How many chains should a bar wear out?

[Crofter]

My stihl dealer says he has loggers that get about three chains to a bar and others that get 15 chains used before their bars are shot, both in hardwood logs. What is your experience of what a good ratio should be.

Frank

 

[JimL]

Depends, I ruined a new chain in one day a month or so ago. Hit a rock inside a tree. Then I have run other chains for quite a while.

Plus I also grind and close my bar rails.

So I guess anywhere from 5 to 15.

 

[Fish]

I think it depends greatly on the user. Chain tension, sprocket
wear seem to be more important variables than oil brand and
wood type. Worn sprocket/loose chain wreak as much havoc as
dirt and lack of oil{due to dirt}. A loose running chain, due to
a worn sprocket manifests trouble on the bar as well.
I only fix what is broke and do not cut for a living, so you
will likely get other views on the topic.

 

[Tony Snyder]

A good average is 6 chains to the bar around here in mixed hardwood. Bar brand doesn't seem to make as much difference as you might think. It is hard to find a bad bar brand once you get to 24 inch or larger.

 

[bwalker]

I have recently been using a Cannon bar. They are spendy, but the rails are super hard compared to a Oregon or a Stihl bar. . Previous to the Cannon I always used Oregon powermatch bars. Had good luck with them till recently when I had one go south.
As far as the # of chains before a bar goes south. Depends alot on what the saw is used for. Landing saws eat up bars faster because they encounter more dirt cutting skidded logs. Same for firewood cutters.

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

Not including totaling the bar by accident, I'd say the 20"+ bars seem to last for 8-10 chains on average for firewood for me (I guess). If it has a replacable tip and I rplace it I can get another 4+ or so chains out of it.

Dirt is the main factor. Improper oiling from the chain saw is another thing that can destroy a bar prematurely.

Strangely enough, 16" bars seem to last me a bit longer. My one 28 super hasn't seen a new bar in 7 years. I never ran that saw as hard as my others, but still.

 

[Crofter]

My Stihl dealer says that over lowering the rakers and loose chains is the cause of a lot of early failures. Bar chipping is a problem then. He says these guys would be good for business if they didn't blame the bars for being garbage.

Frank

 

[rupedoggy]

How many chains should a bar wear out? This was your original question and I don't think anyone answered it exactly as asked. My answer is none. I have never seen a bar wear out a chain but I believe the chain wears out the bar. The chain is used up by cutting long before the bar can wear it out. Mike

 

[crowe]

I guess it depends on the bar. I have run good Oregon bars and bad ones and that carries through all the major brands I would imagine. I have always been partial to Oregon and with the proper preventive maintence such as keeping the rails closed, sharp chain, sprockets swapped out you could probably get a dozen chains out of it or more.I have got a Cannon bar I use to run on my 046 before I sold it and I bet I have cut over million feet with it I know I have put at least 9 tips in it. The rails on that bar are incredibly hard almost no show of wear at all. Probably the best bar made. later Wade

 

[ac45]

I cut firewood, and run all my bars untill the tips blow out or lock up. I would say that from my expeince I can average about 150 ricks of wood before the tip fails, on a good bar, but then Ive had them fail at about 70 ricks on cheap laminated bars. I have to admit I dont grease the tips as often as I should, usually only when I file the saw back at the house.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

It depends on what you are cutting.
My topping saw only goes through two or three chains in the saw's life, with the same tired old bar. The wood it cuts is clean, the chain stays sharp.
My 066 gets about 6 or 7 cuts on average, before it needs sharpening; low, dirty, concrete filed, metal impregnated, residential, wood. I've had about 8 chains on the bar I have now, and its still fresh.
The mid size saws are some where between.

 

[Terry L]

I quit greasing my tips 21 years ago. Greasing tips makes the tips wear out faster. I never, never, never grease my tips. This is in big timber with Stihl 066 and 046. I've replaced hundreds of tips for other people in my part time saw shop but I've never seen a bearing on a tip worn out. It is the sprocket part that wears out. The grease just attracts the dirt.

A saw shop owner in Dallas, Oregon told me that the reason my tips weren't lasting is because I greased them. That was why I quit.

Try it, you'll like it!

 

[Fish]

I grease my tip whenever there is no one looking, been doing that
for 27 years!

 

[glens]

Worn pretty smooth by now, huh Fish?

 

[Gypo Logger]

If you dress your bar often with a palm sander and never allow a wire edge or burr to form, and always have sharp, straight cutting chain with an unworn sprocket, your bar should last indefinately. It is the crooked cuts that burn and wear a bar out prematurely. If you cut 60,000 board feet or a 100 cords, I would say your bar doesnt owe you anything. Since it all happens with the chain, bar and sprocket, I would say it is up to the owner how much use they get out of it.
John

 

[Rotax Robert]

The depth of the groove is a given with any bar...Rails will wear also (some faster than others).... what really wears a bar out is different angles of the teeth/filing Left vs Right cutters causing premature wear in the groove. The bar rail is induction hardened but only to a depth of about .040 to .060 after that the rail gets considerably softer. Inside the rail where the drivers work is where the real wear happens...Yeah you can close the groove on the top but how about the bottom. Remember, teeth work up and down as well as side to side and if your drivers have more room to play so does the top of your tooth. On average I would say I get about 20 to 25 chains out of my working bars.