Husqvarna guide bar... what do you recommend.

[Derf]

Think of chains like this:

Small (>50cc) powerhead : .325 because the teeth are smaller they require less power to pull
Caveat: some 55cc and ported 50cc saws can pull 3/8, but only on short bars.
Large powerheads : 3/8”. If it can take a bigger bite, let it, otherwise the saw is wasting its power.

3/8 will be more smooth than .325 in big wood.
.325 will be less grabby and less likely to throw a chain in small brush.

Semi chisel is good when the wood is already down on the forest floor, has been dragged, or low on a tree where it is dirty from wind blowing grit into the bark. It holds an edge longer than chisel. Good edge retention, like an all season tire.

Chisel cuts faster than semi chisel, but doesn’t stay sharp as long. It’s great for clean, green wood and will stay sharp for a good while as long as the wood is clean. It will require more frequent sharpening if used in dirty wood. It’s like a summer sports tire.

Square file is faster yet, but dulls even more easily. It is difficult to hand sharpen, necessitating a grinder. Most people don’t even know about it. It’s like a drag strip tire.

 

[Den]

Went to the dealer today and bought the HL- 250- 78 bar. The Husqvarna site shows this bar as having a replaceable sprocket tip, but thats just a "stock" photo. In real life its just a non-replaceable sprocket tip.
After looking closely at the chart by "Ammoaddict", Husqvarna does show it as sprocket tip, but not as replaceable. Oh well... no problem. I bought it anyway.

The shop was going to make up a chain out of Husqvarna X-Cut .325 full chisel chain, but did not have a roll on hand. Instead they offered a full chisel 20" Oregon chain for $29.99 + tax, but I passed on it. Like to try that Husky chain if I can find one online.


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[Deleted member 117362]

Went to the dealer today and bought the HL- 250- 78 bar. The Husqvarna site shows this bar as having a replaceable sprocket tip, but thats just a "stock" photo. In real life its just a non-replaceable sprocket tip.
After looking closely at the chart by "Ammoaddict", Husqvarna does show it as sprocket tip, but not as replaceable. Oh well... no problem. I bought it anyway.

The shop was going to make up a chain out of Husqvarna X-Cut .325 full chisel chain, but did not have a roll on hand. Instead they offered a full chisel 20" Oregon chain for $29.99 + tax, but I passed on it. Like to try that Husky chain if I can find one online.


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$30 for a 20 inch chain is ridiculous.

 

[ammoaddict]

$30 for a 20 inch chain is ridiculous.

Yes it is. Stihl chain is not even that high. I have bought 20" Oregon chains on eBay for half that. I bought a 24" Oregon for $18. I bought one of the xcut chains on eBay for $20, but it was 18" NK. I like it a lot. I will buy another when I need one.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[NSEric]

Wow that chains a rip off.
A stihl chain is 21.99 at the local stihl dealer and a Oregon chain is 19.99 at the local Oregon dealer(a small corner store) and these prices are Canadian.
The Oregon speed cut chain is 19.99 at a bunch of different stores while the other Oregon chains are 29.99 at them. This is why I recommend the speed cut bar/chain, its good, cheap and easy to get.

 

[Den]

$30 for a 20 inch chain is ridiculous.

Yes Duce, you are 100% correct.
The two guy's at the shop trying to sell me the chain were licking their chops and kind of grinning at me when they quoted the price. There voice was kind of trembling... like pee wee Herman preparing to ask Faith Hill on a date.

 

[Huskybill]

Flame me later but first it’s more the quality of the bar oil we’re using as to bar longevity. The number 1 bar oil I ever used was Mobil vactra machine way oil. It’s very very tacky.

Saw chain under $10 at huztl / farmtec? Bar and chain combos even cheaper?

Buy the Husqvarna bar stencils, sand the huztl bars repaint them grey, add the Husqvarna stencil, paint it blue, ya the Husqvarna name on the bar looks cool ok.

 

[jakethesnake]

Flame me later but first it’s more the quality of the bar oil we’re using as to bar longevity. The number 1 bar oil I ever used was Mobil vactra machine way oil. It’s very very tacky.

Saw chain under $10 at huztl / farmtec? Bar and chain combos even cheaper?

Buy the Husqvarna bar stencils, sand the huztl bars repaint them grey, add the Husqvarna stencil, paint it blue, ya the Husqvarna name on the bar looks cool ok.

I run hydraulic oil bill. My bars hold up well. I think it’s more an issue of making sure the bar is getting oil. I run 24” 404 and 32” 3/8 on my bigger saws. The 24 is hard nose. I don’t have any real wear issues. It’s hard for me to justify the price of bad oil when I can buy 5 gallons of 303 hydraulic oil for 25-30 dollars. Hell you could add a couple quarts of stp. And still be cheaper

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Bar oil in gallons can be purchased at TSC on sale for $5-6. All day under $9. Five gallon buckets for $25-30 with no tack additives, I will pass. By the time you spill some pouring into gallons, adding STP to thicken to same, think you are spending more.

 

[jakethesnake]

Bar oil in gallons can be purchased at TSC on sale for $5-6. All day under $9. Five gallon buckets for $25-30 with no tack additives, I will pass. By the time you spill some pouring into gallons, adding STP to thicken to same, think you are spending more.

I don’t bother with the stp. If I see bar oil for 5-6 bucks I’d buy it. I keep hydraulic fluid on hand for equipment. Works pretty good for me

 

[Huskybill]

I pre lube the new bar while assembling it. A squirt can with bar oil works. Just a little so it doesn’t run dry on its first startup.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

You're killing me!

 

[Huskybill]

You're killing me!

Please don’t die because of me. Pre lube the bar and chain is good.