Bar standardisation and Local niches

[TimberMcPherson]

After looking on saw chain supplier websites based in the US and at Uniformed's thread on bar and chain schooling brought up a couple of thoughts that had been bouncing around my head lately. Had a search but couldnt find any other threads like this although I was suprized I couldnt find one!

I have a few saws, mostly 066's and 044's. Now in NZ I would hazard a guess to say the most common bar for all these is 22 inch, 3 of my 066's came with that bar standard and over half the 3/8 by 063 chain I find around the place is 22 inch. Yet I cant find bars in that length in any of the US suppliers. My guess is because we have a forestry industry largely based on 25 year pines then that bar size is idea, so there are alot of them about. Just a little observation, I have plenty of good 22's but found it interesting they werent about in the US.b Heck there were 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, etc etc etc but no 22's!

Secondly Why havent we got organised and insisted that manufacturers standardise bar mounts and chain sizes on bigger saws. It seems insane we have 050, 058 and 063 floating around and different bars for all. Its good to see you can get an adaptor mount to make Stihl bars fit huskys, but why not just make a multifit bar for all (husky, stihl, dolmar, echo, the whole lot). YES I know they are worried it would cost them money but perhaps its still possible with the right consumer pressure. I know it would save us alot of money in the long term. Maybe if we just brought the stihl pattern and used the adaptor, heck I dont know! I do notice that 050 pitch is pretty common in the US, where we mainly deal in only 058 for husky and 063 for stihl, in fact I have yet to see any 3/8 by 050 here at all. which one is the better all rounder to possibly switch to?

Why hasnt stihl dropped or modified the 88 bar set up, as its a PITA that you need a completely different bar for that one type of saw. How hard would it be? I know it does have something to do with the old saws running this type of bar but surely its time to get back in the modern world on this.

Bit of a rant, but its been bouncing around my head a little while. Any ideas?

 

[Fish]

Although our saws are a lot smaller locally here, it is the same type of
problem, there is little or no sense for the wide variety. The same Husqvarna
saw could have come out with a .058 or .050 in a .325, while all Stihl .325
is .063.
There is no profit incentive for these companies to go to any standard
however. unless of course they all become under the ownership of one
large supercompany, like Electrolux. And they are all available at Lowes........

It is a pain for the smaller dealers trying to get started to stock that kind
of variety of bars and chain....

 

[Big Neb]

Good question!

I think it has to do with each manufacterer trying to protect their market share.

I've been thinking about making up some Dolmar bar studs that will allow me to mount my Stihl bars without an adapter.

 

[SawTroll]

.... unless of course they all become under the ownership of one
large supercompany, like Electrolux. And they are all available at Lowes........
....

I believe you are mostly right, but E-lux doesn't own a single saw brand by now - Husky was "cut loose" from E-lux, with all the other OPE brands in the "baggage".......

 

[DGG]

My guess is that the reason is:

"Because that's the way we have always done it."

And it would probably cost the chainsaw manufacturers a small fortune to retool to a different (standard) size and who's size would it be. I doubt you'd get any agreement between the biggies. Each would fight for his size since it works (and sells).

Isn't that what makes a horse race? Differences of opinion.

 

[ray benson]

I believe you are mostly right, but E-lux doesn't own a single saw brand by now - Husky was "cut loose" from E-lux, with all the other OPE brands in the "baggage".......

A little Husqvarna info.

 

[SawTroll]

A little Husqvarna info.

Your info is allways good!

 

[wood rat]

I believe you are mostly right, but E-lux doesn't own a single saw brand by now - Husky was "cut loose" from E-lux, with all the other OPE brands in the "baggage".......

wow Who bought them -- Tilton ?

neverminf found it on the web

Never knew that happened

As of 12 June 2006, the former Outdoor Products operations of Electrolux has been divested as a separate company, Husqvarna AB. Husqvarna AB is the parent company in the Husqvarna Group, covering outdoor brands such as Husqvarna, Jonsered, McCulloch, Partner, Poulan and WeedEater, as well as construction equipment brands like Diamant Boart and Partner Industrial. To access information about the Husqvarna Group and its range of brands, please go to www.husqvarna.com.

 

[Austin1]

It would be nice if everyone used the same bars and chains especially chains those Stihl numbers have me confused! But I think it is a local thing as most Husky- Jreds I have seen that use 3/8 pitch chain run 3/8x.058 here and most of the Stihl's bigger than 260 run 3/8x63. Just a observation!

 

[TimberMcPherson]

We are consumers, we have some power in how we buy and who we buy from.
The question is how we might go about putting a little pressure on. Complain to dealers? Only buy bars that can be adapted to be used for most major brands? Buy saws without bars and chain and buy aftermarket ones that suit seperately and stick to one size groove, perhaps 050 as it seem popular in the US.

Surely Oregon or other bar maker could make a bar system that could be easily adapted by buyers to fit all. Maybe a slot in like a nose bar. Hey thats it! the slots and tension mounts are different, so make a plate for Huskys and a plate for stihls and one for dolmars and make it so the multi fit bar mounts to the plate! Right I have brainstormed the solution, we just need a clever engineer to make the thing! Man if you can do it YOU COULD BE RICH!

None of us are about to throw out our huge collections for bars but perhaps its time we thought about doing things that would make our lives alot easier and cheaper. seriously.

 

[Fish]

we just need a clever engineer to make the thing! Man if you can do it YOU COULD BE RICH!

Finding one of those would be the hard part...........................................

 

[SawTroll]

wow Who bought them -- Tilton ?

neverminf found it on the web

Never knew that happened

As of 12 June 2006, the former Outdoor Products operations of Electrolux has been divested as a separate company, Husqvarna AB. Husqvarna AB is the parent company in the Husqvarna Group, covering outdoor brands such as Husqvarna, Jonsered, McCulloch, Partner, Poulan and WeedEater, as well as construction equipment brands like Diamant Boart and Partner Industrial. To access information about the Husqvarna Group and its range of brands, please go to www.husqvarna.com.

Yup, there was a few treads about that "happening" here at the AS......

 

[joesawer]

When I bought my first skidsteer all of the attachments where brand specific. By the time I bought my second one they where universal. Of course none of my old ones fit but it was a change for the better.

 

[pgg]

I've got no doubt every manufacturer/designer will go out of there way to ensure 'their' components haven't a cat in hells chance of fitting the oppositions machinary. Ditto with motorbikes. You can damn near guarantee there'll be some tiny but aggravating difference between even the most basic and simple parts. Don't even get me started on the price of OEM spare parts either!! Just brought a new clutch for my 036, 95 bucks for the complete clutch wheel and 25 bucks for the tiny miserable plastic needle bearing insert that's worth about a dollar 50 cents, and which stihl decided to offer only as a seperate part. Buy the individual parts for the same clutch wheel and you'll be paying even more.. The word rip -off doesn't even come close to describing what's going on in the chainsaw spare parts industry...

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I got quoted 550 US dollars for a barrel of an ms200. Its insane the cost of parts.

No engineers come up with the multibar yet?

 

[pgg]

You can swap stihl bars to husky bars and vice versa with a chainsaw file and a drill.

 

[a_lopa]

A 25" is whats on every 046/066 from the shop in vico.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

A 25" is whats on every 046/066 from the shop in vico.

That would make sense here if we worked with alot of 50-60 year old gums, Would this be right for what you find there work wise?
Or would they be sold with bigger bars to reflect that they are bigger saws, (why would you average joe think that a 66 was needed if he saw both the 026 and 66 with 20 inch bars).

 

[Stihl Crazy]

Where I live Husky's come with .058 and Stihl with .050 chain. All Stihls up to 066 come with 16" bars. Small Husky up to 359 come with 15" bar .325 chain. Large mount Husky's come with 16" bar 3/8 chain. Anything else is a special order.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

That small bars crazy. Alot of hardwoods where you are?

Part of the reason for this standardistion rant is the fact I had a bunch of saws I really liked. a crop of ms200's and 020's, couple echos, a couple 346xp's, couple of 044's, a 372xp, dolmar p6000i, 4 66's and an 88.

I loved the 372 and dolmar, but it messed with my chain and bar collection in a big way. I long ago stuck the 16, 18, 20 and 25 inch bars on the 44's and 066's in the "storage" area of my garage. All run 22's now, or if I need a bigger cut theres the 36's. and the 42 on the 88 And thats it. Keeps everything real simple because Im stupid and lazy. I got sick of trying to guess what chains were what, tried marking them with spray paint, filling marks, the whole bit. But in the end it was easier to have one lot of saws which fit one lot of bars. So bye bye dolmar and 372xp. Hello simple system, but I do miss my 372xp.