Bar & Chain Setup for MS260

[SAWMIKAZE]

I'll second the .325 and a 16" bar for a 260 and regular use, a 261 is a little better with 18" due to it having a little more ass.

Pick up a 24" bar in .325 on Ebay for the times you need it and keep your expectations low and patience up.

I THINK lil red barn had the 24/5" bars in .325 in D025 mount.

 

[Okie294life]

Realistically 20" is all you want to run on an 026/260. 16" 3/8 is a decent setup, but not life changing, stays sharp a bit longer while bucking firewood, but it's not as smooth in limbs and small stuff.


If you're dying to run a 24" bar, easiest thing to do would be to find a 3/8x063 bar with a replaceable sprocket nose and put a 325 tip on it.

The only issue with the 260/261 is they run narrow mounts. I haven’t seen a bar from stihl greater than 20” with narrow mounts not sure anyone makes one. If you did you’d be running skip chain, I’ve run 20” with .325 chain and it’s all the saw wants, don’t think it would oil well or be very happy with anything over 20”.

 

[BrettS]

On my 026 I run 16" .325 .063 bar/chain and I'm happy with that (have cut some pretty big gum with that), it has a muffler mod and base gasket delete.
If I want a bigger bar I will use my 372 and it's 20" 3/8 .058 bar/chain, if I need a bigger bar than that I will fit the 24" bar I have for it.

 

[bwalker]

The only issue with the 260/261 is they run narrow mounts. I haven’t seen a bar from stihl greater than 20” with narrow mounts not sure anyone makes one. If you did you’d be running skip chain, I’ve run 20” with .325 chain and it’s all the saw wants, don’t think it would oil well or be very happy with anything over 20”.

Narrow mounts? The 260 uses the same mount as the 360/361, 440,460,462,500,660,661, etc.

 

[Okie294life]

Narrow mounts? The 260 uses the same mount as the 360/361, 440,460,462,500,660,661, etc.

Nope.

 

[bwalker]

Nope.

Well, I've owned several 260's and currently have the bar off my old 260 that I run on my 361.. The saws I listed above all use the 3003 Stihl medium bar mount pattern.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

The only issue with the 260/261 is they run narrow mounts. I haven’t seen a bar from stihl greater than 20” with narrow mounts not sure anyone makes one. If you did you’d be running skip chain, I’ve run 20” with .325 chain and it’s all the saw wants, don’t think it would oil well or be very happy with anything over 20”.

Incorrect. They run 3003 mount aka D025.

Narrow mounts? The 260 uses the same mount as the 360/361, 440,460,462,500,660,661, etc.

Yep.

Nope.

Still incorrect.

Well, I've owned several 260's and currently have the bar of my old 260 that I run on my 361..

Yep. I have one in the basement right now with a 3003 mount bar on it. The bar it came with.

 

[bwalker]

Incorrect. They run 3003 mount aka D025.

Yep.

Still incorrect.

Yep. I have one in the basement right now with a 3003 mount bar on it. The bar it came with.

Exactly. The 088/880 runs the large mount 3002 and the top handle saws(maybe other small saws) run the small mount 3005.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Exactly. The 088/880 runs the large mount 3002 and the top handle saws(maybe other small saws) run the small mount 3005.

Yeah, all the 025/ms251 and under are the 3005 mount as well. I'm not positive, but I'd bet the 271 is small mount also.

 

[ArchieBennett]

261 and 362 and 461 all can run interchangeable bars, assuming sprocket is right. The arguer was probably thinking 250, which is a narrow slot. That was main reason I dumped my 250 and got the pro series saw. I still run the stock smaller chain until I wear out the bars I have, then it will go to 3/8 pitch, and I can have several bars all interchange on 5 of my saws. I may have to go to 16" on the 261, but it will be much simpler that way.

 

[82F100SWB]

The 271 is medium mount as well.

For a stock 026/260 or a 261, .325 in a 16" is ideal, it's always been .050 up here, but standard 23rs is .063 with a stepped down driver. 23RS Pro is a true narrow kerf chain, and those saws like it.

My truck saw, which is very not stock, I run a 16" 3/8 setup, but it will happily pull, and oil a 24" setup but it isn't something I use often.
On it 3/8 is significantly faster than .325, I may have different results with an 8 pin on the .325 though.

 

[bwalker]

The 271 is medium mount as well.

For a stock 026/260 or a 261, .325 in a 16" is ideal, it's always been .050 up here, but standard 23rs is .063 with a stepped down driver. 23RS Pro is a true narrow kerf chain, and those saws like it.

My truck saw, which is very not stock, I run a 16" 3/8 setup, but it will happily pull, and oil a 24" setup but it isn't something I use often.
On it 3/8 is significantly faster than .325, I may have different results with an 8 pin on the .325 though.

On my ported and stock 260's I always ran 3/8 chain. .325 always outcut 3/8 for me, however. I always had a roll of 3/8 on hand and didn't want to bother with two sizes of chain on hand.