Husky 298 guide bar questions (stihl bar conversion too)

[Laczi]

Hello!

I have a Husky 298 chainsaw (3/8" -7- )which needs a guide bar and chain. I will use it to buck firewood with a 'stand' which allows me to use the full guide bar. So I would prefer 20-24" long bar which is durable, but first:

1. What type of guide bar do you recommend: hard tip or sprocket nose? A bloke told me that hard tip bar uses much more power and worn out the chain's bottom faster to the rivets than the cutters used up.

Then: there's not much choice brandwise: Stihl and Oregon bar and chain what I can easily purchase in my country.
For the Stihl bar I can make an adaptor from hex nuts as I read in the forum (if I read correctly), but I don't know which Stihl saw's bar would fit (660?) and the Stihl dealer asked for the type of the Stihl saw before give me the price.
I would like to use Stihl because I also read there, that their stuff more durable, but if one says that I can't go wrong with a Dura/Laser Tip or a PowerMatch bar either the Super Chisel from Oregon then thats the easier - bolt-on - solution.

2. If Stihl, then which?

Sorry if my English could be better

Thanks!

 

[turtle561]

laczi-
i use a 28"stihl rollomatic es bar with a replaceable 3/8" sprocket tip on the 298 i have. it is a solid billit bar. the oiler holes & adjuster holes match up.
the bar slot is 12mm and the shoulder on the bar bolts is 9mm so you need the adapter you mentioned. you could get some 1.5mm(.060") flat stock and make an 's' clip for an adapter.
it's an older bar and bears the numbers 38838 & 367gl stamped on the very end of the tail. the tip has g4 stamped on it.
good luck !

 

[SawTroll]

Hello!

.....

1. What type of guide bar do you recommend: hard tip or sprocket nose? A bloke told me that hard tip bar uses much more power and worn out the chain's bottom faster to the rivets than the cutters used up.

Then: there's not much choice brandwise: Stihl and Oregon bar and chain what I can easily purchase in my country.
For the Stihl bar I can make an adaptor from hex nuts as I read in the forum (if I read correctly), but I don't know which Stihl saw's bar would fit (660?) and the Stihl dealer asked for the type of the Stihl saw before give me the price. .....

A hard nose bar makes no sence, and they do rob power, as there are a lot more friction at the tip.

The Stihl bars that can be used with an adaptor is the "medium" (or 3003) mount with a 12.1mm slot.

 

[Tzed250]

A good choice would be the Stihl Rollomatic ES bar part #3003 000 9630. It is 25" 3/8 .050 gauge. It fits The MS660 amongst other saws. It takes an 84 drive link chain on a Stihl powerhead.

 

[SawTroll]

A good choice would be the Stihl Rollomatic ES bar part #3003 000 9630. It is 25" 3/8 .050 gauge. It fits The MS660 amongst other saws. It takes an 84 drive link chain on a Stihl powerhead.

Yes, except that it really is 24", it is just called 25"......

 

[H 2 H]

Yes, except that it really is 24", it is just called 25"......

Stihl Rollomatic ES bar part #3003 000 9630. It is 25" 3/8 .050 gauge

Sticks out of my saw 24 3/4 " from the case :biggrin:

 

[turtle561]

Yes, except that it really is 24", it is just called 25"......

so how do you measure these bars ? mine is 27" from the tip to the front of the slot or 25" from the tip to the point of the spike.
what does this make it ?
h 2 h - guess it depends if you round up or round down. haha

 

[H 2 H]

so how do you measure these bars ? mine is 27" from the tip to the front of the slot or 25" from the tip to the point of the spike.
what does this make it ?

If the bar is stamped 27" bar it's 27" bar

 

[Laczi]

Hello!

Thanks for all the feedback!
I contacted the Stihl shops nearby so had some prices then I read what Turtle wrote so I had to go shopping after knowing the oil holes will also match (that was my biggest concern). The only problem there that the long bars aren't available on the shelf so anything longer than 20" is needs to be ordered. I wanted it "now" (yesterday) so I had two choices: Duromatic or Rollomatic E (no ES ). I bought the Duromatic because the price difference was about $10-15 in local currency. The owner of the shop who is an older woman also gave me the original stihl spacer (about $2) which is just for putting those stihl bars to husky saws. I brought my saw with me, so we checked everything, the spacer fit, oil hole lined up..
Started up the thing at home after I adjusted the chain's slack (if it touches the bar it becomes much harder to move, so I gave a bit more) to test it and the oiling. The teeth of the chain is lubed well, maybe too well, but I will see if I get some (about five cords of) wood to break in the saw that if the pump flows too much for cutting too.

I never thought after reading here and there on the net about need to drill, machine, etc. that this will be so simple.
Thanks for the advices :msp_thumbsup: , I will get an ES bar for it later.

 

[Laczi]

Hello!

The teeth of the chain is lubed well, maybe too well,...

View attachment 252929

There is my saw:

 

[SkippyKtm]

View attachment 252929

There is my saw:

Looks to be in fine shape!

 

[Laczi]

Looks to be in fine shape!

Because it's new (built from new orig. parts), it didn't see wood yet.

 

[Laczi]

Yesterday the firewood arrived, so the saw and wood met
Mixed feelings, but I hope after it broke-in it will be (almost) as powerful as the 076 was. The chain is stretching and throws some sparks even if it gets much oil (no prob to see the oil patch from only 1-2 blips), but as I hoped holds it's edge, it's sti(h)ll razor sharp. There was a few stallings in the wood, maybe because it's center still wet, but I will adjust my cutting stand, to make the logs open up a bit so they will don't grab the bar.
As the break-in there's no such thing like no full throttle with this, because it would stall, so my way is to make it run rich and rip (I run it with red-mineral Stihl 2 stroke @ 1:25, the first few runs it smoked like a charcoal maker, maybe it was the grease what they used to build the saw as 076 only smoked like that when it was cold started)
It has A: very small oil and fuel tank or B: it's a thirsty piece of saw

Can't wait to make it smoke again!

 

[baogzhniia1]

Does anyone else carry a cell phone in the tree

 

[Laczi]

Today I started with guide bar cleaning, a good deal of fine, oil-soaked dust was in it. Everything okay, the chain no longer stretches with every cut, not a single stall... But it still thirsty - I miss the big fuel tank of the 076, but the 298 is so light in the other hand. Starting is easy which is good, as the first few times I couldn't crank it over. I hope it will be as trouble free as the Stihl was.

 

[Laczi]

That's my pile 'o' wood. I try to split the logs with the Fiskars X27 -except the big ones- then I put them straight into my sawhorse (kind of), Husky chews them, split them again, and put them into the storage.
I think the saw will be over it's break-in period sooner, than the pile View attachment 253584 disappears

 

[SawTroll]

Hello!

I have a Husky 298 chainsaw (3/8" -7- )which needs a guide bar and chain. I will use it to buck firewood with a 'stand' which allows me to use the full guide bar. So I would prefer 20-24" long bar which is durable, but first:
.......

Forgot to say something; With those bars, you should try an 8-pin 3/8" rim on that saw! :msp_wink:

 

[Laczi]

Forgot to say something; With those bars, you should try an 8-pin 3/8" rim on that saw! :msp_wink:

8 pin = "taller gearing" = faster chain/cutting speed, right?

--
The saw started to work like I hoped except it needs much more care than the 076 /where "care" = more frequent refill, as it run out of oil faster than fuel; the bar needs cleaning (making the oil hole bigger in it would help with clogging?)/. The other thing that it sounds sometimes unusual at WOT, when the load drops, I think that is caused by the carb's governor. The chain really stays sharp, I check it with my fingertip, but it's the same as the day before, so I can only say thanks for those who put their two cents into Stihl vs Oregon chain topics. I don't know what chain the 076 had, but this Stihl is clearly better. It's the greatest thing that over there is so many willingly experience-sharing people with good infos.

 

[Tzed250]

Glad it's working out for you!

 

[Laczi]

Yesterday I removed the insert from the exhaust (it's like a small bucket with two holes every 90 degree) which seemed a big restriction as my low speed carb setting leaned out instantly (idle went higher and rougher). Readjusted the carb and the saw seemed to like it
It's power is very good, so no more whining about my former 076 power wise. I will clean the entire saw, and maybe check out the oil pump settings because it sips about two tanks of oil per one tank gas, but as lubrication is very important for chain life (and I'm lazy to get the clutch down, etc), maybe not. This is the sawdust left from the ~5 cords woodpile.
The last two days was a bit harder, muscles, wrists cried for mercy...