Stihl Bar & Chain????

Hey folks,
Anyone know the lowdown? I need a bar & chain soon and don't want to pay for the Stihl name here and can't find an online source in the States.
Does Stihl actually make their own stuff that is better than anyone else, or are they just renamed from someone like oregon?
Talking about a MS250. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Dave

I tried an Oregon chain on my Stihl once and I was not impressed.
It was a couple of dollars cheaper but it didn't seem to hold an
edge as long. Here a 20" bar costs about $50 and the chains are
about $18. I don't remember how much the smaller ones cost
because I have not bought one in years.
Zach

Stihl does make their own chain and bars. Stihl has a policy that its dealers cannot sell products on the internet. If they do and mother Stihl finds out they lose the franchise. In my experience Stihl bars are far Superior to Oregon. I have a .026 with the original bar. Its cut hundreds of cords of wood and brush. It still is in good condition. As far as the chain its top quality to. If you want to buy Stihl products online about your only option is Ebay.

Guess I'll just get off the bucks here then.

Thanks,

Dave

I think Stihl still make their own. They are very good. I have been using Windsor Chainsaw Bars the last several years and I like them. They seem to be a good buy for the money. I just cut some fire wood.
Been getting a lot of my saw supplies at Baileys. They have lots of small engine parts and saw parts too.

http://www.baileysonline.com/

We have a dealer within 10 mile of me if ya think I can help you out

Why cant they sell on the internet? You would think that they would want the sales, right.

I bought an extra Stihl bar and a couple spare chains when I bought my last MS260. Stihl bars are about the best you can get IMHO. IIRC, the spare bar wasn't more than $35 or so. No more than it cost, I wouldn't take a chance with a lesser made brand.

You also won"t find a stihl saw for sale in walmart, or Home Depot either. to have the franchise, one of the requirements is you have to have a service department to repair it and handle warranty"s.

Stihl also doesn"t allow a saw to be sold that has NOT been started, assembled properly, and checked over first by the dealer selling it. I remember working for a stihl dealer and people would buy saws as christmas presents, and we"d have to assemble it, run it, then dump the gas and oil, take it apart, and put it back in the box for the customer so they could gift wrap the box.

nice thing with that is, when you get home, you know your saw is ready to work.

Stihl makes their own bar and chains. There are other brands that are every bit as good, including some versions of Oregon. You just have to be careful what you buy. I've never known Stihl to make a bad or soft chain. They do make some crappy "safety" consumer chains. Other companies tend to have pro and consumer versions with good and bad. I've seen countless bars thrown out when there wasn't a thing wrong with them. Poorly sharpened, crooked-cuting chains often wind up with new bars, in attempts to fix. For that reason, I still have piles of good used bars from the 1970s when I first worked for s Stihl dealer. That includes Stihl and Oregon bars.

When it comes to chain, much is a toss up when choosing. A chain with a softer metal will be easier to sharpen by hand with a file. A super hard abraision resistant chain, especially full chisel, and be very difficult to sharpen properly without a machine. That's why many chains come "in-between." All depends on your type of cutting and method of sharpening.

I bought two new 56 cc Efco saws this year and the chain on them is one of the best semi-chisel versions I've ever used. But, I have NO idea what brand it is. No name on it, but I suspect it's made in Italy. I'll also add those Efco saws are fantastic, for their power-to-weight, along with real ball bearings on the crankshaft mains, and real metal crankcase and bar cover - unlike many consumer-level Stihls that are now plastic.

We use both Oregon and Stihl and I can't say I find any real difference between them. At times I've had crap chain from both... soft and won't stay sharp... just use it up and move on. For the most part tho... both are good.
Stihl does indeed make their own tho.

Rod

These guys all gave excellent info. On the suggestion side, I always buy two chains with a new bar, and I also replace the rear sprocket at the same time. A chain will wear faster with old bar and sprocket. When the chains teeth get too short, I replace the whole works again as a set.

There are a mess of good bars being made out there, GB, Windsor, Carlton, Oregon. Same with chain- Oregon, Stihl, Carlton. Baileys sells their own stuff and most of the major brands. I've not found a lot of internet deals on bar and chain that beat Baileys specials.

I used to be a Husky dealer, so Stihl stuff was taboo! But after trying Stihl chain once...well, what the public didn't know and all that. Stihl had/has that nifty little groove they have on the drive link that directs oil to the side straps and rivet. Always lied that idea.

I had to laugh when I bought a new Stihl saw last week. The dealer disappeared back into the shop to start it for the first time--and didn't invite me along.

I used to do the same thing when I was a McCulloch dealer. It would be danged embarassing to sell a new saw and then for some reason have it not start, with the new proud owner watching.

Try baileysonline.com they have a wide selection of everything to do with wood cutting and logging. I have ordered fron them and was pleased with their product and fast service.
Angle Iron

I replaced the stihl bar with a Oregon. No problems.

I pretty much believe what you pay for a Stihl, equipment and service, you get out of it. Course I have a dealer bout 2 blocks from our house, so why go elsewhere!

Heard they even have a Hooter's special.

Jim

I won't use anything but Stihl parts on my Stihl saws. Yeah, a stickler for detail & all. How bad are they soaking you for a bar & chain, over there? When I bought my Stihl MS 290, I picked up an extra 16" bar & chain. It's only $22.99 for the bar & $19.99 for the chain. They are the low kick back type & am not sure if they charge more or less for those. I would have guessed parts to have been cheaper, what with you being closer to their home. The Tru-Value I deal with is actually known to have slightly higher prices than most other Stihl dealers in the area. Shoot, if the prices are that much cheaper here, we can figure out the details & I'll send you one. Betcha ain't seen a Tru-Value sticker in a while, huh?

Mike

(quoted from post at 17:26:25 10/17/10) I would have guessed parts to have been cheaper, what with you being closer to their home. Betcha ain't seen a Tru-Value sticker in a while, huh?

Mike

Click to expand...

When I got my saw, my buddy paid $229 and sent it to me from MD. At the time, it would have cost around $700 here because of a week exchange rate. Today it would be about $500. Expendables may be a little different but I'm not holding my breath. I'll see what the local dealer will offer.

Haven't seen a True Value except for a couple flyers on the internet.

Dave

(quoted from post at 17:19:46 10/17/10)
Heard they even have a Hooter's special.

Jim

Click to expand...

May have to check out the hooters job again......Chip & Dales was a short lived fling.Swellings going down :roll:

Dave

I seriously doubt that Stihl owns an oil blending facility to make their own bar and chain oil. They may very well have their own formulation that someone produces and bottles for them. Bar and chain formulations are pretty much the same no matter who"s name is on the bottle. The oil only stays on the chain for a very short time no matter what name is on the bottle. The important thing is that it keeps oiling.