290 chain. .325 or 3/8? sorry........

[biggenius29]

I am sure this has been beaten to death, but I honestly life has me so buizy I only have about 1/2 hour max to go through this site and craigslist right now so I do not have time to use the search function.

I am doing a bunch of chain sharpening for people right now, and a guy I do the most work for has a MS290 with .325 chain. He cuts alot of wood, he has a dairy farm and heats his water with a huge OWB and is going through at least 100 cords a year. So I am sharpening chains like crazy for him. And he is going to the local dealer and buying a new chain every few weeks.

Anyways, I am going to get a 100' roll of chain in 3/8 pitch for my saws and mentioned to him that I will make him chains for 1/2 the price of a dealer. But to put close to $250 down for a roll of .325 chain is alot for me to do for something that I dont use. I am wondering if a 290 will pull a 3/8 chain. That way I can use the chain for my own saws and sell him loops when he needs them.

BTW, it is a 20" bar. And yes, I am trying to talk him into a 361 for his next saw.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

Don't know about the 290, but my 310 pulls 3/8 chain just fine...

 

[2000ssm6]

3/8" will work just fine, and since your saws run 3/8, that's a plus. Tell the guy with the .325 to switch over to 3/8.

 

[Evanrude]

With a 20" bar, I would go .325. My friend has a 290 18" with .325. It works great on that saw. I wish they had a rim set up on them, I could throw my 20" 3/8 on it to see how it pulls.

 

[kruege84]

A couple extra holes in his muffler and 3/8 shouldn't be a problem. I run 20" 3/8 full comp on my muffler modded 310. It feels like it would pull 24" if I needed it to, so I think the 290 should be ok.

 

[Messenger]

MS290 -- .325 vs. 3/8"

STIHL factory offers BOTH sizes on the MS290's.
They can be ordered either way.
95% of the MS290's we sell go out the door with 3/8" B&C. Repeat 3/8".

Both sizes are offered and approved with 16/18/20" bars.

Your choice on all!
The factory authorizes/approves an MS290 with a 20" Bar & 3/8" chain.
No problemo.

Regards.

 

[windthrown]

I ran the 290 I had with 3/8" B&C all the time. 20" bar was no problem.

I hate running .325 on anything. Fat kerf, the bars tend to pinch in the cuts.

 

[mountainlake]

On a stock 290 3/8 will cut just fine untill you start cutting hardwood over 6" . Steve

 

[Rookie1]

My dealer sells more 325 than 3/8 in this area. He attributes it to the 029/290's that get sold with 325 from the factory.

 

[2000ssm6]

On a stock 290 3/8 will cut just fine untill you start cutting hardwood over 6" . Steve

You recommend a 880 in anything over 6"?

 

[mountainlake]

You recommend a 880 in anything over 6"?

The more chain speed the faster it's going to cut, right. May as well put a 9 tooth 3/8 on the mighty 290. It'd have all sorts of chain speed then. Steve

 

[jetswim]

I recently bought a used 290 from my local dealer with an 18" bar and it came with .325.
I've only been bucking this 100 year old Ash with it so far and it works great. Some pieces were well over 8". I did have to clean out the sprocket and bar many times from it binding with wood chips but that might be because I'm a newbie

 

[windthrown]

You recommend a 880 in anything over 6"?

That seems to be the consensus for many here on AS.

Buy an 880 for everything. The one saw plan!

 

[windthrown]

The more chain speed the faster it's going to cut, right. May as well put a 9 tooth 3/8 on the mighty 290. It'd have all sorts of chain speed then. Steve

More chain speed means less torque, and the thing will bog down more. BTDT. Stick an 18-20 inch 3/8 B&C on the 290 and a 7 pin rim and you are set. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[2000ssm6]

More chain speed means less torque, and the thing will bog down more. BTDT. Stick an 18-20 inch 3/8 B&C on the 290 and a 7 pin rim and you are set. :biggrinbounce2:

You are wasting your time talking to a echo man, they don't anything about horsepower or torque.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[mountainlake]

Looks like you chain speed guys are out voted, a stock 290 doesn't have the power to pull a 7 pin 3/8 in anything but small wood. Seems to me just the other day there was a ported 5100s that did better with a 7 pin .325 than a 8 pin 325 in real wood but I'm sure the mighty 290 stock could do better. Steve

 

[2000ssm6]

Looks like you chain speed guys are out voted, a stock 290 doesn't have the power to pull a 7 pin 3/8 in anything but small wood. Seems to me just the other day there was a ported 5100s that did better with a 7 pin .325 than a 8 pin 325 in real wood but I'm sure the mighty 290 stock could do better. Steve

Ya big dummy, do you know how many 290s are out there with 3/8 20" b&c's? My area has a bunch! They get the job done. Anything over 20" and yes you will want a bigger saw.

 

[ehgauss]

I have one 290 with an 18" .325" chain, and another 290 with a 20" 3/8" chain, cutting entirely hardwood - maple, oak, ash, etc. The reason they're different is that I bought each used, and that's how they came. I'm not sure that I can tell the difference between them in the cutting I do - mostly less than 16" diameter..

 

[mountainlake]

Ya big dummy, do you know how many 290s are out there with 3/8 20" b&c's? My area has a bunch! They get the job done. Anything over 20" and yes you will want a bigger saw.

Yes I,ve ran a few with 3/8 and they are dogs. Steve

 

[2000ssm6]

Yes I,ve ran a few with 3/8 and they are dogs. Steve

Ya sure you were not holding one of your echos?