Bar/chain for Makita EA4300 (Dolmar PS421)

[livemusic]

I ordered my Makita EA4300 from England. I think it came with a 15-inch bar and chain... .325, 64 links, .050. Bar is stamped Makita E7, .325-64 1.3/.050, 444.038.141. The sprocket has 7 teeth. I have had nothing but trouble with this bar and chain. Regardless how it happened, want something else for bar/chain. Can anyone tell me exactly what to get? There are so many variables, I don't assume anything, lol. It seems that Makita has not been consistent with various bars/chains they put on this saw.

The saw runs good but it probably could use some help. I would like to muffler mod this and mod it any way I can. On down the way, might get it ported.

I am thinking 16-inch, .325 but I am open to whatever is best! It doesn't even have to be 16 inches, could be less. Used mostly for limbing but also felling/bucking smaller hardwoods. I am even open to a lightweight bar if available. Not afraid to spend some money for something good because I really like this saw.

 

[Ford3000]

I have Two of them saws, came from England, they have 15"/38cm bars, with .325 pitch chain
with .50 gauge.
I only used one of them, it cuts perfectly, all my other Makita chainsaws also cut perfectly.

Put a picture of the bar and chain up, there may be an issue someone will spot,
or you could tell us what kind of trouble you are having with the bar and chain.
The chain that comes with the saw does not like to cut sideways / transverse cut
until you give it its first sharpening, it settles down and works well after that,
but it will cut all day long if your cross cutting, such as limbing or bucking.

The chains I got to replace the ones that came are Husqvarna SP33G .325 pitch by .50 gauge.

The thing to note is, the bar and chain are NK / Narrow Kerf, which is an exelent setup
for that size of saw as they take a narrow bite and do not overload the saw.

Do not get standard .325 chain, as it will put more load on the saw, it will be heavier too,
and if you put such a chain on that bar you have, it will be wider and catch on the side
of the saw and the clutch cover side too, so make sure its narrow kerf if you want to test
another chain on there, the links as you know are 64, if you go to a 16 inch bar as far as
I remember you will have an odd number of links, meaning there will be two beside each
other facing either right or left, instead of facing alternating directions, I would stick with
the 15 inch bar size, its plenty for the size of the saw and it runs smooth.
As you know, the chain has to match the bar, and they both have to match the drive sprocket
that is currently on your saw, which is .325, going for lets say 3/8 pitch chain will require
a new sprocket, bar and chain, and will gain you nothing in smoothness, thats 3/8 pico and
not full size 3/8 am on about, but again, I would stick with the .325 you have.

It is an oregon K041 bar that is on that saw, the K041 code is for the tail of the bar, it ensures
the holes line up for the oiler, and the chain can come off the drive and ramp up to ride in the
rails without bumping or catching on the bar due to too big a tail and the likes.

Info here on Muffler mod.
https://opeforum.com/threads/muffler-mod-advise-ea4300-makita.19421/

 

[Hulsty]

I have a 4300 with a 15- MICRO LITE BAR, OMK150MLBK041, 0.325 Stihl 23RS chain with a muffler mod and its a ripper, my saw came factory with 0.325 setp 18'' bar, to much in my opinion.

 

[livemusic]

Ford3000, oh my. This below is precisely why I expressed frustration in the OP regarding there being so many variables.

Prior to me creating this thread and deciding I wanted to buy an entirely new bar and chain, I decided to give up on the original chain and buy a replacement until I could determine which bar/chain combo to buy to replace all of it. I went to the nearest Stihl dealer and showed him all the markings on the bar and he said that all of that is all he needs to know to make a new chain. From a big loop of .325 they have to make up chains. He sold me a chain he marked as ".325, .050, 64" and then "23RSX3." Odds are this is NOT a narrow kerf chain?

Furthermore... how would I know that the chain Makita put on there is a narrow kerf chain? You know it, but how would I know it? You know a lot about saws, I don't. How does one know? Or am I good to go with the Stihl chain?

As for the new Stihl chain, prior to reading your post, I did put it on and it appeared to fit just fine (but I did not know about the narrow kerf issue) and it was cutting ok until the bar sprocket locked up. Again. This chain sprocket has locked up on me about three or four times now. Based on the appearance of the paint on the bar, I think the bar got hot last year. But I don't recall it happening. Then this year when I started to cut firewood again, I threw a chain and the original chain got burred (the reason I bought the new chain from Stihl) and I have not salvaged it yet (not sure I can) and the bar groove got a bit pinched in one spot. I used a screwdriver and hammer to get the bar groove straight again.

Thanks for insight on this new Stihl chain and is it narrow kerf.

EDIT: The Husqvarna chain you mentioned, SP33G...

1. Where do you buy this in 15 inch?
2. Is this narrow kerf? How can you tell?
3. Is this safety chain? (I favor non-safety chain but whatever cuts well is the goal.)

I have Two of them saws, came from England, they have 15"/38cm bars, with .325 pitch chain
with .50 gauge.
I only used one of them, it cuts perfectly, all my other Makita chainsaws also cut perfectly.

Put a picture of the bar and chain up, there may be an issue someone will spot,
or you could tell us what kind of trouble you are having with the bar and chain.
The chain that comes with the saw does not like to cut sideways / transverse cut
until you give it its first sharpening, it settles down and works well after that,
but it will cut all day long if your cross cutting, such as limbing or bucking.

The chains I got to replace the ones that came are Husqvarna SP33G .325 pitch by .50 gauge.

The thing to note is, the bar and chain are NK / Narrow Kerf, which is an exelent setup
for that size of saw as they take a narrow bite and do not overload the saw.

Do not get standard .325 chain, as it will put more load on the saw, it will be heavier too,
and if you put such a chain on that bar you have, it will be wider and catch on the side
of the saw and the clutch cover side too, so make sure its narrow kerf if you want to test
another chain on there, the links as you know are 64, if you go to a 16 inch bar as far as
I remember you will have an odd number of links, meaning there will be two beside each
other facing either right or left, instead of facing alternating directions, I would stick with
the 15 inch bar size, its plenty for the size of the saw and it runs smooth.
As you know, the chain has to match the bar, and they both have to match the drive sprocket
that is currently on your saw, which is .325, going for lets say 3/8 pitch chain will require
a new sprocket, bar and chain, and will gain you nothing in smoothness, thats 3/8 pico and
not full size 3/8 am on about, but again, I would stick with the .325 you have.

It is an oregon A095 bar that is on that saw, the A095 code is for the tail of the bar, it ensures
the holes line up for the oiler, and the chain can come off the drive and ramp up to ride in the
rails without bumping or catching on the bar due to too big a tail and the likes.

Info here on Muffler mod.
https://opeforum.com/threads/muffler-mod-advise-ea4300-makita.19421/

 

[Ford3000]

Ford3000, oh my. This below is precisely why I expressed frustration in the OP regarding there being so many variables.

Prior to me creating this thread and deciding I wanted to buy an entirely new bar and chain, I decided to give up on the original chain and buy a replacement until I could determine which bar/chain combo to buy to replace all of it. I went to the nearest Stihl dealer and showed him all the markings on the bar and he said that all of that is all he needs to know to make a new chain. From a big loop of .325 they have to make up chains. He sold me a chain he marked as ".325, .050, 64" and then "23RSX3." Odds are this is NOT a narrow kerf chain?

Furthermore... how would I know that the chain Makita put on there is a narrow kerf chain? You know it, but how would I know it? You know a lot about saws, I don't. How does one know? Or am I good to go with the Stihl chain?

As for the new Stihl chain, prior to reading your post, I did put it on and it appeared to fit just fine (but I did not know about the narrow kerf issue) and it was cutting ok until the bar sprocket locked up. Again. This chain sprocket has locked up on me about three or four times now. Based on the appearance of the paint on the bar, I think the bar got hot last year. But I don't recall it happening. Then this year when I started to cut firewood again, I threw a chain and the original chain got burred (the reason I bought the new chain from Stihl) and I have not salvaged it yet (not sure I can) and the bar groove got a bit pinched roin one spot. I used a screwdriver and hammer to get the bar groove straight again.
p
Thanks for insight on this new Stihl chain and is it narrow kerf.

EDIT: The Husqvarna chain you mentioned, SP33G...

1. Where do you buy this in 15 inch?
2. Is this narrow kerf? How can you tell?
3. Is this safety chain? (I favor non-safety chain but whatever cuts well is the goal.)

Just a quick response, SP33G is Husqvarna chain, if I said otherwise I will need to correct that.
Stihl do in fact make two narrow kerf .325 chains, one full chizzel the other semi chizzel,
here in Ireland they are reffered to as Stihl RS pro, and Stihl RM pro, they may be reffered to
by another designation in your part of the world.

 

[Ford3000]

SP33G is Husqvarna Narrow Kerf chain, that is the code you need, just gebar.t it in .325 by .50 with 64 drive links.
Here is a link to a guy using and comparing the sp33g to oregon chains that all fit the narrow kerf bar.
That Stihl RS chain you got is probably not narrow kerf, the narrow kerf stuff here has Pro after the RS or the RM.

RS means rapid super, its full chizzel chain, RM means reapid micro, it is semi chizzel cahin, you get RM and RS
Stihl chain in many pitchies, such as .325, 3/8 and .404, you also get Stihl pico chain, which is the 3/8 low profile
chain that is no good to your bar either, as its 3/8, its narrow kerft though, but will not fit your bar because the
nose sprocket and drive / clutch sprocket on your saw according to you is .325.

I do not know why your saw threw the chain, it should not throw standard .325 chain as opposed to narrow kerf chain,
that standard .325 is the same pitch as narrow kerf .325, BUT the standard chain is wider, and could be catching on
either the side of the saw or the clutch cover that holds the bar tight, that will mess up the side of the saw and the clutch
cover, check for marks there, there should be no rubbing, maybe that is why your chain got thrown, I just do not know.

A pinched bar needs to be straightened up properly, it doesnt take much rubbing on the drive links of the chain to cause
issues and it could throw your chain, but if you heated up that bar, then maybe the rails are scuffed and wore out, this
will allow your chain to fall side to side, not good, will cut bad, and the estra room worn between the rails wont help keep
the chain on.

You mention damage nose sprocket, your old thrown or bent chain could damage the nose sprocket,
but are you sure your bar is actually .325 and not 3/8 lp / low pro, these saws came in both confugurations.

Google Husqvarna SP33G and you will get answer in your area, I will link where I got my chain, but thats in the UK.
@fordf150 is on here, and he will set you up with a bar and chain, he sells the Dolmar brand, he is in the video above, that video also show the oregon chains that fit .325 nk bars.

Here is the Husqvarna chain I use, SP33G
https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/product/x-cut-sp33g-husqvarna-lo-pro-325-050/
I will need to double check, but I think this bar fits your saw, its a K041 end, I said
A041, so I need to look it up.
https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/prod...egon-speed-cut-bar-15-325-050-64-drive-links/

OK, OREGON tells me your saw uses the K041 bar mount / 150MLBK041,
here is a link to what they offer,
any brand or model of bar will suit you as long as its got a K041 bar tail, and obviousely
.325 by .50
use the Five boxes below the guy cutting to enter, Dolmar, 420, .38cm / 15", 325, .50
https://www.oregonproducts.eu/en/parts-lookup/chain-bar-sprocket-selector-guide/selector-guide.html

 

[livemusic]

Thanks for info. Once again, how do you know this is narrow kerf? I am not doubting, I just want to know how I should know this! Did you read it somewhere? Is there a marking on the saw bar or chain, how?

 

[Ford3000]

Thanks for info. Once again, how do you know this is narrow kerf? I am not doubting, I just want to know how I should know this! Did you read it somewhere? Is there a marking on the saw bar or chain, how?

Some bars will say nk on the side of them, most dont have any such marking
and you only know from the packaging it came it, if a bar comes with a saw the
manufacturer will state the bar and chain combination, the chain will give you
the clue as to which bar it is.

If you look at the spec for the saw, it is only sold in two configurations,
both are narrow kerf, the give away is in the chain sellection they use,
the chain for .325 will be oregon code 95vpx, anything oregon with 95 in it
will be narrow kerf .325 pitch, the oregon code for 3/8 lo pro chain is 91txl, the 91 again denotes it will be narrow kerf chain 3/8 pitch.

Not many will know the difference in narrow kerf and standard bar widths,
you simply buy the one you want and the chain to suit it, someone who has
both bars new could measure it, but I do not have both, and in any event
knowing they are different is enough for me, you could put narrow kerf
chain on the marginly wider standard bar, but the bar would get stuck in the cut as the cutters would not be wide enough to clear it, if you put a standard chain on a narrow kerf bar, the cutters would be wider and catch on the side of the saw and the clutch cover.

People use the narrow kerf because it takes a slightly narrower cut and
puts less pressure on the smaller saws.

 

[Ford3000]

@livemusic , my bar has the exact same numbers on it as yours,
so you have indeed got a .325 nk bar.
The drive links that run in the bar have 484 stamped on them.

The extra chain that came with the bar is an oregon 95vp,
that is the older model 95 chain, vpx is just the successor
to vp, but its still 95 series which is narrow kerf.
Husqvarna SP33G is husqdvarna's .325 narrow kerf chain, its in that
video above, and explained and measured alongside two oregon
chains, all of which are narrow kerf and fit your saw, they may
be longer chains I did not look.

 

[Ford3000]

@livemusic , Can you explain what problems you had with the initial bar and chain
that came on the saw,
they also come with a spare chain, so why the need for you to buy a Stihl chain.
Make sure your bar is straight, no bends, a bar can be twisted like a
propellor, that will assist it in throwing chains and not cutting straight
and getting stuck as technically its wider than the cut, and as it lowers
into the cut the twist in it will cause it to want to go down sideways,
lay it on a know flat surface, turn it over, it should not rock, it should
even stand on its long narrow edge without falling over if its not twisted
somehow.
Put up some pictures, or video of the problem.

 

[livemusic]

Thanks again for info, you know a lot!

Now that you mention it, I think I do recall that an extra chain came with the saw because I recall thinking "Gee, this is nice, an extra chain!" I do not recall seeing an extra new chain lying around among my stuff, so, I probably put the second chain when the first one got dull. I will look around and find that second chain. I will also take a pic of my bar.

I *did* get the sprocket freed up again but I need to buy the correct narrow kerf chain. Bummer that I have this Stihl chain and it's not correct! I have a Stihl 026 saw that uses .325 but it is .063 gauge and 67 DL.

 

[Ford3000]

Stihl do make a narrow kerf chain, I could not get it here,
I can get it in the UK, it has got to have Pro designation after
the RS or RM, it is .325, specifically made of the now available
04Light bar, which is a narrow kerf setup.
It is different chain in that there is no extra bumpers on the chain
other then the depth gauges I will eventyally get some to try.

You could measure the cutter width of the chain you have and compare it
to the sizes outlined in the video above, if the Stihl cutters are wider then
avoid using it.

How did you get the nose sprocket to not turn, thats not normal,
I personally would dump it, you will cook your engine pulling against
a sprocket that could start binding at any time in the future, that will kill
your engine.

Get some plastic wedges or cut a few out of hard wood to tap in with
even your hand to keep the saw from getting caught in the cut on those
ocassions that conspire against us.

 

[00wyk]

Thanks for info. Once again, how do you know this is narrow kerf? I am not doubting, I just want to know how I should know this! Did you read it somewhere? Is there a marking on the saw bar or chain, how?

I don't think Dolmar or Makita offer a standard kerf 325 set up on their 42cc saws from the factory. You either get the NK 325 or the LP 3/8.
Chains are usually labelled on the drive links.
Like so:

https://www.husqvarna.com/ie/parts-accessories/chains/x-cut-sp33g/581643156/
https://www.stihl.com/STIHL-power-t...ns/2110445-63680/-325-Super-3-Pro-1-3-mm.aspx
https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/findingtherightsawchainforyou

A good indicator of chain type for 325 chains is the gauge. Most .050 chain is narrow kerf now. If you ever see .058 or .063(1.5mm and 1.6mm) it is standard kerf.
I haven't tried standard kerf in my current 420 yet. But I could have sworn I used it in a 420 a few years back with a modified k095/Husky bar without issues. The difference in width isn't big for a chainsaw chassis or even the bar. The hard part is finding standard kerf that would fit an .050 groove. Since you have an 050/1.3mm bar, chances are you are running the right chain. Chances are...
Also keep in mind that Makita bars need their tips greased. Many other manufacturers do as well.

It absolutely does not help that everyone in the chainsaw industry uses different nomenclature for their products. But they all want you to use their own products, after all.

Good luck,

Wes

 

[OldJack]

The narrow kerf should be stamped on your bar. It looks like a bottle of your favourite beverage. It should be on the chain box too.

 

[Ford3000]

The narrow kerf should be stamped on your bar. It looks like a bottle of your favourite beverage. It should be on the chain box too.

@OldJack , Not seeing the image on my screen, though I should say
there is a mark on the bar in question that does indicate bar width.

 

[livemusic]

OldJack, you are absolutely correct, that logo is on the bar! So, Ford3000 is right! And 00wyk Wes, yes, I do think the Stihl chain is correct, it must be a NK chain because I did put a caliper on the chain cutters and the measurements are clearly about the same as those in the video that Ford3000 posted! So, I went and cut with this new chain and it worked great. I did grease the sprocket. A plastic syringe with a small plastic tip works great for that. I hope I am correct on all this because it means I didn't throw $20 away on this Stihl chain; this chain won't fit my 026 saw.

Wow, it's amazing how much you learn on forums! People on here know WAY more than my local dealers. When I spoke to my Stihl dealer again yesterday, it's like I am talking in a different language, my concern about NK didn't mean a thing to him. And he looked at my bar and that NK logo was staring him in the face! Looks like 00wyk Wes is correct, it's just NK by default these days if it's this size.

EDIT: Wow, I just happened to see a link to a thread I created a year ago about liking the chain on my (new then) Makita saw! And I mentioned the exact chain -- 512 484 664. I also mentioned that I hit a piece of metal while cutting, so, that solves my faulty memory problem of how I might have damaged the bar back then. FWIW, that thread is...

https://opeforum.com/threads/this-chain-sure-seems-good-makita-saw.17727/

The narrow kerf should be stamped on your bar. It looks like a bottle of your favourite beverage. It should be on the chain box too.

 

[OldJack]

@OldJack , Not seeing the image on my screen, though I should say
there is a mark on the bar in question that does indicate bar width.

If you're running Windows is there a symbol like this at the bottom of my post above.
[ IMG] with an object to the left of IMG? If so, right click on the symbol and select "Open image in new tab". It might work.

 

[Ford3000]

OldJack, you are absolutely correct, that logo is on the bar! So, Ford3000 is right! And 00wyk Wes, yes, I do think the Stihl chain is correct, it must be a NK chain because I did put a caliper on the chain cutters and the measurements are clearly about the same as those in the video that Ford3000 posted! So, I went and cut with this new chain and it worked great. I did grease the sprocket. A plastic syringe with a small plastic tip works great for that. I hope I am correct on all this because it means I didn't throw $20 away on this Stihl chain; this chain won't fit my 026 saw.

Wow, it's amazing how much you learn on forums! People on here know WAY more than my local dealers. When I spoke to my Stihl dealer again yesterday, it's like I am talking in a different language, my concern about NK didn't mean a thing to him. And he looked at my bar and that NK logo was staring him in the face! Looks like 00wyk Wes is correct, it's just NK by default these days if it's this size.

EDIT: Wow, I just happened to see a link to a thread I created a year ago about liking the chain on my (new then) Makita saw! And I mentioned the exact chain -- 512 484 664. I also mentioned that I hit a piece of metal while cutting, so, that solves my faulty memory problem of how I might have damaged the bar back then. FWIW, that thread is...

https://opeforum.com/threads/this-chain-sure-seems-good-makita-saw.17727/

@OldJack , am running Linux, I right click and chose open in a new tab,
that takes me to an error page on firewood hoarders site,
the error is there because I have to be a member to see the image,
and am not.
You could copy and simply past the image into your post on here,
then everyone could see it.

 

[Ford3000]

OldJack, you are absolutely correct, that logo is on the bar! So, Ford3000 is right! And 00wyk Wes, yes, I do think the Stihl chain is correct, it must be a NK chain because I did put a caliper on the chain cutters and the measurements are clearly about the same as those in the video that Ford3000 posted! So, I went and cut with this new chain and it worked great. I did grease the sprocket. A plastic syringe with a small plastic tip works great for that. I hope I am correct on all this because it means I didn't throw $20 away on this Stihl chain; this chain won't fit my 026 saw.

Wow, it's amazing how much you learn on forums! People on here know WAY more than my local dealers. When I spoke to my Stihl dealer again yesterday, it's like I am talking in a different language, my concern about NK didn't mean a thing to him. And he looked at my bar and that NK logo was staring him in the face! Looks like 00wyk Wes is correct, it's just NK by default these days if it's this size.

EDIT: Wow, I just happened to see a link to a thread I created a year ago about liking the chain on my (new then) Makita saw! And I mentioned the exact chain -- 512 484 664. I also mentioned that I hit a piece of metal while cutting, so, that solves my faulty memory problem of how I might have damaged the bar back then. FWIW, that thread is...

https://opeforum.com/threads/this-chain-sure-seems-good-makita-saw.17727/

Good to hear you got sorted.
I have the logo on the bar too, but I have also read other threads
where people did measure the bar widths, and the narrow kerf bar
is slightly narrower than a standard, as I have no links to these posts
I did not quote the logo nor insist there is a difference even if slight
in the width of the nk bars, I did not want to complicate things further
without being able to point to the evidence.\

 

[OldJack]