Full house 3/8lp for pole saw?

[Nutball]

How well do you think it would work? How big of wood can full house 3/8lp effectively cut? My 1/4" sprocket mod eventually failed on my Echo pole saw, but it lasted a good while. I could redo it better, but 3/8 is probably more convenient, except for all the effort of making a custom chain or 2.

 

[ammoaddict]

My pole saw came with 3/8 lp.

 

[sawmikaze]

The only 3/8 I use now on pole saws and my 194s is stihls 61 PS3, full chisel on the smaller 43 gauge chassis, it's perfect.

 

[hacskaroly]

but 3/8 is probably more convenient, except for all the effort of making a custom chain or 2.

Find a shop that sells chain by the roll, you should be able to get a customer driver 3/8p chain made. I had a few customers that needed custom driver chains and I had no problems making them. Some times they came back and needed a driver removed or an extra one butterflied in. Easy enough to do. Had one customer that wanted to connect his own chain, so I popped off the amount of drivers he needed and dropped it, a tie strap and a masterlink in the box and let him put it together.

3/8p chain is temperamental to break apart and mash the rivets since it is smaller and thinner than standard 3/8, but its doable. I had several coworkers that would start sweating when asked to make a 3/8p chain

 

[Wilhelm]

3/8" LowProfile/Picco is a viable chain.
I got it on a variety of saw starting with my 43cc 2-stroke powered pole saw (10"), over my battery powered saws (10-14"), and topping out at my 31-40cc chainsaws (10-14").

I used to buck firewood logs with 3/8"LP on my 40cc, at times bar fully buried.
Was it perfect and fast?
No!
Did it work?
Yes!

I even own a Stihl carbide chain in 3/8"LP.

3/8" LP is about the smallest chainsaw chain I care about.
1/4" is childs play, it feels as if it'd break just from me looking at it.

 

[Wilhelm]

And not to be a smart a$$, You most likely refer to "full complement/standard" when writing "full house".

Full complement is often being called full house, so no biggie.
But to those of us that own "full house" chains it kinda triggers a nerve.

This is FULL HOUSE, although in full size 3/8" , my @jmester loop!
72DL's & 72 cutters/teeth

 

[Wilhelm]

3/8" LP vs. 1/4"



More options in 3/8"LP to choose from.

 

[el33t]

3/8" LP vs. 1/4"

View attachment 436846

More options in 3/8"LP to choose from.

And not to be a smart a$$, you most likely refer to 1/4 Picco when writing 1/4.
Oregon's idea for the 91 (Extended Pitch, Low-Profile) chain in the 1970s was to use similarly sized teeth, with which the then-present 1/4 chains were already equipped.

This, of course, served to reduce the cost of equipping small chainsaws with chains, due to the lower number of links in a 3/8'' pitch chain for the same bar length.

Therefore, a 5/32''-4.0mm file is generally recommended for sharpening 3/8 LP and 1/4 chains. For 1/4 Picco-Low Profile chains, a 1/8''-3.2 mm file is recommended.

1/4 Picco was introduced by Stihl around 2010.

Example of 1/4 chain: Oregon 25 AP.
Examples of 1/4 LP-Picco chains: Oregon 24 AP, Stihl 71 PM3.

 

[Wilhelm]

And not to be a smart a$$, you most likely refer to 1/4 Picco when writing 1/4.
Oregon's idea for the 91 (Extended Pitch, Low-Profile) chain in the 1970s was to use similarly sized teeth, with which the then-present 1/4 chains were already equipped.

This, of course, served to reduce the cost of equipping small chainsaws with chains, due to the lower number of links in a 3/8'' pitch chain for the same bar length.

Therefore, a 5/32''-4.0mm file is generally recommended for sharpening 3/8 LP and 1/4 chains. For 1/4 Picco-Low Profile chains, a 1/8''-3.2 mm file is recommended.

1/4 Picco was introduced by Stihl around 2010.

Example of 1/4 chain: Oregon 25 AP.
Examples of 1/4 LP-Picco chains: Oregon 24 AP, Stihl 71 PM3.

Yes, indeed - Stihl 1/4"P!

I did not realize there is more than one 1/4" pitch size.
Then again, I don't utilize 1/4" at all.
Learnt something new today - I can now go to rest and attack tomorrow early on.

 

[Nutball]

And not to be a smart a$$, You most likely refer to "full complement/standard" when writing "full house".

Full complement is often being called full house, so no biggie.
But to those of us that own "full house" chains it kinda triggers a nerve.

This is FULL HOUSE, although in full size 3/8" , my @jmester loop!
72DL's & 72 cutters/teeth

View attachment 436840
View attachment 436841

That's what I want. 1 tooth per DL, maybe it should be called contra skip/anti skip.

I'm using 1/4 .050 now which is quite beefy and aggressive, not the tiny Stihl .043 version.

Full house 61PS3 with the safety bumper removed would be great. Archer makes a .043 without safety bumpers, but I haven't compared the tooth size to the .050 since it looks bigger than Stihl's .043 teeth just from memory.

 

[hacskaroly]

That's what I want. 1 tooth per DL, maybe it should be called contra skip/anti skip.

Just to add to the mix, the 1 tooth per drive length is also called "Full Comp" as opposed to the semi-skip (half-skip) and full skip chains.

Unfortunately Stihl doesn't make a non-safety bump driver in the 3/8p .043 size, they don't make any semi or full skip chains in that size either. Though, if you have the tools, you can make one yourself if you have a little time and patience... the one below was made for a 7" Makita bar that went on a MS 170.

 

[EFSM]

You could buy a couple of these and assemble them into one chain. My brother has an M12 Hatchet that uses these chains. It cuts remarkably smoothly for how slow the chain turns.

 

[hacskaroly]

You could buy a couple of these and assemble them into one chain. My brother has an M12 Hatchet that uses these chains. It cuts remarkably smoothly for how slow the chain turns.

I didn't have any 3/8lp oregon tie straps, only Stihl that is why I made it from Stihl chain.

 

[Nutball]

You could buy a couple of these and assemble them into one chain. My brother has an M12 Hatchet that uses these chains. It cuts remarkably smoothly for how slow the chain turns.View attachment 436900

There's an idea, but I had issues with some .043 Oregon chains where the teeth bend way off axis, and snap off when I try to bend them back. I might give it a try.

 

[Wood Doctor]

An Echo pole saw owner asked me to install a new 3/8" LP , .050" gauge bar on his and I did along with a new chain loop that I made for him. He and his operators gave it a rave review.

 

[Nutball]

I think just 2 Milwaukee chains will make what I need. It cuts well with the stock chain, but a bit jumpy, and not good for precision trimming like the micro 1/4 on Stihls.

 

[Philbert]

I prefer 3/8”, low profile (Type 91), or 3/8”, low profile, narrow kerf (Type 90) on a pole saw.

* The dreaded, hated, and much maligned, bumper tie strap, low kickback design (!) *



This chain was designed for smoother cutting of smaller limbs and branches: the reduced kickback performance was a surprise result (!).

I don't want my bar bouncing around, or vibrating, 10’ in the air.

I prefer the 3/8”, low profile over 1/4” or ‘Nano’ chains, because it takes a bigger bite, and there is more cutter to sharpen.

I have tried them, side-by-side in conventional saws.

A true, ‘full house’ sequence would not clear chips as well as standard (‘full complement’), and cut slower: hard on the arm and shoulder muscles.



My preference.

Philbert

 

[EFSM]

There's an idea, but I had issues with some .043 Oregon chains where the teeth bend way off axis, and snap off when I try to bend them back. I might give it a try.

Yes. I've had that as well. We've gone mostly to Rotary brand .043 chain, which is very similar to their .050 chain. So it's wider than 90px style, but far, far more durable.

 

[thompsoncustom]

That's what I want. 1 tooth per DL, maybe it should be called contra skip/anti skip.

I'm using 1/4 .050 now which is quite beefy and aggressive, not the tiny Stihl .043 version.

Full house 61PS3 with the safety bumper removed would be great. Archer makes a .043 without safety bumpers, but I haven't compared the tooth size to the .050 since it looks bigger than Stihl's .043 teeth just from memory.

Stihl 63ps is a full chisel with no safety bumpers in .050 not sure if they made it in .043 or not

 

[el33t]

Stihl 63ps is a full chisel with no safety bumpers in .050 not sure if they made it in .043 or not

They did not.