chain/bar issues with STIHL MSA200C battery saw

[Kevin Anderson / WPTC]

Is anyone running Stihl's battery climbing saw? We bought it for lighter work but have some issues.

With a fresh chain the saw works GREAT - but as soon as it's been sharpened once the saw won't cut deeper than the width of the bar. I sharpened it carefully with the right file and a guide, same thing. Had the Stihl dealer/mechanic look for problems, including sharpening the chain, and still same problem. Stihl salesman says he hasn't had any other complaints.

Does anyone have similar issues/ideas

A picture is worth a thousand words - Facebook rotated this - oh well, you'll get the idea.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10160196316985397

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[Jackjcc]

What size chain do you have on that right now? It should have come with 1/4” and that looks like 3/8” picco.

Other options, make sure the bar is straight and the rails are even. If the chain is turned by uneven rails in wood it binds the driver in the bar groove against the sides. Out of the cut the chain would turn free.


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[Philtreeman#1]

I use the battery powered stihls also & agree with jack. I have noticed the tiny chain & bar becomes worn very easily so that the chain starts to angle in relation to the bar.

 

[Jackjcc]

Yeah it really doesn’t help with all the miss matching you can do these days. All chain sizes come in different gauges. You can get 3/8” picco in .043 which would quickly ruin a bar meant for 1/4” .043.


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[Kevin Anderson / WPTC]

Thanks for the input - I think you're right about bar issues. We were so busy last fall it just got thrown in the shed when it quit cutting - I'll tune the bar up, check the chain/bar specs, and report back!
Phil - you say the tiny Stihl bars are wearing easily - do you know if the Huskys are more reliable?

 

[Philtreeman#1]

Thanks for the input - I think you're right about bar issues. We were so busy last fall it just got thrown in the shed when it quit cutting - I'll tune the bar up, check the chain/bar specs, and report back!
Phil - you say the tiny Stihl bars are wearing easily - do you know if the Huskys are more reliable?

I don't know about the Huskys. But I do like the Stihls with their fine bars because they are well suited for fine pruning cuts especially where you may have to plunge cut to thin out a cluster. I have noticed that operator error causes a lot of problems. (ie not keeping the saw square as the cut is progressed.)

 

[Jackjcc]

The little bars are great but not everyone is gentle on saws. They require precision vs strength to do what they were designed to do best. Can’t beat on them like a 3/8th .063 bar.


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[Merle Nelson]

The Husky Batt saws are working great for me. I love using them on trimming with a lot of cuts sub 3 or 4 inches. (No sign of excessive chain or bar wear or problems. )

Sorry to hear that small chain/bar combo might be at issue on your battery saw. I recently saw that was what is coming on the Stihl extendable pole saws now.

 

[BEH2202]

I had a similar problem with my husky battery saw. In the end the culprit was a slightly splayed bar nose. When I say slight I mean almost imperceptible; maybe 1/16th of an inch. As soon as I put on a new bar the problem was resolved. I kept using the old chain, which had been sharpened many times. Hope this helps. Good luck.


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