3/8 chain on a 261c

[Cruiser_79]

I am looking for a saw to replace my stihl 341. I use my 341 often on my home made firewood jig, and I don't like to change all time. My other saws are a 045av and a 660. Both are a little heavy for delimbing and for use in a cherry picker basket or when climbing. But I like to swap bars and chains between my saws, and I can grind them with the same files and grinder. Will the 261 work well with a 3/8 chain and sprocket?

[Tacotodd]

I am trying the same experiment with one of my saws but I'll just find out. I have a 16" bar on my 55cc saw but feel like I might need to use full skip to keep the chain speed up for it.

I found a VERY useful section in MY Oregon catalog that I've used to convert my length of chain based on drive link counts. My situation calls for .325 at 68 dl. When I convert it calls for 3/8x60.

How many dl does your current .325 use or did you find a proper 3/8 for yourself?

[Cruiser_79]

At the moment I don't have a .325 saw. I run 3/8 chains on my saws. And a ms200 top handle, for the real small work in a cherry picker or cutting some branches at the chipper. But technically that top handle is my fathers saw  :D
So actually this would be a better question; what is the lightest saw that you can run with a 3/8 chain?

[Tacotodd]

I believe that technically it's a 60cc but that information is cloudy. 

I had to have a bar special made for me by Cannon so I'd be able to change tip. Now I'm going to find out if it's worth it for me.

The saw was brand new and end-user inexpensive for $339.?? That dealer was just trying to clean up his inventory of slow moving stuff. BTW, got in 2020. A made in 2011 Echo CS550P. I bought it at his cost. Not nearly as fast as the 372XP I have but you never notice it unless you just put down the Husky and picked up the Echo.

[ehp]

I ran 3/8's chisel chain on my 261 with a 20 inch bar , you just to make sure the chain is sharp and it cut fine , the shorter the bar the better it works thou . 

[celliott]

I run 3/8" on my 550xp, 16". Would have been my only .325 saw. Nope.
It does good. Like EHP said, keep the chain sharp. 
Don't expect to lean on it blocking firewood. I mostly cut brush and limb with it, I use bigger saws for bucking and felling. 
I wouldn't worry about running 3/8" on your 261 though. Go for it.

[moodnacreek]

Here is the other extreme. I cut a lot of dry spruce knots. The best chain I found is a 3/8' low pro mini [5/32 file]. I think it is 91 vlx. It seams the smaller the tooth the better in very hard wood.

[lxskllr]

I recently got an 026 and fitted it up with 3/8 chain. It worked ok, but the saw has unrelated issues, so my trial wasn't very thorough. I actually would have preferred 3/8lp, but bars appeared to be tricky, and would have required modding, so I went with 3/8.

[Tacotodd]

@lxskllr on a 100' roll of chain, both reg and lp are 1640dl. It shouldn't have been a problem but I'd want regular if at all possible.

[sawguy21]

Keep the bar length to no more than 20", with a sharp chain you should be fine. We had a customer insist on the MS260 with 3/8 chain on a 24" bar to cut pilings in salt water. We ordered Oregon bars and changed the tips. Needless to say it didn't work.

[lxskllr]

3/8 and 3/8lp aren't interchangeable. There's geometry differences that won't allow swapping. It can be force fit, and it'll probably work in absolute terms, but it'll work poorly, and cause accelerated wear.

[Tacotodd]

I just don't understand what geometrical difference it's going to be. The picture of the 2 look so that they are practically the same except for cutter heights. Layman education is needed. Please elaborate.   ? 🤓 I'm all ready to learn, and no, I'm not being a smart @$$. I WANT to know,  please!

[lxskllr]

That I can't do. I tried it once, and it didn't work well. It binded up, and felt "lumpy". I didn't study why it didn't work well though. Here's a thread on another site that has some decent pictures and comparisons. I didn't read the whole thing, but it looks like a reasonable overview...

3/8" low profile and 3/8" regular chain interchange? | Arboristsite.com

[Tacotodd]

I just read the thing and remember troll and Willard discussing it before on here but I can't see why: if the drive sprocket is the same then why wouldn't the tip sprocket be the same? After all, the drive is smaller than the tip.

[lxskllr]

Sorry. I linked you to the wrong thread. Checkout this post from the correct thread, comparing the two rims...

3/8 lp vs. 3/8 | Page 2 | Arboristsite.com

[Tacotodd]

I still don't buy it. The 2 drives aren't indexed in his hand the same so still not a fair comparison. I've also heard of a arborist local to me using a 3/8 skip chain on his 200T with great success. I don't see still.

[Dave12]

At the moment I don't have a .325 saw. I run 3/8 chains on my saws. And a ms200 top handle, for the real small work in a cherry picker or cutting some branches at the chipper. But technically that top handle is my fathers saw  :D
So actually this would be a better question; what is the lightest saw that you can run with a 3/8 chain?

MS362c with 16" bar would be pretty light weight.  Not quite as light as a 261c but not too far off.  You should be able to pick up a used one for a decent price.

[Spike60]

I don't know much about stihls, but I think the 261 would have no problem set up with 3/8. Would balance out nice with a 18" bar. 66 DL for a stihl? Change the rim and off you go.

I set up a 550M2 with 3/8 for a customer yesterday. Has a few saws and spins his own loops of .058 3/8. Wanted to do the same with the 550. The saws can only be ordered with .325, but I do this whenever a customer requests it.

For simplicity and keeping everything the same. But a fair amount of guys really have a dislike for .325, which I don't understand. I love it myself, and keep all my 50cc saws set up that way.

Have any of you guys tried that .325 lo pro that Oregon and Husky came out with yet? 80TXL? Designed for top handle saws like the T540 and MS201, and quite impressive. Requires a unique sprocket because they don't want guys running it on saws like the 550's and 261's.

[sawguy21]

That sounds interesting.

[hedgerow]

I like to keep things the same also so I switched my 261 over to 3/8 and a 16 inch bar. Was cutting a lot of hedge { Osage Orange}. I didn't think the saw liked the 3/8 chain very well went back to the 325 and 16 inch bar. I like the way the saw runs with the 325. 

[Tacotodd]

The only way to ever know if you like it is to try it.

That's why I'm going to try it, I can always go back.

[Spike60]

That's right Todd. And as easy as it is to try it out, anybody who's really curious can find out for themselves whether they like it or not. It's really a matter of personal preference, not a right or wrong thing.

[madosta]

My stock 261cm came with 18" .325 - I occasionally run a 18" 3/8 with RSF (full skip) and it's not terrible. I ended up going back to .325 since it's my smaller limbing saw mostly and seems better buried in the cut when I do buck with it. I have a hard time picking the saw and setup so I'd try it out like you said. It's fun.

[old guy]

I still don't buy it. The 2 drives aren't indexed in his hand the same so still not a fair comparison. I've also heard of a arborist local to me using a 3/8 skip chain on his 200T with great success. I don't see still.

The fact that you don't buy it doesn't change the fact that it is so, go buy one of each and see it for yourself.

[Tacotodd]

@old guy  I do plan to just to find out. The chain dl count will be the same and if it's not going to be working then I won't be out much coin 🪙.