is it ok to upgrade my MS260 sprocket size to 3/8?

[aleach1728]

I have recently bought 50 brand new stihl chains at a bargain price 13inch and 15inch chains which i thought would fit onto my stihl MS 260...

 

I got home and placed the 15inch bar and chain on the saw and got the saw running and it did now sound right the chain running round the sprocket i took the cover off and the chain did NOT fit snug round the sprocket which rang alarm bells to something was wrong...

 

Iv taken the chains to seddons a local stihl dealer and they said the chains fit the next size up chainsaw with a 3/8 sprocket MS 290 upwards.

 

They suggested 2 options...

- Buy a bigger saw so the chains would fit

- Upgrade the sprocket to 3/8

 

They said in theory the upgrade should work so thought i would ask the question on here if anyone had any idea to wether this would work...

 

thanks for any help adam

[Steve Bullman]

it would work but the saw would run like a bag of poop

[treequip]

Stihl only list the .325 chain for the 260. The 3/8 you have would mean upgrading the drive sprocket and changing the bar. I don’t think that will be an easy fix.

 

Option 3 forget the idea and flog the chains on here or the bay

[Steve Bullman]

Stihl only list the .325 chain for the 260. The 3/8 you have would mean upgrading the drive sprocket and changing the bar

 

thats what he said:001_rolleyes:

[Rupe]

Not much call for 13 inch 3/8 chain!

[aleach1728]

i cant see how it would make that much of a difference the MS260 runs a 15inch bar as an option and its only the sprocket increasing by millimeters..?

[Steve Bullman]

trust me, it will run sluggish as anything....the 260 isnt powerful enough for it. i have a 341 which i downgradred to .325 as it wasnt man enough for the stock chain(IMO)....by all means change it..it will run it but dont expect any high performance from the saw.

[Steve Bullman]

ahhhhh, something else that may present a problem for you is the mounts may throw the chain sizes out so all your pre-made chains wont fit anyway. like i said, i put a .325 bar on my saw but the 62dl chain that would normally go with it wont....i have to add 2 extra drive links

[aleach1728]

what work do you class as using the saw to high performance sluggish at logging up...?

 

Im in the position of having 50 chains sat in my garage doing nothing which dont think many people will be interested in buying them cheap...

 

the chains are -

 

1.6mm 50 links 3/8 13inch bar

1.6mm 56 links 3/8 15inch bar

 

or use them for myself and upgrade the sprocket to 3/8 for £15 plus labour...

[treequip]

Ohhh I see

 

I was pointing out that it would need a sprocket and a new bar.

 

Since a 3/8 bar isn’t a standard fit for the 260 it would probably need drilling to make it fit

 

Way too much work particularly considering it would, as you say, be detrimental to what is otherwise a decent saw.