Stihl Rolomatic ES LIGHT bar...very COOOOOOOOL!

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Bounty Hunter

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Been married 29 years, and FORGOT our aniversary a couple of weeks ago...Not Good!
So, as a shameless ploy to git outta the doghouse, I bought Mrs. Bounty Hunter a 28" Stihl Rollomatic LIGHT ES bar for Valentine's Day (Sounds romantic, dosen't it? :msp_biggrin:)

Turns out she loved it...Put it on her cherished 440 BB...

She noticed right away the saw had better balance, even with that 28" bar hangin' out there. I took before and after pics...nothin' scientific, just holding the saw with one hand, loose grip so it sits neutral.
Saw balance is really quite important for a long day's work...it's self-evident, but think about it...when you have to pull up on the front handle to level the saw, you also push down on the rear handle to do it...and thereby putting MORE force on the front handle...so yer working twice as hard, against yerself.

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See the angle of the saw? Now check out the ES LIGHT:

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Not perfectly level, but a lot better! Mrs. Bounty Hunter LOOOOOOOVES it, and is really happy I got it for her.
The bad news? It cost me $142.00 bones...But well worth every penny to get outta the doghouse!
 
It would be interesting to see how the Husky Techlite compares to the Stihl and the Oregon. The Techlite is in the catalog here now, in 20" and 28", .058 only - the only bar mount is "large Husky".
 
Yeah, 10-4...I got it at my dealer. Special order, so didn't get a break on the price.
Darn dealer was feelin' kinda like they were "The Stuff" because they just got a $10,000.00 order from the Kern County Fire Dept...
So they weren't gonna give a small-time firewood cutter a deal that day...:msp_flapper:
 
I can't seem to find a "Light ES" bar. Stihl web site has an "ES Super" and an "E Light," but no "Light ES." Could you be thinking of the "E Light?"
 
The Stihl info calls it "Stihl Rollomatic ES light guide bar - Series 3003"

The part number I got was "3003-000-2238" which is a 28" bar with .050 rails and 3/8" nose sprocket.

They also make 32" and 36" bars, with either .050 or .063 rails...and all in 3/8 chain.
 
How much more is it then the regular ES bar? Nevermind on the price I over looked it ouchhh. Also does it sacrifice any durability?
 
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The Stihl info says "Good stability - substantially higher resistance to bending and warping than three-part guide bars or comparable light guide bars in this class available on the market"

I didn't want to go with an Oregon "Reduced Weight" bar...I've seen 'em delaminate and not hold up well under hard use. This ES light bar seems to be really well made and well engineered...it's made in Germany. Just by test bending, it is not quite as stiff as the standard ES bar but almost. When I have the coin, I want to get another 28" for my 066 and a 36" for the 660.

Now all they gotta do is make a .404 bar for the 880...the 42" and 59" bars wouldn't be such a handfull...
 
Of course it does, the question is how much, and if it really matters with your use! ;)

Depending on what they made it out of maybe not much sounds like it might hold up well tho.

Let us know what you think after its been used for awhile.
 
Of course it does, the question is how much, and if it really matters with your use! ;)

Exactly. What I want to hear is how they hold up in day-after-day use...and I mean tough use. The Oregon RW bars I tried were a disappointment, light but they didn't last.
We'll let the firewood guys beat the crap out of the new Stihl bars and see how they hold up. The firewood cutters are some of the best product testers there are...not always on purpose but that's okay.
Before I spend the bucks they want for a 36" lightweight bar I want to make sure I get enough use out of it to justify the cost.
And, yeah I can write it off but I already have enough write-offs.:msp_wink:
 
Bounty Hunter;2785268 Now all they gotta do is make a .404 bar for the 880...the 42" and 59" bars wouldn't be such a handfull...[/QUOTE said:
Treeslingr made a 36" oregon fit his 880.

Bob the 28" i've got seems to be just like a 28" stihl ES. It takes bucking big oak up and using it to push a wedge out of a felling cut just fine.
 
The Stihl info says "Good stability - substantially higher resistance to bending and warping than three-part guide bars or comparable light guide bars in this class available on the market" .......

It usually is quite uninteresting how marketing presents a product....:msp_rolleyes:
 
Treeslingr made a 36" oregon fit his 880.

Bob the 28" i've got seems to be just like a 28" stihl ES. It takes bucking big oak up and using it to push a wedge out of a felling cut just fine.

Thanks, Mike. That was part of what I was wondering. I've always had the habit, not necessarily good, of popping out the undercut. I did that on a big fir with a 36" Oregon RW bar and tweaked it so bad it was useless. I lost another one bucking a log that was layed across the hill...one end shifted a few feet and the bar went with it. Expensive lessons.

I'd also be curious about, if a Stihl Lw bar gets bent, whether it's as repairable as a regular ES bar.

Go get 'em, firewood guys. Tear some stuff up and let us older cautious types know. :msp_laugh:
 
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