Husqvarna 562XPG 3/8 or .325 chain?

[John_Lincolnshire]

I’m a chainsaw novice and my boss has bought me a Husqvarna 562XPG.
Chainsaw was delivered with a 3/8 full chisel Husqvarna X-Cut C85 chain (18”).
I only used a .325 semi chisel chain on the chainsaw felling course (Stihl ms261) which was advised by the instructor. 
Is it advisable to change the sprocket and adopt a .325 chain for safety reasons with me being a novice? 

Note: most tress I will be felling are silver birch, oak, hawthorn etc with a few Scots pine. 

[htb]

No, just get used to it.

[Stere]

Very nice boss

[Ben Pinnick]

Depends on what you're doing. For lots of felling and straight forward cross cutting keep the c85 and just be mindful of the kickback when working around the nose. If your doing a mix you could get a 3/8 semi chisel like an Oregon 73dpx. The semi will be more tolerant of dirt etc. when doing work close to the ground as well as easier to sharpen and less prone to kickback. It only takes 2 mins to swap back to the c85 when you want it. 

 

Better to have multiple chains for all the things you want to do I reckon. You'll get more life from each chain in the long run. 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Ben Pinnick

[5thelement]

You can put a .325 sprocket on but will struggle to find a .325 pitch guide bar carrying the correct Husky mount to match it all up, e.g the 560 bar won’t fit.
You can get bar mount adapters from Rob D at Chainsawbars. co.uk to make it all compatible. 
Fit a semi chisel chain first and see how you get on.

[Brushcutter]

The 562 is the bigger clutched version of the 560 with bigger bar mount. This means I doubt it will go to.325 pitch even if you wanted to. Husky C85 chain cuts really well if you want something a bit tamer get some Oregon 72DPX it's a 3/8 pitch semi chisel chain. If you keep it sharp and use it properly the difference safety wise between full and semi chisel isn't massive. 

 

The real difference  between your 261 on training  and your 562 is the extra power the 562 will have. So faster cutting especially on the full chisel so you will arrive at the hinge quicker than you think. 

[5thelement]

18 minutes ago, Brushcutter said:

The 562 is the bigger clutched version of the 560 with bigger bar mount. This means I doubt it will go to.325 pitch even if you wanted to. 

It can be done, it’s just a faff to do so. You can get a .325 sprocket with a different spline size, then get an adapter for the larger Husky mount to allow a .325 bar to be fitted. 
When I looked around, the only combination I could find was an expensive Cannon bar in .325 with an adapter to allow it to fit the Husky.

[Gordon S]

Hi, personally I wouldn't bother changing the chain configuration, it will make things more complicated later on if you need to start replacing bar/chain/sprocket etc. If it is all standard you can call a dealer and get what you need with less issues.

From a performance point of view, I guess it will depend on the chain on the loan ms261, if it was a bit tired and has various suspect sharpens by NPTC students you will notice a big difference. As mentioned before I would change to a semi chisel chain, it will be more forgiving when using pushing chain and not as grabby. Most importantly take your time when you first use your new saw, find a nice stable log and practice some different cuts to get used to it before you get into felling. Remember your training, be aware of kick back zone, keep your head out of line of the cut. 

Lastly most of us here would love to be given a 562XPG and some trees to go at, so enjoy yourself and stay safe.

 

 

 

[John_Lincolnshire]

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated. I've settled for the Oregon 73DPX semi-chisel chain until I'm familiar with the saw.

Any tips on operating a new 562XPG? 

Husqvarna recommend refraining from high revs for long periods and after 6-10 tanks of fuel to have carburetor re-adjusted by dealer for optimum results?

I was also taught to use Aspen for the first and last tank fill of the day to keep things clean, is that sensible, yet expensive?

[Khriss]

28 minutes ago, John_Lincolnshire said:

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated. I've settled for the Oregon 73DPX semi-chisel chain until I'm familiar with the saw.

Any tips on operating a new 562XPG? 

Husqvarna recommend refraining from high revs for long periods and after 6-10 tanks of fuel to have carburetor re-adjusted by dealer for optimum results?

I was also taught to use Aspen for the first and last tank fill of the day to keep things clean, is that sensible, yet expensive?

Dont let yr mate borrow it on cold / wet days - you wont get it back  K