Extra bar and chain.

[1Alpha1]

Did any limbs fall down and hit ya on the head and make you go to the hospital

Nope, not a single injury or bad experience.

Only thing I was worried about, was my saw not starting.

I had an audience. :msp_scared:

 

[KenJax Tree]

Actually, yes!

Dropped two 30' pine trees on Tuesday for a friend. All went well. :msp_biggrin:

All went well meaning the insurance company agreed to repair the awning and gutter?

 

[1Alpha1]

All went well meaning the insurance company agreed to repair the awning and gutter?

I was happy that the two trees were not close to any buildings. They could have fallen any way they wanted, and it would have been okay.

And yes, I will buy me some PPE.

 

[SawTroll]

Dano,
I run a 16 inch bar and 3/8 chain on my 261 and like it. I think 16" is a very good choice.

If his wood is reasonably hard, I am sure that .325 is a better choise, and he can experiment with 7- and 8-pin sprocket rims. For best performance in clean wood, the chain should be Oregon LP/LPX, but Stihl RS/RSC is quite close.

 

[dave_026]

I concur with the previous posters, 16" is the way to go. I have this set up on my 026, the balance and power are just right.

My dad has a 290 he got new with the 20" bar, I got him the 16" set up and I can see he uses the shorter bar almost exclusively.

One key advantage I found with using a 16" bar, that I don't think gets that much press. Is that for me it is easier to buck small to average sized logs without hitting the nose of the bar in the dirt. Keeping the chain out of the dirt I think many would agree is a key method to keep the chain sharper for a longer period of time.

enjoy your STIHL!

 

[H 2 H]

Nope, not a single injury or bad experience.

Only thing I was worried about, was my saw not starting.

I had an audience. :msp_scared:

Oh that was someone other member here that got hit in the head taking down a tree



Make sure you get a Stihl chain the head and shoulders above any other chain on the market;the rest oh the chains on the market are to soft and you will spend your time sharping them all the time

 

[1Alpha1]

Oh that was someone other member here that got hit in the head taking down a tree



Make sure you get a Stihl chain the head and shoulders above any other chain on the market;the rest oh the chains on the market are to soft and you will spend your time sharping them all the time

Advice taken.

 

[turnkey4099]

Suggested by my local dealer: 16" bar and 3 chains. Change chains every 4 hours and flip bar. By the time the chains are due to be replaced, replace the bar and rim sprocket as well. 18" bar is too close to a 20" bar. Save the 20" bar for the occasional big stuff.

+2

Harry K

 

[blsnelling]

Nope, not a single injury or bad experience.

Only thing I was worried about, was my saw not starting.

I had an audience. :msp_scared:

Performance anxiety?

 

[lambs]

I concur with the previous posters, 16" is the way to go. I have this set up on my 026, the balance and power are just right.

My dad has a 290 he got new with the 20" bar, I got him the 16" set up and I can see he uses the shorter bar almost exclusively.

One key advantage I found with using a 16" bar, that I don't think gets that much press. Is that for me it is easier to buck small to average sized logs without hitting the nose of the bar in the dirt. Keeping the chain out of the dirt I think many would agree is a key method to keep the chain sharper for a longer period of time.

enjoy your STIHL!

Agree with that. I have a 16 and 18 for my 261, and have hardly used the 18. It pulls it just fine, but if I really need a bar that long, I pick up the 039 with a 20" 3/8 pitch RSC chain....

 

[o8f150]

i have at least 1 extra bar for each saw and several chains,, i just got 2 more new bars off of fleabay,,, 1 for my 372 and 1 for my 346

 

[Trailtrimmer]

Actually, yes!

Dropped two 30' pine trees on a friend Tuesday. All went well. :msp_biggrin:

For you, not so much for your friend. :jester:

BTW, another vote for a 16" bar, the 261 love the 16" and 18" bars.

 

[Philip Wheelock]

you must be used to oregon bars if you get a stihl bar you will get at least 20 chains use with proper maintenance

You may be right. Just passing on the dealer's comments. I did wear out the bar on an MS 210 after 50-60 hrs, though - bar groove got wider, chain rocked to one side and the bar shoulder kept hanging up in the cut. It's a thin bar, plus I probably was abusing it.

 

[KenJax Tree]

You may be right. Just passing on the dealer's comments. I did wear out the bar on an MS 210 after 50-60 hrs, though - bar groove got wider, chain rocked to one side and the bar shoulder kept hanging up in the cut. It's a thin bar, and I probably was abusing it.

Running a 210 like its a 460 will do that

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Running a 210 like its a 460 will do that

Yep. So I got an MS 260 pro and abused that on bigger wood. Finally saw the errors of my ways and got an MS 440 (used) and now that saw is abusing me.

 

[missedbass]

Actually, yes!

Dropped two 30' pine trees on Tuesday for a friend. All went well. :msp_biggrin:

Did you use the 261? :msp_biggrin: yes 16

 

[Grande Dog]

Howdy,
I've been talking to some folks that run their 261's in front of a chipper with the narrow kerf set up. They said that they couldn't imagine going back to anything else. They claim the biggest difference is in smoothness. The chain doesn't grab, so when you're cutting small stuff, or brushing, it just cuts branches smoothly without shaking them, or needing to have the wood against the dog to hold it still.
Regards
Gregg

 

[1Alpha1]

Did you use the 261? :msp_biggrin: yes 16

Yes, and it started on the 3rd pull. :msp_smile:

 

[1Alpha1]

i have at least 1 extra bar for each saw and several chains,, i just got 2 more new bars off of fleabay,,, 1 for my 372 and 1 for my 346

I've been watching Fleabay for an extra bar and chain. I haven't been seeing any prices that are so low that they beat a dealer by a whole lot. Most sellers want about $10.00 to ship a bar.

But, I did recently get another 20" Stihl chain for my 261. It should be here any day now.

 

[Abflyboy]

Is it okay to use a 18" bar on a ported 026?