A Tale of Three Saws

[Erick]

That is why i run 3/8 on all my saws :spam: but there are other reasons, chain life, amount of cuts you can make without sharpening, cutting rotten trees or stumps, (it helps avoid the chain completely dulling before you finish your cut).

Please expound??? how many more cuts do you get with a dull .404 chain vs. a dull 3/8's chain???

How many more cuts do you get before the .404 gets dull vs. the 3/8's????

How many more rotten trees can you cut with a dull .404 vs. a dull 3/8's????

Numbers????? poysonal experience???

 

[parrisw]

I'll run .404" on those saws when they get here. On longer bars like 32" on these saws it is a waste of time but I'll do a comparo anyway
One good thing about .404" that people forget sometimes, and I'm talking semi chisel and chipper chain, is that it will outwear 3/8" by a country mile - in really tough, abrasive conditions .404" is highly underrated.

I mean come on guys, it's not all about speed you know

What the hell am I saying? If it doesn't have the word fast or speed attached nobody here would care

I agree .404 is more durable, but not useful for me. I just don't think its that much better then 3/8 to run it sometimes, its more convient to run 3/8 on everything I got, even in dirty conditions.

I had .404 on a few bars before, but I just phased it out. So I'm not just talking outa my ass here, I have real world experience with it.

 

[BarkBuster20]

Please expound??? how many more cuts do you get with a dull .404 chain vs. a dull 3/8's chain???

How many more cuts do you get before the .404 gets dull vs. the 3/8's????

How many more rotten trees can you cut with a dull .404 vs. a dull 3/8's????

Numbers????? poysonal experience???

i dont know iv never thought to grab a log counter and count all my cuts, and take into consideration how rotten one was over the other.. whats your point? Ill tell you a few facts, .404 chains dull slower than 3/8 chains they also dull much slower when cutting rotten wood and dirty wood, its the same princable as .325 to 3/8. They also last MUCH longer

any more petty little jabs eric?

 

[BarkBuster20]

I agree .404 is more durable, but not useful for me. I just don't think its that much better then 3/8 to run it sometimes, its more convient to run 3/8 on everything I got, even in dirty conditions.

I had .404 on a few bars before, but I just phased it out. So I'm not just talking outa my ass here, I have real world experience with it.

I dont disagree with anything you have written here.

 

[parrisw]

I dont disagree with anything you have written here.

Cool!

 

[MCW]

Hey running both .404" and 3/8" chain dosn't make much sense if you're trying to stick to one guage for convenience (and in many cases cost).
To the guys here though that are outright ragging on .404" have they ever actually tried it? I'm not talking full chisel here, I'm talking semi chisel and chipper. Apart from the carbide chains no current hand held saw chain will outwear .404" chipper.
Most of the full time hardwood firewood cutters that I know of who cut old dirty Redgum on river flood plains use .404" semi chisel or chipper. There is a good reason for this as these conditons are some of the hardest you'll find on chains.
I have compared .404" semi chisel and 3/8" semi chisel in some pretty crappy conditions and 3/8" is nowhere near it -although I haven't timed it.

If 3/8" was as durable as .404" harvesters would be using it...

 

[Erick]

i dont know iv never thought to grab a log counter and count all my cuts, and take into consideration how rotten one was over the other.. whats your point? Ill tell you a few facts, .404 chains dull slower than 3/8 chains they also dull much slower when cutting rotten wood and dirty wood, its the same princable as .325 to 3/8. They also last MUCH longer

any more petty little jabs eric?

If I was jabbing you'd be bleeding.

Care to quantify your statements???? If I hit a rock wit a chain it doesn't much matter weather its .404, 3/8s, or .325...... its just as dull.

yep!, you'll get more sharpenings out of .404 but it will dull just the same..... care to prove me wrong?????

 

[MostShady1]

If I was jabbing you'd be bleeding.

Care to quantify your statements???? If I hit a rock wit a chain it doesn't much matter weather its .404, 3/8s, or .325...... its just as dull.

yep!, you'll get more sharpenings out of .404 but it will dull just the same..... care to prove me wrong?????

woo-hoo, the thread lives with a new challenge!!

 

[Andyshine77]

I've yet to see any advantage to .404 chain, but then again I run Stihl chain and it seems to stay sharp longer than other brands. + it cuts much faster than .404 I honstly think this has to do with brand of chain and perception.

 

[wigglesworth]

Anybody tried an 18" .404 on an 026?

Just curious...

 

[blsnelling]

...brad of chain and perception.

Hmmmm:greenchainsaw:

 

[AUSSIE1]

Hey running both .404" and 3/8" chain dosn't make much sense if you're trying to stick to one guage for convenience (and in many cases cost).
To the guys here though that are outright ragging on .404" have they ever actually tried it? I'm not talking full chisel here, I'm talking semi chisel and chipper. Apart from the carbide chains no current hand held saw chain will outwear .404" chipper.
Most of the full time hardwood firewood cutters that I know of who cut old dirty Redgum on river flood plains use .404" semi chisel or chipper. There is a good reason for this as these conditons are some of the hardest you'll find on chains.
I have compared .404" semi chisel and 3/8" semi chisel in some pretty crappy conditions and 3/8" is nowhere near it -although I haven't timed it.

If 3/8" was as durable as .404" harvesters would be using it...

.404 for the topping saw and 3/4" for the main.

 

[Andyshine77]

Hmmmm:greenchainsaw:

Freudian slip I guess lol.

 

[MCW]

.404" WILL outwear 3/8" chain the same as 3/8" will outwear .325" which in turn outwears .3/8"LP which in turn outwears 3/8" PICCO which in turn outwears 1/4".

I see a pattern forming.

To say otherwise tells me you've never tried it - I'm not trying to be a smart arse but the vast amount of full chisel used on this site suggests that abrasive cutting conditions aren't encountered a hell of a lot by many guys here. If they were the LAST chain you'd be using is full chisel.

I'm not saying .404" is suitable for all saws or even faster on all saws (it is faster on some - just like 3/8" is faster on some saws than .325")

Hitting rocks doesn't count as that's not classed as wear. No chain likes that

 

[tdi-rick]

.404 for the topping saw and 3/4" for the main.

C'mon Al, post a piccy

 

[Andyshine77]

.404" WILL outwear 3/8" chain the same as 3/8" will outwear .325" which in turn outwears .3/8"LP which in turn outwears 3/8" PICCO which in turn outwears 1/4".

I see a pattern forming.

To say otherwise tells me you've never tried it - I'm not trying to be a smart arse but the vast amount of full chisel used on this site suggests that abrasive cutting conditions aren't encountered a hell of a lot by many guys here. If they were the LAST chain you'd be using is full chisel.

I'm not saying .404" is suitable for all saws or even faster on all saws (it is faster on some - just like 3/8" is faster on some saws than .325")

Hitting rocks doesn't count as that's not classed as wear. No chain likes that

In your situation .404 is obviously the better option, I was referring to the teeth on the chain not the chassis. I run 3/8 on my 084 with out issue. I've even done a bit of stump work cutting some very hard Hickory, and the chain stayed nice and sharp. I find Stihl chain stays sharp longer than any other chain by a long mile, it is pricey though.

The wood and dust you guys deal with looks to be a real pain in the A$$.

 

[Thorcw]

OMG the chain argument.

 

[MCW]

In your situation .404 is obviously the better option, I was referring to the teeth on the chain not the chassis. I run 3/8 on my 084 with out issue. I've even done a bit of stump work cutting some very hard Hickory, and the chain stayed nice and sharp. I find Stihl chain stays sharp longer than any other chain by a long mile, it is pricey though.

The wood and dust you guys deal with looks to be a real pain in the A$$.

I know what you mean Andy re: the chassis but the teeth themselves on .404" will wear better than 3/8". If you used them side by side on some really really abrasive, sandy, dirty hardwood I'm sure you'd agree. Hard wood alone doesn't wear chain anywhere near as fast as hardwood with impregnated sand and dust. I'm not trying to push the old "our wood is tougher than your wood" argument but seriously, 3/8" really struggles on some of the stuff I've cut. I've had the 7900 loaded with 3/8" and the 3120 loaded with .404" side by side and it is absolutely no competition when the going gets tough - I am far from the only one with this opinion. I actually left a dead old River Box tree after wrecking 3 x 3/8" chains on the 7900 just to get it on the ground. I got 2 more rounds out of it with the 3120 and .404" before that was blunt as well. Even though it was top notch firewood and the hardest wood I have ever cut (by miles) I left it there. My mate's 30 tonne splitter wouldn't even touch the rounds we took home.
I do like Stihl RSC as far as full chisel goes, in fact the more I use it the more impressed I am - Oregon LGX is also a good full chisel chain. As far as semi chisel I haven't found any of them stick with Carlton in .404" or Carlton/Windsor in 3/8". They all cut nice, they just don't wear as well. Not much in it though.

Yeah some of the best firewood that is worth the most money is also in the driest, dirtiest spots that are extremely tough on saws, bars, and chains

OMG the chain argument.

\

Hey come on mate, if it was about chain on the MAKITA you'd be in

Chain discussions are cool

 

[BarkBuster20]

MCW i think they were just arguing because, for one, i said .404 is better in certain situations than 3/8. Secondly if you run a .404 chain with 32+ inch bar the 660 will be faster, i think most on here would shoot themselves in the foot before admitting this.

 

[blsnelling]

MCW i think they were just arguing because, for one, i said .404 is better in certain situations than 3/8. Secondly if you run a .404 chain with 32+ inch bar the 660 will be faster, i think most on here would shoot themselves in the foot before admitting this.

I'd admit it in a heartbeat. I for one agree that the 660 will pull ahead under the most demanding conditions. It most definately has more grunt.