I have a Stihl 026 saw with an 18" bar running .325 pitch chain - thing is I've been a bit underwhelmed by it. Today I was cutting up a dead pine tree with a John Deere CS46 16" saw with the .375 chain and it did as good or better through everything up to it's capacity. The CS46 has literally never touched wood until today and the 026 is in good health, running well with a relatively new bar and the saw chain was sharpened by a local shop and was spitting out chips and shavings but just seemed to be bested by the shorter, larger chain. I don't know what type of tooth profile or style either are, but the .375 is not the low profile, anti-kickback chain.
What is the designed purpose of both chains? Would I benefit from switching over to a .375 standard chain? I realize the .325 is going to be a bit lighter, but beyond that, I'm not very well read on chains. (I used to make them at a farm store I worked at many years ago and learned of some of the differences but can't remember enough to make an informed decision. My saw, though used infrequently needs to be able to handle all kinds of wood, from largish oak to, well, pine.
What is the designed purpose of both chains? Would I benefit from switching over to a .375 standard chain? I realize the .325 is going to be a bit lighter, but beyond that, I'm not very well read on chains. (I used to make them at a farm store I worked at many years ago and learned of some of the differences but can't remember enough to make an informed decision. My saw, though used infrequently needs to be able to handle all kinds of wood, from largish oak to, well, pine.