1/4" pitch

[flushcut]

I was wondering if anybody uses 1/4" pitch chain on their trim saws? If so how do you like it? Thanks

 

[HolmenTree]

I was wondering if anybody uses 1/4" pitch chain on their trim saws? If so how do you like it? Thanks

Works good on my MS200 and Husky 338XPT. You have to run a quarter nose tip carver bar [Bailey's] . I found some 16" Sandvik/Windsor Mini Pro bars with 1/4" and .325" sprocket noses, I call myself lucky because 1/4" bars are very hard to come by these days.
I also run .325 chisel chain on my top handles, cuts better then the 3/8 LoPro and more meat to file over the LP and 1/4". The 1/4" cuts a little faster and smoother then the 3/8" LoPro.
I like the .325 chisel or .325 semi chisel narrow kerf the best. Only two sizes of chain for all my saws.....325 and 3/8".

Willard.

 

[flushcut]

HT, Thanks for the reply I knew about the rarity issue because I have started looking. I am going to keep looking, and I will let you know if I run across a source of bars. How is the actual finnish of the cut compaired to .325 and 3/8 lopro, smother/rougher?

 

[Al Smith]

I've mentioned before that in the mid 70's Oregon made chisel in 1/4" but that would be rare to find . In my shed reside two old top handles with 1/4" but neither is chisel .

 

[SkwerI]

I haven't seen it in years around here. I bought my very first used chainsaw from one of my lawn customers in the early 80s and it had 1/4" chain on it. Everyone was going to 3/8" lo pro at that time and even then it was not easy to find chain. These days I won't use anything but Stihl 63PM on my trim saws. After the first couple touchups with the file it is amazingly fast. I routinely cut up to 15" wood or bigger with my 200T before switching to a larger saw.

 

[Al Smith]

Even when they made it 1/4" wasn't cheap . Fact is a 14" loop for my old S-25 then cost more than I pay for a 72 driver loop of standard 3/8" chisel now. That was about 30 years ago too .

 

[woodworkingboy]

I see it on some of the smaller Japanese saws, and if someone asks me to get it cheaper for them from the states, I order the carving chain from Baileys. Oregon or Woodsman pro, I don't recall.

 

[Cut4fun]

Baileys carries 1/4" chain woodland 1/4

Oregon 1/4


Cutters Choice 1/4" chain 1/4" chain link

Bars you would have to use the bar selector to see.

 

[Magnus]

I got a stump of old Carlton 1/4 chisel chain. Bars are available from Oregon, Windsor and others. Not o all saws, but I think to most that it would be of interest to..
Not sure about solid bars, as most want these to be as light as possible....

 

[Ed L]

Stihl still makes a "normal" sprocket tip bar in 1/4 pitch.

Ed

 

[flushcut]

Well now I guess I have to buy a 200t. Thanks! I contacted Cannon Bar Works to see if they make one but no dice in a sprocket nose.

 

[HolmenTree]

Part # for the MS200T 1/4" spur drum and oil pump worm gear is 1129 640 2051. If you want to try .325 chisel then order .325 drum and worm gear #1129 640 2052.[available in Canada, not sure if these are available in US]
Order a carver bar in quarter tip from Baileys or Stihl. I can't find a Stihl # for a 1/4" sprocket nose bar. I found 1/4" sprocket nose bars in old inventory Sandvik/ Windsor Mini Pro bars.

Willard.

 

[Ed L]

I've got spare rim/drum & bar, I'll get ya'll the part numbers this afternoon.

Ed

 

[flushcut]

Sweet!

 

[Ed L]

Part # for the MS200T 1/4" spur drum and oil pump worm gear is 1129 640 2051. If you want to try .325 chisel then order .325 drum and worm gear #1129 640 2052.[available in Canada, not sure if these are available in US]
Order a carver bar in quarter tip from Baileys or Stihl. I can't find a Stihl # for a 1/4" sprocket nose bar. I found 1/4" sprocket nose bars in old inventory Sandvik/ Windsor Mini Pro bars.

Willard.

For the spur drum ONLY is pt# 1114 640 2000
!4" sprocket tip bar is pt# 3005 000 6409

FWIW, you will need a chain with 72 drivers, I usually buy from Baileys. It's also a good idea to get a few 1/8 dia files, they work best in my experience, especially on a new chain. My current supply is Total brand.

I'm currently running 1/4 pitch on 3 saws.....IMO, its a pain in the ass. I prefer the low pro 3/8 chain (63pm-50), much faster & easier to sharpen. My dad is the primary user on the 1/4 saws, he likes it, I just STFU and file....

Ed

 

[Al Smith]

Oh Lawdy there's about a zillion cutters per loop as opposed to 3/8" lo .

I've got a spur out in the shed for 1/4 and I think it has ten teeth as opposed to 6 for lo pro on my old s-25 .

 

[HolmenTree]

For the spur drum ONLY is pt# 1114 640 2001
!4" sprocket tip bar is pt# 3005 000 6409

FWIW, you will need a chain with 72 drivers, I usually buy from Baileys. It's also a good idea to get a few 1/8 dia files, they work best in my experience, especially on a new chain. My current supply is Total brand.

I'm currently running 1/4 pitch on 3 saws.....IMO, its a pain in the ass. I prefer the low pro 3/8 chain (63pm-50), much faster & easier to sharpen. My dad is the primary user on the 1/4 saws, he likes it, I just STFU and file....

Ed

Don't forget to order the 1/4" oil pump worm gear also. The 3/8 LoPro spur worm gear won't match up with the 1/4" spur drum. Like I said order the complete kit #1129 640 2051.
Now seeing you don't mind to STFU try the .325 chisel chain on your MS200 and be prepared to be blown away...... # 1129 640 2052 [.325 spur drum and gear].

Willard

 

[HolmenTree]

Ed L thanks for that part# for the 1/4" -14" Stihl bar. I ordered one this morning, only 2 left in all of Canada, now only 1 left.
Here's two photos I just took of the differences in the MS200 3/8"Picco LoPro spur drum/ oil pump worm gear and the MS200 1/4" spur drum /oil pump worm gear. These come in matched sets that why I said to order the complete kits.
The 2nd photo shows 3 different types of 1/4" chain I own. Top chain is Oregon, middle is Stihl chain and the bottom is Woodland Pro [Carlton].
For 1 handed MS200 use I WOULD NOT ADVISE using the bottom Woodland Pro 1/4" chain, it has no safety links or ramps what so ever. The Oregon is the safest with its safety ramps. The Stihl chain has safety ramps on the rakers[depth gauges] but the Stihl chain has less cutter length with its "boat tail cutters" modified for turning the sharp radius on the dime tip carver bar it is on.
The carver bar has very little kickback energy due to its small nose radius compared to the much larger Sandvik Mini Pro.
On my Husqvarna 338XPT top handle I run a small spline rim sprocket setup [same as 346XP] and have rims in 1/4", .325. There is no rim setup available for the Stihl MS200. I do have a .325 spur drum and worm gear for my MS200.

Willard.

 

[Al Smith]

Old Gypo showed up a few years back with I think a rear handle 020 with .325 on it .I imagine that was something Ed Heard might have came up with .

 

[Magnus]

I tested the 020 with .325 on a couple of saws. I was not that impressed. It seemed to enjoy 3/8 hobby more...

I got a price for the solid carver bars that was of the charts! cost more than most saws are worth used here.
Too bad, I think it might have a tiny but steady group looking for it...

 

[HolmenTree]

I tested the 020 with .325 on a couple of saws. I was not that impressed. It seemed to enjoy 3/8 hobby more...

I got a price for the solid carver bars that was of the charts! cost more than most saws are worth used here.
Too bad, I think it might have a tiny but steady group looking for it...

The 020s I had were less powerful then my newer MS200s , even my 2010 muffler modded Husky 338XPT handles the .325 well. The narrow kerf .325 semi chisel even pulls a little easier.
The .325 chisel chain has to be kept sharp for the top handles to run good with it. Being an aerial saw mostly they hold their edge well. There's alot more filing life out of the .325 over the 3/8 lopro also. For all my saws I now only need 2 different rolls of chain, .325, 3/8.

Willard.

 

[flushcut]

The 020s I had were less powerful then my newer MS200s , even my 2010 muffler modded Husky 338XPT handles the .325 well. The narrow kerf .325 semi chisel even pulls a little easier.
The .325 chisel chain has to be kept sharp for the top handles to run good with it. Being an aerial saw mostly they hold their edge well. There's alot more filing life out of the .325 over the 3/8 lopro also. For all my saws I now only need 2 different rolls of chain, .325, 3/8.

Willard.

When you say filing life over 3/8 lopro, what flavor of 3/8 are you running?

 

[HolmenTree]

When you say filing life over 3/8 lopro, what flavor of 3/8 are you running?

I was referring to the little Stihl Picco 3/8 and the Oregon 91 3/8 which both I have used.
In the full size 3/8 I like both brands, which either one is available when I need a new roll.

Willard.

 

[SkwerI]

I get 3 months out of a 3/8 lo pro chain on my 200T unless I hit metal, and I use the 200T for about 95% of my cutting. I can't tell you exactly but I'm over 2 years on my current roll of 63PM chain and should have enough to last through this summer if I don't give away or sell any more loops.

 

[HolmenTree]

Well I got my top handle saws setup real nice now. Here are a few photos of my Stihl MS200 converted to 1/4" chain on a 1/4" Stihl 14" bar. My muffler modded Husqvarna 338XPT is converted to .325 chisel chain on a lightweight narrow kerf 13" bar. I can switch rim sprocket, bar & chain between my 346XP and 338XPT if I needed to.
Even though I would never put a laminated bar on my ground saws, on a small aerial saw lightness in weight is very important.

Willard.