Two saws, unifying on bar length?

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dmitrym

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Hey folks,

I've got a lithium dewalt with a 16" bar and I recently refurbished an old Poulan 4218 with an 18" bar. I use these saws mainly when I go camping or hunting.

Ideally, I'd like to use the same bar length so I can swap chains across if I need to.

My plan was to get another 18" Oregon bar to install it on the Dewalt and call it a day. That should be the same type of chain as the Poulan.

Is this doable or am I missing something?
 
Do they use the same chain? Battery saws tend to use small narrow chain while the Poulan probably does not. Also the bars will need to be the same mounting pattern, and that's unlikely as well.

The bar length, pitch, gauge and drive link count are usually stamped on the bar near the powerhead.

Chains are cheap. Buy a couple for each saw.
 
Do they use the same chain? Battery saws tend to use small narrow chain while the Poulan probably does not. Also the bars will need to be the same mounting pattern, and that's unlikely as well.

The bar length, pitch, gauge and drive link count are usually stamped on the bar near the powerhead.

Chains are cheap. Buy a couple for each saw.

They don't use the same chain. You're right in that the DeWalt uses a narrower chain. But I test fitted Poulan's bar and chain and they seem to work just fine.. haven't tried cutting though.
DeWalt claims that the lithium saws produce more power (ie they are claiming that 60V makes 20% more power than a 50cc). So is there any reason not to use a more aggressive chain?

Appreciate your advice. Just trying to learn.
 
The Poulan uses 3/8LP chain, probably .050. The DeWalt uses 3/8LP chain in .043. That's "narrow kerf" chain which has a narrower tooth. The narrower chain will cut faster, everything else being equal, because it's removing less material. Battery saws tend to use narrow chains because of their limited power.

But if the Poulan bar fits and the sprocket is the same distance from the bar then it ought to work.

I'm deeply skeptical of that claim by DeWalt.
 
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