Bar and chain combo for MS460...what are you guys running?

[madhatte]

Stihl and Oregon semi skip square ground is the fastest stock chain I've ever used for both hardwoods and Fir.

Yeah, it's nice stuff. I only have one 28" loop of the Stihl right now, in 3/8 .050". I ate the other I had when I hit bullets clearing blowdowns. I think I'll pick up a couple more loops next time I'm in the market. Usually I use full-comp for everything. A lot of the saws I buy come with skip chain (even with bars as short as 20"!) so I have a bunch of that, too.

 

[mdavlee]

I think some of the oregon is better off the roll than the stihl in square ground. I do like semi skip or full comp up to 41". Semi skip is nice on a 28-36" bar. Never tried a 36" on a 70cc saw.

 

[little possum]

Never tried a 36" on a 70cc saw.

The topend on my 372 buildoff saw was ported to run 32" bars. Mitch likes torque

 

[mdavlee]

The 576 didn't seem to mind a 32" semi skip stock so I'm thinking it should do fine with it now it's worked over. I have a 36" with semi skip but it's not a light bar so it's pretty nose heavy but might come in handy in some big wood bucking.

 

[indiansprings]

On my 460 it wears a 25" bar 95% of the time with a 8 pin sprocket. I seldom need anything longer, I've dropped a 52"dbh ash with it, no issue. I also carry a 28 and 32" bar in the truck, but seldom have a need for them. I drop back to a 7 pin on the 28 and 32. The saw has zero issues with the 32" but I attribute that to Simon's port work. My dealer sets up all the new 460's and 660's with the 25" bar. Just not much timber in these parts that require much bigger than 25". I am going try some skip chain, mainly to cut down on hand filing time. We run Stihl RSC most of the time, we get more life out of Stihl chain than any other brand. I can get oregon a little sharper, but I feel like it is a little softer, dulls faster. Woodland Pro (carlton) isn't bad for the money, if I didn't get Stihl at very close to the same price I'd use more of it.

 

[stevejr33]

28'' with rs stihl chain. dont have to do mutch bending that way

 

[saw dog]

Hi all
I use Sthil 3/8 - 50 - RSC / on es bars, 25 to 36 in bars. I have no problem with any bar length
on a 460 R since they have the high output oiler. If your chain is actually doing what it needs to be doing, in other words producing large chips instead of dust and you can truly lubercate a 36 in. chain and bar which the 460R will do, but if you are producing dust no saw will produce luberecation to any length chain and bar do to the dust stoping up the the oil ways. So in my opinion most saws of sufficent size will handle what ever size bar you need as long as the chain and oiler is doing what it should be doing. Over the years cutting heavy hardwood using this criteria I have found you can use what ever bar length is needed to do the job. Safe cuttin all.