Oregon bar quality decreasing?

[Brandon Bondeson]

hi everyone i recently bought a brand new Oregon Powermatch bar for my 266se. i have barely got 6-8 cords on it and paint is already chipping and the bars rails are showing visible wear. Now before your even say it, yes i am getting plenty of oil to the bar, Yes it is the proper tension, And yes my chain is sharp. it seems to me its just the quality of the bar isn't what it used to be.

 

[HarleyT]

Show pics..

 

[merc_man]

Mabe just a bad batch?

 

[merc_man]

Any pics of the worn bar?

 

[earlthegoat2]

Where I am from, 6-8 cords is more than enough to get some paint wear as well as rail wear. Do you file the rails periodically to get rid of burrs? This is a much overlooked step of chainsaw maintenance. I like the idea of pics as well so we can all see what constitutes premature wear.

 

[Brandon Bondeson]

i'll get pics later, i'm not home right now it's not real bad just seems to me it should be mint with so little use, i have an old windsor speed tip with a good 20 cords under it and it is in mint condition other than the paint was removed the day it was bought with a wire brush.

 

[Franny K]

Is it one that says made in China on the cardboard package with the numbering system identifying what exactly it is? I have a ProLite one that came that way with no made in on the bar itself.

I really would not worry about the paint, if it is made In the USA or Canada they may well have decided to do something different for clean air reasons.

 

[Brandon Bondeson]

Is it one that says made in China on the cardboard package with the numbering system identifying what exactly it is?

Made in Canada both the Windsor and the Oregon i don't have the box for either one

 

[Gypo Logger]

It seems like premature rail wear for an Oregon bar. Do you take rakers down farther than 30 thou?
A bar should last for 100 cords and then some.
Since Ive been a member here, I've said over and over again, that the only way to maintain a bar is with an orbital sander, but I seem to be the only one here that has twigged to the idea.

 

[earlthegoat2]

How does one maintain a bar with an orbital sander?

 

[Gypo Logger]

How does one maintain a bar with an orbital sander?

You lay the bar on a flat surface and do each side wether it looks like it needs it or not. If its done often, like every few cords or so, you will never get any burring or chipping.

 

[Toneman]

It seems like premature rail wear for an Oregon bar. Do you take rakers down farther than 30 thou?
A bar should last for 100 cords and then some.
Since Ive been a member here, I've said over and over again, that the only way to maintain a bar is with an orbital sander, but I seem to be the only one here that has twigged to the idea.

Orbital sander is the way to go!

 

[earlthegoat2]

Never heard of it before. I always used a file......whether it needed it or not.

 

[svk]

The Oregon Pro-Lite I put on my 550 has 20 or so cords on it and the paint is holding up but the rails seem rather soft. I just dismissed it as normal since it is one of their cheaper models.

Seems that hardwood wears the paint off of bars significantly faster than softwood. What are you cutting?

 

[Brandon Bondeson]

The Oregon Pro-Lite I put on my 550 has 20 or so cords on it and the paint is holding up but the rails seem rather soft. I just dismissed it as normal since it is one of their cheaper models.

Seems that hardwood wears the paint off of bars significantly faster than softwood. What are you cutting?

Mostly rock and sugar maple


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[svk]

Mostly rock and sugar maple


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Makes sense especially if some of them are standing dead.

We consider rock and sugar maple as one in the same...do you consider rock maple the same as Norway?

 

[jakethesnake]

Don't worry bout the paint falls off husqvarna labeled bars too. I think they just use **** paint I've had a cheap oregon bar on long enough to have the tip start acting up rails haven't been an issue. They've been rubbed down with a file many times but they're still fine. Good idea on the orbital gypo

 

[Homelitexl903]

I live at the southern end of Maine and I always called a living sugar maple by its name and if it was standing dead then I referred to it as hard maple or rock maple. Other than that its red, silver or what the state wants to call the invasive norway I guess. If I have to add any on topic info all I can say is my older echo bars that were black with white letters wore paint off fast but were still good just not good looking. My Stihl bars wear the best, I haven't had the opportunity to own a Cannon or Japanese bar.

 

[Brandon Bondeson]

Makes sense especially if some of them are standing dead.

We consider rock and sugar maple as one in the same...do you consider rock maple the same as Norway?

Alot of it was standin dead rock sollid i could wack it with a hammer and it would ring your ears! No more than 5% moisture, and no i am very specific about tree typs dont have much norway around hear mostly rock, Sugar, And Birds eye maples where im cutting

 

[Brushwacker]

I cut about 7 or 8 medium stumps with a new oregon PM bar and about 1/2 the paint came off. Hadn't had any problems with the rails though using it there after but haven't cut many tons of wood with it either.