Premature bar wear mystery on new MS 661 C-M

[Fatherwheels]

That's not the problem, sure the chain may freeze a little in the grove but essentially, it is the water in the tip sprocket that is frozen çock stiff

Yes, water certainly freezes, and will stick your chain or sprocket up,
but I don’t think that’s what happened to the OP’s bar, he got major wear in a very short time.

 

[dmb2613]

Dam, a chain thread that acts like an oil thread I think some have not run a powersaw much at all , but Stihl giving advice. Kinda like golfers , the guy that has played 3 times gives lessons to the guy that has played 2 times lol

 

[Justsaws]

At this point everyone should go back to using handsaws. Chainsaws obviously have to many magical parts.

 

[toadman]

Dam, a chain thread that acts like an oil thread I think some have not run a powersaw much at all , but Stihl giving advice. Kinda like golfers , the guy that has played 3 times gives lessons to the guy that has played 2 times lol

Exactly!
I'm watching this thread and laughing my socks off...

 

[Short timer]

Did the OP figure out why his bar groove is so worn yet, be bad news if Stihl bar quality
or QC is that bad, I am almost ready to get me an MS261, now this bar wear issue got me thinking,
so I looked at a 251 beside me, that bar lost its paint ridiculously quick, I know the owner, not an abuser
in any shape or form, may be the new Husqvarna bars are tougher, me has research to do.

I wouldn't not get the 261 because their bar paint sucks now. That's one of the greatest saws they ever put out imo. If anything, get the PHO and buy an aftermarket bar of your choice.

 

[Ripandsplit]

Have had a 661 with a dodgy oiler as a dump saw for awhile . Not a big fix easy enough to do . Water in the oil tank was the cause . Condensation over hot days cool night's and poor oil was the demise of the oil pump. Hope some of that helps .

 

[buzz sawyer]

After reading all 145 posts on this, i have to chime in. I had a Husky 268 with a plugged oil hole in the bar. After only a couple cuts, the chain tightened up to where it wouldn't turn and the bar was too hot to touch. So what made the chain tighten up? Either the chain shrunk or adjuster tightened by itself or the BAR expanded and got wider / longer. Think about how little adjustment it takes to tighten the chain. Due to the mass of the bar compared to that of the chain, the bar will expand more than the chain will under abnormal oiling conditions and the chain tightened up after cutting and loosened up after cooling due to expansion in the bar. In normal conditions, on any saw, I also see that after normal cutting, the chain is somewhat looser - but not enough to warrant re-tensioning IMO. In these conditions, when both chain and bar are heated equally and the chain is not re-tensioned, the chain is looser when hot and tightens as it cools but does not go back to the same initial tension due to chain stretch. When I used plain motor oil instead of bar oil in my Homelite SuperEasy AO, I noticed my chain was always loosened a lot during cutting. After changing to real bar oil, not nearly as loose.

 

[Bwildered]

After reading all 145 posts on this, i have to chime in. I had a Husky 268 with a plugged oil hole in the bar. After only a couple cuts, the chain tightened up to where it wouldn't turn and the bar was too hot to touch. So what made the chain tighten up? Either the chain shrunk or adjuster tightened by itself or the BAR expanded and got wider / longer. Think about how little adjustment it takes to tighten the chain. Due to the mass of the bar compared to that of the chain, the bar will expand more than the chain will under abnormal oiling conditions and the chain tightened up after cutting and loosened up after cooling due to expansion in the bar. In normal conditions, on any saw, I also see that after normal cutting, the chain is somewhat looser - but not enough to warrant re-tensioning IMO. In these conditions, when both chain and bar are heated equally and the chain is not re-tensioned, the chain is looser when hot and tightens as it cools but does not go back to the same initial tension due to chain stretch. When I used plain motor oil instead of bar oil in my Homelite SuperEasy AO, I noticed my chain was always loosened a lot during cutting. After changing to real bar oil, not nearly as loose.

Blimmin eck! The chain will always heat or cool quicker than the bar , it has less mass, the chain is the moving part which has the energy applied to it, it transfers heat energy to the bar via contact & friction mainly, in your case the drivers lost clearance in the bar groove because of expansion of the chain drivers & the bar groove closing up because if the same expansion.
I have used engine oil as bar oil for nearly 30 years with no ill effects, and have stabbed logs continuously for up to 4 days straight running 27hp through a 1500mm bar, which the manufacturer specifies engine oil only,
Chains mainly loosen up from cutting when they are blunt, more heat is generated, so basically if your chain gets loose, stop & sharpen it on the spot, if you don't you'll start cutting around corners & or stuff the chain & bar like exhibited on this thread.

 

[Jhenderson]

What made the chain tighten was running it out of oil. Binding the drivers in the groove doesn’t shorten the chain but it will prevent the chain from turning.

 

[Fatherwheels]

I wouldn't not get the 261 because their bar paint sucks now. That's one of the greatest saws they ever put out imo. If anything, get the PHO and buy an aftermarket bar of your choice.

Nah, the bars are 70.00 here, and if they are soft and giving trouble like the OP
has I would like to avoid the bar, but there’s a but, they won’t sell the power head without the bar,
so seventy for the bar that comes and then having to splash out on
another bar makes me think of going Husky, I do agree, seems to be really nice saw.

 

[Old2stroke]

This full cool down ain’t going to happen during a refuel.

Well it might if you have left the fuel can and the drink bottle out at the road because you were SURE there was enough fuel in the saw to do the job. Keep up the battle, you are right on the money. Unfortunately, few owners ever read the manual and then there are others of us who never buy new saws and don't get to see the manuals and would probably not read them either.

 

[Short timer]

Nah, the bars are 70.00 here, and if they are soft and giving trouble like the OP
has I would like to avoid the bar, but there’s a but, they won’t sell the power head without the bar,
so that annoys me, so seventy for the bar that comes and then having to splash out on
another bar makes me think of going Husky, I do agree, seems to be really nice saw.

I’ve witnessed zero issues with their bars except for crappy paint.

 

[lone wolf]

I’ve witnessed zero issues with their bars except for crappy paint.

Same here the bars last a good long time if you dont bend them. did they just get crappy all of a sudden?

 

[buzz sawyer]

What made the chain tighten was running it out of oil. Binding the drivers in the groove doesn’t shorten the chain but it will prevent the chain from turning.

In my case, the chain was free in the slot, just so tight it wouldn't turn.

 

[Short timer]

Well it might if you have left the fuel can and the drink bottle out at the road because you were SURE there was enough fuel in the saw to do the job. Keep up the battle, you are right on the money. Unfortunately, few owners ever read the manual and then there are others of us who never buy new saws and don't get to see the manuals and would probably not read them either.

Yeah, I was just talking about a typical scenario of a normal refueling.

Same here the bars last a good long time if you dont bend them. did they just get crappy all of a sudden?

this is how this crap starts. An operator burns up their bar and the next thing you hear is Stihl makes crappy bars don’t buy them or their saws.

The internet is such a wonderful disinfo tool.

 

[lone wolf]

Yeah, I was just talking about a typical scenario of a normal refueling.

this is how this crap starts. An operator burns up their bar and the next thing you hear is Stihl makes crappy bars don’t buy them or their saws.

The internet is such a wonderful disinfo tool.

The worst is when they rate a new saw based on a one minute cookie cut! Lets see what happens in 3 years of heavy use.

 

[Fatherwheels]

Have had a 661 with a dodgy oiler as a dump saw for awhile . Not a big fix easy enough to do . Water in the oil tank was the cause . Condensation over hot days cool night's and poor oil was the demise of the oil pump. Hope some of that helps .

Never had a Stihl in years, but I do remember the bars on our old ones were really good,
just concerned they may be cheaping things up, as mentioned next door neighbour has
one with the bar paint wrecked, cutting all his life, retired now but still know whats what,
thembar also has What looked like small burn marks like what happens using a blunt chain,
but I know his chains aren’t blunt, and I heard him cutting, no crazy revs or laying on the bar,
am puzzled, if not user error, then why do the guide rails look scorched, and paint in tatters.

 

[Short timer]

Never had a Stihl in years, but I do remember the bars on our old ones were really good,
just concerned they may be cheaping things up, as mentioned next door neighbour has
one with the bar paint wrecked, cutting all his life, retired now but still know whats what,
thembar also has What looked like small burn marks like what happens using a blunt chain,
but I know his chains aren’t blunt, and I heard him cutting, no crazy revs or laying on the bar,
am puzzled, if not user error, then why do the guide rails look scorched, and paint in tatters.

those “marks” are from the heat treatment process to harden the rails.

 

[Short timer]

If you were to remove the paint on a brand new bar, you would still see what you’re seeing is what I’m saying.

 

[Fatherwheels]

Yeah, I was just talking about a typical scenario of a normal refueling.

this is how this crap starts. An operator burns up their bar and the next thing you hear is Stihl makes crappy bars don’t buy them or their saws.

The internet is such a wonderful disinfo tool.

All true, but when we don’t have the facts regarding these bar calamities then
I think it’s ok to proceed with caution, and take into consideration what other people
have experienced, I dont know if Stihl changed the ingredients, nor have I heard of many
bar problems, except my neighbours, and whatever is going on in the OP’ case.