Humor me on this theoretical mod to a Husky 240 chainsaw

This is probably more a mental exercise than anything (perfect for a Sunday afternoon), but could the sprocket on the Husky 240

.325-7 Tooth Drum Asembly [530048132] for Husqvarna Lawn Equipment | eReplacement Parts

be swapped out for one with an extra tooth? It appears that these saws have either a 6 or 7 tooth sprocket? I'm not sure which mine has, I'd have to pull the bar and count.

And then put on a smaller bar, such as this

501959245 - Husqvarna Chainsaw Bar 12" - HL-280-45

coupled with a non safety chain. Could this actually be doable?

I'll be upgrading from the mighty mouse sometime this year, so it will be the spare or limbing/bucking duty kind of saw.

I know it seems absurb, but would it be possible? The majority of my wood is white poplar, and a 14" tree is a big one, not the norm. Lots of 4" to 8" get processed on the bucking stand.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

Anyone?

 

You could change sprocket, bar and chain to .325. I don't think saw would pull as well. All 42cc (and smaller) homeowner saws, that I know, come in 3/8LP. (Maybe one comes in .325 but never heard of it.) With a good yellow chain - eg: 91VXL, they do pretty well.
I don't know if you'll find a .325-8 for that saw. Standard is .325-7 and 3/8LP-6.

 

You could change sprocket, bar and chain to .325. but if ya want a shorter bar , I would just stick with 12" 3/8 pitch
Woodlandpro 12" Arbormax Bar & Chain Combo Universal Mount (45 Drive Links) Wpa 12 Um50 / Wpl 30Lp45 | WoodlandPRO ArborMAX Bar & Chain Combos | WoodlandPRO Chainsaw Bars | www.baileysonline.com

 

I must have the 3/8LP-6, that would be the 6 tooth sprocket then? That would explain why it's so pokey, besides the lower power I guess. The 91VXL is my replacement chain, I'm just wearing out the original one first.

Is there such thing as a 3/8 with 7 tooth sprocket that may possibly fit? I was thinking if I had an extra tooth, it will spin faster, and a shorter bar would help by having less chain to spin. ???

I noticed the T435 Husky has a shorter bar, about the same power, and a higher chain speed. Would be neat to get a bit more speed out of this saw.

 

Me either, I'm flying blind at full power.

 

I only want a shorter bar if I could get the sprocket with more teeth. Not sure if it matters, but I think that's how they do it.

 

What size bar you have on there now?
A bigger sprocket will increase your change speed but decrease your torque in the cut and a saw that size needs that torque, but then again it might work with. 325

 

It has a 16" bar on it now. I had read about guys changing sprockets for more speed. I figured with the smaller wood I cut, that I could sacrifice some grunt for chain speed.

 

I'm not a Chainsaw Pro and don't know if any of them will chime in here because I think they all left.

 

OPE?

 

I don't believe that there's a 7 tooth 3/8 drum for the 240. Could be wrong. I don't believe that you'll be gaining much going to .325 vs just switching to stihls ps3 chain. And as for a shorter bar go for it.

 

No 7 tooth 3/8 drum that i know of. I agree Stihl makes some of the best chain out there. Switching to the ps3 on a small saw will surprise you!

Oregon vxl is pretty good too for a budget friendly option, but its semi chisel and won't be as fast as the stihl.

The big thing is keeping your chain sharp. I'd switch chain and keep the original chain for dirty jobs.

If your considering switching gauge, switching to narrow kerf chain would give you a bump in speed.

If you want faster out of it, what about a simple muffler mod? More power = more speed = more better! That won't cost you a thing. Except a little bit of your time.

There are still a few of us who know chainsaws pretty good still hanging out here.

Of course I'm no expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once........ About 5 years ago.

 

I did the muffler mod, and now require MOAR POWAH! It worked pretty well I'd say.

 

I haven't played with the narrow kerf. Hmmmm..... I saw a small spline drum for the 240. Does it have the snort to pull an 8 .325nk on a short bar?

 

There's not a big difference in the maximum chain speed between a 6T-3/8LP and a 7T-.325 sprocket -- between 3 and 4% if you pretend that torque doesn't matter at all, and less than that in the real world.

For much of that range, I'd guess that trading torque for chain speed would actually hurt the performance. Gearing up the chain speed is only useful if the saw has the power to maintain the speed in the cut, and with a low-power saw that means it's only useful when making cuts that demand very little power, i.e. small diameters, or softer woods, or both. Light limbing and trimming, or felling on a Christmas tree farm? Great! Bucking 8" hardwoods... not so much.