Baileys 20NK chain - first impression

Favorable.

On my all stock Husky 350 w/16" bar. I cleaned up some dead/dry Walnut for the first trial run because I knew it was clean.

The saw came with H30 (.325/.050) which I thought was smooth and reasonably fast when sharp. This is my first loop of 20NK and I believe it takes a little more power in the cut and 'bites' with a little more authority while giving a sensation of slight vibration - not enough to be tiresome, just a different 'feel'. The 16" bar is a good choice for this saw when using this chain. I believe power limitations of this 52cc saw would arise with a longer bar in tough wood.

Overall, I like it compared to the H30 but I realize it can't compare to your full blown .375" race chain!

There!
:greenchainsaw:

.325NK is the right stuff on a Husky 350 - 95VP/H30 is low-vibe chain, and the 20NK is not - so the different feeling is not a surprice.

I have never used the 20NK, so I can't comment further on it.......

I use it on my Shindaiwa 488,works really good, and buying it from Bailey's, the price is right too!

I run the 20NK on my 346XP NE. It works good for me. Now that Blount (Oregon chain) has bought out Carlton (most Woodsman Pro chain) I wonder how that will affect us consumers? Think they will lower the price?

20NK definitely takes more of a bite than 95vp. But it pulls bigger chips off the roll than the Oregon stuff, and holds an edge for a surprisingly long time. I run both on my 238se/13" setup for trimming and for smaller firewood, and continue to be impressed with both chains for edge holding and for cutting speed when run on a 14.5k-15k RPM saw.

I use 20 nk 18'' bars and chains on my 55ranchers ,and 540 makitas, cuts much faster than stock .325 chain,stays sharper than stock .325 but my saws are moded...........

Yup 20NK is much better chain than 95vp, it cuts better and stays sharp longer.

I put a 20NK chain on the 029 I had. I liked the chain. I wasn't crazy about the Arbor Pro NK bar though. It was very flimsy IMO. If I held one end of the bar and shook it back and forth it looked like a diving board someone just jumped off of. The chain worked pretty well though.

NYH1 said:

I put a 20NK chain on the 029 I had. I liked the chain. I wasn't crazy about the Arbor Pro NK bar though. It was very flimsy IMO. If I held one end of the bar and shook it back and forth it looked like a diving board someone just jumped off of. The chain worked pretty well though.

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Baileys says using nk chain on non nk bars defeats the nk purpose.....

retired redneck said:

Baileys says using nk chain on non nk bars defeats the nk purpose.....

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Not exactly defeats the purpose...problem is, the nk chain doesn't cut a wide enough kerf for a standard bar, which can make problems.

EdgeAndEngine said:

Not exactly defeats the purpose...problem is, the nk chain doesn't cut a wide enough kerf for a standard bar, which can make problems.

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I put 12''nk bars and chains on my little 280e limb saws, and gained alot of rpm they cut twice as fast as original 14'' echo bars,i am a firm believer in nk bars and chains on 50cc and under saws.....

I'm sorry, I should have been a little clearer in my post. When I bought my 029 I wanted a 20" b&c. The chain was an RM2 .325 pitch, I looked at one of my old posts. In Hindsight, the 20" b&c wasn't what I should have gone with. It was to much for the saw to pull in the hardwood I was cutting. 16" or 18" tops is what I should have gotten.

I bought an 18" Arbor Pro NK bar and the matching 18" NK20 chain to go along with it. It cut A LOT better with the NK set up then it did with the set up I bought it with. The NK20 chain worked really good. I wasn't impressed at all with the bar though. Just to flimsy.

lol

SawTroll said:

.325NK is the right stuff on a Husky 350 - 95VP/H30 is low-vibe chain, and the 20NK is not - so the different feeling is not a surprice.

I have never used the 20NK, so I can't comment further on it.......

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LOL....you really need to get out and cut somethin' with your saws....lolololol:greenchainsaw:

Who else makes the nk bar besides arbor pro, and are they any better I wonder?

stihl 440 said:

LOL....you really need to get out and cut somethin' with your saws....lolololol:greenchainsaw:

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The 20NK (or carlton in general) chain just isn't available here....:censored:

weenieroaster said:

Who else makes the nk bar besides arbor pro, and are they any better I wonder?

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Oregon do, and Husky do - and there may be others.

I never used the Oregon made ones, only the Norwegian made Husky ones, and they are perfectly OK for normal use - but someone surely will use them as a pry bar, and condemn them as flimsy when they bend.........

lol

SawTroll said:

The 20NK (or carlton in general) chain just isn't available here....:censored:

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LOL....I was just jokin' anyway...........lololololol:greenchainsaw:

weenieroaster said:

Who else makes the nk bar besides arbor pro, and are they any better I wonder?

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My 346XP NE came with an Oregon narrow kerf bar. I am not a big Oregon fan but so far it has been holding up.

weenieroaster said:

Who else makes the nk bar besides arbor pro, and are they any better I wonder?

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I guess the question would be, for what saw? I have the Oregon Micro Lite Pro (NK) on my Stihl 025 and love it. It seems to be a lot sturdier of a bar than the NK bars I have seen from Husky. I know that the Husky bars are rebadged Oregon, but I think they are only the regular Micro Lite's. Maybe someone else may know for sure.

NYH1 said:

I put a 20NK chain on the 029 I had. I liked the chain. I wasn't crazy about the Arbor Pro NK bar though. It was very flimsy IMO. If I held one end of the bar and shook it back and forth it looked like a diving board someone just jumped off of. The chain worked pretty well though.

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I found the chain to OK but the AP bars were terrible. The nose sprocket lasts no time at all. I cut in sandy conditions and the nose would be shot anywhere from 4 hours to 2 weeks. I don't think any bar lasted a month. I switched to Stihl and later to Stihl Duromatic and also back to Stihl chain.