Bar-Chain combination

Shiirooms

Treehouser
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Dec 24, 2020
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WI
Picked up a ms660 saw with a short 18in hard nose bar in 3/8x0.63. Want to get a 28in bar to fit my mill, in 3/8x0.63 but the online search show bars for 92DL and chains for 91 or 93DL. Must the DL on a bar match the DL on a chain. Seems logical that a 91,92 or 93 should work on a 92 bar by changing the bar adjuster length. The bars also seem to list different DL variations too. Any expert advice?
 
Use what that particular bar says on it as long as that bar is designed to fit your saw.

91DL is not common as far as I know, probably a Stihl thing :). 92-93 should fit most saws, but I have run into one case where a 92dl wasn't quite big enough for a 93dl bar. Again I wouldn't risk using a 93dl on a 92dl bar because you might get one run out of it before there's no room to tension any more. Stihls tend to have short tensioners anyway.

I have gone so far as to assemble a bar, chain and sprocket before putting the whole assembly on the bar studs & crank shaft if I had a short chain. I've also ground the back of the bar a little shorter too.
 
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Welcome! A quick search on baileys is giving me 91dl for all the bars, and it's what Stihl specs for it's 28" bar. One dl difference should be adjustable, but I'd prefer it on the low side to have extra adjustment as it stretches.
 
Depends on whether you run a 7 or 8 hole sprocket.
Might be a tight fit to get a 91 DL chain on an 8 hole sprocket.
 
This is my problem ^^^

I forgot that years ago I switched it up for a 8pin Sprocket on my 660.

A couple of times friends have spun up a chain off the reel and we have had to add an extra DL as the cold, new chain won’t fit. Then the extra DL makes it difficult to tension correctly once the chain stretches.

In fact, I am gonna switch it back over to a 7 and see if it makes life easier.
 
I went back to a 7 on my new 661 after running an 8 on the old one.
Decided that in hardwoods like Beech, the extra power is worth the loss of chain speed.
 
Unless you have a very torquey saw (064 for example) the 8 pin isn’t much advantage over a 7pin ... What you gain in chain speed you lose in torque! The 8 pin also causes more wear and is more prone to throwing the chain due to the larger diameter ... I do run an 8 pin on my hotwoods 064 with a 25” bar/chain because That saw has the torque to pull it and will outcut a 7 np ... 395xp I run a 7pin with 32”-42” bar/chain
 
@Frankie

The 660 has been worked on by a guy in the UK and has a dual port muffler. It is torquier than a standard 660 hence why I changed up the sprocket.

Just recently I have been having a lot of trouble with the chains. Never had a problem in the UK, just went to the store and asked for a 30inch chain for a Sugihara bar for the 660. Worked every time.

Here in Norway, it seems to be a problem as a couple of the places close by haven't even heard of a 660, or a 200t for that matter. They only know what a Stihl Catalogue tells them.

When ordering carb parts I have had to get them to open the technical diagrams for the part numbers or near as dammit, they will order the wrong thing.

I tried to get a new 12 bar for my 200t last year. Once I got them to realise that the 200t was actually an older model, they tried to sell me a bar and chain combo of 15 inch that looked like it was suited to fit a ms 180 or similar.

Off course, but could just be the local shop but that is why I tend to put in bulk orders from the UK these days, much cheaper and they deliver the correct stuff I need.
 
The 660 needs a lot of work to bring it around to 395xp territory , dual vs quad transfers - It has a very low BMEP stock and is quite frankly a dog in stock trim ... A dual port will wake it up about .7hp and with the full pull Hotwoods port , intake mods and carb work it should tickle around 9hp with gobs of torque ... This saw is easily pushing 10Hp with the expansion chamber on it and I’m tuned pig rich .....
 
... one of the better running 660s on utube so it can be achieved ... ported by a gent named Jasha
 
I like running skip chain, and I found the 661 does great with an 8t running 28" full skip and lower depth gauges, but Iwouldn't go bigger than 28" due to lack of low end torque, and oiling ability on the non R version. A well used 660 also tolerated running 36" full skip with an 8t too, but I'm sure would have done better in big wood with a 7t. It's not hard to get more torque out of a 660 though. I put an 8t on my stock 395 running 32" FS because I just could not load it even with the DG's filed.
 
Skip chain is usually reserved for stock power heads (or weakly ported ones) that have trouble pulling long bars with full house chain-easier on the engine ... I however , have no troubles pulling full house chain and in fact prefer it ... more to sharpen yes , if enough torque , more cutters=quicker cuts=more $ ...
 
Is a high output oiler only available(661) with a wrap handle. How can you tell what oiler you have?
 
I find a skip chain often isn't far behind a full comp, if at all. In big wood a full skip seems to dig in better while a normal chain feels like it's loading up too much with sawdust.
 
... looks like the full house is a bit quicker than the skip , I’ve found this to be the case myself. Full-skip also seems to vibrate more and is not as “smooth cutting” as full house. The only advantage of using full skip is that there are less cutters to sharpen and with stock (or weakly ported) powerheads it May allow you to pull a longer bar ... Full house FTW
 
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