Just bought a MS880 with Alaskan Mill

[Labrador_Pride]

Hi,

Just bought a MS880 :D with an Granberg III Alaskan mill with a 20 inch bar (regular chain filed to 5 degrees).  Came with a 28 in bar that I would like to buy a ripping chain for.  How do I know the pitch and number of links needed for this particular setup?

Thanks,
Tony

[Savannahdan]

Did you look to see if there are any markings near the bar mounts?  Also, if the bars haven't been used yet put some oil on them before installing the chain.

[Idiocrates]

The 880 will accept either .404 or 3/8" pitch chain.  Look at the drive sprocket......  .404 will have 7 teeth, 3/8" will have 8.  In either case the gauge will be .063" (which is the width of slot in the bar that the chain runs in).

[Savannahdan]

Idiocrates is correct.  I bought a Husky 3120 with .404 sprocket on it but had a 3/8" bar, so I now have a 3/8" sprocket on it.  Kept the .404 one.  So, if you bought it used that's the best way to check the pitch.  Some bars have the information on them and some don't.

[Idiocrates]

I also should add that if your setup is 36" or less you can use either .404 or 3/8" pitch chain as long as it matches the drive sprocket.  If your setup is longer than 36" you will want to use .404 chain only.  It has something to do with the chain being strong enough to open up a wider kerf for the wider cut to help remove saw dust and dissipate heat.

[ToddsPoint]

A chain for a 28" bar has 91 links.  Gary

[Jemclimber]

Welcome Labrador_Pride,

You need to know the pitch and the gauge of the bar. The pitch will tell you the number of links required, the gauge will tell you the width of the groove. It's usually on the bar.

The pitch of the chain is measured by measuring the distance between 3 drive pins and dividing by 2. The number of links in a 28" bar will depend on the pitch, whether it is 3/8th's or .404.

The gauge is the width of the driver link. In 3/8th's it can be 0.050, 0.058, or 0.063 inches and must match the bar. Obviously the wider the driver link the "beefier" it is.
The saw does not determine what bar and chain it can be outfitted with, with the exception that a larger saw should have a heavier chain to except the power.  The number of drive sprocket teeth is NOT determined by the pitch of the chain.  3/8ths and .404 can both have 7, 8, 9 or more teeth on the drive sprocket. The number of teeth determine the speed of the chain, just like on a bicycle, the larger the drive sprocket the faster the chain spins. The faster it spins the faster it cuts.  To spin the chain faster and keep it there in the cut requires more power. A wider kerf requires more power.  Some Alaskan millers use 3/8th's picco chain which has a more narrow kerf than regular 3/8th's and thus increases the speed of the cut because less wood is being removed.
A longer bar requires more power. An 880 is a lot of saw and great for milling.  A 28" bar for an 880 is not much, and personally I would get at least a 9 or 10 tooth rim sprocket to speed up the cut. I'd also outfit it with a 3/8th's,  0.063 bar and chain.

Show us some pics of your new saw and some of your first lumber that you make. We love pics!!!