MS 290 25" bar?

Anyone ever put a 25" bar on the stihl MS290? is it possible?

Physically possible? Yes

Practical? No.

They used to be offered on the 029, I have one like new I may part with if you are interested. It is an oregon power match, 325 x.063 Exact same chain that most 290's come with so you will not have to change the sproket to go from one bar to another. It slows the saw a little but if you keep the chain sharp it pullis it ok.

I wouldn't do it. I tried a 25" on my 310 (against my dealer's advice), which is the same basic saw but with a little more horsepower. It will pull it, but not very well at all. It was amazing to me how much quicker and better it cut with a 20. Even in the little stuff. The extra frictional loss seemed to be just across the thresh hold. It definitely showed me where the limit is. With the bar burried, it just worked the saw too hard. If you want to use a 25" bar, I'd say you'd need to go with at least a 390 or 361. I will admit, it sure looked neat on there, though....:greenchainsaw:

I see you are in PA which means you're probably cutting hardwood. I concur with the others... 25" is too much to ask a 290 to pull in hardwood. If you do get one, make sure you run skip chain to lessen the HP required to pull it.

Ian

bluequill56 said:

I tried a 25" on my 310 (against my dealer's advice

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That's odd. I wanted a 25" for my 310 and the dealer had no problem with selling me one. He even told me, "Yeah a 310 will pull this with no problems."

All of the 310's in the shops around here have 25" bars on them on the shelf.

After I modded the muffler it pulls the 25" bar even better. Can't comment on the 029 though. It's only 2.5cc difference though so I'd imagine with a muffler mod it would pull that bar.

I might also add that I run FS and cut mainly Alder, Birch, Maple, and Cherry.

I think it pulls it all right, espically with the 325 chain instead of the 375. does not like to be burried but will work its way through. I would not recomend it if you planed on cutting 18 to 20 inch oak all the time. That would call for a 361 or 390 at the very minimum. If it is for a few cords of wood a year than have at it. I like a 25 inch bar because you dont have to bend over much to buck smaller stuff on the groud. The extra weight and slight loss of power are well worth a good feeling back to me.

I've got a .325 25" for my 029 with RS chain. I rarely use it but when you must it will work if your cutters are razor sharp and you don't push it. My biggest issue is I can't get my oiler to push enough oil for it.

And I catch slack for running 25's" on my 361's?

Who ended up with that 026/260 on Fleabay that was being sold with a 36" bar a month or so back? If it could pull a 36"...

I personally think a 290 is too small and better suited to the 20" or even better an 18".

I forget who, but someone said that they run 25" bars on 361s all the time in the PNW.

Ian

... sometimes you gotta run what ya got

I wanna know who just outbid me on that cherry 036 that just closed a few minutes ago

Haywire Haywood said:

I forget who, but someone said that they run 25" bars on 361s all the time in the PNW.

Ian

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That is VERY common out here.

Both the 361's I use have 25's on them right now in fact.

.aspx said:

After I modded the muffler it pulls the 25" bar even better. Can't comment on the 029 though. It's only 2.5cc difference though so I'd imagine with a muffler mod it would pull that bar.

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Good point on the muffler mod. I sold the 310 before this site turned me on to muffler mods and carb tuning. It would be interesting to see what it would do with a 25" and a muffler mod.

I still don't see the 290 performing well with a 25", though. I got some decent running time on a friends 290 and it felt/sounded happy with the .325/20" it was sporting.

+1 on the skip chain, if you try it.

sly22guy said:

Anyone ever put a 25" bar on the stihl MS290? is it possible?

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Got talking chainsaws and forgot my manners....... Welcome to the site!!! Hang around awhile and see what your signature looks like in a few months!:greenchainsaw:

COLD_IRON said:

That is VERY common out here.

Both the 361's I use have 25's on them right now in fact.

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What do you run on 460s then?

Ian

Haywire Haywood said:

I forget who, but someone said that they run 25" bars on 361s all the time in the PNW.

Ian

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I run a 25 inch bar on my 361 most of the time (PNW long bar disease). Just make sure that you crank up the oiler on the 290 if you put a 25 inch bar on it. I run a 20 inch on my 290 most of the time. You can also run your 290 with a 25 inch bar with a full skip chain on it. 2/3 the cutters, more torque and you will be able to keep the revs up better. I also found that the .325 B&C suck... on any saw that I have.

BTW: MS361s commonly have 28 or even 32 inch bars on them around here.

Haywire Haywood said:

What do you run on 460s then?

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120"

lol j/k

Thanks for the input guys! I have a 024" that came with a 18" bar. that thing screams through wood (well not right now it needs the carb cleaned). so i just assumed that the ms290 should have more than enough snot to run a 24-25" bar. I dont have much to cut and probly would only you use the saw bout a dozen times a year.

Im new to all of this so you will have to forgive my ignorance. What is a full skip chain? any links to places that sell them? Are the oregon bars good?

It has a lot to do with the operator.

I picked up a job a few years ago, sized it up and established a price to fell and block 12 trees for a new building site.

All 36" plus Ponderosia pine (aka: Yellow Pine) ,,,,all I had was a 310 at the time so I ordered a 36" ES bar and a couple loops of RSKLF (rapid super klassic 'L' ground full-skip) chain and honed them razor sharp and went to town.

I posted a couple vids here at the time, running the saw as fat as it would stand, it sounded sick as h311, but keep spitting chips.

If you ran very shallow DG's (deapth-gauges aka: rackers) like .02 - .025 shallow, and babied the h311 out of the saw, there is no telling what bar you could get away with?

No one ever said it was right, you will kill you saw, eventually, there is not enought bar-stud nor the moter-mount to have fun with this, but it will get the job done.

So run it, you will always have the bar if you choke the saw,,,,,, it would feel right at home on a 440 - 441 - 460 some day!

Haywire Haywood said:

I forget who, but someone said that they run 25" bars on 361s all the time in the PNW.

Ian

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I have two friends with 360's and I have a 361, they all have 25" bars.

If you run skip chain in soft wood with a good muff mod a 290 might pull a 25" bar but I would be concerned with the oilers ability to keep up. You might get away with it occasionally but for regular use you need a bigger saw.