Stihl or aftermarket???

[blstickley]

need a new bar for my saw i have used nothing but stihl bars but they seem to wear out fast and at 60 bucks a pop its getting old can anyone out there let me know how the oregon, carlton, windsor and woodland pro bars hold up and if the are any better then the rollermatic E and ES from stihl thanks everyone for all the help on the tool box thread

 

[Sterff]

What are you cutting that they are wearing out so quickly? I have had the same 32" bar on my big saw for the last 6 years. I cut about 10-20 chord a year. On my smaller 27" saw I have an Oregon bar that has lasted 3 years so far.

 

[blstickley]

mostly just oak, whit oak and locust i cut around 20-30 chords a year for myself and to sell i only run a 20" bar and nothing but stihl chains could it be that its a yellow chain on a green bar would that mater at all? this will be the 3rd bar i have bought in 4-5 years the tips are what fails for me and i have never tried to replace one

 

[188slo50]

Try Oregon bars and chains, used them for years and if you sharpen them correct they will cut side by side to Stihl and there 1/2 the cost.

 

[7echo]

Get the Oregon stellite tipped bar, turn your oiler up to max flow.

 

[cundifc]

Sounds like you are running the chains too tight or poor bar oiling. How much bar oil do you use for a full tank of gas. When you replace a chain or put it back on the bar do you roll it over and use the other side? Using real bar oil?

 

[Benji]

Try greaseing your tip daily if you haven't been it makes a big difference I aways have and they last a long time and I aways run the oiler turned up full too.

 

[blstickley]

stihl bar oil 90% of the time the other 10 is the kind in the green gallon jug flip the bar every time i sharpen and the oilier is cranked up i also run a flat file down the sides of the bar to true it up i tighten the chain so that when you pull up on it you get 1/2 inch or so of play in it i was at a loss that's why i figured i would post

 

[ScottKing]

Running an old chain on a new bar will tear it up faster, as well as cutting dirty wood, especially if it has been sitting on the ground. The yellow chain is the Pro chain, green is low kickback chain, either will work as long as its the correct pitch and gauge.

 

[blstickley]

yeah there the right pitch and gauge i just didnt know if you should be running pro chain on a low kickback bar

 

[woody 73]

Sounds like you are running the chains too tight or poor bar oiling. How much bar oil do you use for a full tank of gas. When you replace a chain or put it back on the bar do you roll it over and use the other side? Using real bar oil?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Sounds like you are running the chains too tight or poor bar oiling. How much bar oil do you use for a full tank of gas. When you replace a chain or put it back on the bar do you roll it over and use the other side? Using real bar oil?

Like woody, I was thinking the same.

 

[Matt018]

Sounds like you are running the chains too tight or poor bar oiling. How much bar oil do you use for a full tank of gas. When you replace a chain or put it back on the bar do you roll it over and use the other side? Using real bar oil?

You said what I was about to say... so yes check your bar oil and also the proper adjustment will help. also ive heard filling the gas and oil at the same time helps too.

 

[cundifc]

Pro chain and low kick back chain will wear a bar the exact same. The difference between pro and low kickback is the ammount of "skipped" chains between cutting teeth. The driver or the bar of the chain is exactly the same on both types of chain. What kind of saw, bar brand, bar length, chain size, and chain type are you using? Are you using the proper gauge of chain for the bar?

 

[cundifc]

As far as I know there is not a low kickback bar. Just low kickback chains.

 

[fireguy]

I always had my bars grooved at the local Husky shop. I also used Oregon bars, chain and sharpening tools

 

[cundifc]

Husky and Oregon are in fact made by Oregon. Just different mounting patterns for husky and Stihl bars.

 

[blstickley]

its a stihl ms 390 and its Stihl 33RSC Saw Chain (.375" x .050" Chisel) chain there are green and yellow bars the rollermatic E is a green or safety bar and the rollermatic ES is a pro bar i have the oiler turned all the way up i use a little more then half a tank of oil to a tank of gas and i tighten the chain to allow about a half inch space when you pull up on it ....fire guy what do you mean by grooved do they open up the channel the chain runs in?

 

[Davefr]

Are you keeping you chains razor sharp and throwing a rooster tail of chips vs. sawdust? Sawdust will clog up the lubrication system and obviously take longer to cut.

Your other issues is oak. It can be full of abrasive silica and very hard on chains and bars.

You should be consuming about a tank of bar oil for every tank of gas.

 

[m151]

They have both low kickback green, and yellow bars.
The green bars just have a little smaller sprocket to avoid kick back.
performance and quality are the same. they are interchangeable.
the same length of yellow bar may require a longer chain.

 

[m151]

do you turn over your bar after every couple of sharpenings? This will increase life.

 

[roalco]

Just a few thoughts, how often do you clean, wash(varsol or brake cleaner) and blow out (just compressed air) your bar grooves, oil hole and tip? Do you do this after every chain sharpenning on the bar? Those filings are killer abrasive and will destroy roller tip bearings, as well as accelerating wear on chains, sprockets and bars. And if you are choking the bars oil channels ( side hole and groove bottom)with debris, you will starve the roller tip of oil. The newer Sthil bars have no tip greasing hole for the tip so they are totally dependent on clean oil unless you manually oil them.

 

[cundifc]

The oiler is not turned all the way up. All the way up would be using almost a whole tAnk of bar oil with a tank of gas. I just sold that exact same saw. Little underpowered to be running a 32 inch bar.

 

[Benji]

You'r not useing winter-light chain oil in warm weather or heavy-summer in winter are you?

 

[pro machine Engineering]

Stihl is the only chainsaw on the market that makes there own bars. Most use oregan made bars or so I have been told. I run Dolmar saws with skip tooth pro chains. Used to run stihls with the anti kickback chains. I can cut a lot more wood with the dolmar set up but Like said in other posts its rougher on the bars

 

[blstickley]

yeah i have no need for a 32'' bar i am no logger im just running a 20" plus we have no old growth timber here... i clean out the bar and the hole saw every morning in the winters when we go cut with compressed air i do not do any extra oiling of anything on the saw but will start makes since that it cant do anything but help..stihl bars are made right here in my state in south east Virginia... i will check the oilier but when you put the torx in it will not turn up anymore so i believe i have tried just about everything listed so does anyone have any experience with the Pro bars i listed Vs the stihl bars thanks for all the insight and help

 

[cundifc]

The best bar money can buy is a canon but they don't make .50 gauge bars. I would try a Windsor speed tip. I never have liked Stihl bars.

 

[blstickley]

thanks cundifc!