Chain weights and options

[IanW]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a husky 555 and was wondering what would be the lightest chain i could run?

 

the lighter the chain the less the motor has to work to move it right, pick up should also be theoretically quicker too..... ok if marginally

 

i currently run a 15' bar .325 pitch, 1.5m gauge with 64 drive links

 

out of all the chain options, is there any one that is lighter than most?

 

a bar change because of the gauge is obvious but how about the sprocket, would the drive links remain the same?

 

i know this is a strange question to ask, but though it could be a good topic to debate and discus.

 

Ian

[spudulike]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a husky 555 and was wondering what would be the lightest chain i could run?

 

the lighter the chain the less the motor has to work to move it right, pick up should also be theoretically quicker too..... ok if marginally

 

i currently run a 15' bar .325 pitch, 1.5m gauge with 64 drive links

 

out of all the chain options, is there any one that is lighter than most?

 

a bar change because of the gauge is obvious but how about the sprocket, would the drive links remain the same?

 

i know this is a strange question to ask, but though it could be a good topic to debate and discus.

 

Ian

 

Not a strange question at all, take a low power saw and put a full chisel 1.5mm chain on it and see how it saps the power:thumbdown:

 

Try the Oregon Micro Lite bar with the 95VPX chain - I have measured it to be 15% faster than full kerf chain which falls in line with Oregons claims.

 

It is a good combination for fast light work.

[spudulike]

Oh, the above would be 0.325"....1.3mm gauge

[IanW]

been looking at the Stihl Rapid chains with a extra drive link and tie strap, claims to be a faster cutting chain and also have less cutters so less to sharpen in the field.

 

Ian

[Stubby]

been looking at the Stihl Rapid chains with a extra drive link and tie strap, claims to be a faster cutting chain and also have less cutters so less to sharpen in the field.

 

Ian

 

Go with what spud said above . I was going to suggest the same .

[Pete Mctree]

The smaller & lighter the chain, the easier it is to damage. Matching the chain to the powerhead is more important IMO

[wisecobandit]

Thing being where do you draw the line and whst are you trying to achieve, just speed of the cut?

 

Resistance is as much the key as weight. Obviously the shorter the bar the better. The race saw boys file down the heads of the rivets etc and sharpen at different angles, height of rakers etc all for speed of cut. Yes the saws are a different league power wise but its still down to the chain doing the work just like smaller saws.

[wisecobandit]

This may help you ;-)

http://www.madsens1.com/PDF/RacingTechfacts_93099.pdf

[IanW]

asking if its possible to take load of the saw with a lighter chain and still have a fast cutting chain with as little drag/friction as possible

[Stubby]

The least resistance is achieved mainly by correct sharpening . I don't think you can seriously damage a chain all the while you keep it in wood and only wood . Hard oak will eventually dull a chain sooner than say , pop but that's just sharpening maintenance .