Newb ? new ms250, going from 18'' bar to 16'"

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CUCVJeepJoe

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just bought an ms250 that came with an 18'' bar. would like to go to a 16'' bar. 18'' set up is .325 .063 with 68 drive links. can I just swap a 16'' bar with .325 .063 with 62 drive links or do I have to change the sprocket size/tooth count?

cutting through a lot of oak tree tops on the ground. The b&c set up is constantly gunking up.
 
just bought an ms250 that came with an 18'' bar. would like to go to a 16'' bar. 18'' set up is .325 .063 with 68 drive links. can I just swap a 16'' bar with .325 .063 with 62 drive links or do I have to change the sprocket size/tooth count?

cutting through a lot of oak tree tops on the ground. The b&c set up is constantly gunking up.

Hey Joe , if you will tell us more about your bar and chain problem besides constantly gunking up we can help .
 
Hey Joe , if you will tell us more about your bar and chain problem besides constantly gunking up we can help .

I was gonna try a 16'' bar see how I would like that combination. but so far not very impressed with this saw. first few times I went to cut it was fine. seems like as soon as the chain would throw just a tad bit of dust it was all gunked up around the oiling hole etc. cleaned everything. The guide bar. around the sprocket etc, put it back together, had a light mist of oil on some cardboard. Figured it was good to go. Got cutting. 2 min in, check to see if it was still oiling and nothing.

I've read these ms250's have problems oiling. the oiling hole on the bar is tiny. once again, took bar and chain off, cleaned bar, ran screw driver down guide bar, blew everything out around sprocket etc. and same thing. It's like if the chain isn't perfectly sharp the oiling assembly slings oil everywhere but the bar and dust just caked up in there. I've ran other saws, and never had that problem. echo 440evl, various poulans etc, never had that happen, even if the chain was partially dull. You could get through whatever you were cutting deep in the brush without stopping every two minutes to clean out the bar etc. I'm not the best at sharpening so I didn't really wanna booger up this brand new chain. really only have around 1.5 hrs total run time on it. didn't hit any rocks, never put it in the dirt.

It's just tree tops from logging. chain is just throwing a tad bit of dust. definitely no pro at this, just cut occasional firewood. guess i'll run a file over it. maybe put a new chain on.

Have the two year warranty but i know if I take it back, they see oil coming off the chain, they won't do anything. I'm just using regular 30 wt bar oil. I'll file chain, see if that helps, maybe try a different bar oil, then maybe just open up the bar oiling hole a bit.
 
I was gonna try a 16'' bar see how I would like that combination. but so far not very impressed with this saw. first few times I went to cut it was fine. seems like as soon as the chain would throw just a tad bit of dust it was all gunked up around the oiling hole etc. cleaned everything. The guide bar. around the sprocket etc, put it back together, had a light mist of oil on some cardboard. Figured it was good to go. Got cutting. 2 min in, check to see if it was still oiling and nothing.

I've read these ms250's have problems oiling. the oiling hole on the bar is tiny. once again, took bar and chain off, cleaned bar, ran screw driver down guide bar, blew everything out around sprocket etc. and same thing. It's like if the chain isn't perfectly sharp the oiling assembly slings oil everywhere but the bar and dust just caked up in there. I've ran other saws, and never had that problem. echo 440evl, various poulans etc, never had that happen, even if the chain was partially dull. You could get through whatever you were cutting deep in the brush without stopping every two minutes to clean out the bar etc. I'm not the best at sharpening so I didn't really wanna booger up this brand new chain. really only have around 1.5 hrs total run time on it. didn't hit any rocks, never put it in the dirt.

It's just tree tops from logging. chain is just throwing a tad bit of dust. definitely no pro at this, just cut occasional firewood. guess i'll run a file over it. maybe put a new chain on.

Have the two year warranty but i know if I take it back, they see oil coming off the chain, they won't do anything. I'm just using regular 30 wt bar oil. I'll file chain, see if that helps, maybe try a different bar oil, then maybe just open up the bar oiling hole a bit.
I've opened the oil hole in a few bars, some helped, some just let more oil run out the clutch cover.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
My father uses this saw, came with an 18 inch bar too, but not full Chisel chain,
and no problems oiling, or getting blocked, but some days I get blocked between every tank of fuel,
while others no blockages, make sure oil is coming out before cutting though, if this doesn’t work
try clean engine oil, it’s lighter, maybe it will work better, maybe not, but it’s an easy try,
what am getting at is, the oil coming out to the bar will also prevent the dust on the bar
being pushed up the oil hole to some extent anyhow, without oil coming out there is nothing
In that hole, so there is more chance of it blocking.

There is every possibility the pump may be weak, maybe damaged after running out of oil.

But these small saws don’t have a lot of clearance in around the clutch, and will suffer
in less than ideal conditions and cleaning around the clutch is a constant battle, I use
a plastic handle off a toothbrush that I keep in my pocket and clean out around the
clutch at least during every oil change, it’s always wet damp and dirt caked on the
downed trees I seem to get, so am used keeping a very close eye on chip clearance
and oil flow. I also don’t loosen the bar nuts to tension the chain without firstly
Cleaning around the clutch area, especially removing anything on the top of the
chain cover, as it will fall behind the bar if I loosen the nuts without cleaning first,
then the bar doesn’t seal properly either, causing the oil to escape, I have seen
people do this and the oil dripping off their saw, but not off the bar where it is needed.

Regarding cleaning the groove in the bar, don’t forget that the drive links on the
chain could be holding a lot of dust too, knock it off or it could end up being delivered
to the mouth of the oil hole.
 
Put a 10" bar on that saw and it's a maniac power horse, put a 20" on it and it's not - there is a difference. Besides that excessive bar length that you're not using is bad for maneuverability.
Around where I live that saw is usually used with a 13-14" bar, that is plenty of power at up to 26-28" when you cut from both sides.
 
I had to open the oil hole on an Oregon PowerMatch 36". Looked like the factory bar paint had closed it up a bit. So that's definitely worth a shot.
Definitely try a new chain, or buy yourself a sharpening jig until you get the hang of it. Sharp chains make a huge difference. A quick tip would be to switch to semi chisel (Stihl RM). It stays sharper longer, and is much easier to sharpen effectively.
Another option would be to go 16" picco chain. Either way, a 16" will make a difference, but that size saw really shines with 13/14"
 
I had to open the oil hole on an Oregon PowerMatch 36". Looked like the factory bar paint had closed it up a bit. So that's definitely worth a shot.
Definitely try a new chain, or buy yourself a sharpening jig until you get the hang of it. Sharp chains make a huge difference. A quick tip would be to switch to semi chisel (Stihl RM). It stays sharper longer, and is much easier to sharpen effectively.
Another option would be to go 16" picco chain. Either way, a 16" will make a difference, but that size saw really shines with 13/14"

sorry about the confusion. the saw has semi chisel, I was just responding to the user name "full chisel" in previous post. I've sharpened chains in the past but that was a poulan where you could get a bar and chain for about half the price of a stihl chain or it's equivalent. Just pisses me off i need to **** around with a brand new saw when the saws i've used in the past (even a ****** poulan) gave me less of a head ache!! With this stihl you cut for 5 min, stop, clean it, etc. I'll try everyone's suggestions and see what works. thanks for the help.
 
just bought an ms250 that came with an 18'' bar. would like to go to a 16'' bar. 18'' set up is .325 .063 with 68 drive links. can I just swap a 16'' bar with .325 .063 with 62 drive links or do I have to change the sprocket size/tooth count?

cutting through a lot of oak tree tops on the ground. The b&c set up is constantly gunking up.
Hey Joe. Welcome to AS "neighbor". I'm down in York co. if you need any help with the 250. Also want to extend an invite to the GTG next weekend.
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/central-pa-gtg-october-26-2019-nuthin-fancy.334874/
 

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