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Stihl chainsaw bar question

mopar4u

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Nov 25, 2012
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131
Working on brother in laws stihl 250c. Was run with no bar n chain oil for unknown amount of time. Sprocket on end of bar seems fine. A lot of bluing. Is the bar junk?14042A61-746B-43A6-8A11-EAC508339D08.jpeg06FC70BC-DD69-49BA-88F1-2124E983A5B8.jpeg1C9701F8-3698-4174-967F-5C5C8FBF6E23.jpeg
 
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PCustoms

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Is the sprocket free?

Is the chain hanging up?

Looks like hell but probably functional. If not, a bar isn't expensive.
 
OP
M

mopar4u

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Nov 25, 2012
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Sprocket is free. Chain is not hung up. Stihl Bar is about $85. I dont put aftermarket stuff on his equipment unless its proven stronger/better.
 

101SCOUT

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Feb 25, 2017
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It is from electric rail hardening it is fine, start saw up without bar, chain or cover and check oil flow
 

garfieldzzz

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BY
Stihl gives you a depth measurement for the bar groove (for a Rollomatic E .325 its 6mm) so pretty easy to determine if shot or not. It just matters if the chains traction links touch the bars inside ( is „grounded“ or not). If its still deep enough just deburr the sides and check if they are still sorta straight and go for it. The blue is nothing to be concerned off.

Stihl guide chains and bars
 
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finn

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The UP, God's country
Probably has a pretty good burr worn into the rail.

Clean Ir up with a flat file and run it.

Stihl makes a very good bar, but a quality aftermarket bar is better than a damaged or worn Stihl bar..

I usually get mine from Bailey’s
 
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Bretny

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The blueing is normal but I bet the chain is prety floppy in the grove. This allows the chain to wonder around and makes for difficult or crooked cutting.

I have had 2 forester premium (the silver and black ones) since 2018 and have been very happy with them over the Stihl brand bar. The forester premium bars are a bit harder, there also cheaper than a stihl bar.

I cut 5+ cords of hardwood every year. Not including any pine I mill up. Carlton makes good cheap chains too. There about the same hardness as a stihl chain. Oregon i found to be soft.
 
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MattN03

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Nov 4, 2007
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KY
Yep, my Stihl Farmboss looks like that. If the sprocket spins freely and the track is free of burrs, I'd continue to run it.
 

Bretny

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Yep, my Stihl Farmboss looks like that. If the sprocket spins freely and the track is free of burrs, I'd continue to run it.
Just because it meets those requirements dosnt mean the bar is good.
I have never had a sprocket lock up but threw out plenty of bars.
 

bassJAM

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Cincinnati, OH
Like others have said, the bluing is from the factory. Check the depth to see if it's still in spec, and dress the bar if the steel has started to roll on the edges and get that bar back into service.
 

PCustoms

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I bought an Oregon bar when the wear on my Stihl looked excessive.

The Stihl is still usable once I cleaned it up. Anyone ever re-paint to keep it slick?
 

Kscardsfan

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The Little Apple
The blueing is normal but I bet the chain is prety floppy in the grove. This allows the chain to wonder around and makes for difficult or crooked cutting.

I have had 2 forester premium (the silver and black ones) since 2018 and have been very happy with them over the Stihl brand bar. The forester premium bars are a bit harder, there also cheaper than a stihl bar.

I cut 5+ cords of hardwood every year. Not including any pine I mill up. Carlton makes good cheap chains too. There about the same hardness as a stihl chain. Oregon i found to be soft.
Where do you get your bars?
 

RPH

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Dec 17, 2006
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Michigan Thumb
We built and installed 2 chain bar hardeners at the Blount division of Oregon industries. They made the bars and chain. That pattern is what we were looking for. Very nice CNC machines that do both sides at once. Can even heat treat the banana bars that would show up now and then.
 

jpaw

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Dec 23, 2018
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Michigan
As long as the sprocket is free and and the chain pins aren't rubbing on the bar clean it up and run it.
All after you check that the oiler is working.
 

tibwd

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Aug 10, 2010
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Use a mini grease plunger on that sprocket as part of the bar restore grease hole is right in the middle of the sprocket in pic #1
 

PoorUB

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Fargo, ND
The only issues to be concerned with the bar is if the groove is worn too wide, the two edges of the bar not even, groove too shallow from bar wear, and a bad tip sprocket. There might be something else, but that is the bulk of it.

I had a small engine shop and would take worn bars and hammer the sides in to close the groove, then run the bar across a belt sander to square up the rails. Tip sprocket can be replaced.

The bluing is from the factory.
 

Sgtboz

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Mar 6, 2017
Messages
115
Working on brother in laws stihl 250c. Was run with no bar n chain oil for unknown amount of time. Sprocket on end of bar seems fine. A lot of bluing. Is the bar junk?14042A61-746B-43A6-8A11-EAC508339D08.jpeg06FC70BC-DD69-49BA-88F1-2124E983A5B8.jpeg1C9701F8-3698-4174-967F-5C5C8FBF6E23.jpeg
That's the way they come. I think it's from hardening the edge to make it last longer.
 
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