Eiler2641
ArboristSite Member
What is a good aftermarket bar to put on a saw, or should I just stick with buying a replacement bar from stihl?
Aftermarket Bars?
- Thread starter Eiler2641
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sawfun9
Addicted to ArboristSite
It might depend on which saw it's going on. Cannon, GB, Tsumura, and Sugihara are some of the best. Windsor and the German Carlton bars as well as the older Oregon bars are ok as well but I tend to like the Stihl better than the last three mentioned.
i went through this before just get the stihl bar and be done with it made to fit and super high quality :msp_thumbup: i tried a forester bar and it didnt fit the saw right by time the chain was tight the bar was hitting the stud:mad2: returned it added 10 bux and got the stihl problem solved
Great Smokies
ArboristSite Operative
I take a Total over an Oregon, just because they're cheaper for the same level bar, and I've always had them and been happy. Sugiharas are killer bars too.
lmbrman
stumped
I recently tried a tsumura bar and the quality is exceptional. I wore out five chains on the bar and there is no reason to even think about dressing the bar. Cost at my dealer was the same as oregon, which I have used for years. I also tried a cheap forester bar and must say that for the money(around $20) I cannot complain. The paint must have a lot of lead in it, as after wearing out three chains on the bar the paint looks new, but the rails need a light dressing. I will keep the forester bar for dirty jobs like stumps or skidded logs.
bower4311
ArboristSite Operative
If you go to your Stihl dealer consider an "ES" bar over and "E" bar. My dealer doesn't even stock "ES" bars. I just ordered an 18" bar for about $47 or so. If you get the "E" bar which they usually stock, its a laminate bar which is 3 pieces of steel welded together as opposed to one machined piece which is the "ES" bar. I don't believe there is much of a price difference. Maybe 10 bucks at the most. But the "ES" bar has a replaceable nose which has many benefits also.
Anyone looking for Tsumura lightweights can send me an email. [email protected]
Correct me if I'm wrong I believe you gotta go 3/8 for an ES which is a nice, heavy duty bar no doubt. All I can contribute is I know the laminated stihl E is heads and shoulders above a forester bar but yes more expensive.
With the exception of my little Echo everything else sports Stihl ES bars. I mostly use Stihl chain but occasionally pick up some Oregon. I've got 1-Forester B&C as a fall-back spare for my 026. It's still in the OEM packaging. What is its major issue?? soft metal? rail alignment?? or just NOT STIHL??
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
Nothing wrong with the Stihl ES bars but for those guys who think they are noticably better than other decent bar on the market need to get out more 
They are certainly right up there but you pay for the privelage.
In my opinion you can't go past a Tsumura. They're a great bar and even guys who were stuck on ES or older GB Ti bars have made the change and haven't looked back. One thing the Japs do well is good steel and consistent metalurgy. All the better quality pro bars with the correct mount will fit the saw just as well as an original Stihl bar so if you find it doesn't fit properly well it simply ain't the right mount.
I also like the Sugihara bars but I'm not the biggest fan of their spacer setups for certain saws.
They are certainly right up there but you pay for the privelage.In my opinion you can't go past a Tsumura. They're a great bar and even guys who were stuck on ES or older GB Ti bars have made the change and haven't looked back. One thing the Japs do well is good steel and consistent metalurgy. All the better quality pro bars with the correct mount will fit the saw just as well as an original Stihl bar so if you find it doesn't fit properly well it simply ain't the right mount.
I also like the Sugihara bars but I'm not the biggest fan of their spacer setups for certain saws.
ktoom
ArboristSite Guru
Nothing wrong with the Stihl ES bars but for those guys who think they are noticably better than other decent bar on the market need to get out more
In my opinion you can't go past a Tsumura. They're a great bar and even guys who were stuck on ES or older GB Ti bars have made the change and haven't looked back. One thing the Japs do well is good steel and consistent metalurgy. All the better quality pro bars with the correct mount will fit the saw just as well as an original Stihl bar so if you find it doesn't fit properly well it simply ain't the right mount.
I also like the Sugihara bars but I'm not the biggest fan of their spacer setups for certain saws.
How come you dont like the spacer setups? Bad experience?
I picked a Sugi 28" Stihl mount setup. I was baffled that the spacers were those spring thingies. I would had thought they might have been more like a small collar or washer?
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
Too many compromises. A bar designed to fit both a 12mm Stihl and a 9mm Husky will always compromise something. Generally that is the amount of bar adjustment. The included spacers are also laughable on what is quite an expensive bar. It looks like they've just grabbed a few split rings off some fishing lures and hit them with a few different spray can colours
The Sugihara's are an awesome quality bar but it's not that hard with modern machinery to pump out bar mounts designed to fit a specific saw model.
The other issue I've seen with the longer Sugihara lightweight bars is that they're not actually that lightweight. I imported a couple of 32" lightweights for falling and was pretty pis*ed to find that they were only 5% lighter than a 32" GB Pro Top or Oregon Power Match Plus. Nice bars but certainly not lightweight in that length. They seem to have the same number of polymer inserts regardless of bar length so the weight savings on the shorter lengths is probably quite significant.
ktoom
ArboristSite Guru
Too many compromises. A bar designed to fit both a 12mm Stihl and a 9mm Husky will always compromise something. Generally that is the amount of bar adjustment. The included spacers are also laughable on what is quite an expensive bar. It looks like they've just grabbed a few split rings off some fishing lures and hit them with a few different spray can colours
The Sugihara's are an awesome quality bar but it's not that hard with modern machinery to pump out bar mounts designed to fit a specific saw model.
The other issue I've seen with the longer Sugihara lightweight bars is that they're not actually that lightweight. I imported a couple of 32" lightweights for falling and was pretty pis*ed to find that they were only 5% lighter than a 32" GB Pro Top or Oregon Power Match Plus. Nice bars but certainly not lightweight in that length. They seem to have the same number of polymer inserts regardless of bar length so the weight savings on the shorter lengths is probably quite significant.
Gotcha. Might those metal bar adapter's work better or will they not fit?
I remember looking at those spring thingies and saying to myself, "really" lololol.
I havent used my Sugi yet. Its mounted to a jred 2188 which is only a play saw lol.
l remember getting the fishing lure springs and not knowing what the hell they were for...l just put them somewhere..Nice bars those sugis but 'Totol' are the winners IMHO. Have not tried their light and tough but the normal ones are hard as ....k!
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
Baileys do a really nice bar adaptor for the Huskies/Jreds that work well. They are a far better setup than the split rings.
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
The Total bars are now just relabelled Tsumuras. The last Carlton Pro bars were also Tsumuras, now they are the old Windsor Powertips.
Total also ran rebadged GB Pro Tops for a while. I still have a couple in 24" I can't kill, unlike the newer Pro Tops which are crap.
SawTroll
Information Collector
Grande Dog
ArboristSite.com Sponsor
Howdy,
GB is restructured now. Their bars are all made in Australia now, and say so right on the bar.
Regards
Gregg
GB is restructured now. Their bars are all made in Australia now, and say so right on the bar.
Regards
Gregg
MCW
Somebody's talking crap here & it ain't the tree!
I think you'll find Gregg that it actually says "Australia" on the bar, not "Made In Australia". You may have seen "Made In Australia" on the packaging, but not the bar. Classic marketing 101. Unless of course you've somehow received bars from GB that even Australian dealers haven't received yet
Don't be fooled with GB, this debate has been going on for years and not once has GB even tried to prove otherwise. Then you drive past the GB factory in Melbourne and it looks deserted - it even had a "For Lease" sign in front of it. Then guys who have always used Pro Top and Ti bars have started having them fall apart. Something isn't adding up.I want nothing more than to find these are still being made in Australia...
