Oregon bars & chain

[coastalfaller]

Any one else out there finding the Oregon bars and chain not lasting as long as they used to? We grind our chains and both grind and squeeze our bars, but they're just not lasting nearly as long as they used to. Switched to Stihl chain (it pains me to admit that!) and Tsumura bars and find we're getting alot longer life again. Just curious if anyone else has noticed the same thing. Hope all is well!

 

[Samlock]

I did quit buying Oregon a couple of years ago. Too many snapped out chains in row. I've used Stihl chains ever since. Until last Saturday in a local store they had a bargain I couldn't refuse: 3 Oregon chains for a price of 1 Stihl chain. I thought why not, if two of them breaks and one is a valid one, I'm still winning. They cut well anyhow.

Let's see.

 

[Gologit]

Any one else out there finding the Oregon bars and chain not lasting as long as they used to? We grind our chains and both grind and squeeze our bars, but they're just not lasting nearly as long as they used to. Switched to Stihl chain (it pains me to admit that!) and Tsumura bars and find we're getting alot longer life again. Just curious if anyone else has noticed the same thing. Hope all is well!

It seems like sometimes they're okay and other times they're not. I bought two Oregon bars at the same time, one of them wore like it was made of tinfoil, the other one is still in good shape. The usage on both was about equal, cutting conditions were identical.

Oregon chains are about the same. I've been trying to retire so I quit buying rolls of chain and just buy loops. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not. I buy from Bailey's and Madsens and it doesn't seem to make any difference..I'll get three or four good chains and then a couple that just don't hold up or hold an edge like they should. I don't have any fancy mathematical figures or scientific evidence of this but the lack of consistency is really apparent.

I always kinda knew what to expect from Oregon products. Now it's a crap shoot.

 

[RandyMac]

I always bought Oregon chain, it was very consistent, their bars were good too. I have nothing new so I can't offer a comparison.

 

[madhatte]

Don't think I've bought any Oregon bars new; however, I have several which can't be more'n a couple of years old, and they seem fine. No trouble with the chain that I can directly blame on the chain itself, either.

Can't go wrong with Stihl and Tsumura, either, though.

 

[slowp]

When I switched bars on Twinkle, I did not like the way the red OREGON graphics looked on the orange and white saw.

 

[mdavlee]

Tsumura bars seem to wear as good as cannon. I've got one that has 50 tanks or so run on it and it doesn't need dressing yet. The last oregon chain I bought did good. I split a roll of stihl with another guy and it is holding up about the same.

 

[paccity]

i run both oregon and stihl bars & rolls , nothing realy different between the two as far as ware goes, but the powermatches seem alittie flexer than the stihls. but the groundies can thrash anything.

 

[Gologit]

When I switched bars on Twinkle, I did not like the way the red OREGON graphics looked on the orange and white saw.

:bang::bang::bang:

 

[dingeryote]

Somewhere along the line, Oregon slipped up hard on the roller noses and bars.

I never really liked them, but they worked well enough not to hate them.

That changed a couple years back for me when a 24" power match I bought new locally, started wearing unevenly on one side but not the other, and then blew out a nose. Then another nose, and then another.
I chalked that up to one bad bar, and some sort of hiccup in China at the Oregon roller nose factory.

Oregon LGX has NEVER been worth a tinkers damn for me.
Plenty smooth and fast for a couple cuts right out of the box, and right off the file, but it's dog terd soft and not worth the angst.

Carlton and Bailys branded Carlton, is cheaper and holds up a hell of a lot better anyhow. Screw the vibration, it isn't noticed while wearing gloves anyhow. Might have to file it right out of the box though..

That's good to hear about the Tsumura bars.
With Oregon reducing Carlton bars to chineese made crap, and GB bieng spotty, it's good to know.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[mingo]

I always had a problem with the rails wearing right behind the tip on oregon bars. Really liked the gb titanium bar but are to find now.

 

[Slamm]

We switched to Stihl chain and Stihl bars quite awhile ago and have since not had to deal with constantly stretching chain and getting dull too quickly.

The Stihl bars wear much better and no issues with the roller tips.
I have said for years, that Stihl chain is harder than Oregon files, as the files are a joke. I only use Stihl or Save-Edge files.

For production purposes, I have written off Oregon chain, bars and files, as a waste of money, as they are all three too soft for serious work, and certainly are not good in for hardwoods in harsh or dirty conditions.

My experience and opinion,

Sam

 

[Rounder]

Any one else out there finding the Oregon bars and chain not lasting as long as they used to? We grind our chains and both grind and squeeze our bars, but they're just not lasting nearly as long as they used to. Switched to Stihl chain (it pains me to admit that!) and Tsumura bars and find we're getting alot longer life again. Just curious if anyone else has noticed the same thing. Hope all is well!

Same deal for me. Back to Stihl bars and Stihl chain - Sam

 

[coastalfaller]

It seems like sometimes they're okay and other times they're not. I bought two Oregon bars at the same time, one of them wore like it was made of tinfoil, the other one is still in good shape. The usage on both was about equal, cutting conditions were identical.

Oregon chains are about the same. I've been trying to retire so I quit buying rolls of chain and just buy loops. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not. I buy from Bailey's and Madsens and it doesn't seem to make any difference..I'll get three or four good chains and then a couple that just don't hold up or hold an edge like they should. I don't have any fancy mathematical figures or scientific evidence of this but the lack of consistency is really apparent.

I always kinda knew what to expect from Oregon products. Now it's a crap shoot.

Yep, I hear you, Bob, although now it seems more crap than not!

 

[dave k]

After several years of not using Oregin chain I started using it in the last couple of months and have found it to be very good although I do seem to be going through it a little quicker than my normal Stihl. As for bars I bought my first two new Oregon in many years in the last couple of months also, a Husky branded 24" and a 28" Pro lite, the 24" seems to be wearing fairly fast compared to a Stihl ES and the 28" is still awaiting use as the saw it was bought for seems to have got lost on it's way from Canada !

 

[austinwisetx]

Oregon bars and chain are really good quality. Thanks.

 

[floyd]

I had trouble wearing right behind the tip as well. I bumped alot of knots using that part of the bar. So did everyone else for that matter.


I bet if you asked they would have had one in grey. That wouldn't clash as much as the red.

 

[coastalfaller]

What we've been finding, is like Bob alluded to, the chains just don't seem to hold their edge nearly as well as in the past. We run 36" bars and even with normal bar maintenance, the rails just don't hold up, causing the bars to wander in the cut. Those of you guys in bigger timber will know the frustration this causes!!!

Thanks to everyone for their replies!

 

[mingo]

When the nose blows apart on the oregon bar the bearing like to get jammed into the the rails. Never really had that trouble with the GB they would smoke alot but stay together.

 

[056kid]

I have a few old Oregon bars with the 3 rivet tip. Those old bars feel substantially stronger than the new. .