Dmunyon
ArboristSite Member
Anyone have know of a good bar upgrade an is it even worth doing so from the stock one .was looking at a Tsumura bar . Wasn’t sure if those where good an worth it if anyone has experience with one . Thanks
Stihl ms261 bar swap ?
- Thread starter Dmunyon
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thomasinvancouver
ArboristSite Operative
What do you need an upgrade for?
The Stihl bars are perfectly good, better than most, in fact. Not sure the point of the upgrade unless you are using them enough or in ways that cause you to experience failures, in which case you probably have an idea of what problems you are trying to cure or avoid.
Dmunyon
ArboristSite Member
Not really so much needing , more of a want towards doing up the 261c a bit , plan on doing muff mod later on when warranty is up but for now , planing on bar an whatever else might be some good options for it .
Dmunyon
ArboristSite Member
It’s actually pretty new an haven’t experienced any problems with the saw , it’s great love it . Maybe when time comes to actually needing a new bar seeing what’s good or better than the stihl . If it’s good bar an holds up long down the rd I’d even replace with same one maybe .
Spectre468
ArboristSiteNoob
I run the ES bar on mine. It's an upgrade over the E. Much stiffer. Hope this helps.
Like stated I would wait until your bar is finally toast then purchase a newer maybe better one. I also have that saw and was on a kick to make it better. Ended up buying a 16” Stihl b&c because I thought it would make it more powerful over the 18” that came on it. I was disappointed for the most part, it feels better in my hands but that’s it. It cuts awesome with the 18 it came with, a $70 lesson. Oh well I have an extra in case I pinch one in a tree.
Long story short, unless you need it don’t let your mind trick you into spending on things that may not matter. My opinion.
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Long story short, unless you need it don’t let your mind trick you into spending on things that may not matter. My opinion.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I bought the 261 performance kit from the UK (16” picco bar, rim, and 3 PS chains) but then i bought a new 241 and it had that set up so i’ve never used the kit on my 261. It still has the 18” .325 set up on it.
Dmunyon
ArboristSite Member
Thanks Be , I have to agree , I have the 18” as well an I haven’t even gone through two tanks yet on the saw , can’t wait to see how it is once broken in . Slowly breaking that in an using my 361 also . Not sure which will be my go to saw first once the 261 is broken in . Have you done anything else to your 261 ?
Dmunyon
ArboristSite Member
Have to let me know how that works out on your 261 chisel . For now my 361 is my go to an all stock , love that saw as well but I kinda wanna turn my 261 into the little spoiler , kinda like having a new baby lol .
All the advice given above is solid advice. I would say it depends on what type of cutting you are doing & how much you are cutting whether or not you want or need an extra bar. My theory is I would rather have an extra bar on hand & not need it than not have it & need one; prices are not going to go down over time only up, so I may as well buy it now as to wait a while & pay more later. You can often times find good used bars for sale @ a decent price. If you are cutting a bunch of shrubby snags & small stuff close to the ground or in the dirt clearing fence rows & trails and also felling/bucking for firewood with the saw then I would have 2 bars but I am prone to go overboard on being prepared 
. One for the dirty work & one for felling & bucking. That’s just my philosophy & answer to your question. Tsumura bars are good bars, probably on par with Stihl bars. The shiny stainless steel makes the look flashy but not sure it makes them better. If I remember correctly my 18” Tsumura LW bar is about 1# lighter than my 18”GB bar. The LW bars are significantly more flexible & prone to bend, twist & pinch closed more than a standard bar. If you are just wanting to blow some coin buy a Cannon bar, very rigid, very heavy, very well built & very pricey.
. One for the dirty work & one for felling & bucking. That’s just my philosophy & answer to your question. Tsumura bars are good bars, probably on par with Stihl bars. The shiny stainless steel makes the look flashy but not sure it makes them better. If I remember correctly my 18” Tsumura LW bar is about 1# lighter than my 18”GB bar. The LW bars are significantly more flexible & prone to bend, twist & pinch closed more than a standard bar. If you are just wanting to blow some coin buy a Cannon bar, very rigid, very heavy, very well built & very pricey.
Stihl bars are great. Never any problems from them. I cant speak for bent ones that people cause!
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Tsumura are good and another is the Forester Platinum bars. I bought a Platinum bar because is was a less expensive alternative for my ms461. After using it for a few years, I can say is is equal or better then the Stihls, so much so that I bought an extra.
I will never put it on my 261 now. My 241 has that set up and works great. I will keep the 18” .325 on the 261.
Dmunyon
ArboristSite Member
I’m basiaclly clearing out some oaks an maples in about 7 acres . Not clearing it all but plan on as much as I need for the wood stove so the saw will be put to work on the wknds for some hard hours . Wouldn’t mind a extra bar with little flash for the new saw . I also have good shape 361 that I love also . But would it be worth it to sell that an make the cc gap bigger with 70cc along with my 261 ? There are some monster trees I wouldn’t mind tackling . I think I could get away with the 361 but if better for 70cc I’d rather sell now before more hours build up on the 361 for better sale .
MountainHigh
Selective Tree whacker
Here's a 2013 picture of my Tsumura bar on 562xp. Great bar, this 20" on 562xp is perfectly balanced and still rock solid on this saw (although it now looks less new). This saw cuts 10 to 15 cords of wood each year since then so not a daily work saw.
An 18" Tsumura on your 261 might be nice if you want to spend some money and lose a little weight.
An 18" Tsumura on your 261 might be nice if you want to spend some money and lose a little weight.
Actually i think the Stihl bar is just as light if not lighter.
I’ve never really noticed much difference in light bars until they got to 28” then i could start to feel a difference.
I’ve never really noticed much difference in light bars until they got to 28” then i could start to feel a difference.
MountainHigh
Selective Tree whacker
My 20" Tsumura was lighter than the stock husky bar, about 4 ounces lighter if memory serves. I ain't a spring chicken anymore so every ounce counts if running it all day. But you're making a reasonable point. The shorter the bar the less the weight savings.
Yeah i hear ya on getting old. Stock Stihl bar are lighter than Husky/Oregon bars though.
MountainHigh
Selective Tree whacker
hadn't heard that before... interesting ... let's see if this lights up a debate . . . any photos? - not getting old photos, just bar weight photos.
