sunfish
Fish Head
NK is OK, I used to run it on my old 346xp. Thing is, the 346 and 550 have more than enough power to run more aggressive chain.
Lightest 18" 3/8 Bar for 346xp
- Thread starter sunfish
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NK is OK, I used to run it on my old 346xp. Thing is, the 346 and 550 have more than enough power to run more aggressive chain.
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
:msp_ohmy::msp_ohmy::msp_ohmy: :msp_w00t:
Trx250r180
Saw polisher
just put a 28 inch bar on if you going to use a light one ,same weight as a 20 inch
stihlonlynow
ArboristSite Operative
Wow. Thanks for sharing that Brad. Yeah it could have been a lot worse. I smashed my favorite saw.. a mint 460 arctic last winter when a big old bitternut hickory leaned back on me and being cold and really hard brittle wood....it snapped the hinge and slid back off the back of the stump and I couldn't get the saw out. It broke the oil tank, recoil housing oil cap and gas tank. Bent the front handle. It didn't bend the 25" Stihl bar...and after I pulled the air shield out of the recoil housing it ran fine.....I wasn't hurt until one of my cutting buddies....an old farmer who had the lean right...looks at my saw and says well there goes 800 bucks.
A subtle reminder is good...I guess....
You might want to read a bit
There's an old fellow that used to be on here by the name of Art Martin. He had many unusual opinions concerning chain. Don't sell your .325 short. It cuts a narrower kerf. Sharpened properly it can perform. For myself, all my saws are ported except the 271. None of them have any difficulty pulling full comp 3/8. I choose to stick to one size to simplify chain sharpening. If speed is the ultimate goal, then chain speed and sharpness is premium. To be able to out cut %85 of those in a given class saw can be done with a reasonable amount of time and money put into your equipment. To beat that last%15 it demands a much higher level of commitment of time and money. Listening to the herd will get you the results of the herd. Experiment or go talk to the ones on here that win in competition and see what makes them different. Most will tell you what will get you in the ballpark. But I dont think for one minute that Terry or Randy are going to set me up to beat themselves. There are a lot of levels to go with this. For now, I'm satisfied with being in the upper half. I see the dedication and time some are putting in to be better than that.
Good luck.
There's an old fellow that used to be on here by the name of Art Martin. He had many unusual opinions concerning chain. Don't sell your .325 short. It cuts a narrower kerf. Sharpened properly it can perform. For myself, all my saws are ported except the 271. None of them have any difficulty pulling full comp 3/8. I choose to stick to one size to simplify chain sharpening. If speed is the ultimate goal, then chain speed and sharpness is premium. To be able to out cut %85 of those in a given class saw can be done with a reasonable amount of time and money put into your equipment. To beat that last%15 it demands a much higher level of commitment of time and money. Listening to the herd will get you the results of the herd. Experiment or go talk to the ones on here that win in competition and see what makes them different. Most will tell you what will get you in the ballpark. But I dont think for one minute that Terry or Randy are going to set me up to beat themselves. There are a lot of levels to go with this. For now, I'm satisfied with being in the upper half. I see the dedication and time some are putting in to be better than that.
Good luck.
sunfish
Fish Head
bcaarms, oh I'm not selling .325 short and will keep using it. I can make it cut faster than the average guy can. :msp_smile:
Just looking for the lightest 3/8 small mount at the moment.
Just looking for the lightest 3/8 small mount at the moment.
The lightest small mount can be a 16" Oregon power Match when compared to 18 and 20" unobtanium ultralight. Im not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I have noticed Randy and Terry dont use long bars on 50 cc saws. So I went against my own desires and put a 16" 3/8 on my ported 346 and its a pleasure to work with. If I need something in a 20 I go for a bigger saw. If I have a 20 on my 50s, and probably have to put something longer on the 60, then be running longer yet on 70. For the wood I run into in Alabama, unless Im cutting a stump, 32 is all I need. The 385 has a 32 right now. That bar is going to go on the 2288. The 385 will probably get a 24. The 371 stay at 20. the 2260 probably 18. And the 395 XP I get next will carry a 36. All of these are 2 to 4 inches shorter than I would have picked if I didnt watch guys like Randy, Terry, Moody and Brad. When the bar is 2 inches shorter it doesnt have to be super light. Standard weight shorter bar helps balance the saw.
Just my observations.
sunfish
Fish Head
bcaarms, good insight, you are paying attention! 
I also prefer 16" bars on 50cc saws, but I made the mistake of putting a 18" pro-lite .325 bar on my newer 346 and Really like it! I do a lot of cutting in a tangled mess of oak tops and grape vines in the woods and the reach of a longer lighter bar is nice.
For 9 years I did everything with the old 346 w/16" .325. Wood up to 30" or so. :msp_w00t:
I also prefer 16" bars on 50cc saws, but I made the mistake of putting a 18" pro-lite .325 bar on my newer 346 and Really like it! I do a lot of cutting in a tangled mess of oak tops and grape vines in the woods and the reach of a longer lighter bar is nice.
For 9 years I did everything with the old 346 w/16" .325. Wood up to 30" or so. :msp_w00t:
SawTroll
Information Collector
Nk isn't as ill-suited for the 45cc ones as it is for the 50cc NE ones.
sunfish
Fish Head
It actually worked fine. But the saw is ported and is faster with regular .325.
I noticed that, too. I didn't ask but kind of figured that it was because they can get more speed out of the shorter bar, and since they're...well...speed freaks it makes sense.
My one and only saw (to date) has an 18" bar. I borrowed my neighbor's 20" 026 the other day to buck up my firewood pile, and the extra reach was really nice. A lot of time what I need to cut is a bit of a reach on a pile of logs, or if I'm thinning in the brush.
So a lightweight 18 and 20 on a hot new 50cc would be nice for my needs.
komatsuvarna
Arboristsite MVP
You get you a bar yet Don?
Interested to hear your opinion on the 3/8 on a 346xp.
Interested to hear your opinion on the 3/8 on a 346xp.
sunfish
Fish Head
You get you a bar yet Don?
Interested to hear your opinion on the 3/8 on a 346xp.
Not yet Durand. Been using what I have for now.
Probably will just pick up a Pro-Lite soon.
RVALUE
Addicted to ArboristSite
Why did you have to call me out?
sunfish
Fish Head
Want to race? :msp_mellow:
komatsuvarna
Arboristsite MVP
Understand that!
I was using muh 346 earlier bucking up some pine logs for campfire wood with a 20'' 3/8s bar. Figured what the hell, I'll make a video since the 346 is just a limbing saw ya know
.I ported this saw awhile back. Combustion chamber cut, muffler mod, stock intake track, carb, and rev limited coil, and mild numbers....tuned to just about 13,800ish. Does pretty good considering I pulled this chain off my 372...it's a little aggressive for this 50cc. I find myself using this combo more and more. My back doesn't let me run the big saws as much as I'd like too. Damn 20 pound saws wears me out quickly
.[video=youtube;ywdzxUd57zQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ywdzxUd57zQ[/video]
gsrsol84mm
ArboristSite Operative
18" Pro Lite bar with 3/8" Stihl RSF .50 Chain 68 Links 2 lbs 15oz
20" Pro Lite bar with 3/8" Stihl RSF .50 Chain 72 Links 3 lbs 2.6oz
20" Pro Lite bar with 3/8" Stihl RSF .50 Chain 72 Links 3 lbs 2.6oz
RVALUE
Addicted to ArboristSite
Understand that!
I was using muh 346 earlier bucking up some pine logs for campfire wood with a 20'' 3/8s bar. Figured what the hell, I'll make a video since the 346 is just a limbing saw ya know
I ported this saw awhile back. Combustion chamber cut, muffler mod, stock intake track, carb, and rev limited coil, and mild numbers....tuned to just about 13,800ish. Does pretty good considering I pulled this chain off my 372...it's a little aggressive for this 50cc. I find myself using this combo more and more. My back doesn't let me run the big saws as much as I'd like too. Damn 20 pound saws wears me out quickly
[video=youtube;ywdzxUd57zQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ywdzxUd57zQ[/video]
No wonder he has the better wife.......
But my saw's excuse is that it had a tank of stihl gas put in it.
