Bar Life?

[bendjoseph]

I have a Stihl MS391 With a Rollomatic E.  What is the life of this bar?  I have 13.5 hours on it now, and I have had to file it twice.  The rails are discolored from heat.  I have a pic but could not get it in the post.

[beenthere]

I'd be concerned about discoloration from heat. May be a dull chain and forcing the saw in the cut, and possible lack of bar oil. Not saying that is what happened, but comes first to mind.

The life of the bar should be years if cutting firewood at about 10 cords per year.

Any thoughts as to what may have caused the bar to overheat? And where on the bar do you see the discoloration?

[tyb525]

Your chainmay be too tight, too dull, and/or might not be getting enough oil.

[alderman]

Clean the bar groove and make sure all the oil passages are open.  You might pull the bar off, start it up and see if the pump is working.

[bendjoseph]

It has cut 7 cords, in 13 hours.  The heat is on the rails.  I am keeping the chains nice and sharp. The maple I have been cutting has been nasty.  Also about 5 of those 13 hours havebeen ripping.

[fuzzybear]

It has cut 7 cords, in 13 hours.  The heat is on the rails.  I am keeping the chains nice and sharp. The maple I have been cutting has been nasty.  Also about 5 of those 13 hours havebeen ripping.

I think you found the problem. Ripping is very hard on a bar, especially if there is not enough oil. When you are ripping you need twice as much oil as bucking. Turn your oiler up as high as it goes and maybe add an extra oiler to the end of the bar. When the chain is spinning a portion of the oil gets thrown off the end of the bar, you need more oil to make it to the bottom of the bar directly under the chain doing the cutting. Not enough oil there means metal to metal and lots of heat.
  There is no such thing as too much oil.
FB

[bendjoseph]

Ok, I did not turn up the oiler when I was ripping.  I kept the chain nice and sharp.

[Red 93 L1 #3383]

My oilers are always set at max, I just wish Stihl would squirt a little more oil out.

[bendjoseph]

I asked my dealer about the amount of oil I was getting.  I did not feel it was enough, they said it was fine.  I get one tank of oil to every two tanks of gas.  I am going to turn it up.

[Ianab]

3/4 tank of oil per tank of gas is more normal. Like the guys say, ripping produces a different sort of sawdust, and it seems to suck up the oil more than normal. It's either fine dust, or long noodles, but both act like blotting paper.

Turn up the oiler for sure, and make sure you are using a good bar oil. The main difference is the "tackifier" that makes it stick to the bar and chain. 

Ian

[rayrayrau]

Just a note, but all Stihl bars are dark for about 1/2 inch around the rails where they are hardened.  If you peeled the paint off a brand new never used Stihl bar it would be a darker, bluish color around the outside.

[bendjoseph]

I have been running Stihl chain oil.

[clww]

I had the same problem with my stock MS290 bar. I bought a Forrester bar and no more problems. Don't know why  ?
As others wrote, sharp chain, keep the oil flow holes cleared and flip the bar over every 3rd take of gas. Another thing is on that particular saw, I could not adjust the auto oiler, which I do not like. My 1985 Stihl 028 uses much more oil than my 2 year old saw, and a lot fewer bars, too!

[HolmenTree]

Just a note, but all Stihl bars are dark for about 1/2 inch around the rails where they are hardened.  If you peeled the paint off a brand new never used Stihl bar it would be a darker, bluish color around the outside.

Only the 3 piece laminated Stihl bars like the "E" bendjoesph here is using are hardened discolored rails under the paint. But take the Stihl "ES" machined solid body bar with the replaceable nose does not have this.
I would suggest to bendjoesph to "noodle rip" your firewood blocks. [cutting the block through the side not down through the ends]Alot easier on the b/c and faster with those long stringy chips then making sawdust what you have been doing.
You just need a slightly longer b/c then your firewood blocks

[Al_Smith]

If you hold that bar at about a 45 degree angle when ripping it does better .Cross grain it just pulls sawdust and beats the dickens out of the cutting system .

You get the angle right you can rip right through the stuff and never clog the bar .

[HolmenTree]

If you hold that bar at about a 45 degree angle when ripping it does better .Cross grain it just pulls sawdust and beats the dickens out of the cutting system .

You get the angle right you can rip right through the stuff and never clog the bar .

Thats right Al, but if you want the best speed pull off the sprocket cover, shim up the bar nuts with washers to keep the bar / chain tight and rip the block through the side flat to the bar.
But now that I'm thinking about bendjoseph's saw its only a MS391.......I'm thinking about my 066 :D

[Al_Smith]

Well yeah but most people aren't going to pull the chain guard off to make a ripper .

[HolmenTree]

Well yeah but most people aren't going to pull the chain guard off to make a ripper .

If I have 2 cords or more of firewood rounds in front of me to split.... I would.

[montreal]

Holmentree,thats a good ideawith losing the sprocket cover! I got thrown on the "flat to the bar'bit though,can u please describe that for a slowie,ta 

[Al_Smith]

Running parellell to the round .It pulls big old noodles but cuts fast .

Problem being those stringy noodles will clog the clutch cover up with chips in short order .

Now way back when in the gear drive era many saws had no clutch cover but they didn't spin the chain at 65 miles per hour either .With a derail under certain conditions with no clutch cover you could get smacked with a chain,not good at all .

[montreal]

thanks Al,if a bloke was going to do a lot of ripping do u think it would help/pay to modify a[spare]clutch cover,ie cut it up to give a little more room but hopefully still slow a flying chain down?.Im wanting to rip a big mob of fence posts about 7ft long ripped on the quarter grain & split with wedges &crowbar on the "backing off" or radial?? grain,ive done a bit of splitting,but am fairly green in the ripping dept.The timber being seasoned eaculyptus[pretty hard going].Being in the market for a new[or used}mid size sawat the moment i was wondering whether i should be looking at a slower running older saw,mythinking being the slower revs would be easier on motor & possibly chain& bar,am i on the right track or not even close?id much appreciate any knowledge u "rippers"have gained,Mon

[HolmenTree]

Fellows I split many cords of firewood rounds with my Stihl 066 and no clutch cover. Never had a problem with danger of a derailed or thrown chain. I don't recommend limbing trees with no cover ,but in a controlled position low to the ground I see no danger.
Just don't run a spur type drive sprocket which no one does these days on the larger saws. Spurs can throw a chain a little harder,

[montreal]

ok Holmentree,i guess it would pay to keep aclose watch on the chain tension??,i just got a stihl 440 today[ebay]do ureckon its up for the work i described if i nurse it along,more oil needed?? most logs would be about say 24''& id only be cutting 12"[deep] of  that each rip with a sharp skip tooth chn,cheers Mon

[Al_Smith]

On this oiling issue some times the Stihl bars have a rather small oil hole in the bar .Depends on the bar but increasing the size helps .Kind of hard on drill bits though .A little grinding point on a Dremel works real well .

[montreal]

thats handy to know,do u know where the rollamatic ES fits in there,whats the max diam u would go,cheers