cut, let’s say 9000rpm, you just cut slower with 404.

Outside of an overly aggressively sharpened 404 chain shock loading things over time, how highly the saw is loaded is up to my hands, regardless of the chain, I choose the load that is placed on the saw, and it would be the same with either chain.

I think maybe the myself and others got the terminology wrong, you can load the engine easier with .404 but it's the shock from each tooth smacking the wood "do to the spacing and larger tooth size" that makes it harder on the bottom end. But if the man wants to run .404 that's his prerogative.[emoji111]

 

[North by Northwest]

I thing maybe the myself and others got the terminology wrong, you can load the engine easier with .404 but it's the shock from rack tooth smacking the wood "do to the spacing and larger tooth" that makes it harder on the bottom end. But if the man wants to run .404 that's his prerogative.[emoji111]

Duh , 3/8 loads a saw more than .325 so what's your point ? Proper tooth configuration , sharpness & pitch/angle (kerf) along with proper raker depth determines the rate of cut ! .404 due to its larger surface area produces overall larger cutting area , which helps within clearing out the cut of chips and debris & pinch prevention . I'am talking serious hardwood (hard rock maple , Ironwood , mountain ash) . As for bottom end loading , all saws routinely are subjected to this , especially those run by less than knowledgeable chain sharpeners. Personally I prefer a modest semi-chisel configuration in all chain sizing usage , however agree .404 today , is probably suited more to middle weight & larger displacement saws with beefier bottom ends lol.

 

[deye223]

Why not?

And here is the best answer

 

[Skeans]

Big chips don't mean faster cutting, same goes for a more aggressive chain. In the pulpwood you guys cut I bet you could likely get away with cutting the depth gauges off. Your money, your saw do as you please.

Yes it sure seems like everyone in our country is an ******* these days.

Pulp is a marketable product I’d put it above firewood any day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tdiguy]

I have a 32" .404 bar for my 066. It works pretty good, and i think the semi chisel's ability to stay sharp is worth some cutting performance. I had a 32' .404 bar on an Echo 800P it was more than it wanted. I wouldn't put it on anything smaller than a 90cc saw.

 

[user 122190]

I have a 32" .404 bar for my 066. It works pretty good, and i think the semi chisel's ability to stay sharp is worth some cutting performance. I had a 32' .404 bar on an Echo 800P it was more than it wanted. I wouldn't put it on anything smaller than a 90cc saw.

I wish the 880 didn't have the large bar mounts. I recently picked up a 24" 0.404 and would love to run it on the 461.

And I thought the 500i was suppose to be this new lightweight powerful saw. Is it just that it is new and has the novelty of EFI? I might have to wait and find one I can operate. Most peeps here buy new saws like I buy socks. If it isn't for decorating the shop wall space, it is for porting and bragging and reselling a year later, when there is something else being hyped that becomes a "must have".

 

[tdiguy]

I've only had a couple of saws that i knew i wasn't going to own for very long. Not that they were problematic, or anything like that. They were one's that i ran into such a good deal that i was about guaranteed to make money on them. As for the 500i, it seems to be the king of the heap of the 80cc displacement saws. A quick google search of my 066 says that with my dual port muffler cover it's supposed to be 7.8 H.P. a fair amount more than a stock 500i @ 6.7 H.P.