# Stihl 260 Pro - 18" or 20" bar



## coolbrze (Jun 3, 2008)

What do you recommend for a 260 Pro, an 18" or 20" bar? I've got bigger and smaller Stihls so no worries about having something not big enough or too big. I was thinking 18" as this will be for mid-size groundwork along w/ a few 290 Farmbosses we have. We'll save the 390 and 440 for the bigger stuff and the 200T for climbing/limbing.


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## tree_beard (Jun 3, 2008)

imho 16" is best suited to a 260 (and 50cc saws in general)

18" if you are purely cutting softwoods.... tho i'd still go 16


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## Aero_101 (Jun 3, 2008)

*20''*

I roll with a 20'' on my 260 Pro, mostly because it helps with my stance/posture when ground cutting.(I'm 6'7'') 

I did switch to a micro chain from the full 3/8 to get a little more speed from it as the full 3/8 was a touch slow.

20'' is the max bar size Stihl recommends for that oiler.

Hope this helps.


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## sperho (Jun 3, 2008)

I run a 20" bar fitted with a 0.325" pitch chain when cutting hardwood. Is it fast? No. Do I care? Not really, I'm not in production. Now that I have an 044 with a 25" bar, I usually use the 044 for bucking anything above 15" or so. The 20" on the 260 is nice for limbing on the ground. The 16" is nimble, but I was always crouching, kneeling, or bending over too much. It seems like some folks assume that if you have a 20" bar, that it gets buried every time it touches wood.


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## reachtreeservi (Jun 3, 2008)

I run a 16" bar and 0.325" pitch chain on my 260 pro.

14 on the 200t
16 on the 260pro
20 on the 460
20, 25, 36 on the 660

So far, so good !


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## ClimbinArbor (Jun 3, 2008)

i like the 16 on a 260 pro, since that saw is only used for limbing lol. but come to think of it, a 20 would save a lot on the ol back....


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## ClimbinArbor (Jun 3, 2008)

but then again so would a beefed up oiler and a 25 inch lmao


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## coolbrze (Jun 4, 2008)

Thanks guys, now I'm not sure if I should be considering the 16"er as well


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## sperho (Jun 4, 2008)

coolbrze said:


> Thanks guys, now I'm not sure if I should be considering the 16"er as well



I bought a cheap ArborMax 16" bar and loop from Bailey's to see how I liked it. A much cheaper experiment than buying Stihl parts and the quality of the bar was higher than I expected as well.


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## treemandan (Jun 4, 2008)

I've got the 18" on mine, she is a little slow but nice to have on high medium sized wood. I would like to try the low profile chain and bar on it, maybe next time I drive a felling wedge through it I will try them out.


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## Ironbark (Jun 5, 2008)

I have both a 16" & 18" for a 260 pro. I like the 18 more, but the 16" is probably more suited. Both .325.


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## SawTroll (Jun 5, 2008)

reachtreeservi said:


> I run a 16" bar and 0.325" pitch chain on my 260 pro. ....
> 
> So far, so good !



I believe that is close to optimum on that saw!  


They come stock with a 13" .325 here, and most users just stay with that.............


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## SawTroll (Jun 5, 2008)

coolbrze said:


> Thanks guys, now I'm not sure if I should be considering the 16"er as well




*You should!*   









Btw, where is Lakeside Andy........:help: 

:hmm3grin2orange:


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## tomtrees58 (Jun 5, 2008)

Ironbark said:


> I have both a 16" & 18" for a 260 pro. I like the 18 more, but the 16" is probably more suited. Both .325.



that's what the saw comes tom trees


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## Bermie (Jun 7, 2008)

I have a 16" .325 on my 260pro...I had to request it as it would have come stock with an 18"...I run 14" on 200t and 021 and 20" on the 361.

Any of you guys ever bend your knees instead of your back? Mind you its easy to say from 5'4"...


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## SawTroll (Jun 7, 2008)

Bermie said:


> I have a 16" .325 on my 260pro...I had to request it as it would have come stock with an 18"...I run 14" on 200t and 021 and 20" on the 361.
> 
> Any of you guys ever bend your knees instead of your back? Mind you its easy to say from 5'4"...



I do, I am 6'1", and prefere short bars - I actually think the 20" is a bit long on the 361......

Btw, I have a _really_ bad back, borderline to invalid (lots of pain-killers), but for some reason bending a bit doesn't bother me much when using a saw - it does when doing anything else.......

It might be because I usually rest the left elbow on (or just above) the left knee when doing it.


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## Bermie (Jun 8, 2008)

I hear you Troll! 

Left elbow on the knee works for me too, as does right knee behind the engine...


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