Who makes the best 20" Bar and chains?

[TheTexasRAT]

My dad owns a Stihl MS290 and I am thinking about getting a MS361/362 and both of us preffer a 20" bar.

Neither I or my dad run chainsaws enough to know which brand of bar and chains are superior over others so I humbly ask y'all's opinion(s) as to which brand of bar and chain last longer as well as which brand cuts the best.

All and all I am wondering which combo of 20" bar and chain holds up and outperforms the rest.

[DR Buck]

I love these threads.   Your question may have just as well asked  "What's better, a Chevy or a Ford?"      :D       

I'll watch and enjoy the responses you get.  ;D

[NCFarmboy]

Bars Cannon, SugiHara, Total Super Bar, Stihl ES just to name a few.  General conscensus on chain Stihl RS.

Shep

[AdkStihl]

STIHL bars and chains will outlast most if not all other brands.

[chainsaw dog]

Do you really want to climb a tree with a 13pound saw and a 20inch bar?REALLY?
How much do you want to spend for a saw?
Back in ' 03 my dealer recommended a MS250 With a 16 or18 inch bar.
With over 50 saws to choose
from I prefer the 250 most of the time.I don't climb trees,but if I did I know light weight,manuverability and easy start would be what I'd be looking for.
I've gone through 12 chains and one drive sprocket and still have the original 16&18" Rollomatic ee standard bars.

[exSW]

If you are already buying a Stihl it's hard to beat Stihl bars even the entry grade bars are better than the other cheap bars.

[JohnG28]

My 361 has a laminated Stihl bar that's still in great shape and no issues almost 4 years later. Stihl chains are good. I also like the WoodlandPro (Carlton) chains.

[qbilder]

I'd have to think a bar will only be as good as the saw's oiler, regardless of brand. I have only used up one bar, which was a 20", and it was not the bar's fault. I was in the middle of cutting gritty mesquite when the oiler quit producing, and I was too close to finishing to stop, so I ignored the smoking. Would have cost me more to quit & come back later than it would to just buy a new 20" bar. Otherwise, I have had zero issues with bars. I use Sthil bars because it's what my dealer sells me, and there's never a worry that they'll fit my Stihl saws.

[tolman_paul]

Cannon makes the best bars, Stihl makes the best chains.

I'm running a Bailey branded Cannon 20" 3/8 050 bar and Stihl RS on my Husky 181, great setup!

[sawguy21]

Cannon is great if you have deep pockets. Make sure the oiler is working properly, keep the chain properly sharpened and tensioned, stay out of the dirt and you should get good service out of most brands. Abuse is the biggest enemy of a bar and chain.

[sharkey]

Oregon Power Match is a good bar and the tips are available  everywhere. 

[snowstorm]

I love these threads.   Your question may have just as well asked  "What's better, a Chevy or a Ford?"      :D       

I'll watch and enjoy the responses you get.  ;D

.........ford

[Al_Smith]

Oh goody something besides the oil wars .A new chapter perhaps . ;D

[martyinmi]

I love these threads.   Your question may have just as well asked  "What's better, a Chevy or a Ford?"      :D       

I'll watch and enjoy the responses you get.  ;D

.........ford

Volkswagen!  8) 8) :D :D (I bought a new Jetta TDI a month ago)

[clww]

 :D :D :D

[TheTexasRAT]

I love these threads.   Your question may have just as well asked  "What's better, a Chevy or a Ford?"      :D       

I'll watch and enjoy the responses you get.  ;D

.........ford

Volkswagen!  8) 8) :D :D (I bought a new Jetta TDI a month ago)

Personally, think the big three are all good.

On the other hand I just bought a 1971 Jeep Wagoneer and it seems to have held up well. Ran it from northern Arkansas to south Texas at 80 mph, and it ran like a singer sewing machine, or finely tuned watch so to speak. Still the original motor, trans, transfer case, and differentials.

But, if I could only pick one I really like my 1970 R/T Dodge Charger with a 440 Magnum. Sweet ride!

[TheTexasRAT]

Seems Stihl chains won hands down. And the price of the Cannon bar can not be justified in my opinion. Funny that when I Googled Cannon chainsaw bars the first thing on the list was a Cannon adaptor to mount Stihl bars to Husqys. Apparently it is a very hot item for Husqy users to make it rise to #1 position in the Google search list. So I will stick with Stihl bars and chains, with the oiler set to full adjustment.

Do you really want to climb a tree with a 13pound saw and a 20inch bar?REALLY?

In response to one of my other threads - Been there and done that more than once!!! Do I like it, not really. I'd rather be standing with both feet on the ground, yet situation do not always allow for such a scenario (houses and fences to close to the tree). And little saws make for too much work in big trees. As mentioned the first set of forks can be 20" or more. Some wateroaks trunks are still thick up 30' or more. And all the lower limbs are 20" or more. I have fell a giant liveoak with a homelite sporting a 12" bar ONCE, and that was just way too much work. I could only imagine that trying to limb this monster with such a one-handed little saw would take too long. So yes, I do prefer a 20" bar and most lighter saws lack the oomph to get these big trees limbed out. Be nice if I could get 5HP out of 7 pounds worth of saw, but ...

It seems as if I am going to have to take some pictures to show why a little saw up these trees would be a joke. And yes totting a 13 pound saw is hell, but at least doable.

[nmurph]

...Be nice if I could get 5HP out of 7 pounds worth of saw, but ...

The closest you will get to that with any degree of long term reliability is a ported 550 with a Sugihara bar.

[TheTexasRAT]

...Be nice if I could get 5HP out of 7 pounds worth of saw, but ...

The closest you will get to that with any degree of long term reliability is a ported 550 with a Sugihara bar.

I'm thinking a ported and muf modded MS261 C-M weighing in at 11.6 pounds. I will keep in mind and research the Sugihara bar. From what I read of them so far they are very good bars. Have to keep reading more before I would decide to go with one.

[SawTroll]

Cannon makes the best bars, Stihl makes the best chains.
......

That is highly debatable, as the Cannon bars are very heavy and many prefere certain Oregon chain to any Stihl chain....

The truth is that there isn't any carved in stone answer, it depends on the intended use and the priorities of the saw operator!    ;)

[ehp]

this answer is not as easy as it may seem, most of the stihl bars here in Canada and made by Oregon and painted Stihl on them , the plant that makes bars for Oregon and Stihl is about a hour from me and I have watched both bars being made so they are pretty much the same bar just in a different gauge and as far as which chain is better , the stihl chain stretches less cause its .063 gauge up to and .050 in the driver , oregon is .058 up top and either .050 or .058 in the driver so the stihl chain is thicker chain so less stretch but the new teeth on the oregon chain is pretty close to the stihl chain, stihl chain cost $36 here for a 20 inch loop, I can but oregon for $14 so I run oregon

[SawTroll]

Canada is an exception regarding Stihl bars. On other markets you seldom find Stihl branded Oregon bars, but it has happened in the US (that was before the bar factory at VB existed).  ;)

[HotRail]

Cannon makes the best bars, Stihl makes the best chains.
......

That is highly debatable, as the Cannon bars are very heavy and many prefere certain Oregon chain to any Stihl chain....

The truth is that there isn't any carved in stone answer, it depends on the intended use and the priorities of the saw operator!    :) ;)

Saw troll,  I was roguewave on arboristsite but lurked there for a long time.  This post right here is one of the most unbiased posts I have read of yours, not saying u don't know your stuff or anything.

[sawguy21]

 :D :D

[SawTroll]

I'm not biased at all, but I have developed some opinions - and there are some facts involved as well!