Well, CAD got me bad, after I was maxxing out my 36" mill and 394xp I decided to get a husky 3120xp 8). The lightly used 3120xp I picked up is wearing a 24" bar/.404 chain. My 394xp has a 36" .058 bar and 3/8 chain. I'm about to be buying a 42" bar and some others as spares, I would like to use 3/8 on my 3120 since I already own a big bar for it and many chains, however if 3/8 isn't practical for 42" or 54" lengths, then I don't want to invest in it. I want my 394 and 3120 to be interchangeable on my Alaskan and mini mill, that way my 365 is always free and out of a jig for quick use, also so it lives a longer life lol. What are your thoughts?
I think you will be happier with 3/8 on those long bars, .404 is pretty aggressive and will bog the saw down.
what ever bar/chain combo you own or want to run its pretty easy to just change the drive sprocket on the power head. just an e-clip and a washer.
Thanks for the input guys, I guess I was wondering if for milling one chain had an advantage over the other. Does a bigger chain mean a straighter cut on a long bar? Does the wide kerf mean they bog less from packing with chips? I don't have much experience with .404 chain.
I run 3/8's all the way up to a 60" bar, that 394 should be able to pull a 42 without any issues.
The .404 as a ripping chain on the longer bars cuts straighter as it gets more filings on it than the 3/8. Once the 3/8 loses about 20% of the tooth due to filing it won't cut as straight as the .404. All of that is if you are using a chainsaw mill and making big slabs. I like the 3/8 for felling as a chisel chain.
I prefer .404 on my 084....especially the 60" bar. It gets full skip semi-chisel.
If the 60" is on the saw where I live, your cutting something thats full of dirt, fence and only god knows what else.
You aren't breaking any speed records, just want the chain to stay sharp and have the least ammount of teeth to file when (not "if") you hit something.
OTOH, my bars & chains for the 084 won't fit a smaller Stihl, swapping out isn't a concern.
Ed
I did a little experiment on a Mac 125 which has legendary power .Usually running a 36" bar with .404 chisel chain I used an 18" hard nose bar . What is unusual about that is most were sold in .063 gauge this one was .050.Changed the 8 .404 tooth rim to 8 tooth .375 .Although I anticipated a much faster cutting speed it didn't work out that way .There wasn't much difference at all .
I have a granberg mill with parts to switch back and forth between a 36 inch mill and 60 inch. I'm using a Canon Superbar for the 36 and one of the double-ended bars from granberg (72 inches) in the 60 inch configuration. As far as saws, I'm using a Stihl 090 with the governor removed, so lots of power. I'm using .404 chain. I have not used 3/8 but comparing the 404 to the 3/8 on the bench, I'd rather use the 404. It's bigger, tougher, more to sharpen, etc. I feel it handles dirty wood, cuts through nails, or whatever else you hit better than the smaller 3/8. I don't know how much the kerf really makes a difference as far as speed goes. In my area, 404 chain does not seem to exist, so I order it. I'm using granbergs ripping chain and also got a good deal on Ebay on a NOS roll of Stihl Ripping chain. Made up a loop for the 36 and 72. I've got some videos milling if you want to see it all in action, click on my Youtube icon to the left. I've got a video milling up some big walnut and posting a video milling up some large white oak soon. In the walnut, with a sharp chain, I was making a 100 inch long cut at 30 - 36 inches wide in about 3-4 minutes when all went well. Other than hitting one nail right on the head, any nails I hit I cut right through them. Didn't notice most of them.....but a few I did. I think the same nails with a 3/8 would not have survived. The extra size of the 404 allows more sharpening. Hope this helps.