Chain sprocket rims

I've never owned a saw that used sprocket rims before. How long do these things last ? Are they something your average home owner cutting 3 or 4 cords a year would replace once a day...once a cord...once a year...never ? Just how much of a consumable are they ? Also, are the splines a fairly standard size...22mm ? Also, can you just switch them from say 3/8 to 404 chain and use the same clutch drum ? Edge-ju-meh-kate me please.

 

I changed mine after about 30 cord , felling, limping & bucking
It was worn, but still usable

Time for a new rim on the 359 ?

 

They last quite awhile, it depends on a few things. Chain tension, oiler, dull chain to name a few. You can change them out for pitch and number of teeth. You do have to match them to the spline on the clutch drum.

 

Buy a couple and stash them in your saw box. Having a new one on-hand will give you an idea of the wear on your current sprocket by comparison.

 

I average 5/6 cord per season and I only need to change them every 2/3 seasons or so. Probably could get away with more but I like to keep them kinda fresh. It’s a cheap maint item. Splines are not all the same size, make sure you have your saw info ready when you order.

Here's what they look like worn:

Good news is that just the rim needs replaced, not the hole spur/drum.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I saw some on ebay for $2.00 a piece, but no reference to which saw they fit....just that they have 7 splines. Ive ordered a new Oregon drum for my Stihl 051 project saw and it has 1 sprocket on it for 404 chain. I just wanted to have a spare for that, as well as a couple for 3/8 chain just in case I want / need to change it out someday. If the spline sizes are all different then I guess this is something Id better walk into the dealer for, rather than hoping something off ebay fits.

 

The cheapy ebay ones are a crap shoot, heard from guys that theyve had em show up way out of round, or just made of really poor quality steel, so they dont last the way they should. Supposed to replace the rim every other chain or so i think?

 

I bought a GB from Left Coast Supplies. It seems to be as good as an Oregon with only a couple of hours running. The Mini is for small Stihl spines while the small is for the other small saws. Check out page 11 too.
Sprockets & Rims – Page 10 – Left Coast Supplies, LLC

 

Yeah, Stihl says something like. I could not find it on their site. I know it is in the manual. They also say replace the bar every 4 or 5 chains or something like that.

 

I just stumbled upon it looking for something else. Stihl says 4 chains, 2 sprockets, 1 bar.

 

I run a boatload of those GB rims from LCS. Nothing wrong with them at all. Great selection too. Just gotta order quite a bit of stuff to make shipping worthwhile

 

While we are on the subject of drums and rims is there really a big chain speed difference going from a 7 to an 8 tooth?

 

Yep. But it translates into the saw's rpm, typically lowering it too much if there is not enough power to pull @ the higher speed.

 

What WW said . You’ll get speed , but lose torque . So, you need a fairly snotty saw to run 8t ,or run a fairly short bar for the saw ,or have a fairly light touch when operating . YMMV .

 

Just picked up a 6400 Dolmar and I think I’m going to run a 20” on it and maybe do some tinkering as well. Its totally stock right now and I haven’t had a chance to cut with it yet to even know how it is power wise.
May be a candidate for an 8 pin?

 

It won't run an 8. You need a saw up around 7hp to run an 8.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

Wow! Really does make a big difference then

 

I have run a 8 pin with a 20" bar on a stock 440 for years . It handles it fine.

 

Handy chart here.

Chainsaw chain speed calculations

 

Is there a way to post the chart here? I'm not on that site.