Bar & Chain Setup for MS260

[J_Ashley]

So I picked up a used but good condition MS260 pro. I actually haven't even started the thing yet - The chain was rocked, and I dropped the chain off to be ground, but anyway...

Because I don't already have enough stuff to do in life - Why not discuss a total replacement of bar & chain...

The saw came with a 20" Stihl bar, and a .325" pitch, .063 gage chain. This saw has a rim-drive sprocket thankfully.

I'd honestly like to drop down to a 16-18" bar for "normal" use, and pickup something in the 24-25" length with skip chain for the rare occasions I need something larger. A 70-80cc saw just doesn't make sense for me. I'll be lucky to use this MS260 a dozen times a year...

I've done lots of reading on the forum so far, and the consensus is that the .325" is the better choice for the 20" & under bar lengths. Would you all agree to this? Or would a 16" 3/8" pitch still be fine for general use? Small tree felling, bucking, firewood cutting? It seems nearly impossible to find a .325"-pitch bar longer than 20". Cannon seemed to have a few, but I'm not sure if they had them in .063" gage...



Should I swap everything over to 3/8" .050/.058 now?
Or just stick with the .325" stuff, and accept that I'll be limited to a max. 20" bar length?



Quick thoughts - For "limbing" I have a MS170 that I can use for small stuff. Especially if the 260 was wearing a long bar with skip-chain. Also, If I ever did get a 70cc saw, I could just steal the 24-25" bar & chain for the "big" saw...



Thoughts?

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Realistically 20" is all you want to run on an 026/260. 16" 3/8 is a decent setup, but not life changing, stays sharp a bit longer while bucking firewood, but it's not as smooth in limbs and small stuff.


If you're dying to run a 24" bar, easiest thing to do would be to find a 3/8x063 bar with a replaceable sprocket nose and put a 325 tip on it.

 

[farmer steve]

This is what I run on my 026 and 261. Cut lots of oak and ash.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

20" is pretty much considered the limit on anything .325 and on a 260...20" is all she's got. I put a 22" 3/8 on my 036 pro, and a 25" on my ms391 to give an idea on how size progresses.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[LogSawyer74]

I run 16" .325 on my 260. Makes the perfect light limbing saw. I think I could run an 18" bar pretty easy. Not sure I would want to run a 20" on it...

 

[cookies]

Rarely do i ever need a bar over 20", most trees here are not over 38" diameter, get a couple different length .325 bars and a roll of .325 chain and move on.

 

[Franny K]

Because I don't already have enough stuff to do in life - Why not discuss a total replacement of bar & chain...

.325 Nk bar and chain, 18" since you already have 20" covered. Then experiment with drive sprocket 7 or 8.

 

[jellyroll]

18'' is plenty for a 026,260 saw. But i would stick with .325 like others have said 3/8 will hold a edge longer but would be rougher when trying to limb with it

 

[computeruser]

325/16” is optimal on that saw in my experience.

 

[Mad Professor]

You can do a 40" tree with a 20" bar. IMHO the sweet spot on 026/260/028 is 16" 0.325.

If you are doing bigger trees than that, get a 70cc + saw.

 

[holeycow]

Do you want your saw to rip and snort (and balance), that is the question.

 

[J_Ashley]

Gosh Darn you all & your common sense Sounds like I'll stay with .325 chain.

Would you expect to see much difference between .050" & .063" gage chain? That's practically 25% difference in width of the drive link - I would imagine that means something on a 50cc saw, in hardwoods.

Come to think of it, most of our larger trees are hardwoods (deciduous.) I'd say it would be unusual to see a 30-40" softwood (evergreen) in this part of the country...


Last thought - Any options that you all know of for .325" pitch square-grind chain? To be honest, I just want to try it... I haven't seen any so far. (Perhaps, that's another clue that I just seem dead-set on ignoring...)

 

[J_Ashley]

I run 16" .325 on my 260. Makes the perfect light limbing saw. I think I could run an 18" bar pretty easy. Not sure I would want to run a 20" on it...

I've run a 20" on a MS290 before. It was fine. Obviously, I'm not a pro, but it cut up our firewood without much fuss.

I would expect this 260 to do as good or better. It's just a little nose-heavy with the 20 on it.

 

[Franny K]

Would you expect to see much difference between .050" & .063" gage chain? That's practically 25% difference in width of the drive link

Some of that chain the only difference Is the drive links are reduced in thickness below the rivets. The NK or narrow kerf is only in 0.050 gauge and probably makes about 25% less chips by weight or volume.

 

[Clyde85]

I run a 18" .325 on mine and it seems to do alright. I don't think I would go any longer on mine though.

 

[irhunter]

I agree with just about everyone here. These saws are great with 16 or 18" bars in .325.

.050 or .058 or. .063 is next to meaningless for this discussion. Run what the saw came with.

I have often run saws with overly-long bars...I use what the company/agency/organization provides. It is always fine. Keep the chain sharp and do not lean on it. Same goes for 3/8" chain on these 50 cc saws.

That said, I call 24" bars on these saws a bad idea. Get someone to teach you how to fell and buck from both sides of the tree, and you will cut/buck some big stuff with that 20" bar.

You've bought a great saw. Keep the chain sharp, learn to sharpen the chain yourself, and run good fuel.

 

[J_Ashley]

I agree with just about everyone here. These saws are great with 16 or 18" bars in .325.

.050 or .058 or. .063 is next to meaningless for this discussion. Run what the saw came with.

I have often run saws with overly-long bars...I use what the company/agency/organization provides. It is always fine. Keep the chain sharp and do not lean on it. Same goes for 3/8" chain on these 50 cc saws.

That said, I call 24" bars on these saws a bad idea. Get someone to teach you how to fell and buck from both sides of the tree, and you will cut/buck some big stuff with that 20" bar.

You've bought a great saw. Keep the chain sharp, learn to sharpen the chain yourself, and run good fuel.

You bring up some great points.

Bucking with a shorter bar doesn't bother me one bit. Felling with a short bar would certainly make me stop & think twice, three times for sure.

I appreciate everone's feedback. (And certainly, keep it coming!) I'll stick with the .325 chain & shop for shorter guide bars.

 

[Nosmo]

I have a MS 260 Pro and I use mostly a 16" bar but I do have an 18" if I need to go a little longer. I use .325 chain with a 63 gauge bar. I also use the 7 point sprocket. I also have done the muffler mod and am glad I did this mod. I recommend this set up.

 

[ArchieBennett]

My MS261 pulls a 20" hoop like a boss! That is the running joke between my BIL and myself regarding our MS261s. They handle the 20"ers just fine.

That being said, I do run mine with the 18" bar I had handy when it last needed a bar, and it is balanced well and cuts great in that set-up. My MS362 wears a 20"/3/8" bar, and when that makes sense, I use it. However, I will say my MS261 does 85% of my overall cutting, and I have 6 or 7 saws to choose from. If I was forced to be a one saw man, everything would go except my MS261 and my dad's Sachs-Dolmar 133 (can't part with that).

I cannot think of a fault with a MS260 as set up from the factory with an 18" bar. Upgrade is muffler mods. Everything else seems unnecessary to me. There is a subtle difference between 260 and 261, and maybe that is what helps with the 20" bar, but yours will work fine for the occasional times you suggest you would use it. You will not be disappointed to drop the bar down a bit, but it is unnecessary in my opintion. The longer the bar, the straighter your back when limbing.

I don't think I would try to go bigger, unless you go to a narrow kerf cannon or something, and then I would also do a smaller sprocket to get a bit more power out of it. That would be a back-saver when limbing, but you don't appear to use your saw that much that is a game-changer...

Just a tidbit: I once had a ms250 with a 32" cannon bar. It was a pleasure to limb with, but it seemed too hard on the saw for my taste. I upgtaded to the MS261 for that very reason, but never got around to trying a long bar on it. I will some day when I am in the mood to spend more on the bar, than the saw - it would be very sweet for limbing and ground level bucking. I can't justify it, because I don't professionally limb trees, and I have a chipper available, so limbing of small stuff doesn't happen. It doesn't get bucked if it is less than 4" Diameter and can be split for drying purposes.

 

[bwalker]

325/16” is optimal on that saw in my experience.

I agree with this.