Oregon vs Stihl bars and chains

[kcurbanloggers]

Hey all,
I run an Ms441cm with a 25in bar in on it. Recently, however, I’ve been finding myself cutting a lot bigger wood — not quite frequently enough to justify a bigger saw, but often enough that I think I should pick up a bigger bar and chain. I was planning on getting a 32in with skip chain and maybe gearing down the sprocket to 7 tooth. Since I’m not going to be using the 32 all that often, I was hoping I could get away with an Oregon bar and chain. They are half the price of stihl, which is pretty appealing, but I have no experience running Oregon, so I am not sure if they hold up. I have always used stihl. What’s been your experience with the Oregon chains? How much quicker do they dull compared to stihl? How are the bars? Do they hold up? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ryan'smilling]

For occasional use, Oregon bars are more than sufficient. Their rails are generally not quite as hard as Stihl bars or other top shelf brands, but there are lots of guys running them every day. Personally I prefer Oregon chain because it is a little softer. It's easier to file than Stihl chain which is nice.

I will say that a reduced weight bar on that saw will be much nicer than a standard bar, but if you're trying to save money that's not gonna work. I'll also say to call Gregg at Left coast supplies. He stocks Oregon bars and chains at great prices and good shipping prices too.

 

[sunfish]

Oregon bars are ok. The chain is very good!

 

[Deleted member 149229]

The bars won’t last as long as a premium bar will but all I Run is Oregon chain.

 

[user 122190]

Check out Forester Platinum bars. IMO, just as good as Stihl. And I run Husky chains, a 1/3 less then Stihl, and are equal.

 

[kcurbanloggers]

Check out Forester Platinum bars. IMO, just as good as Stihl. And I run Husky chains, a 1/3 less then Stihl, and are equal.

Does forester make 32in platinum? I can’t seem to find any. If they’re out there it seems like that would be a great option.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 149229]

Biggest is 28”.

 

[Little Al]

And I run Husky chains, a 1/3 less then Stihl, and are equal.

Is this Husky produced chain or Blount the Husky produced chain we found in commercial use does not last as well as Stihl either in wear or keeping an edge if the chain is Blount it's Oregon anyway ,but could be produced in a factory that produces Carlton or Windsor chain Dependant on chain & area the price as you say varies from 1/3 less to almost parity in the bar dept Sugihara or Tsmura are for us the way to go Cannon/total bars are quality but are for us more difficult to source

 

[JohnnyBoy1986]

I find Oregon bars to do just fine for most - again lots of professional users will agree they do not last as long as higher end brands - but all I use is Oregon chain. Very good quality and always gets the job done.

 

[Conquistador3]

A 32" bar on an MS441 is... a bit too much and I suspect more than the saw was designed to pull. I've never seen one running over 25" here.
If you really need a longer bar, you'll also want a larger saw to run it.

To get back to the original topic, since Blount hiked Oregon prices so much here in Europe the price difference with Stihl is not enough anymore to justify the purchase.
Oregon chains are absolutely fine, albeit they don't hold their edge as well as Stihl, meaning more frequent filings, meaning the chain will last less. But, again, if the price is right they are good chains. All those I saw over the past 4-5 years were made in Brazil so your experience may vary.
Oregon bars... never really liked them. They do their job fine but just don't last as long as the competition. Tsumura is a good alternative to Stihl (Sugihara is more expensive).

 

[hedge hog]

I would go with a 661 R oiler too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Little Al]

A 32" bar on an MS441 is... a bit too much and I suspect more than the saw was designed to pull. I've never seen one running over 25" here.
If you really need a longer bar, you'll also want a larger saw to run it.

To get back to the original topic, since Blount hiked Oregon prices so much here in Europe the price difference with Stihl is not enough anymore to justify the purchase.
Oregon chains are absolutely fine, albeit they don't hold their edge as well as Stihl, meaning more frequent filings, meaning the chain will last less. But, again, if the price is right they are good chains. All those I saw over the past 4-5 years were made in Brazil so your experience may vary.
Oregon bars... never really liked them. They do their job fine but just don't last as long as the competition. Tsumura is a good alternative to Stihl (Sugihara is more expensive).

I see from your post you have the same price problems ,the odd Blount chain we have bought of late seems to be product of Belgium, local to us we can get a better deal on Sugihara bars than Tsumura

 

[kcurbanloggers]

A 32" bar on an MS441 is... a bit too much and I suspect more than the saw was designed to pull. I've never seen one running over 25" here.
If you really need a longer bar, you'll also want a larger saw to run it.

To get back to the original topic, since Blount hiked Oregon prices so much here in Europe the price difference with Stihl is not enough anymore to justify the purchase.
Oregon chains are absolutely fine, albeit they don't hold their edge as well as Stihl, meaning more frequent filings, meaning the chain will last less. But, again, if the price is right they are good chains. All those I saw over the past 4-5 years were made in Brazil so your experience may vary.
Oregon bars... never really liked them. They do their job fine but just don't last as long as the competition. Tsumura is a good alternative to Stihl (Sugihara is more expensive).

Stihl claims the 441 does fine with a 32. Out here it’s standard for the forest service to run 32-36in bars on the 441 or 461. It is large for it but I’m pretty confident that gearing it down and using full skip will be enough for it. I’m not in any hurry so it’s fine if it takes a little longer. I will upgrade the Oiler on it. You are right though — if I find myself using the 32 any more than anticipated ill get impatient and pick up a 661.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lowhog]

I went to a Tsumura light on my 441 & 362. I don't think they can be beat for the lower price.

 

[catbuster]

A 441 pulls a 32 just fine if the chain is sharp. Not as well as 460/461/660/661, but it does the job. It did it all day yesterday in some big oak when I didn’t have the 660 in the truck. If you’re in hardwood, run full comp. Hardwood will not cut a big enough chip for skip to help. It just makes the saw grabbier amd harder to run. Just find your oiler adjustment and open it up some. It won’t be super fast, but skip won’t help that. If you’re in hardwood all the time and the saw is stock, a 7 pin with a 25 is probably better and easier on the saw than an 8 too.

Stihl bars & chain are at the top of the pile. The chain in particular. I’ve always found “buy once, cry once” applies with these things. The Stihl ES light bars are awesome. The last 32 I bough was $200, and the chains were $37 or so. So for $275 you’re set. For a long, long time unless you bend the bar or pinch the rails bad enough to have it not work. My biggest issue with them now is the tiny sized oiler holes. But a small twist drill takes care of that. Makes them easier to clean, too.