Hesitation on Bar for an MS261

[Short timer]

Oh looky, here is a large mount Picco bar for sale RIGHT HERE IN THE US for $52.

My point was he ain’t walking into a local dealer to find a replacement if needed. It’s a senseless conversion that has many more negatives than positives.

 

[MichMich]

wow wow wow, easy guys!

I don't cut for a living, and cutting times are not that important for me. What I wish is to get quality stuff on my saws that will last. I've also seen on the 261 diagram that there are two rims options in addition to the standard .325, 3/8 and 3/8 Picco. I already have files for both 3/8 and .325 chains, so staying in .325 on the 261 is OK for me.

13" is a bit short for me, as I plan to have a 4" increment between my 3 saws, 16, 20 and 24/25", I don't think that I will need bigger, at least for the coming 2-3 years. I already ordered the 461 new bars (20" Cannon Superbar and 25" Tsumura Light), but I'm not sure which manufacturer to choose for the 261. Am hesitating between Cannon, Tsumura and Sugihara, all 3 have very good reviews...

 

[Doorfx]

I'm pretty sure that what he meant. Full chisel non-safety 3/8 picco lopro.

The 63PM is similar but semi chisel.

Thank you!!

 

[Short timer]

wow wow wow, easy guys!

I don't cut for a living, and cutting times are not that important for me. What I wish is to get quality stuff on my saws that will last. I've also seen on the 261 diagram that there are two rims options in addition to the standard .325, 3/8 and 3/8 Picco. I already have files for both 3/8 and .325 chains, so staying in .325 on the 261 is OK for me.

13" is a bit short for me, as I plan to have a 4" increment between my 3 saws, 16, 20 and 24/25", I don't think that I will need bigger, at least for the coming 2-3 years. I already ordered the 461 new bars (20" Cannon Superbar and 25" Tsumura Light), but I'm not sure which manufacturer to choose for the 261. Am hesitating between Cannon, Tsumura and Sugihara, all 3 have very good reviews...

Stick with the .325 if you’re not concerned about minuscule cut times and go with a 16 inch if you feel what you have currently is too short. Your thinking is perfect imo with your bar lengths. Jumping up to an 18 is senseless when you run a 20 on your 461. .325 and 16 on a 261 is an awesome combo. It’s senseless to make a conversion when you’re already equipped with what you have. Now you’ll be able to switch between the two different length bars on your 261 instead of still only having one and the other being useless in the woods.

Any well branded bar like you just listed will be just fine, don’t put too much time deciding on it.

Windthrown just wants you to waste money on a different gauge and pitch bar, rim, custom made loops, more sizes of files, shipping costs, less chain durability, your other bar being useless without switching out the rim, down time in a pinch because everything needs to be ordered, as in DAYS, all for a second or two in a cut. Don’t fall for this crap that gets spewed here.

 

[Mad Professor]

I bought heaps of GB bars from Left Coast and also from a guy in Michigan that got them in bulk. But both are gone now.

There are three Stihl large mount picco 3003 bars. I posted them here many years ago. They are:

16" 3003 000 6313
18" 3003 000 6317
20" 3003 000 6321

You can still get all of these easily in the UK and Europe, and the 16" bar there also comes in an available kit with the rim drive and the chain. But not here. Stihl stopped selling them for liability issues. People stateside were putting them on 440 saws for milling. Logosol also made and sold them for milling, but they do not sell them any more.

You cannot fit the picco large mount bar tips to large mount 3/8 std. bars. They are different size/width bars. The std 3/8 bar is wider.

Baileys still sells the 16 inch bar in that line for a hefty $81 price here:

https://www.baileysonline.com/stihl...ive-links-3003-000-6313-qs-3003-000-6313.html

It's not the whole bar tip, just the picco sprocket/bearing assy. Should be good to go with yellow 11T E-bars. I'll look into this.

I got a 25" 3003 picco bar from left coast, and two 63PMX milling chains ~$70 delivered. Bailey's (won't be beat on price) wants ~$50 for one 25" 63PMX chain.

 

[Mad Professor]

Stick with the .325 if you’re not concerned about minuscule cut times and go with a 16 inch if you feel what you have currently is too short. Your thinking is perfect imo with your bar lengths. Jumping up to an 18 is senseless when you run a 20 on your 461. .325 and 16 on a 261 is an awesome combo. It’s senseless to make a conversion when you’re already equipped with what you have. Now you’ll be able to switch between the two different length bars on your 261 instead of still only having one and the other being useless in the woods.

Any well branded bar like you just listed will be just fine, don’t put too much time deciding on it.

Windthrown just wants you to waste money on a different gauge and pitch bar, rim, custom made loops, more sizes of files, shipping costs, less chain durability, your other bar being useless without switching out the rim, down time in a pinch because everything needs to be ordered, as in DAYS, all for a second or two in a cut. Don’t fall for this crap that gets spewed here.

You're more full of **** than my turkey will be in a couple of weeks.

 

[Short timer]

You're more full of **** than my turkey will be in a couple of weeks.

About what?

 

[Mad Professor]

About what?

About what cuts quick. I agree a 16" 0.325 0.63 is the "sweet spot" for 50cc saws. I've got those, 026s and 028S.

But the 3/8 picco set up will out cut those.

I run 3/8 63PMX picco on my 066 for milling. So.....I have 3003 mount 3/8 picco bars, in various lengths. I can change a rim and bar (I have) on my 026 and run 63RS picco chains; it's faster and costs me a RS chain/small picco rim. The 066 runs a different spline clutch than my 026/028, so rims don't switch, bars and chains will.

One more. I don't run picco on my 066 for crosscut, then it's 33RM/RS 3/8

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

So let’s direct the OP to do a conversion where he can’t get anything here in the U.S.

So when his rim wears out, he’s gotta order from over seas, if his bar gets fugged up, he’s gotta order from over seas, if he needs a new loop, he’s gotta get someone to spin him up one or invest in the tools necessary to do it himself. $80 bucks for a 16 inch bar? Pfffft.

For what? A minuscule advantage over .063 .325?

I’ll pass.

I had bars and plenty of .325 .063 chains from running 028s for years. Dealer let me buy 261 cm V2 power head only $400ish. .325 .063 in 16" and 18" (67 and 74dl) bars and chains are available every where. Cutting the wood is easy part. Handling, splitting and stacking is the main work.

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk

 

[LoveStihlQuality]

I had bars and plenty of .325 .063 chains from running 028s for years. Dealer let me buy 261 cm V2 power head only $400ish. .325 .063 in 16" and 18" (67 and 74dl) bars and chains are available every where. Cutting the wood is easy part. Handling, splitting and stacking is the main work.

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk

For MS 362 cm 20" Tsumara light. Ported 046, MS 660 and MMWS MS 661 have 20" Total SB, 20 and 25 Stihl ES, 25 Canon SB,, 25 Tsumara Lt (also 2 36"). Swap bars to which ever saw I'm using. Easy to just stock up on 72 and 84 dl.
Left Coast Supply had Oregon LGX 72 and 84 dl for $10 and $12 shipped. Loaded up on 20 each 72 and 84 dl (and 2 36") and Still have lots of Stihl RS and RM.
Moral is having widely common bars have best deals on chain

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk

 

[MS500i R]

FWIW I run 3/8" on my 261CM without issue. It wears a 20" Stihl light bar, with full comp chain. No complaints about the cutting speed, and the extra length is nice if you are limbing with it.

 

[Short timer]

FWIW I run 3/8" on my 261CM without issue. It wears a 20" Stihl light bar, with full comp chain. No complaints about the cutting speed, and the extra length is nice if you are limbing with it.

I was going to convert mine to 3/8 also just for sharpening reasons and having the same chain on all the saws. I even bought the 3/8 small spline 7t rim. I just never did it, probably will after I use up this bar and chains. I would always pass on a 20 inch bar with the 261 though, strictly for oiling reasons. I don’t know how tall you are but a 20inch bar ain’t going to save me from having to bend down when limbing, it wouldn’t even save an average height person.

 

[Short timer]

You're more full of **** than my turkey will be in a couple of weeks.

About what?

About what cuts quick.

I never said what you’re claiming. Go back and reread, it's in the post you quoted when you made this asinine claim.

I run 3/8 63PMX picco on my 066 for milling. So.....I have 3003 mount 3/8 picco bars, in various lengths. I can change a rim and bar (I have) on my 026 and run 63RS picco chains; it's faster and costs me a RS chain/small picco rim. The 066 runs a different spline clutch than my 026/028, so rims don't switch, bars and chains will.

One more. I don't run picco on my 066 for crosscut, then it's 33RM/RS 3/8

Apples and oranges compared to the OP’s scenario. I’ll repeat, there’s more negatives for him than positives, a lot more, your scenario I can understand, you’re setup with it already for other reasons.

For what he has and does though, it’s not worth the conversion to gain a small amount of speed in a work environment, we ain't talking about cutting cookies for bragging rights.

If anything, if he's going to convert, it should be 3/8 standard to match his other saws. One size file, one guide, and one roll of chain. Anything else is nonsensical for him.

I also never said the pico wouldn’t be faster like you claimed I did, I said exactly the opposite. But hell, let's steer him towards the pico conversion to save a minute or two out of a work day and have to deal with the hassle from that point on for making the conversion, we'll leave out the more frequent sharpenings, added costs, not only for the conversion, but every time he needs to buy a bar or chain which will be more often compared to what he previously had, the useless current bar and spare chains he’ll now have without switching rims back and forth, yeah, that bar and chain he can still use in the woods without losing E-clips swapping rims if he sticks with .325 .063, the useless files and guide he already has if he's not up for switching rims back and forth, and the need to buy a different size set of files and guide. You know, so he saves 1-2 minutes every 60 cuts he makes. Brilliant advice he's getting from you, an "educator" and the other guy that ran.

Now tell me how I’m full of “****”. Quote a post to backup your claim that I said pico was slower.

And yes I know what pico chain cuts like compared to .325 .063.

 

[Short timer]

East coast shrimpy bar mentality. Running a 461 with a 20 inch bar is a complete waste of torque and money IMO.

No, running a longer bar when not necessary is a waste of money. Why use up expensive bars and chains when you can use up cheaper ones, why sharpen more cutters when you can sharpen less, why oil your bar and chain less when you can oil them more reducing wear, why put more stress on your powerhead when you can put less, why have the saw perform less when it can perform more? When I run into bigger wood, or don’t want to bend over limbing, I got no problem putting on a longer bar, but I don't do it to make up for a lacking third member. When I need something bigger than a 28 on the 461......


I’ll grab a bigger saw and longer bar.





A 661 with a 20 inch bar noodling rounds? Blasphemy! Those were bucked with it wearing a 32 and swapped out for the 20 to noodle. How dare I run a short bar because it makes more sense. Not "east coast shrimpy bar mentality", it's common sense mentality. Lmao!

 

[MS500i R]

I was going to convert mine to 3/8 also just for sharpening reasons and having the same chain on all the saws. I even bought the 3/8 small spline 7t rim. I just never did it, probably will after I use up this bar and chains. I would always pass on a 20 inch bar with the 261 though, strictly for oiling reasons. I don’t know how tall you are but a 20inch bar ain’t going to save me from having to bend down when limbing, it wouldn’t even save an average height person.

View attachment 866992

The oiler keeps up just fine on a stock saw.
No, 20” won’t stop you from bending over. But it gives better reach than a 16”.
As you talked about, I went to 3/8ths to try and keep things simpler.

 

[user 122190]

The oiler keeps up just fine on a stock saw.
No, 20” won’t stop you from bending over. But it gives better reach than a 16”.
As you talked about, I went to 3/8ths to try and keep things simpler.

Same here. 20 inch 3/8, skip, full chisel on my 261. Great set up with the soft woods in my area.

 

[Vanguard]

Bought mine with a 20" bar... rips through Doug Fir using full-comp, full chisel. I just put a 24 inch Oregon bar, converted to .325 sprocket for felling and bucking Alders. Runs full-skip like a champ, trying full-comp hopefully soon. Also looking at possibler oiler mod as well.

Using a light saw with good power to weight ratio makes it nice when tromping through and taking patches of Alders down. The longer bar is more for safety, hitting the "trigger" on the back cut since I bore-cut most Alders.

I'm a little short, so 24" bar has good reach for me like a 28" bar does for most when limbing and bucking, saving my back.

Buy the b/c for what you and the job would do best with, while keeping you safe. I've never seen cutting cookies 2 seconds faster outweigh safety.

 

[can]

I have been using the stihl 201 alot the last 1,5 year, west coast Norway. Mostly on sitka. I had have very good experience with the picco super chain on this saw. At first when I got the saw I run the Oregon 91 vxl, but the picco chain is way better. I also have a stihl 261, so I ordered the 13 inch picco bar with 3003 mount and a 50 dl picco super chain, ( a 50 cc saw and a 13 inch bar have been the «standard» for years in Norway) Cuts very fast so now I have ordered the 16 inch picco bar and a 60 dl picco super chain also. I have tried a lot of different chains for over 10 years, most brands. So far I find the picco super the best. Its also the easiest chain to file, and now I only have to use one file the 4,0 mm/5/32 inch. All others chains I had to have two files one diameter when the chain is new and a smaller later one. I dont find this necesarry for the picco super chain.

 

[Abbeville TSI]

The Echo CS-400 I got for my grandson came with 91PX on it. I may have to buy a reel of picco PM and the tools to make a loop. The PM comes in the right size for the MS 201t in a loop from the dealer and that loop also fits my 017 after modding. used to make up a lot of loops of 3/8 72dl when I was at the the saw shop. Never had a spinner, just a ball pein hammer to flatten the presets.

 

[Brushwacker]

People are making this too difficult. The saw is amazing with how it’s set up from the factory. 063 .325 and a 16 inch bar is the perfect length. It’s silly to put a 18 inch bar on this saw when you have a 461 with a 20 on it. No need to be converting this 261 to 3/8 pico either imo. You still need different files and are throwing money at an advantage that is minuscule. Don’t fall for this crap, it’s a conversion that makes everything uncommon.

Btw, I run the same combo. 261 with 16 and 461 with 20 90% of the time. The saws rip, less cutters to sharpen, cheaper chains, oilers oil better, and less wear and tear on everything.

I run 3/8 picco on my 025. What I like, It cuts faster, is less cutters making it quicker to resharpen and especially if you buy Stihl chain, cheaper then .325. I keep a few carbide picco chains for when i can't avoid dirty wood and I believe they are much cheaper then .325. The .325 is tougher in that it's less likely to break teeth or links in rugged conditions. I am happy with. 325 on my 026 but often would prefer standard 3/8 especially with a 16inch bar. Far as I am concerned they all work well with an 026 and I wouldn't spend much extra to use 1 over the other for multi purpose use.