Author Topic: 1/4 Inch Chain  (Read 2055 times)

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Offline Eccentric

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2013, 10:51:46 pm »
I have a red Craftsman 1.9 branded Poulan XX-D that's set up with 1/4" chain.  Little bugger pulls it very well, and is a well balanced saw.  I'm sorting out some oiler issues, and then I'll put a dime tip carving bar on it with some Oregon 25AP.

Also have a few 1/4" pitch sprockets for the XXV series saws, and will probably set up one of my XXV's (probably my Craftsman red 1.9A branded 25D) with 1/4".  They'll be fun to do some carving with. 

I could have gotten a partial roll of Oregon 25 (somewhere between 50 and 100' on an OLD 100' reel) for $50 at an estate sale a while back.  Was already blowing all the cash I had on hand on other stuff (including a box full of carb diaphragms, a Husky 2100CD crankcase and starter, and approximately 46' of Oregon .404-.063 skip square chisel chain), and had to leave the 1/4" stuff on the shelf (along with a partial reel of .325 pitch chain and a NICE Echo CS302S).  I went back later with more green, and all the stuff I'd left behind was gone....
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Offline Philbert

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2013, 11:09:24 pm »
I love hearing the history / development side of chainsaws, chains, etc.  Thanks HolmenTree and Cut4fun for re-posting that!

I wonder why Oregon went with a low profile 3/8 chain versus a low profile .325 chassis for the smaller chain?

Philbert

Offline Al Smith

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2013, 05:45:02 am »
The first Poulan s-25 I bought in maybe 1974-75 had 1/4" chain which I filed with a 5/32 file .The original was either semi chisel or chipper .

Somewhere in that time period Oregon made round chisel in 1/4" both full comp and skip and would that little saw ever cut using that chain .Ralph Nadar was instrimental in taking it off the market claiming it posed a danger to the owners who were not professionals because it had no anti kick backs .

Offline Al Smith

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2013, 06:04:30 am »

I wonder why Oregon went with a low profile 3/8 chain versus a low profile .325 chassis for the smaller chain?

Philbert
I can only assume Oregon followed an industrial trend .Passed the late 70's early 80's Poulan and others hada variety of smaller displacement saws that required smaller type chain .It would obviously be more cost effective to produce low profile 3/8" as compaired to 1/4" .

Even if you go back as far as the piston ported engine design becoming the norm over reed valve engines .Most of the reed valve Macs and Homelites used .404 chain ,heavy duty stuff .The piston ports mostly used 3/8 chain,lighter,less bite .It utilized the speed of the piston ports where as the .404 made use of the high torque of the reeders .

Offline Philbert

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2013, 12:00:00 pm »
I get the need for a small bite chain that was more cost-effective to manufacture, but I would have thought of .325 as the 'next step up' in pitch, instead of .375.

But that's just me. I also don't get why STIHL supplies smaller output 16" saws with heavier gauge .063 chain and higher output 25" saws with lighter gauge .050 chain.

Philbert

Offline Al Smith

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2013, 01:49:59 pm »
Well first off 3/8" low profile and standard 3/8" are not one in the same .Nothing interchanges to make them work .Not the drive sprockets the bar nose sprockets nothing .Even though the terminolgy of "3/8" is misleading it's one size below .325 .


To make it more confusing 3/8" low comes in two different guages ,.050 and .043 .Then again .325 comes in .050 and .063 maybe .058 for all I know .Driver guage seems to be a regional thing with what is the norm or popular  in a praticular area .


You want to really get confused try .404 .Heavy chain used normally on over 100 cc saws ,usually in .063 guage .That 48" hardnose on the saw in my avatar is .058 .

I have a 32" bar on a Mac 805/850 that originally had a .404 nose but in .050 guage .I changed it to 3/8" standard.

Offline Cut4fun .

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #16 on: October 09, 2016, 06:04:22 pm »
2 of the saws I just got come with stihl 1/4" and one I dont know what it is and has a O on the preset and 25 on the drive link.

1/4" 9T rims.

So what was the file size for these?  I cant recall off hand. 1/8" ?

Offline Philbert

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #17 on: October 09, 2016, 11:25:01 pm »
Pferd catalog says 5/32"
https://www.pferdusa.com/info/PDF/CSF.PDF

Oregon saws 5/32" for theirs (25AP)  too.

Philbert

Offline Cut4fun .

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #18 on: October 10, 2016, 12:30:43 pm »
Thanks save me from having to se if I had 1/8" still from back when I played scratching on chains.

I was thinking the one with O and 25 might be Oregon 25 last night.   https://www.oregonproducts.com/pro/AppGuideMoreInfo.htm

Dont think this is AP. Dont recall the extra dorsal fin beside the rakers.


Offline Philbert

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Re: 1/4 Inch Chain
« Reply #19 on: October 10, 2016, 12:46:56 pm »
Kind of odd that 1/4" pitch chain is .050 and not .043 gauge. Oh well, as if things made sense.


Philbert

 

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