.325, 8 pin Rim

[MyUsername]

I would recommend converting to an Oregon drum, it opens up more options if you're experimenting. . I did on my 261c-m , I'm now running a 1/4" rim and 1/4" chain. It's THE fastest chain for this saw ...I couldn't run 1/4" with stock Stihl drums.
There's many more sizes and pitches of rims available for Oregon drums. And they're easier to find online

 

[RI Chevy]

True. Easier to find regular sized bars and chains though. I bought a new .325 7 pin today for $5 at a Stihl dealer. NOS.
I also have a 3/8 setup as well. 16 inch bars. If I need more than that I go bigger with the saw.
I got a screaming MS440 from JMS. Lol

 

[sawmikaze]

I would recommend converting to an Oregon drum, it opens up more options if you're experimenting. . I did on my 261c-m , I'm now running a 1/4" rim and 1/4" chain. It's THE fastest chain for this saw ...I couldn't run 1/4" with stock Stihl drums.
There's many more sizes and pitches of rims available for Oregon drums. And they're easier to find online

What options are in oregon small spline that arent in stihl mini spline ?

Stihl Mini :
325x7
325x8
3/8x7
P7
P8

Oregon Small:
325x7
325x8
3/8x7
1/4 .. which is good for carving but wont last for *s-word cuttin firewood

 

[sawmikaze]

 

[MyUsername]

Oh, I thought that there were some 9 tooth splines available for Oregon? But still it's much easier to get a hold of Oregon splines if you do a lot of shopping online like I do.

And you're simply just wrong about 1/4" for firewood/small takedowns.
...of course you're not going to use it on huge bars doing big stuff, but any firewood task that can be handled with a16" or smaller bar I'd argue that 1/4" is the best. Even though the teeth are shorter they will outlast 3/8 picco super chisel.... If you're using ps for firewood you're gonna be sharpening 4x as often as 1/4" rm and teeth disappear quickly. Stihl 1/4" IS faster than 3/8 picco, full 3/8, and .325. You will get more life out of full 3/8 or .325, but they won't be as fast.

One of my ms250's is set up with a 16" stihl bar 1/4" . I use it for running older 1/4" chain spools I bought 15 to 20 years ago(Oregon and Carlton 1/4") I'm not crazy about these brands of 1/4" so use this set up specifically for cutting dirty wood(and de barking dirty wood). My stihl 1/4" chain never touches dirty wood.
I am a full time carver, but I cut and split about 10 cords of wood a year also. I've used almost every type of chain on the market. Personally ,I find 1/4" the best for small saws in every situation. I never see any of you forum guys try 1/4" for anything. I think you just assume it's no good.

The only bad thing is that it's EXPENSIVE!

 

[CR888]

1/4" chain is good...super smooth and highly efficient. Power turns into fast cutting as it don't rob power. But hell yeah its expensive and not many AM chain options. I want to give it a go on my ported ms261 or 550xp but not sure what will happen to them lil cutters hitting Ozzy hardwood @15k. But its worth it to find out. I was at one stage going to run and Oregon drum from a MS260 so I was not bound to buy pricey Stihl micro rims. You need the drum with the oil gear cut outs.

 

[sawmikaze]

How much do you guys pay for rims at your stihl dealers ? ... i give about 6 bucks on average.

 

[RI Chevy]

The one I just bought was $5.38. With tax included. Lol

 

[sawmikaze]

Oh, I thought that there were some 9 tooth splines available for Oregon? But still it's much easier to get a hold of Oregon splines if you do a lot of shopping online like I do.

And you're simply just wrong about 1/4" for firewood/small takedowns.
...of course you're not going to use it on huge bars doing big stuff, but any firewood task that can be handled with a16" or smaller bar I'd argue that 1/4" is the best. Even though the teeth are shorter they will outlast 3/8 picco super chisel.... If you're using ps for firewood you're gonna be sharpening 4x as often as 1/4" rm and teeth disappear quickly. Stihl 1/4" IS faster than 3/8 picco, full 3/8, and .325. You will get more life out of full 3/8 or .325, but they won't be as fast.

One of my ms250's is set up with a 16" stihl bar 1/4" . I use it for running older 1/4" chain spools I bought 15 to 20 years ago(Oregon and Carlton 1/4") I'm not crazy about these brands of 1/4" so use this set up specifically for cutting dirty wood(and de barking dirty wood). My stihl 1/4" chain never touches dirty wood.
I am a full time carver, but I cut and split about 10 cords of wood a year also. I've used almost every type of chain on the market. Personally ,I find 1/4" the best for small saws in every situation. I never see any of you forum guys try 1/4" for anything. I think you just assume it's no good.

The only bad thing is that it's EXPENSIVE!

Ill probably deliver about 30-35 1 ton dump loads of wood in the next 10 weeks..mostly dead ash trees with some locust and the occasional oak and cherrys..that 1/4 chain would never outlast my .325 semi chisel chain cuttin all those logs that machines have handled.

I did try 1/4 on a ms210 once and i would never argue how smooth it is..and it does cut fast.

 

[MyUsername]

Yup. I agree. .325 will last longer.

 

[CR888]

How much do you guys pay for rims at your stihl dealers ? ... i give about 6 bucks on average.

I buy packs of 10 at a time off the bay delivered for $18 but 1 stihl rim at the dealer is $33. That would make 10 cost $330!!!

 

[sawmikaze]

I buy packs of 10 at a time off the bay delivered for $18 but 1 stihl rim at the dealer is $33. That would make 10 cost $330!!!

Hoooly dog balls..33 bucks for a rim ?

Thats insane.

 

[sawmikaze]

Its actually called a 'micro' spline size. My MS261's have them and they are a wee bit smaller than the regular small spline. Now I don't own a MS260 but I was pretty sure they took the regular small spline rims not micro spline size. We need to know this for sure before you order online. There are not many AM options for micro but heaps for regular small spline rims. Micro is a Stihl thing making customers go to their dealer to get a rim replacement, I hate them when rims are AU $33 here at a dealer. You need the question properly answered as to whether MS260 is 'Small' or 'Micro'.

I have never seen a micro sized hub that accepts a rim sprocket..only mini,small,standard.

Do you have a link to a micro ?

 

[RI Chevy]

I buy packs of 10 at a time off the bay delivered for $18 but 1 stihl rim at the dealer is $33. That would make 10 cost $330!!!

Must come with KY Lube. Lol

 

[CR888]

I have never seen a micro sized hub that accepts a rim sprocket..only mini,small,standard.

Do you have a link to a micro ?

No good with links......'micro' is just terminology Stihl use for the slightly smaller spline than small found on saws like MS261, folks refer to it as 'mini' etc.

 

[sawmikaze]

No good with links......'micro' is just terminology Stihl use for the slightly smaller spline than small found on saws like MS261, folks refer to it as 'mini' etc.

That made me wonder because ive never seen a spline smaller than a mini on a ms 261 , stihl drum=mini , Oregon drum=small... i wanna find one of the micro's.

 

[RI Chevy]

Just came across this from the Stihl 024, 026 repair manual.
It shows some of the rim options for these saws.

 

[jake wells]

i wonder how 3/8 picco 8 pin would do on my 026.

 

[CR888]

The funny thing is on a saw that has micro spline clutch drum such as a ms261, you can (in a pinch) actually run a small spline rim with success. I have done it quite a few times with many tanks of fuel in some pretty hard wood. I thought the rim and drum spline would show wear from an imperfect fit....but it did not and actually ran really well.