Where to get a Stihl .325 NK (Narrow Kerf) B&C?

[windthrown]

OK, I keep hearing about the 325 NK B&C setup from Europe and places like that. So I ask the various Stihl dealers around here that I deal with about them and they look at me like I have just become CaseyForest's Mars Attacks avatar.

So... what's up with these NK .325 B&C dealy bobs? Where can you get them? Or should I just flip to 3/8 LP picco B&C on the 025?

 

[SWE#Kipp]

I think Bailey's got them for stihl ,,,

 

[SawTroll]

As far as I remember, Oregon has made .325NK bars that fit the 250 etc lately, and Carlton for the 260 etc for some time.

Try the Oregon selector guide for that 025.

Edit; Just did - 160MPBA074 in 16" for the 025, none for the 026 etc, as expected.



It probably is the ideal setup on the 025/250, with a 95VP chain - at least in hardwood!

 

[windthrown]

I think Bailey's got them for stihl ,,,

In my Bailey's master catalog, they only list ArborPro bars and chain for Husky, Jred, Dolmar, Homelite and Solo NK bars. No Stihl NK bars that I can find.

 

[stihl025]

OK, I keep hearing about the 325 NK B&C setup from Europe and places like that. So I ask the various Stihl dealers around here that I deal with about them and they look at me like I have just become CaseyForest's Mars Attacks avatar.

So... what's up with these NK .325 B&C dealy bobs? Where can you get them? Or should I just flip to 3/8 LP picco B&C on the 025?

Windthrown,

If you are looking for a NK bar and chain for the 025 / MS250, you are out of luck. Like SawTroll said, Oregon has current part numbers for the Microlite and Microlite Pro bars but they have discontinued those items. It does not reflect that on the website. I went through a lot of trouble between their authorized dealers and Oregon Technical Services to figure out what the true status of those bars were. After about a month of attempting to order the bars from multiple dealer's websites (who also listed the bar as current, but always contacted to let me know the part was no longer available), the final word came from Technical Services as "discontinued due to not enough sales". I was, however, lucky enough to have Oregon locate what I think was the last Microlite Pro bar for the 025 on the continental North America. They shipped it to me, free of charge, for all of my troubles and confusion. The last email that I received from Oregon was the following:

Hi Ed,

Well, it seems that this bar is going to be discontinued, we did
however find a bar/chain combo available at a dealer that we will send
you, free of charge for the hassle we have put you through. I sincerely
apologize for the confusion. When this needs to be replaced you will
need to find another alternative.

Thank you for using Oregon(r)

Best Regards,
Alison Heynderickx
Technical Customer Service
toll free: 800.223.5168

I currently run my 025 with the Micro-lite Pro with the 95VP chain. The combo make a significant difference, not only in speed, but in the overall weight. It is an absolute perfect limbing saw now, where before, it had a lot to be desired. It cuts fast, it is light, and it is reliable. I currently only have two chains for the bar, and when the set up wears out, I will sadly go back to the Stihl bar and Woodsman Pro chain. And for any skeptics out there about wether or not the narrow kerf makes a difference, the answer is YES. Especially in the case of a smaller sized saw. Oh, yeah, BTW, that's no April Fools joke either...

 

[SawTroll]

In my Bailey's master catalog, they only list ArborPro bars and chain for Husky, Jred, Dolmar, Homelite and Solo NK bars. No Stihl NK bars that I can find.

They used to have them for the 026/260 etc - but by now I can't find them on the web-site either........:censored:

 

[windthrown]

Well, thanks for the feedback guys. Seems that I have run into the same NK .325 brick wall that others have before me. :bang: So, I can live with the 3/8 picco LP B&C. I much prefer running LP on the 210. The 025 and 250 will get a set of picco bars as well, as they leave the farm with me, and I will off the .325s here on the Trading Post or on Ebay.

Weird situation; I have a 16 inch .325 on the 025 and an 18 inch on the 250. I took the 210 with the 16 inch 3/8 LP bar to my brothers to cut down some cedars and eucs in his yard. The ex-GF was wanting to cut some trees down, and used the 025 and said that it was dull, and she was mad that I took the 210 with the LP bar. So I told her to try the 250 with the longer bar and chain that I just sharpened (she does not like that setup). Anyway, she said that the chain was also dull on that saw too. I got back here the other day, touched both saw chains, and they are both razor sharp!

Anyway, morel of the story is that a shard .325 B&C setup is not as good as a mildly sharp picco. The problem with the .325 that I have seen is that the kerf is just too dang fat and the bars tend to wander around and pinch in the cuts. They do not cut straight. And evidence of that is that many of the .325 bars I see for sale have all of their paint missing. Reason? All that pinching wears the paint off of them fast.

 

[Grande Dog]

The reason the NK bars were discontinued in the D025 mount was that the bars were thinner than the shoulders on the studs. The clutch cover couldn't clamp the bar properly.

 

[PES+]

How many were sold before they discovered this I wonder?