New bar concept

[Lawn Masters]

this idea came to me earlier, I've seen at one time oregon made a bar for harvesters that had a better system for chain lubrication, it sent oil through a channel in the middle of the bar that let it out at the tip so that the oil could be applied where its needed most, on the cutting side of the bar.

I recall the older Oregon version used a laminated harvester bar, which I believe is the easiest way to make it, unless you have a magic finger that can cut VERY precise angles and holes in solid steel.

I cant remember an exact name for what Oregon called the bar they made, Lubri jet seems to stand out, but I know the Lubri jet system is not quite right since its already in use on hand held saw bars, I dont recall how it works but I've heard its not all that good. What I've heard is the Lubri Jet gets clogged up with debris, doesnt deliver enough oil to the chain etc. but Thats the name that stands out in my mind, I dont know why but it does, maybe the name was Inject a lube or something like that, I cant remember right now.

Anyone who's had the sort of bar I'v thinking of if you know what it is, please post it, its starting to scare me that I cant recall it.

In any case, does this sound possible? I think it might be but dont know for sure.

 

[tony marks]

sounds like an idea ..but there must have been some drawbacks to the concept..
i dont really understand why oil makes the chain cut better anyway.i know it makes the bar an chain stay cooler.
but how that makes the cutter on a saw, cut better escapes me. now we all know it does. but why....must be like advanced mathmatics etc.. dont ask why ..just accept that it does..

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

Originally posted by tony marks
i dont really understand why oil makes the chain cut better

The purpose of the oil was to prevent friction. Friction makes the bar and chain heat up, plus it grinds away at the bar and chain. When it's improperly lubricated, the bar will get burrs a lot faster and the rails will get uneven and you'll have to grind it a lot sooner than when it's well lubricated. If you don't grind it, the bar will cut in a curve. Also the chain will even get uneven from the bottom and it will cut in a curve even if you file the chain perfectly and use a perfect bar. (You'll have to throw the chain away).

I don't think oil makes the chain literally cut better though, but I could be wrong.

 

[Weatherby]

Friction also robs your saw of horsepower.

 

[tony marks]

if u try cutting and the saw aint oiling.. it wont cut worth a fart..oil somehow makes the cutter cut better i recon ,i dont know tho..

 

[bwalker]

A un oiling saw cuts like crap because of all the heat and friction causing parasitic hp lose.

 

[Grande Dog]

Howdy,
The Oregon brand harvester bar you're thinking of was called a Urea bar. Those channels in the bar are used to apply a stump
treatment solution while you're cutting. Mac tried the channel in the bar to the tip in the early 60's when they introduced their BP series ( opposed twin cylinder configuration ). That was still in the hard nose bar days. The problem is that they would get plugged with saw dust to where you'ld want to pull your hair out.

Grande Dog
Master Mechanic
Discount Arborist Equipment and Tree Care Supplies

 

[Lawn Masters]

Thanks Grande Dog, I knew there must have been a reason why the bar isnt availble on the Oregon website.

 

[Oregon Engineer]

Oregon harvester bars were laminated and had a central channel that put oil directly to the nose sprocket. The laminated bar was half the strength and had half the springback of a solid bar. SOOOOOO the solid bar replaced the laminated harvester bar.

Oregon still carries a full line of harvester stump treatment bars in the solid version. The bar body is machined with two grooves most of the bar length. Copper tubes are pressed into the grooves. The bar sprays the stump during the falling cut. The spray prevents a detrimental fungus from rotting out the old stump and infecting new or existing trees via the root system. The detrimental fungus is one reason so many trees have butt rot. The bars are sold in Europe because they are particularly concerned about the resulting loss of timber value.

 

[Lawn Masters]

Why not make a laminated bar like the harverster bar for chainsaws though? besides the fact that a new oiler hole would probably have to be machined in between the bar studs, and the oiler hole in the same spot, I cant see any major problem with it.

 

[Oregon Engineer]

Oldsaw-addict,
You correctly stated why the bar has never been made. The chain saw manufacturers are not willing to change the locations for the oiling port and oil pump. If no chain saw uses the bar, the market is mighty small and tooling costs mighty large.

It was easy for the harvester bars to have the central oil channel because they were wider and the oil inlet holes were below the bar groove. The harvester manufacturers did not have to change anything to use the bar with a central oil channel.

 

[Lawn Masters]

Good points. I can see a fatal flaw of an obvious sort now, with the internal oil groove, it would become so packed with sawdust and crap that it wouldnt pump oil out at all. probably why its not made anymore right?

 

[Oregon Engineer]

As long as the bar oil holes are properly covered during operation there were very few problems with plugging. The laminated harvester bar production stopped because the solid bars were twice as durable for just a small increase in price.

 

[bwalker]

Forget these fancy bars... I would prefer a Powermatch or Speedtip that where up to the same quality standards as the US made Windsors. The quality has really fell off since oregon moved production to Canada IMO.