How well will a new MS660 pull 404/063 chain?

[terrifictimbersllc]

Wondering if anyone uses 404/063 chain on an MS660 and how that goes with respect to power and oiling.  How does this work for you and what bar length and chain do you use?

I want to put a 50" cannon bar on my 660 occasionally for trimming flare from large logs, and to try my hand at "Customsawyering" big logs in half.   If I change the rim sprocket to a 404 one (bailey's sells), I can use a stock 50" cannon 404/063 bar for the MS660 from Bailey's.  Guessing enough people use the 404/063 on the MS660 since they stock this bar.   Stihl 27AX 404/063 chain, which is what I'd use,  is .025" thicker in the body (width outside the tie straps), and .08" thicker cutter to cutter width than the 375/050 chain which I'm using currently on the 36" bar.   Don't know about 375/063 chain.

This question is related to another post: https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,58848.new.html#new

[joe_indi]

terrifictimbersllc,
5 years ago I  sold a couple of MS660 for use with Stihl 46RS sawchain.
I changed the rim sprocket and guidebar to accept the 404 chain.
The shortest available  404 guidebar with a sprocket nose was 20" (50cm).
A 16" Solid Nose bar would do since the issue of chain pitch does not arise.
The heavier 404 chain does reduce the maximum speed of the saw.But they never came back for engine rebuilds, like it happened with MS660s running 36RS chains on 20" bars.
In the case of the latter underload used to cause the crank big end bearings to burn out from high revs.
I have no idea of the present condition of the MS660s running the 404 chain because that customer bought enough stuff to last him a couple of years:
46RS 2 Rolls
Carlton B3 2 Rolls
Rim sprocket a dozen
Bar noses 6
Sprocket needle cages a dozen
Files etc.

One thing I can say is that where each 36RS chain had service life output of 250 metric tons, the 46RS had nearly 650 tons.

Joe

[terrifictimbersllc]

Hi Joe,your info very helpful.  So which of the two chains 404 or 3/8,  would you recommend for MS660 with a 50" bar mostly cutting 24-36" wide wood (trimming log flare and bumps), but sometimes ripping 36-45" logs lengthwise in half, free-hand? 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I have a 32" bar in .404/.063 and one in .375/.050 that I run on my 066 and have noticed that the heavier chain is slower to rev up and harder to maintain RPM in the cut. Personally if somebody didn't give me the .404 b/c I wouldn't be running one as the saw just isn't as peppy and it doesn't match everything else that I have with 3/8 chain on it.

[joe_indi]

...... So which of the two chains 404 or 3/8,  would you recommend for MS660 with a 50" bar mostly cutting 24-36" wide wood (trimming log flare and bumps), but sometimes ripping 36-45" logs lengthwise in half, free-hand? 

Now, this might sound extremely foolish to my peers on the forum, but, what I personally found to be the best combination for a 066/MS660 was a 20" 1.3mm, 3/8" guidebar (which was delivered to me by mistake) , a 20" 63PM chain and and an eight teeth rim sprocket. With the currently available PS3 saw chain this combination would only be better.
Joe

[terrifictimbersllc]

Chevy, from your experience it sounds like 404 chain and 50" bar would be even worse, that I should go with 3/8 chain.  The bar bailey's stocks is 063 but except for the 0.013" greater thickness of the drive links it should be the same as 050 /375 chain.

Joe, not sure if you're suggesting something to me about the 50" bar or not.   I bought my MS660 with a stihl 3/8/050 36" bar which is fine for most uses, for shorter bar needs I use smaller saws.

[BBK]

We used a 051-AV with a 36: bar & 404 chain for years. Great saw with this combination. Not high speed but lots of torque. When the 051 got a little tired we picked up a MS660 and started out with a 42" bar and 404. That was a huge dissapointment. Choked up a lot in big poplar and sycamore and didn'r do well with big oaks either. The saw shop talked us into a 48: bae and 3/8 ths chain. Lord whart a difference. The 660 handled everything with this new combination very well.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Thanks bbk . Now in my mind it's settled, am waiting to find out if I can really get a 50" Cannon in 3/8 either 050 or 063 and how long it will take. Csb s1 50 (50 or 63) 3 are the cannon numbers for these bars in the small stihl mount (S1).