I finally had time to get this done.
There are a lot of views here about whether the .043 picco micro chain is as good for cutting as the .050 pico chain. Theoretically, one might think that the .043 would be faster, because it cuts a narrower kerf (less wood cut). Others like the .050 for its strength.
Someone suggested that I buy new Stihl chains for this test. I did better than that. I sharpened two chains that were almost new to the best I could do. While new Stihl might have some special sharpening, I'm interested in what will happen with chains I've sharpened. The sharpener I used is a clamp on the bar one from Craftsman, similar in design to the one shown on the Stihl sharpening manual cover. I also bought a Stihl gage to file the depth gages correctly.
I did the test on a 4 inch diameter white oak tree that was felled about 14 months ago, so it was nice and dry. I tried the .043 picco micro first, and it cut okay until it got about 1 and 1/2 inches deep, and then it struggled to cut. I had to roll the saw around the tree continuously to get it to cut all the way through. The .050 inch picco chain cut evenly and right through the tree.
Here is the
link to the video.
The .043 cut much slower and struggled more than the .050. The .043 took much longer than twice as long as the .050 to cut this log.
I've also had much more bad experience with the chain getting derailed with the .043 than the .050.
All and all, I don't think it is even close. The .050 picco is more durable, and cuts much faster than the .043 picco micro, on an MS170 saw as shown in the video. I got the same results on an 009 where I also tried the comparison.
Terry