Chain for 020T?

[Dave Shepard]

I've finally gotten around to getting my 020T running. It's been sitting neglected under the bench since my motorcycle crackup a few years ago. I cleaned it up and it doesn't look like an extra from the movie Attack of the Killer Grease Blob anymore, but it won't run. I'm guessing it needs a carb kit. (Please don't say I gotta buy a new carb.) Anyhow, I'm going to get a new chain for it. I noticed it's got the classic three-humped ties strap and chipper teeth. What's everyone running on their 020T, MS200T's? Thanks.


Dave

 

[MasterBlaster]

I use the non-safety Stihl chain my saw guy sells me.

 

[Al Smith]

I'm pretty sure all you can get for that thing is 3/8 lo pro in semi chisel .That is unless there is a way to change the drive and hang a 1/4" carving chain on it which I believe is chisel .

 

[Dave Shepard]

Thanks, I'll look it up in the Stihl catalog. I've been very pleased with the bigger Stihl chians. They seem to last well, as long as you don't try cutting any rocks.


Dave

 

[SkwerI]

Stihl 63PM chain (without the crappy triple hump safety straps that make it cut like a Home Depot Poulan or something). The 1/4" chain Al suggested is a horrible suggestion. It's not readily available, nor is it strong enough for the power of the 200T. 1/4" chain hasn't been available except for special order for about 20 years now.

On the carb, some people have good luck rebuilding them. I'm not one of those people. I've probably installed 30 carb kits in my life and gotten satisfactory results about 4-5 times. On the 200T particularly, it seems to develop an air leak around the butterfly shaft or something to where it runs lean and you can't richen it up enough to run right.

Carbs are about $75 and it takes 5 minutes to swap it out and dial it in. The alternative is buying the kit, spending an hour disassembling the carb and trying to get everything back together perfect, only to have about an 80% chance that it will still run like crap. A dealer will charge a half hour to an hour labor plus the kit, which puts your cost higher than just buying a carb. Therefore I am inclined to just buy the carb and save the old one for a future project. Maybe one day somebody will come into my shop that is better rebuilding carbs than I am.

 

[Dave Shepard]

The book shows a PM1, which is what I believe is on the saw now, and a PM (Picco Micro), which doesn't have the humped tie-straps. It looks like a standard chisel type tooth. I'll have to confirm that the 020T uses the same chains as the MS200T. I've never bought chain for it, in fact, I think I only ever sharpened the saw once. I guess you could say it's a low hours saw.


Dave

 

[Al Smith]

For some reason the Zama's on the 200 T's are the ones that cause people to have fits .The 20's seem to be OK . I have good luck on carbs for some reason with the exception of a couple of Tilley HL's but I'm a persistant cuss and get-em in the end .

 

[SkwerI]

Yes, the 020T and the 200T are the same. I have no idea why so many people have such a hard time comprehending that. Stihl changed the way they labeled their saws, they didn't redesign every single saw in their lineup. A year or two later they changed the gas caps, but the saw is still the same saw.

pm1 = picco micro safety chain
pm = picco micro regular chain

 

[Dave Shepard]

I wasn't sure if they had run a different style chain on the 020, the stuff I have is definitely chipper, which they don't show in the book, but that doesn't mean too much. Did they change anything other than the carb and caps when it became the MS200? I know there are some subtle differences, but not sure about the actual workin's underneath.


Dave

 

[Al Smith]

1/4" is ok ,what you talken about . That 020 doesn't have any more grunt than my old S-25 Poulan and it originally had 1/4 " .Fact is at one time Oregon make 1/4" chisel in skip which would run circles around the stuff in full comp .

No seriously it was just an option but not a good one for a saw that would be used as a trimmer . I might however opt to use carving chain on a 200 T I'm going to soup up this winter for a tiny cookie cutter .

 

[SkwerI]

Al, pull out a supply catalog and see how easily you can find 1/4" chain for the 200, including the sprocket and bar. When you can call 10 suppliers and at least 9 of them have it, then fine. But I don't believe you'll find it readily available for PRACTICAL use. Just specialty use (chainsaw carving suppliers). This isn't 1984 any more. Nobody uses 1/4" for production work.

 

[Al Smith]

Oh I know that .Baileys sells it for either 22 cents a link in Woodsman pro or 30 cents a link for Oregon . I wasn't talking 1984 more like 1976 .

I don't know when they all switched to 3/8 lo-pro but it's been quite a while ago .

 

[Dave Shepard]

I see Stihl offers a 1/4" chain and carving bar for the 192, 200 and a couple of others. Didn't see any RSLK for the 020 though.


Dave

 

[Al Smith]

Oh I wouldn't go to all the trouble for a working saw . I don't know if that spur sprocket would fit a 20 T or not . Then you never know,Gypo had a rear handled 020 that he some how got to operate on .325 so nothing is impossible .

 

[Ed L]

I see Stihl offers a 1/4" chain and carving bar for the 192, 200 and a couple of others. Didn't see any RSLK for the 020 though.


Dave

Bought my dad a ms200 last year, all set up with 1/4 pitch and a normal Stihl sprocket tip bar. The chains are the same for 020 also, 72 drivers. Only downfall is sharpening that 1/4 pitch chain, I'll go crosseyed before I finish one....

I can get the part number for the bar in anyone wants it.

Ed

 

[Al Smith]

Only downfall is sharpening that 1/4 pitch chain, I'll go crosseyed before I finish one....



Ed

Oh ,they aren't that bad .As I said before the old Poulan s-25 came with 1/4" .

The only reason I even mentioned 1/4" is because I dabble with hopped up micro saws .A 1/4" wouldn't be the type chain to use on a working saw .

I think though in my case before I go to all the trouble of converting one to 1/4 I'll test it out first .I have the set up still for the little Poulan top handle .It may not be as fast as I remembered it ,it's been several years[decades ] ,ya know .