My first pro saw. 550 xp

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The Muskrat Man

The Muskrat Man

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I am not a fan of the pixel laminated Norwegian bars that come standard on 550s. They are light and may serve certain light duty functions, but I'm not impressed. You could go with .058 gauge and get an Oregon Power Match bar 18" (for some reason they don't make an 18" Power Match in .050 gauge). If you want to stay with .050 gauge chains, I honestly think it's worth it to get a SugiHara bar. They really are worth the money - their reputation is on par with Cannon, and they are the best in the world.

I looked at the weedeaterman site and the pictures and descriptions were somewhat lacking. Do yours have replaceable sprocket tips? I assume no issues with fit or oiling?
 
Freakingstang

Freakingstang

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I'm running a 16" windsor 3/8 050 bar on my 550. had it over two years now. big muffler mod, fairly loud but pulls the chain awesome. I'f you'd go to 18 or 20", I'd probably stay with 325, but Im not a 325 fan. I stick with 3/8... congrats on the new saw and welcome to the forum.
 
Teddi

Teddi

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Muskrat,

The bar I'm referring to is the lightweight bar with the replaceable tip. It is VH2U-OJ45HV. Sorry, I don't have pics of my setup. No issues at all with fit or oiling, same drive link count as the standard Husky/Oregon OEM setup.
 
The Muskrat Man

The Muskrat Man

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I am interested in knowing where the air leak was when you first got the saw. TIA.

I hadn't had the saw long at all when this problem developed. The saw was getting really hot, so I took it in to the dealer and they just said not to worry about it that it is normal. It was under warranty so I just kept running and hadn't put more than a couple more hours on it when it would not start. I took it in to the dealer without really looking it over. They called me and and told me they had a new saw waiting for me. When I went in to pick it up I asked for details about the air leak but the mechanic who worked on it wasn't around and I was just glad to get a brand new saw. The new saw has not had any major issues.
 
The Muskrat Man

The Muskrat Man

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My main reason for thinking about switching to the 3/8" pitch chain was that many on the site claim they get more time between sharpenings while having fewer teeth and teeth that are easier to sharpen (see). Some also say it cuts faster or at least about the same as .325" pitch. I would be interested if I could get these benefits without it being unreasonable rough.

All other things being equal does 3/8 hold an edge longer than 325? Does anyone have experience of this?
 
CR888

CR888

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The best thing for you to do is get a loop of both 325 and 3/8 in your hand to see for yourself. lMO if you compare Stihl RM chain in both pitches, the cutters are exactly the same size in hieght and width...there is just more of them in 325. Both chains have been used from factory on 50cc saws and l can only see a benifit in running 3/8 if you have other larger saws running 3/8 and you want to interchange bars/chains. lt can be annoying having chains in multiple pitches and gauges although l have saws with narrow kerf, picco,.325,3/8 & .404 lol
 
BugaBoots

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I am curious what way you go on the bar and chain setup as I just got one of these saws and it came with an 18" nk setup with h30. I was thinking of switching to 3/8 myself for interchangeability with my 60cc saw.
 
Full Chisel

Full Chisel

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I don't see why 3/8ths would stay sharper longer. I would think it would be the opposite, since the fewer number of cutters are taking a bigger "bite" on average than .325. But .325 is a bit more tedious to sharpen. It's just a tradeoff. If I were running a bar longer than 18", it would be sporting 3/8ths for sure. I like the .325 20BPX on my 18" 350 though. Your chain options for .050/.325 are limited though, IME. I finally found a source for yellow label Stihl RM, but they wanted $25 for a loop because it had to be ordered...I'll stick with the Oregon.
 
KenJax Tree

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I don't see why 3/8ths would stay sharper longer. I would think it would be the opposite, since the fewer number of cutters are taking a bigger "bite" on average than .325. But .325 is a bit more tedious to sharpen. It's just a tradeoff. If I were running a bar longer than 18", it would be sporting 3/8ths for sure. I like the .325 20BPX on my 18" 350 though. Your chain options for .050/.325 are limited though, IME. I finally found a source for yellow label Stihl RM, but they wanted $25 for a loop because it had to be ordered...I'll stick with the Oregon.
Your dealer should have RM


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Full Chisel

Full Chisel

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Your dealer should have RM


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They have it in stock but not in .050. So they want $25 a loop because they have to put an order in for it. They had the Oregon in stock and spun me up a loop for $16 or $17. My only negative opinion of Oregon is that it is softer steel and stretches considerably. I also threw a loop of it a while back and it trashed the drivers to the point of not fitting back into the rail. That cost me an evening of filing with a triangle and round file. It does take a nice edge w/o fuss though.
 
Full Chisel

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Well availability of bar options for .050 is on par with chain after searching bailey's. The only thing I could find in .325/.050 is a 20" Oregon Power Match. Why wouldn't they make an 18"? Frustrating...
 
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