So last weekend I'm out cutting some wood and I get the 180 pinched. I only have one saw so I busted it out with my hatchet only to cut the chain in half. No biggy, I went to TSC and got a new chain only to come home and find out the gauge is .050 and I need .043. Found a local Stihl dealer and fixed that problem. My question is this: Do any of you own an MS180 and if so, have you ever upgraded to the higher gauge bar and chain? If so, was there a decrease in power? I have the 16" bar it came with and really don't want to get a shorter bar to upgrade but the .050 was definitely beefier. I also found a hairline crack in the bar after replacing the chain. I took the Dremel to it and fixed the gap and it seems to work fine. Any thoughts on this?
Inboard clutch is your friend there. Remove the powerhead and swap on a second bar. Or hang in this forum a bit longer and get a few spare saws. I can't comment on the .050 v .043 gauge. I can't tell a difference between .050 and .058 for whatever that is worth on a 50cc saw.
I have used them a lot for carving. It will do ok with the 50 Guage picco but you will be happier with the 43 Guage on that saw it is faster and smoother in the cut. One other thing to be aware of on these saws is the muffler screen they carbon up easily and will kill the power.
Use a propane torch to hear it bright orange, once it's clear, wire brush it quick and it should be good as new.
X2. And ive had 2 Stihl 180's... Stick with .043 whether a 14" or 16 " setup ! The 180 needs every advantage it can get to keep the chain zingin thru the wood Ps... The 180 is one of my favorites btw !
Is the .043 actually narrower than the .050? Other than the driver width? Does it make a narrower curf?
Its a very important derail !! I bet a lot of guys dont know this stuff..... So i think its great to talk about !!
I recommend grabbing an extra bar and chain. Then you can just take the power head off and cut the other bar out and keep on
Took me a bit to realize what you guys were talking about. Lightbulb moment!!! I'd love another saw for sure, but this is way cheaper for the short term. Thanks Gents!!!
