Stihl MS180 bar options

[zilla24]

I have been a lurker on here for some time and recently joined through tapatalk great site!

I have a Stihl MS180c that I am looking to replace the bar on, it has the 14" .043" narrow kerf and I am thinking about upgrading to a .050" kerf. Any recommendations as to what I should get? I've considered another stihl bar but am wondering about Oregon bars and their quality, their chain/bar combos are pretty reasonable. Thanks in advance.

 

[XSKIER]

The 14" Rollomatic E bar in .050 gage with 63 PS3 50 saw chain makes a great blade for the MS 180 C-B.

 

[computeruser]

Welcome to the site!

Oregon and Stihl (and others) offer .043 and .050 options that can work. I'd be inclined to stick with .043 for that saw; the 180 and 170 I have run do not seem to have any overabundance of grunt. You could get hold of .050 bar and run "regular" 3/8" low profile chain, but you'll probably pay a penalty in cutting speed. Maybe this matters for you, maybe it doesn't. I suspect you might have more options in a wider-nose bar profile with .050 than .043, if that attribute interests you.

As to quality, Oregon stuff with the red paint and the word "pro" in it does fine in my experience. The narrow tip, black paint bars always seem extra flimsy to me.

 

[treesmith]

Walbro 215 carb and a muff mod, easy upgrade.
you could advance the timing slightly too by shaving the cast flywheel enough to turn it 5-7mm anti clockwise at the outside edge, lock the flywheel first and mark the wheel and case before

Then run Stihl .050 PS, 12" in hardwood, longer in softer wood

 

[Rockjock]

I have been a lurker on here for some time and recently joined through tapatalk great site!

I have a Stihl MS180c that I am looking to replace the bar on, it has the 14" .043" narrow kerf and I am thinking about upgrading to a .050" kerf. Any recommendations as to what I should get? I've considered another stihl bar but am wondering about Oregon bars and their quality, their chain/bar combos are pretty reasonable. Thanks in advance.

Pretty much walks you through the process.

 

[zilla24]

Thanks for that video, I had seen that and that's what got me thinking about a .050" bar. I have not been overly impressed with the stock .043" bar and chain. The saw is definitely no powerhouse but is lightweight and nice for cutting tree tops for smaller firewood, would a .050" bar and chain like in the video completely zap it for power?

 

[chainsawman2011]

no the .050 gauge bar and chain doesn't use that much more power at all. I set up and run all 170/180 with that on it. they cut great that way I use either 91vxl Oregon or wnic carlton chain. and Oregon, forester or stihl bars work just fine.

 

[Philbert]

I have a Stihl MS180c that I am looking to replace the bar on, it has the 14" .043" narrow kerf and I am thinking about upgrading to a .050" kerf.

Welcome out of the shadows!

I would not call going from .043 to .050 gauge chain 'an upgrade', especially if your current bar is not worn out. The narrower kerf chain takes a narrower bite of wood, so it requires less power. The real trick is matching the saw/sprocket/chain/bar combination for optimal cutting. The 14 inch bar on that saw, and 3/8 low profile chain is a good start.

Going to standard kerf 3/8 low profile does not really offer you any advantages, except wider availability of chain if you go through a lot of it. I have Oregon type 91 on a pole saw, and it cuts fairly aggressively if properly sharpened (uses a 4.5 mm file) and Oregon 95VP (.325 narrow kerf) on a larger saw, and really happy with both.

Philbert

 

[zilla24]

Thanks everyone for the replies, so much good advise on here. I definitely want to stick with a 14" bar for light limbing and an easier fit on my atv rack, I have a Husky 346xp with a 18" bar for the larger stuff. Is the Oregon 105667 a decent bar/chain combo? I've seen that at the local hardware store.

 

[Philbert]

The Oregon parts finder shows these for your saw:



Not sure why one combo is 50 DL and another is 52 DL? The Oregon bars in all of these combos is their basic laminated bar, which should hold up for normal use. These combos are usually a good value.

Philbert

 

[Howard Justice]

Pretty much walks you through the process.

Most helpful. I want to swap to 14 inch 0.50 bars on my 170, 180, and 211. Thank you.

 

[buzz sawyer]

no the .050 gauge bar and chain doesn't use that much more power at all. I set up and run all 170/180 with that on it. they cut great that way I use either 91vxl Oregon or wnic carlton chain. and Oregon, forester or stihl bars work just fine.

Agree. I have the 170 and 180, both with 3/8lp x .50. No problem with power for a 30cc saw. btw, .050 is not the kerf, it is the gauge/thickness of the drive links.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

1 put the .050 lp Oregon bar/chain on one friend's 170 and have ordered the Archer version for his other 2 . He runs 16" on them for limbing pine and fir. Not fast but very light. Muff mod helps quite a bit.

 

[Howard Justice]

Ordered this one…. I Bent bar on 170 recently…. It happens hahaha. So it’s time to just go w the 14inch 0.50 ga. My 201 rear handle is a 14 …. Perfect or bigger limbing. Changing my 261s from 18s. …. One w a 20 and another w a 16.

Thanks for the info provided here!!

 

[Howard Justice]

* perfect FOR …

 

[Pioneer]

Put a 14-in .50 ga Oregon bar/chain combo on a friend's MS 170. It handles it just fine, had no issues going through 10 inches of green softwood. Larger chain is also easier to find files or Dremel bit sizes to sharpen it than the Picco.