.325 and .375

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Canyon Angler

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OK, I'm a newbie and I'm confused. Dumb question but here it is:

I have a MS-310 with 3/8" chain on 20" bar, .050" and 72 drive links.

OK, last I checked, 3/8 = .375

But then I see talk about 3/8" chains with .325" something or other.

.325 does not equal 3/8

Can someone explain what's up with all this for me?

Sorry for the dumb question and thanks for any replies.

Jeff
 
3/8 is 3/8, .325 is .325. There is no 3/8 version of .325.

.325 is usually reserved for the smaller displacement saws. Narrower kerf compared to 3/8. Although I use .325 on my 361, but thats only because I had a .325 bar for it already.
 
I think the 3/8" is a better chain if you have the ponies to pull it. A 310 is kinda borderline, either one would work, but you need a .325 bar and sprocket for it. As long as you are happy with the way it performs, just stay with the 3/8" chain. If you buy Stihl you'll be buying 33 series chain or Oregon 72 series. Good luck,
J.D.
 
Dumb Question

I was wondering...Some manufactures will say (or give you the option) to use .325 or 3/8 chain on the same saw? Is this possible, if you have a common size bar that is .050? Oregons website gives you the .325 or 3/8 option (for my Deere CS62). I would think the drive link spacing would be different, thus it wouldn't match up with the drive sprocket? I am using the .325 chain supplied and aftermarket .325 loops, but if possible, I'd like to use a little more agressive 3/8 chain as I know the saw will power it.


Can anyone shead a little light on this for me?
 
UrbanLogger said:
I was wondering...Some manufactures will say (or give you the option) to use .325 or 3/8 chain on the same saw? Is this possible, if you have a common size bar that is .050? Oregons website gives you the .325 or 3/8 option (for my Deere CS62). I would think the drive link spacing would be different, thus it wouldn't match up with the drive sprocket? I am using the .325 chain supplied and aftermarket .325 loops, but if possible, I'd like to use a little more agressive 3/8 chain as I know the saw will power it.


Can anyone shead a little light on this for me?

If you wish to switch to 3/8 from .325, youll need at the minimum a 3/8 spur or rim, depending on your drum set up. As for the bar, if its a replaceable sprocket, all you need is a 3/8 tip. Otherwise, woull need a bar with a 3/8 sprocket tip.

Stihl has RS chain in .325, RS being round ground full chisel. So you can get a more agressive cutter, and keep your pitch.
 
There are a couple of distributors (I'm not going to name names) that label their 3/8 chains .375.
Not to be confused with the low-pro .325.
I was mixed up about this too.
The .325 is definately thinner, for smaller saws.
 
Yeah if you want to switch from .325 to 3/8, if you have a sprocketnose, you'll need a new bar or sprocket tip, if you have a hardnose bar, it only cares about gauge not pitch. But at minimum you need to change sprockets. I really like the .325 on small adn smaller midsized saws. i would say that around 60ccs a saw does real well with 3/8" maybe a tad smaller. Generally its 35ccs and less is lo pro, 35-55ccs is .325 and 55ccs-100 is 3/8" and over 100ccs could be 3/8" or .404.
 
Well, my MS-310 supposedly has 4 bhp and with a 20" bar and 3/8" "green" chain she seems to pull through 18" white oak and red oak just fine...then again, maybe those muffler mods hot-rodded her! :laugh:
 
Personally I'd switch to the 3/8" yellow chain. I'm running the 3/8" sqaure chisel on my 390, which is the big brother of the 310 and it cuts pretty good. Mine's still stock...but I need to do that muffler mod sometime.
 

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