Recommended saw for spar work

[Jehinten]

I finally took the plunge and purchased a ported 550XP last year. It has a 20 inch bar with a 0.325 pitch chain, and it’s a dream for spar and/or crane work. It isn’t as obnoxiously loud as the Bark Box which is important when you’re running a saw close to your head.

I do the same with my ported 261. Great little saw, and it's the first saw I grab for crane work unless we need to slash a few pieces off while just hanging from the ball, then I go with the 201.

 

[evo]

I have a couple full wrap,ported ms400’s with 28” lightweight bars that I really like for spar work.

When I was looking at the 400, the shop said sthil didn’t make a wrap handle. Is this a after market thing?

 

[rico]

Y

When I was looking at the 400, the shop said sthil didn’t make a wrap handle. Is this a after market thing?

Yes, it is an after market item. The boys I work with run their 400’s with full wraps.. I will find out where they are getting them and report back. Fantastic midsize saw, by the way.

 

[rico]

Here it is. $230-$240 for a full wrap kit For the 400. Holytreejeezus! I pay around $50 for full wrap kits for my Husky’s.

OEM Stihl Full Wrap Handle - Select a Saw

Full Wrap Handle Assembly for STIHL (OEM) - Select a saw to order a full wrap handle. Easily install a full wrap handle with only 4 screws.

ripsaw.shop

 

[evo]

Here it is. $230-$240 for a full wrap kit For the 400. Holytreejeezus! I pay around $50 for full wrap kits for my Husky’s.

OEM Stihl Full Wrap Handle - Select a Saw

Full Wrap Handle Assembly for STIHL (OEM) - Select a saw to order a full wrap handle. Easily install a full wrap handle with only 4 screws.

ripsaw.shop

Yeah sthil thinks their wraps are sumthin special.
My local shop is bottom of the barrel, and they talk out of their necks!
‘New sthil policy, they are now requiring no top handle saw sales to ‘civilians’ only to professionals’
And
‘Stihl doesn’t make full wraps. Only 3/4 wraps, if you want a full wrap your going to have to have it custom made which will void the warranty’
Basically they are full of shit, try to sound like they know what they are talking about yet sound like a bunch of snot nosed idiots blaming stihl for everything. Including their incompetence for shelf stocking.
Walked in to by some bio oil…. ‘We aren’t carrying that right now and would have to order it. No one buys it and we just sold our last gallon that has been sitting on the shelf for over a year’.
I asked them to look up my sales records and pointed out I’ve bought 6 cases within the past 12 months. ‘Ok, I can order some for you’
‘Sure that would be great, when can you get it?’
‘Whenever we put in our next order, likely 2 months’

I just walked out the door…

 

[chiselbit]

So, leaving the sprocket stock?

I just got a 3/8 sprocket with the small spline. Haven’t tried it yet but I’m thinking it will be all I need. Now should be able to run the 24” .050 bar. I don’t think anybody makes a .325 bar in the 24” length.
And maybe my 400’s are 3/4 wrap? I’ll have to look Randy evans built the saws and I remember he or I had to order the handlebars but I don’t recall where we got them. I love ported saws but I just run them, not into the. Holding end so much.

 

[Matias]

I just got a 3/8 sprocket with the small spline. Haven’t tried it yet but I’m thinking it will be all I need. Now should be able to run the 24” .050 bar. I don’t think anybody makes a .325 bar in the 24” length.
And maybe my 400’s are 3/4 wrap? I’ll have to look Randy evans built the saws and I remember he or I had to order the handlebars but I don’t recall where we got them. I love ported saws but I just run them, not into the. Holding end so much.

I didn't realize that they had a 24" for the small mount. That sounds awesome, and definitely more in the theme of what I am after.

 

[islandarb]

I just got a 3/8 sprocket with the small spline. Haven’t tried it yet but I’m thinking it will be all I need. Now should be able to run the 24” .050 bar. I don’t think anybody makes a .325 bar in the 24” length.
And maybe my 400’s are 3/4 wrap? I’ll have to look Randy evans built the saws and I remember he or I had to order the handlebars but I don’t recall where we got them. I love ported saws but I just run them, not into the. Holding end so much.

Chisel, what do you mean by the holding end....

 

[chiselbit]

Chisel, what do you mean by the holding end....

Typo. I meant I’m not really into building saws, I just run them.
And the 3/8 small spline sprocket seems to be working just fine on the 550, I put an old solid 24” bar on it while I wait for the lightweight bar to arrive, spins fine. Tomorrow we start a big pine(s) removal project, I’ll put it into some wood then and see how it feels.

 

[27RMT0N]

I run a 3/8 on my 261 (an 18") instead of the factory .325 because I didn't want to stock another chain size. By going to 3/8 I can make chains for it off the same spool as many of my other saws use.

 

[Keeth]

I run a 3/8 on my 261 (an 18") instead of the factory .325 because I didn't want to stock another chain size. By going to 3/8 I can make chains for it off the same spool as many of my other saws use.

I really like that setup for the 261. It just feels right. Does that make sense?

 

[southsoundtree]

I run a 3/8 on my 261 (an 18") instead of the factory .325 because I didn't want to stock another chain size. By going to 3/8 I can make chains for it off the same spool as many of my other saws use.

I run 3/8" x 0.050 on my 261 with a 20" bar. One less chain size for me. Rear handles all run 3/8"x 0.050----- 20", 28", 32", 36", 42".

 

[Vicente]

I mostly use a 261c with 3/8 50 half skip chain and a 20" bar does. Going to the 3/8 half skip is the fastest cutting combination while staying smoother in the cut than a full skip imo, 3/8 full comp is more than the saw looked and it's too easy to over load the saw.

 

[southsoundtree]

I was running the last loops from a spool of full or half skip Stihl-full chisel.

Since April, I've switched in some full comp Oregon-full chisel that I got online, without issue.

 

[Friedrich]

i really like my 462 with 28“ or 24“ full skip, square filed. also the 3/4 wrap handle was cheap, i think less than 50€. the 362/400 feels like a brick but i‘ve never run the 400. 500i is annoying to start (for me).

i run my 261‘s with 16“ bar 325 full comp, they do cut well

 

[islandarb]

I run a 3/8 on my 261 (an 18") instead of the factory .325 because I didn't want to stock another chain size. By going to 3/8 I can make chains for it off the same spool as many of my other saws use.

I do the same but my 261 is woods ported so I have a 20" bar on it. It screams and eats hardwoods. Love that saw. Prefer 3/8 .50 gauge over tge .325 .63 gauge. Love that all my saws except climbers take 3/8.

 

[Jehinten]

I do the same but my 261 is woods ported so I have a 20" bar on it. It screams and eats hardwoods. Love that saw. Prefer 3/8 .50 gauge over tge .325 .63 gauge. Love that all my saws except climbers take 3/8.

I was in the stihl dealer yesterday and he said the newer 261s come factory at .50

Mine is a couple of years old and came with .325. Haven't swapped it over yet, but have been considering it.

 

[96coal449]

Me's interested in this 261 3/8s 50 conversion. Dang, now I need another LW bar and and something for the .325/20'' bar.
Tis my crane saw. Guess I should just grab another 261c already set up, and have her ported.
Well blow me wallet.

 

[Z'sTrees]

I run 3/8" x 0.050 on my 261 with a 20" bar. One less chain size for me. Rear handles all run 3/8"x 0.050----- 20", 28", 32", 36", 42".

Same here, kept it simple for employees when it came time to find a file.
I've thought about getting chain by the spool but I usually run skip on 28"+, and there's that one oddball .063"

 

[southsoundtree]

@Z'sTrees I use 3 different files over the life of a chain, decreasing in size of file as the cutter gets smaller.

13/64, 3/16, 5/32", IIRC.

As well, I increase my raker offset amount as the cutter shrinks.