1/2" Chain Questions

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Lately my house has received quite a bit of rain. It has been raining 1/2" chain and long bars. I have zero experience with 1/2" chain and I can use some advice. First off what size file do I use? Second what should the rakers be set at?

As far as saws and bars go I have a Homelite Super 1050 with a roughly 34"bar and 1/2"chain. It is a hard nose bar. The saw, bar, and chain are all in excellent shape with very little use. The saw starts easy and runs great. The other Homelite is an 1130G with a 60" bar (hard nose), 1/2' chain, and a helper handle. This saw is beautiful but is currently having the cylinder worked on. There is no question why this saw has a stinger.

I was recently given an unmarked 3002 mount 60" roller nose bar and a near new loop of Stihl 1/2" chain. It also came with a 1/2" spur sprocket for a Stihl 090, which I have, but I already have a .404, 60" 3 rivet Cannon bar and two good chains for it. Does Stihl make a 1/2" sprocket that would fit the 084 I have? The 090 runs a 48" new style Cannon in 404 that I really want to keep on it. Truth be told, the 090 vibrates too much to be enjoyable to run very long and the 084 spanks it pretty badly even with the 48" bar.

Also in the garage is a 60" Stihl Duramatic. I guess it is an older bar because it has the slot for a helper handle, and it has two sets of tensioner holes unlike my newer 41" bars.

The last of the new bars is an unmarked 66" double ended milling bar that came with a mill I bought. The owner had a loop of 3/8 050 safety chain on it with an extra loop of 404 063 milling chain (and no 404 sprocket). My friend with a Bar Shop miced the groove at 058 and the ground it to 063 for me. The mill has a stinger with a roller so I am going to run 3/8 milling chain on it.

There's more but I'll end with this, I was also given a loop of older but hardly used Stihl 1/2" (what I believe to be) chipper chain, it is 68 drive links and is 063. What length bar would that have been used on? And what years would that chain have been sold?

Thanks in advance guys. My ignorance is on full display. Bill
 
I do not believe Stihl ever made a 1/2" sprocket that would fit your 084 as that chain was not intended for that saw. That being said, there are 1/2 sprockets in 6 and 7 pin that will fit. I believe Oregon made them. I dunno a timeline but I'd guess thay stopped making them in the mid 70's to early 80's. I have a 6 and 7 pin myself for my 101b's with chisel chain. I think you would be much better off with .404 chisel or even semi chisel. 1/2 chipper is better for the older low rpm torque monsters like Homie and Mac geardrives. My 090's cut well with .404 and my 088 & 800 cut better with 3/8. As far as 1/2" chain file, for chipper, use a 1/4" file.
 
I guess I also need to ask about sprockets for the two Homelites. Are there rim and drum sprockets for the 1130G and the S1050 so I can switch to 404?? Or at least can I buy spur sprockets for those two? How about converting the XL925 to 3/8?
 
Ran across this old thread tonight and thought I would say I go the other direction. I run 3/8 on a 3100G
You must have half the raker height? How do you get a 3100 to clear the chips? My 100cc + Mac's and Homie geardrives want big teeth to clear the chips on 60" & 72" bars buried in Doug Fir and Sequioa. .404 gets gets clogged and balls up like roller bearings between the saw and the wood.
 
She will scoot right along running 3/8 on the bars I run. I can beat my 090G running 1/2 chisel. That is with the 3100 running the lower gear ratio. I have not tried it on one of the 3100's running the higher ratio. I run 3/8 on my Homelite 770GS stickshift also
 
My ported 090g and a non ported 090g I had both like 404. But my large Mac & Homie geardrives do not. Another member said he thought it had to do with the stoke differences in relation to the overstate bores. I now think he was on to something. Maybe the piston ported vs Reed ported enters into this equation as well. Remember Bill, I'm using a bit longer bar lengths in a wee bit bigger wood than you likely are. 48 to 80+ inch wood for me, how's about you?
 
1/2" chains use 1/4" round files to sharpen, and they're tough to find without a taper.
My 1130G has a Oregon .404" 8 pin rim drive on it and I'm running a 48" bar.
My rakers are down .060", and at that I can't really drop the rpm when leaning on it with a full bar cut.
My XP1100 still wears a 48" hardnose wide bar with 1/2" chain. I don't run it much to save what chain life remains.
I usually bring them to the PNW GTG at Bob's place in June to make chipes and lots of blue smoke.
 
I thought this thread had died during Covid but you guys did CPR and saved it. Thank you!

A friend of mine has at least one NOS roll of 1/2' chain if anyone needs any. I believe he will only sell the complete 25'.
 
1/2" chains use 1/4" round files to sharpen, and they're tough to find without a taper.
My 1130G has a Oregon .404" 8 pin rim drive on it and I'm running a 48" bar.
My rakers are down .060", and at that I can't really drop the rpm when leaning on it with a full bar cut.
My XP1100 still wears a 48" hardnose wide bar with 1/2" chain. I don't run it much to save what chain life remains.
I usually bring them to the PNW GTG at Bob's place in June to make chipes and lots of blue smoke.
Hello John, hope you are having a great day.
Do you happen to know where a feller can find a .404 setup to put on a Super 1130G?
 
I thought this thread had died during Covid but you guys did CPR and saved it. Thank you!

A friend of mine has at least one NOS roll of 1/2' chain if anyone needs any. I believe he will only sell the complete 25'.
I would be interested in finding out about that chain. Need to know the brand, gauge and type. Also if it comes with Tie straps and presets. Not all 1/2 chain use the same, Mark was kind enough to help me out with some McCulloch presets a while back so I could fix up a chain.

Of course the price would be a point to discuss also.

Find out and PM me.
 
I would be interested in finding out about that chain. Need to know the brand, gauge and type. Also if it comes with Tie straps and presets. Not all 1/2 chain use the same, Mark was kind enough to help me out with some McCulloch presets a while back so I could fix up a chain.

Of course the price would be a point to discuss also.

Find out and PM me.
I have presets for virtually every size and style if chain Oregon ever made. A lot of time over the years digging to find them fr.many sources
 
I will see my friend tomorrow and get the specifics. An AS member has already asked the price so he has dibs however if he declines I will post the price here. I do know it is very expensive.
 
Oregon made a rim drive for the saw 30+ years ago and they used a weird 6 spline rim.
I'd suggest asking the folks over at House of Homelite and see if you can find what you are wanting.

Which saw are you referring to?

The 1130G. If I could find one for my XP1100, I'd be running a .404" bar and chain on it.

John,
The Oregon adapter I believe you are referring to was way more than 30 years ago:) It is amazing how time flies by. They were in the late 1960s to very early 1970's. They were not a 6 spline drive though, well at least not the ones I have had. The were a standard 7 spline. As far as I remember the oddball 6 spline showed up on only on the rim drive drums for the 2100 and 1050. For whatever reason Homelite thought that was a good idea. The majority were all .404-8. I may have a few 6 spline 1/2" rims though.

In any event regarding the gear drives yes Oregon had rim drive adapters for the Homelites. They also made them for McCulloch , and even made them for the old square shaft Poulan saws. I will tell you it was an oddity. If I can remember and get a chance I will post some pictures. If all you are wanting to do is run .404 on your XP1100 then you could rob a bank and buy a .404 gear from Byrce. He had a ton of them. It looks like he sold a lot at $48 and now has two left. The current asking price is $548 but of course I am sure he will work with you. He is a great guy and I sure will not fault him from trying they way some of these crazy prices have been going.
 

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