Stihl 23 RS pro chain vs 3/8 LP full chisel timed cuts

[Pioneer]

Videos of the above mentioned chains on a Stihl MS250. Cutting green maple, around 10 inch diameter. The results surprised me.
First, the 23 RS pro.


Next, the 3/8 LP narrow kerf full chisel.


Finally, a Husqvarna 50 with a 55 top end, 3/8 full chisel on 18 inch bar for comparison.


Sorry about the auto focus, the camera had some issues with the flying sawdust.

The 3/8 LP chain on the Stihl was considerably slower, it was grabby and dropped the rpm noticeably more than the .325.
Times as best I could measure.
.325- 6.5 (dry first cut), 6.1, 5.5.
3/8 lp- 7.2, 7.6, 7.6, 7.2
3/8 Husqvarna- 5.6, 5.8, 6.0
The 2 best times brought the Stihl with the .325 and the Husqvarna within .2 seconds of each other. The 23 RS pro is smooth, cuts fast, and seems to be holding an edge well so far. All chains were of equal sharpness. The shape of the cutters on the .325 and 3/8 LP were identical as far as I could see.
So, if you have a saw set up for .325, you might want to try a full chisel narrow kerf chain like the Stihl before you decide to change to 3/8.

 

[Franny K]

Would it be correct to infer the 3/8 lp chisel is Genuine Stihl 63ps or 63ps3? and if so which one?
What sort of sprockets are on the ms250? For the .325 spur or rim? For the 3/8lp 6 tooth spur or 7 tooth stihl rim or something else?

Does the rs pro .325 have the bumper drive links I seem to recall reading somewhere it comes in multiple configurations.
Where can one purchase 25 feet of this new Stihl chain or loops in non common drive link count for Stihl products? Last I looked it is not on the Stihl website that comes up where I live.

 

[Huskitoter]

Nice job running the saw.

Looking forward to trying a loop of Pro if they ever sell it here. I imagine a good semi chisel NK like txl would be a tad faster than the lp too.

 

[Pioneer]

The 3/8 LP was not a Stihl chain, but a copy. It actually had less cutting time on it and was quite sharp. Quite a bit more grabby though, felt aggressive. Not nearly as pleasant to use as the .325 chain. The Stihl 23 RS pro .325 is like a narrower version of the regular RS. No extra bumps, warts, or anything else fancy before the tooth, just a regular depth guide. Seven tooth drive sprockets for all the setups. Had 6 and 8 tooth sprockets for the .325, but that would have muddied the waters and deserve a test all of their own. As far as average cutting goes I would stick with the 7 tooth for the .325, I could bury The bar in maple and it would drop through with little effort. If I was doing mostly limbing, I would probably go with the 8. Why the 23 RS pro is available here in Canada and not in some places in the States is a bit of a mystery, there's a much smaller market here.
I suppose a better test would be Stihl VS Stihl chain, but after seeing how well the .325 does in all sizes of wood, I see no need to change it out, especially considering how smooth cutting it is, and I have found that .325 will always cut smoother than 3/8. In fact, I see no need to use a bigger saw at all now until the wood gets larger than the bar size, that saw with the .325 bar and chain combo is starting to spoil me, enough so that my beloved XL-1's may find themselves staying on the shelf.
Well, I say that now, but there are always more combos to try out hoping to find that "golden combination" that seems to be a symptom of CAD. I've already bought a loop of Stihl 63 PS to try out on the Homelite, can't let the Stihl go unchallenged. An I KNOW that comes in bulk, I had to have one made up by a local dealer because it is in a non-standard Stihl length.

 

[toadman]

I like the Stihl 63ps3 a lot, and most of my small saws wear it now.
The 63ps chain is excellent, bu sits about a half a second slower in a bucking cut on 8" oak branch with my 201t. Faster plunge with 63ps, but not much and slightly less control able.
Same results on my 193t, about a half second slower with 63ps. but that saw is roughly a second-2 slower overall in identical wood vs. the 201t.
I don't have an ms 250 right now, but I have in the past, and they seem to have more power than my top handles from my recollection & can easily plow wood with a 325 full kerf very nicely for firewood cutting

 

[Mad Professor]

Another comparision might be using 8T rims on the 0.325 chain and and 7T on the 3/8. Then the sprocket diameters/gearing with be nearly equal. But you will be pulling another cutter/revolution on the 0.325 at same rpm.

 

[full chizel]

I love PS on my 241