Guide bar recommendations / comments / reasons.

[Lorenzo]

In the market for a new guide bar.

Is there really any difference between a Stihl bar and an Oregon.
I will be putting it on a Stihl saw and probably buy a replaceable roller tip model.
Is there some reason professionals choose one over the other.?

[Inaotherlife]

Cost? Performance? Vanity?

I'm not a professional. And not nearly as experienced as many of the other contributors here. But these are usually the factors that sway my decisions...though in no certain order.

[sawguy21]

Both are good although the Stihl guys generally like that brand better. If it's for your 090AV you may need to stick with Stihl, Oregon bars for that model are getting hard to find.

[lxskllr]

Reading around, it sounds like Oregon's quality has dropped. I don't have personal experience aside from their consumer bars. If it were me, I'd get a Stihl bar. The quality's good, and the branding matches. It would take a fairly large price differential to consider switching. I'm not a pro, and not even all that experienced, so take the above with a grain or two of salt.

[DelawhereJoe]

Don't forget about Cannon, Sugihara and Tsumura. Between Stihl and Oregon I would take a Stihl bar, the rails are harder then the Oregon bars so they last a bit longer. If you pinch the bar tip alot or cut into the ground to often it will kill the tip no matter what company it is.

[Lorenzo]

I truly appreciate the responses, I value the opinion's of the members on this forum.

[Ed]

For a Stihl, I mostly use Stihl a bar.

Bought a GB Titanium 36" thats been great, not enough hours on it to say it's a better bar.

Have some Total bars that are good, just not quite the equal of a Stihl when it comes to hardness.


Had a local logger, long retired, he would only run a Husky 395xp......with a 36" Stihl bar. Had to mess with the adapter & alter the oil hole, didn't matter. That's the way he rolled.


Ed

[Lorenzo]

Thanks everyone, 
I bought a Stihl with a replaceable nose wheel.
I  wasen't able to buy an ES model because they are not offered in lengths beyond 36 inch.

 That  small bit of weight savings wouldn't have mattered anyway for my application because it will be used for milling most of the time.