Guide bar length confusion: geez...

[thook]

Forgive such an elementary subject, please. I just picked up a Stihl MS251c and want to get a replacement bar. The guy that sold me the saw said the bar was an 18", but now I'm not so sure. I can't read the engraving on the bar very well and don't see anywhere it says 18", however I can see where it says 45cm. Converted to inches, that's 17.7in. Is that the proper indicator? Because when I measure from the saw body to the bar tip I get 16in. From the mounting stud to the tip I get 17". What's correct here?
Furthermore, on the MS180c I also recently acquired, I can clearly see 35mm and barely what I think may say 14" adjacently. Otoh, that bar measures 12" from the body to the tip of the bar. And, from the stud to the tip I get 14". Now, the 180 did come with two new chains labeled 14". So, I suppose 14" is correct on that.
One other thing throwing me off is when I look at replacement bars advertised as 18" for the 251, all those bars (from Stihl) seem fatter/wider than the one I currently have for it.
Lastly, the Dolmar bar I have measures right at 18", and I know that is correct. But, it's also longer than the 251 bar.
Anyway.......um...help? Thanks!

 

[thook]

Photo, if it helps.....
Dolmar
251
180/chain

 

[thook]

This appears to be the direct replacement for the 251c sans the quick adjuster sprocket
https://www.lsengineers.co.uk/stihl-rollomatic-guide-bar-18-3005-008-4717.htmlIt's also labeled at 45cm with identical identifying numbers of 4717.
If that's correct, I feel a little jipped. It's clearly shorter than the Dolmar

 

[Bill G]

It is a 18" and a bit too much on that saw.

 

[KostasVolos]

It is a 18" and a bit too much on that saw.

I do not have any reason not to believe what you say .
I'm just wondering that since
I use a 16" 3/8"lp .050 (standard kerf ) on my modded MS180 without any bogging issues whatsoever ,why wouldn't be feasible for the more powerful MS251 to run a 18" bar + chain combo ?

@thook
I have a 16" Sugihara bar that has exactly the same length with a Stihl 16" bar.
Also a 14" Tsumura bar has exactly the same length as the 14" Stihl bar


The 255ML3 14" is an exact match with the Stihl 3005 bar fit .
Fits all homeowner grade Stihl chainsaws .




The Sugihara SL2L bar fit is also an exact match with
Stihl's homeowner grade 3005 bar fit .

Both Tsum and Sugi 3/8"lp bars are leaps and bounds sturdier bars than the 3/8" lp Stihl ones.And ( at least here ,where I'm located ) they are both actually quite cheaper than their Stihl counterparts.

 

[Bill G]

I do not have any reason not to believe what you say .
I'm just wondering that since
I use a 16" 3/8"lp .050 (standard kerf ) on my modded MS180 without any bogging issues whatsoever ,why wouldn't be feasible for the more powerful MS251 to run a 18" bar + chain combo ?

Hello,

I know nothing about the wood you fine folks cut in Greece but here in the middle of the USA that would be beyond what that saw is capable of with a 18" bar. Yes it will run it but not efficiently. I run 20" on 026 saws but that is just because I run the same bar and chanis up to the 660's

 

[KostasVolos]

Hello,

I know nothing about the wood you fine folks cut in Greece but here in the middle of the USA that would be beyond what that saw is capable of with a 18" bar. Yes it will run it but not efficiently. I run 20" on 026 saws but that is just because I run the same bar and chanis up to the 660's

You probably mean than in the US you have bigger trees (larger diameter as also being higher) with pretty hard wood ,which I guess that is true.
That explains it and is a fine answer.Thank you .

I will try to make a video at my land ,
to show you the trees I deal with.

 

[thook]

Hello,

I know nothing about the wood you fine folks cut in Greece but here in the middle of the USA that would be beyond what that saw is capable of with a 18" bar. Yes it will run it but not efficiently. I run 20" on 026 saws but that is just because I run the same bar and chanis up to the 660's

This quasi 18" bar is apparently what the saw came with stock, and is the same length (18") about any 251 I've seen so far on the internet came with. Maybe Stihl was/is mistaken, but no one in the 251 reviews were complaining.

 

[thook]

You probably mean than in the US you have bigger trees (larger diameter as also being higher) with pretty hard wood ,which I guess that is true.
That explains it and is a fine answer.Thank you .

I will try to make a video at my land ,
to show you the trees I deal with.

Because I'm a nerd, I stayed up late watching saw videos on youtube. About every fella I'd seen using a 251 was cutting on some kind of oak/hardwood and, in many cases, quite large diameter to match the bar length. You know how it is; gotta put the thing to the test. There weren't any problems

 

[KostasVolos]

I 've used more than a few times a modded MS170 with a 14" bar for
felling wild chinese chestnuts on my land.Most of them had a trunk diameter of more than double the
bar length .And about 10-15 meters height .
At first I thought " No way ,this surely can not be done with this saw " ,but what the heck I gave it a try .Took some time for making the notch and "dig out" the center part of the trunk by having the full bar burried into the notch ,but everything went fine.
But the wild chinese chestnut is not the same hardwood as oak
(for example ) is .

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I just worked on another 251 and this guy runs 18" 325 since new.

I test cut with it in some hardwoods buried and it was fine.

Matter fact I had just did him some new chains and sharpened some.

 

[thook]

I 've used more than a few times a modded MS170 with a 14" bar for
felling wild chinese chestnuts on my land.Most of them had a trunk diameter of more than double the
bar length .And about 10-15 meters height .
At first I thought " No way ,this surely can not be done with this saw " ,but what the heck I gave it a try .Took some time for making the notch and "dig out" the center part of the trunk by having the full bar burried into the notch ,but everything went fine.
But the wild chinese chestnut is not the same hardwood as oak
(for example ) is .

I'm sure you're trying to be courteous, but Greece is the same latitude as the midwest United States. The midwest is just north of me and also full of the hardest of hardwoods. Can't imagine Grecian hardwoods are any different.

 

[thook]

 

[KostasVolos]

I'm sure you're trying to be courteous, but Greece is the same latitude as the midwest United States. The midwest is just north of me and also full of the hardest of hardwoods. Can't imagine Grecian hardwoods are any different.

Well,we do have some really HARD hardwood trees ,but usually
their trunks have less than 20" of diameter .And they are not that tall trees .
We do also have some tree species originating from all parts of Africa ,and those are also very hard to cut .But nobody here is bothering with them whatsoever.

 

[thook]

That surely isn't record cutting time, and there are saws better for the job. But, that's certainly as good as you can expect from a midsize saw in any case.
BTW, this video also illustrates one of the points I'm talking about. That 251 guide bar looks wide compared to mine. Different width for different application? His saw doesn't have the quick adjust, though, while mine does. Maybe that's the difference

 

[KostasVolos]

Look closely (zoom the vid) :
His saw does have the EZ adjust chain tensioner.

There are bars with narrow tip
( anti-kickback feature ) ,but
those narrow tipped bars if
being Stihl ones are of
3/8lp narrow kerf ( 0.043" ) .
And as easy they bend ,they wear out also.

 

[thook]

Look closely (zoom the vid) :
His saw does have the EZ adjust chain tensioner.

There are bars with narrow tip
( anti-kickback feature ) ,but
those narrow tipped bars if
being Stihl ones are of
3/8lp narrow kerf ( 0.043" ) .
And as easy they bend ,they wear out also.

You're right. It's just a lot cleaner than mine....lol. Been thinking I might could use some glasses lately.
You'd mentioned the narrow kerf in my other thread. This bar I'm complaining on isn't one of those. But, you confirm other info I'm reading wide vs narrow tip bars. I guess this isn't any point in spending money on a new bar right now just for that wider tip though kickback isn't much of a concern of mine. I'm rather good at avoiding it.

 

[KostasVolos]

You're right. It's just a lot cleaner than mine....lol. Been thinking I might could use some glasses lately.

Ohhh! Don't even think that my vision is better than yours
( already at age of 47 i'm taking my phone that far back in order to be able to see clearly whats on the screen,that people standing by think that Im taking shelfies all the time ...) ,but I just noticed that small black thumbwheel adjuster ,which almost glowed (!) into all this brand-new -clean clutch cover background .
I 've grown a revulsion to that thumbwheel ,you see...

 

[Franny K]

Forgive such an elementary subject, please. I just picked up a Stihl MS251c and want to get a replacement bar. The guy that sold me the saw said the bar was an 18", but now I'm not so sure. I can't read the engraving on the bar very well and don't see anywhere it says 18", however I can see where it says 45cm. Converted to inches, that's 17.7in. Is that the proper indicator? Because when I measure from the saw body to the bar tip I get 16in. From the mounting stud to the tip I get 17". What's correct here?
Furthermore, on the MS180c I also recently acquired, I can clearly see 35mm and barely what I think may say 14" adjacently. Otoh, that bar measures 12" from the body to the tip of the bar. And, from the stud to the tip I get 14". Now, the 180 did come with two new chains labeled 14". So, I suppose 14" is correct on that.
One other thing throwing me off is when I look at replacement bars advertised as 18" for the 251, all those bars (from Stihl) seem fatter/wider than the one I currently have for it.
Lastly, the Dolmar bar I have measures right at 18", and I know that is correct. But, it's also longer than the 251 bar.
Anyway.......um...help? Thanks!

Insert the word called in front of the length in inches or cm. Then use a number for the sensible number of drive links.

Both of those Stihl models use the 3005 bar 44=12 50=14 55=16 61=18 in 3/8picco In brand x it is generally 45, 52, 56, 62

In .325 The 3005 and 3003 loops have different lengths.

I have a couple Total 1/4 pitch bars they call both 72 and 76 14"

 

[thook]

Ohhh! Don't even think that my vision is better than yours
( already at age of 47 i'm taking my phone that far back in order to be able to see clearly whats on the screen,that people standing by think that Im taking shelfies all the time ...) ,but I just noticed that small black thumbwheel adjuster ,which almost glowed (!) into all this brand-new -clean clutch cover background .
I 've grown a revulsion to that thumbwheel ,you see...

I'm going on 51 and am determined to avoid glasses. I get annoyed at even wearing saftey glasses....lol!
Since you mention the thumbwheel, I'm kinda disliking myself. I got to messing around with my 180c last night (hadn't really messed with it before) and that adjuster was bothersome with my sore thumb. I can't imagine what it'd be like to fiddle with it and cold hands in the winter. I haven't the money for a bit to switch both of these Stihls to normal adjusters, so the 180c will just have ride with it for a while.