Bar Maintenance

[ri chevy]

How do all of you care and maintain your guide bars on your saws? Rotate or flip every day? Clean out the slots? Use a file to get the burrs off? I am interested to hear from the professionals how you maintain the guide bars on your saws Thank you in advance for your responses.

 

[TommySaw]

I flip the bar every time I change out the chain which is when I clean out the grooves and check for wear.

 

[Joe Kidd]

What he said.

 

[GASoline71]

I only flip mine when I put on a new chain. But I don't cut near as much as I used to. Also will dress the rails when I think about it. Which... come to think of it... that reminds me...

Gary

 

[ri chevy]

Thanks. How do you dress the rails? Can you describe how you do it?

 

[Joe Kidd]

I just lightly chamfer both edges(inside and out) with a small flat file only to remove any burrs. But with any high quality bar, you'll rarely have to do it. Just make sure the rails stay square and the drive links don't bottom out. That's about it. Induction hardened rails are super tough these days.

 

[ri chevy]

How can you tell when it is time for a new bar? When the chain gets sloppy inside? I just spent about an hour and a half de-burring (top of the rails and the sides) my Oregon Power Match Plus bar today. I think I am going back to OEM Stihl bars.

 

[Joe Kidd]

Yes. Tools are made for tightening rails, but at that point it may be time for a new bar. Stihl bars are of top notch quality. A little tougher than Oregon IMO.

 

[WV wood chopper]

Stand the bar on edge and see if it stays. I have only used stihl bars with good results. Want to try a Sugihara though!!

 

[WV wood chopper]

Also, you could file it flat again, but with stihl bars I hear that is hard because they are so hard.

 

[TommySaw]

Tsumara bars have extremely hard rails, I have never needed to dress the bar only done it just to do it.:msp_biggrin:

 

[Joe Kidd]

Also, you could file it flat again, but with stihl bars I hear that is hard because they are so hard.

Correctomundo!

 

[ri chevy]

I think that is what I did today. An hour and a half later, I think I did OK. I'll find out next time I use it. There was a small groove on the top of the rails, and when looking at the bar on the sides, there was about the same sized line. I used a flat smooth file and gently got rid of the lines so the sides and top are flat again. The lines were very thin, I am guessing may 1/32nd or 1/64th. Not much, but I could feel it when I rubbed my finger on it. It is now smooth all the way around. I do flip my bar every day that I use it, and after a whole day, I thoroughly clean the whole saw, and the bar rails with a large paper clip end folded out. I feel that it does a decent job of getting out the saw dust and oil caked up inside there.

 

[ri chevy]

Oregon bars are "softer" than Stihl? I always thought it was the other way around.

 

[lambs]

I flip the bar every time I change the chain. And if I have my compressed air tank with me, I blow all the crud off the rails and clear the oiler holes. I use a depth gauge tool to clean it by hand if needed. When I come in from the field, I blow everything clear with compressed air, squirt a little WD-40 around the sprocket nose, and spin it with compressed air until it sings. You'd be surprised how much friction a little crud can cause.

When I see my bars flaring or mushrooming, I take them to a local shop and have them dressed. Costs $5.00. Dressing them involves passing them through a grinder that takes off the rough edges and levels the rails. Eventually you cannot dress them again because the rails will no longer properly match up to the sprocket nose rails. That's when I replace the bar.

 

[Stem450Husky]

I flip my bar every time I swap chains, then when I get done cutting I take the bar/chain off, sharpen chain(s), clean out the guide groove, file the sides if need be.

Here lately I've been spraying my bar and chain down with silicone spray after I clean it. Seems to clean up easier, especially in the guide groove.

Just ordered a Carlton Timber Champ bar from Bailey's, anxious to see how it holds up compared to the Husqvarna bar's I use now. For $7.99 I figure why not

 

[jus2fat]

Some strange answers..imho...like never heard of "chamfering" the inside of a bar..how do you do that..??

I just flip my bars on a regular basis...like once a week..or so - - I can do it in less than 5 minutes..

I get equal wear on both sides by doing so..soo longer longevity of the bar.

("dressing" the outside bar groove...I do every time I flip the bar - takes like 2 minutes..!!)

And of course..while the chain is off..I clean out the bar groove - takes like 30 seconds..!!

J2F

 

[ri chevy]

Do you just take a couple or three swipes with a file on the flats? Just to get the raised portion off? Is there something else that I should be doing to the bar?
Sorry for all the questions, I am just trying to pick everyone's brain. I just want to do the right thing.

 

[tolman_paul]

Oregon bars are "softer" than Stihl? I always thought it was the other way around.

Oregon chains are certainly much softer than stihls, and I'd assume the same holds for bars. I know my oregon bar on my 181 needs to be replaced, it's supposed to be an 050 but I could probably run an 058 in it and it would still be loose

Problem is there are so many choices with bars I haven't figured out what way to go. I'm leaning towards a woodlands pro.

 

[Joe Kidd]

Some strange answers..imho...like never heard of "chamfering" the inside of a bar..how do you do that..??

I just flip my bars on a regular basis...like once a week..or so - - I can do it in less than 5 minutes..

I get equal wear on both sides by doing so..soo longer longevity of the bar.

("dressing" the outside bar groove...I do every time I flip the bar - takes like 2 minutes..!!)

J2F

Ok, holding a small file at a angle to de-burr the inside rail edge. You know? chamfering.
Def;
cham·fer (chmfr)
tr.v. cham·fered, cham·fer·ing, cham·fers
1. To cut off the edge or corner of; bevel.