Guide Bar comparison tests, measurements & pictures

[redbull660]

first few posts - video bar tests - 24" bars , 28" 32" 36" and 20" in that order.
posts after that = bar measurements and weights
posts after that = pictures of all the bars on saws -ms361 ms461R ms660R ms661R

24" Test

Bars tested -
25" Stihl 050 narrow nose bar
25" Stihl 063 Wide tip bar (brazil made)
24" Cannon Super Bar Plus (wide tip) 063
24" Sugihara light bar .050
24" Tsumura 063 light bar


introduction -



Differences in temperature after cutting (also see spread sheet)



Differences in balance/handling?



Differences in bar stiffness



Difference in Time / Speed (also see spread sheet)

Difference in oiling?
https://youtu.be/DWXmH_pLAEA

 

[redbull660]

28" test

Bars tested -
28" Stihl 063 regular weight bar
28" Cannon Super Bar Plus (wide tip)
28" Total Super Bar .050
28" Stihl 050 light weight bar
28" Sugihara light bar .050
28" Tsumura 063 light weight bar


Introduction...



Differences in temperature after cutting


Differences in balance/handling



Differences in bar stiffness



Difference in Time / Speed



Difference in tune?
https://youtu.be/tNIwB7LR7_E


Difference in oiling?
https://youtu.be/3fA7z0J3guU

extra test -

I took the clear coat off the Tsumura to see if it would run even cooler. It does.
The inserts look hot but it's the metal behind them that is hot. You can put your finger on the inserts.

 

[redbull660]

32" test

32" Stihl light bar 050
32" stihl ES bar 063
32" tsumura light bar
32" sugihara Light bar



Difference in Temps after cutting



Difference in speed / cut times



Difference in bar strength/flex



Difference in how bar balances on saw



Difference in Oiling



Difference in Tune - does it change?
https://youtu.be/ExMIDK-KMUI

 

[redbull660]

36" test

Bars tested -
36" Stihl 063 regular weight bar
36" Stihl 063 wide nose bar
36" Tsumura regular weight bar
36" Stihl 050 light weight bar
36" Tsumura 063 light weight bar


- Differences in temperature after cutting



Differences in cutting times?



Differences in balance/handling?



Difference in tune?



difference in bar strength / flex





based on the 32" tests:
I opt'd not to spend the $$$$ for the 36" sugi. IMO it doesn't have enough cut outs in the back to make it worth while as a "light bar".

 

[redbull660]

20" test

 

[redbull660]

here is a collection of pictures and measurements I've taken over the past couple of years...

I don't have pictures of every bar. But did keep some stats on all of them. See spread sheet below.

Please add any and all pertinent guide bar information you have to the thread. thanks!

20"
stihl .050 narrow tip

20" stihl .063 narrow tip

20" sugi

20" cannon super bar plus wide tip .063 (wide tip super bar plus no longer produced)

20" tsumura

24-25"
24" tsumura

24" cannon super bar plus wide tip .063 (wide tip super bar plus no longer produced)

24" sugi

25" stihl .050 narrow tip

25" stihl .063 wide tip (wide tip 3003 bars no longer produced as of 2014)

28"
28" stihl .050 wide tip (wide tip 3003 bars no longer produced as of 2014)

28" stihl .050 narrow tip

28" stihl .063 narrow tip

28" stihl .050 light bar - narrow tip (never made a wide tip light bar)

28" stihl .063 light bar - narrow tip

sugi 28" .050 93dl version bar - I've heard as of mid 2015 they were making 91dl version?

28" tsumura

28" carlton/ tsumura for a short time tsumura made bars for carlton. basically a tsumura light but with out the cutouts...everything was the same as a tsumura bar. oiler, steel, rail design, tip etc. just marked carlton

28" total. made by tsumura, imported to US by Tilton. only available in .050 and only in solid format. *update: My understanding is Tilton recently got tsumura to send .050 light bars. So you can now get tsumura made total marked .050 light bars.

 

[redbull660]

28" cannon super bar plus wide tip .063 (wide tip super bar plus no longer produced)

28" cannon superbar narrow tip .063

28" oregon light bar .063

30"

30" stihl narrow nose .063

30" stihl wide nose .063 (wide tip 3003 bars no longer produced as of 2014)

*I have a picture of a tsumura 30" somewhere. will edited it in when I find it.

32"

32" stihl narrow tip .050

32" stihl narrow tip .063

32" stihl narrow tip .050 light bar

32" sugi hara

32" tsumura

36"

36" Tsumura solid bar .063

36" Tsumura light weight bar .063

36" Stihl ES bar .050 hard to read but says - 5 lb 2.0 oz

36" Stihl ES bar .063 says 5lb .5oz so 1.5oz less than stihl 36" .050 bar.

36" Stihl ES Light Bar .050 3lb 10.5 oz

36" Stihl ES WIDE tip bar 5lb 7 oz

36" Cannon Superbar PLUS .063 (no longer produced) 5lb 10 oz

41"

41" cannon superbar PLUS .063 (no longer produced) 6 lb 6 oz

 

[redbull660]

20" bars on 361 461 660 661


20" Cannon Super Bar Plus MS361

20" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS361

20" Sugihara Light Bar MS361

20" Tsumura Light Bar MS361

****************************************************************************************
20” bars on 461R



20" Cannon Super Bar Plus MS461R

20" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS461R

20" Sugihara Light Bar MS461R

20" Tsumura Light Bar MS461R

****************************************************************************************

20” bars on 660R


20" Cannon Super Bar Plus MS660R

20" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS660R

20" Sugihara Light Bar MS660R

20" Tsumura Light Bar MS660R

****************************************************************************************

661

20" Tsumura Light Bar MS661R

 

[redbull660]

24-25" bars 361, 461, 660, and some 661


MS361

24" Cannon Superbar PLUS (no longer produced)

25" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS361

24" Tsumura Light Bar MS361

************************************************************

MS461-R

24" Cannon Superbar PLUS (no longer produced)

25" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS461R

25" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS461R

24" Sugihara Light Bar MS461R

24" Tsumura Light Bar MS461-R

**************************************************************

MS660-R

24" Cannon SuperBar PLUS (no longer produced)

25" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS660R

25" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS660R

24" Sugihara Light Bar MS660R

24" Tsumura Light Bar MS660R

*********************************************************************************

661R pictures

24" Tsumura Light Bar MS661-R

 

[redbull660]

28" bars 461, 660, some 661


28" Cannon Super Bar Plus MS461R

28" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS461R

28" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS461R

28" Total Super Bar MS461R

28" Carlton MS461R

28" Stihl ES Light Bar MS461R

28" Sugihara Light Bar MS461R

28" Tsumura Light Bar MS461R

************************************************************************

28" bars on 660R


28" Cannon Super Bar Plus MS660R

28" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS660R

28" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS660R

28" Total Super Bar MS660R

28" Carlton MS660R

28" Stihl ES Light Bar MS660R

28" Sugihara Light Bar MS660R

28” Tsumura Light Bar MS660R

28" Oregon Light Bar MS660R

****************************************************************************************

661R pictures

28" Cannon Super bar Plus MS661R

28" Oregon light bar MS661R

 

[redbull660]

30" bars on 660 & 661


30" Stihl ES narrow tip 660R

30" Stihl ES WIDE tip 660R (no longer produced)

30" Tsumura Light Bar 660R

**********************************************************************

661R

30" Tsumura Light Bar 661R

************************************************************************

32" bars on 461 660 & 661

461

32" Stihl ES narrow tip bar MS461-R

32" Stihl ES Light Bar narrow tip MS461-R

32" Tsumura Light Bar MS461-R

32" Sugihara Light Bar MS461-R

************************************************************************

660

32" Stihl ES narrow nose MS660-R

32" Stihl ES Light Bar narrow nose MS660-R

32" Stihl ES Light Bar (new style) MS660R

32" Sugihara Light Bar MS660R

32" Tsumura Light Bar MS660-R

****************************************************************************************

661R

32" Stihl ES Light Bar (new Style) 661R

 

[redbull660]

36" bars on 461, 660 and some 661


36" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS461R

36" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS461R

36" Tsumura Solid Bar MS461R

36" Stihl ES Light Bar MS461R

36" Tsumura Light Bar MS461R

********************************************************

660R 36” bar pictures


36" Stihl ES Narrow Nose MS660R

36" Stihl ES Wide Nose MS660R

36" Tsumura Solid Bar MS660R

36" Stihl ES Light Bar MS660R

36" Tsumura Light Bar MS660R

36" Cannon Superbar MS660R

***************************************************************************************

661R 36" bar pictures


36" Tsumura Light Bar MS661R

36" Cannon Superbar MS661R

36" Cannon Superbar PLUS MS661R (no longer produced)

 

[redbull660]

last of 660 and 661. Then 084 and MS880 stuff

41" Cannon Superbar MS660R

41" Cannon Superbar MS661R

41" Cannon Superbar PLUS MS661R (no longer produced)

50" Cannon Superbar MS660 (thanks to mdavelee)

***************************************************************************************

Stihl 084 Pictures -

36" 3002 large mount Tsumura Light weight bar

**************************************************************

Stihl MS880 Pictures

36" 3002 large mount Tsumura Light weight bar MS880

72" cannon superbar MS880

large mount 3002 36" tsumura light weight bar

large mount 3002 72" cannon superbar plus 198dl .063 .404

Stihl Wide Tip vs Narrow Tip

near the height of my madness...

 

[redbull660]

To sum it up, based on all the testing I've done. IMHO...

.050 vs .063
16"-24" I think is fine in .050
28" and beyond, should be .063

16-24" - I like either Total Super bars in .050 or Tsumura Light .063
28-36" I like Tsumura light .063
41" + I think Cannon Superbar .063 is your best option

Tsumura -
- best tips/sprocket noses
- oil the best
- dissipate heat the fastest most efficiently
- over all I think they are the fastest
- over all i think they run the coolest
- believe it or not I think they run the smoothest
- most consistent in times (figured that out for my tests)
- last the longest or would be neck n neck with cannon

 

[avarius20]

I got a new total super bar 28" .058 92dl a couple weeks ago. Husqvarna mount though. Far superior oiling compared with a husqvarna (oregon) power match that came with the saw.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[redbull660]

couple of 36" bars on the 661R Arctic....

36" Stihl Light Bar (new design). I put a new tip (which come black instead of white)...thought it might look cool.

36" Tsumura Light Bar

 

[marshall]

Makes me feel better about my CAD.

 

[zogger]

An amazing review!

OK, pick, one saw and bar combo for the best running/feeling, most satisfaction. Ya, I know hard, but...

 

[svk]

I applaud you for the time, $ invested, and amount of detail you put into these tests.

 

[Conquistador3]

Great write up! Any chance you'll do 16"/18" bars? I may be on the market for one in the not so distant future.