Longer bar for Stihl M261 - relative novice.

[Dadnatron]

I’ve used chainsaws intermittently throughout my life, just around farm and building fence. I feel comfortable using and sharpening them. But always using them ‘as they came’. Most I ever had to do was change chains and plugs.

I recently purchased an M261 and it works great… but I’m finding I need a longer bar. Currently has a 16” bar and Stihl .325 chain. I see a lot of Oregon bars on Stihl saw and thought I’d look at them. This is where I recognized the tip of the extent of what I don’t know about saws.

My needs are at least 20”, but honestly, I’m looking to get something for bigger trees. Before I just ‘get a 20”, I thought I’d ask opinions.

The 16” is great in that it is light, quick, and easy to use on 70% of everything I do. But I’d like opinions on what you find as your most ‘useful’ bar/chain combos, and why? I need something ‘long enough’ to be different that the 16” as I have several trees to fell that are larger than 16”. I think a 20” would do most, but I’m open to longer, if my saw will handle it and there is utility. I don’t want what I don’t need, but I’m also uncertain about that real need.

Do you have recommendations on a longer bar/chain combo for M261for some mixed, 30-50yo, hardwood, overgrown, Kentucky fence line tree felling?
Would you go longer than 20”?

 

[WinterDeere]

You're probably cutting a lot of hardwoods in KY. I run a 20" bar on my 63cc Stihl 036 PRO, predecessor to the modern MS-362, and it's honestly too much bar for the thing when running full comp full chisel chain. It's fine cutting smaller hardwoods, but as soon as you bury that 20" bar to the nose into a 30" diameter oak log, it struggles a bit.

In my case, reducing exposed bar length to 19" by installing larger felling dogs on the saw was a reasonable solution to keep running the 20" bars and chains I already owned. But if buying new today, I'd put an 18" bar on that saw.

The MS-261 is of course even smaller, which is why they pair it with .325 chain on a 16" bar. If you really need a larger bar for some occasions, I'd consider keeping it for only those occasional uses, and running skip chain on it to reduce the load on the saw. Those living in the west and only cutting soft connifers will disagree, but they're not cutting KY hardwoods.

Personally, if you need a bigger bar with any real frequency, I'd recommend buying a bigger saw. Figure on 70cc for 20" of full comp chain in hardwoods at modern chain speeds, without bogging.

You mentioned even longer, and the sky is the limit. The 500i is a great saw, if you have unlimited budget, and can easily run 28" of bar all day long. Likewise with the MS-660, if you don't mind the weight, and want something a little less costly than the 500i.

Lots of guys also run 24" bars on the various MS-4xx saws, which are in the 75'ish cc displacement range. I suspect that combination works great in softwoods, but might be underwhelming when buried beyond the nose in oak or locust.

Running skip chain is one way to make a longer bar work on a smaller saw, reducing the load on the saw by placing fewer cutters in the kerf, but it does slow the cutting speed a bit. It also makes the saw grabby and less suitable for cutting smaller diameter branches. I run skip chain on my 36" bar, on occasions I need a bar that long, on my 85cc saw.

 

[ericm979]

Stihl recommends a 18" bar for the 261. I feel their recommendations tend towards the longest practical as people often shop by numbers. I think 16" is about right for a 261. BUT that is assuming that you are at least sometimes burying the bar all the way. Some people like a super long bar so they don't have to bend over as far, and they only cut stuff far smaller than the bar's capacity. I find it tiresome to cut larger stuff while pulling the saw back rather than letting the dogs contact the wood. I also don't like how long bars mess up the balance of the saw, requiring more effort to handle it. But my back is in good shape and I don't mind bending over as needed. YMMV.

Modern saws pump less chain oil. A significantly longer bar than recommended may not get enough oil with the stock oil pump.

You can cut up to about 26" diameter wood with a 16" bar if you cut from both sides. It's kind of a pain to plan the cuts and make them meet for neat rounds but it can be done. For larger wood I prefer to have a longer bar and a bigger saw to run it.

 

[Windblown]

You've gotten some good advice. The MS261 is a nice lightweight saw but running more than an 18" bar is going to slow things down considerably and make it more bog prone. 16" is probably it's sweet spot in hardwoods. Also as mentioned Stihl gets a bit skimpy on max oil flow on their newer saws when running longer than recommended bars and this can cause more heat and wear.

I usually run an 18" bar on my Stihl 036pro which has a touch more HP than the 261 as it seems to be that saws happy place. It can run a 20" ok but not as sweetly, it can even swing a 24" in a pinch but it's simply too much bar for it really. I opt to run bigger saws for felling when I need a longer bar.

From an economy standpoint I'd say go ahead and get a .325 20" bar and just go a bit slower. I'm fairly sure 20" is the longest you can get without converting to 3/8" chain anyway. If you think you really want a 24" bar get a 2nd saw that can swing it. If you're handy with saw tuning and on a budget pick up a big CC clone saw. They can be decent runners when tuned but it will likely arrive completely out of tune and need to be gone over before being used, or just buy a bigger used saw that you can test before buying.

I'd only buy a big new saw like a 500i if you have plenty of money to burn and like spending it as much as you like felling big trees.

 

[ning]

Stihl recommends a 18" bar for the 261. I feel their recommendations tend towards the longest practical as people often shop by numbers. I think 16" is about right for a 261. BUT that is assuming that you are at least sometimes burying the bar all the way. Some people like a super long bar so they don't have to bend over as far, and they only cut stuff far smaller than the bar's capacity. I find it tiresome to cut larger stuff while pulling the saw back rather than letting the dogs contact the wood. I also don't like how long bars mess up the balance of the saw, requiring more effort to handle it. But my back is in good shape and I don't mind bending over as needed. YMMV.

Modern saws pump less chain oil. A significantly longer bar than recommended may not get enough oil with the stock oil pump.

You can cut up to about 26" diameter wood with a 16" bar if you cut from both sides. It's kind of a pain to plan the cuts and make them meet for neat rounds but it can be done. For larger wood I prefer to have a longer bar and a bigger saw to run it.

IMO it's all about how often you're in the bigger wood; if it's a very occasional big piece, just deal with going from both sides, or get a long bar and a skip-tooth chain and go slower, swapping the long bar just for that tree. If you're in bigger wood a lot, get a bigger saw.

 

[stevem5215]

More CC's gets a bigger bar. Basically add money to the pile to get it.

 

[4570Man]

I have a 28” or 30” for my 500i but I hate it. I only use it when absolutely necessary and the saw is much more practical with a 20” bar. My 261 has a short bar like 14 or 16”. I bought the shortest one the dealer had for it. If I’m cutting anything that’s above what the short bar can do I grab the bigger saw. But I wouldn’t go above 20” on the 261.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’ve used chainsaws intermittently throughout my life, just around farm and building fence. I feel comfortable using and sharpening them. But always using them ‘as they came’. Most I ever had to do was change chains and plugs.

I recently purchased an M261 and it works great… but I’m finding I need a longer bar. Currently has a 16” bar and Stihl .325 chain. I see a lot of Oregon bars on Stihl saw and thought I’d look at them. This is where I recognized the tip of the extent of what I don’t know about saws.

My needs are at least 20”, but honestly, I’m looking to get something for bigger trees. Before I just ‘get a 20”, I thought I’d ask opinions.

The 16” is great in that it is light, quick, and easy to use on 70% of everything I do. But I’d like opinions on what you find as your most ‘useful’ bar/chain combos, and why? I need something ‘long enough’ to be different that the 16” as I have several trees to fell that are larger than 16”. I think a 20” would do most, but I’m open to longer, if my saw will handle it and there is utility. I don’t want what I don’t need, but I’m also uncertain about that real need.

Do you have recommendations on a longer bar/chain combo for M261for some mixed, 30-50yo, hardwood, overgrown, Kentucky fence line tree felling?
Would you go longer than 20”?

I run a 20” bar with aggressive chain on my 261C for almost 3 years and I like it. I don’t think its the best choice for like constant hardwood cutting, but for limbing, and general usage, it’s my go-to saw. I think it’s just right.
No, I would not go longer than 20. 18 is probably ideal, but 20 works fine. My guess is you’d like it just fine.
New saws are outrageously expensive. A bar and a chain is cheap.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have a 28” or 30” for my 500i but I hate it. I only use it when absolutely necessary and the saw is much more practical with a 20” bar. My 261 has a short bar like 14 or 16”. I bought the shortest one the dealer had for it. If I’m cutting anything that’s above what the short bar can do I grab the bigger saw. But I wouldn’t go above 20” on the 261.

I run a 25” lightweight bar on my 500i. I think it’s just right.

 

[sandman2234]

I have a 261 with a 16" bar, and can't imagine running much more than an 18" on it. I have a 310 and 311 and run 25" bars on them with no issues.
David from jax

 

[stevem5215]

I have an EFCO branded Cub Cadet 5720 which is 57cc's with a 20" bar. It had higher hp than the comparable Stihl at the time and it's quite good with the 20" bar. If I really need larger I now have the G660 Farmer tec one which has bigger. But bigger isn't always better. It's just bigger and more to man handle. IMO a 20" bar is really a good size to use for 90% of all bigger tree cutting. Of course a small 16" limbing saw really has a purpose too though. It's just plain lighter and less strain using for hours.

 

[WinterDeere]

Just for the record, I'd put a 16" bar on an MS-261. My stating that 18" would be ideal for the MS-362 was not meant to imply the same bar would be suitable for the much smaller MS-261, when cutting nose-buried in hardwoods. I was just giving a data point based on a saw I actually own, and saying "smaller than this", for the MS-261.

In the past, Stihl never "recommended" a bar size for a saw, they only listed the maximum bar length the oiler on the saw could handle. Has this changed? In nearly all cases, the maximum bar length the saw could run was longer than you'd want to run in hardwoods, but may be perfectly suitable for those only cutting softwoods. Different woods require different horsepower, for the same bar length.

I know some like to run longer bars for less bending while cutting, but I've never done that myself, it looks less safe to me. I'd rather bend and have the dogs resting against the workpiece, than trying to cut with the tip of the bar from a standing position. And I'd rather run a shorter bar on a bigger motor, and have the thing run like a light saber, than fight with an underpowered saw wearing a too-long bar.

 

[xyz123]

20" to me is 60cc-70cc range. 24" 70 range.

I did set a guy up one time with 50cc saw that wanted to run 20 in hardwoods. I made a loop of full skip for him. When saws are under powered for loads ask, full skip helps.

Both 18" but I like 16"on them.

 

[Cycledude]

Around here 20” bars seem to be what most folks prefer.
I use 18” mostly because that’s what my old saw had, I do sometimes wish I had chosen a 20” bar for the new saw just because of the extra reach, a little less bending over.

 

[5030]

Without getting into the usual pizzing match conerning gas powered saws, I run Echo's as well as older Stihl's. One nice thing about Echo's is thay all have adjustable oilers, easily accessed on the bottom side of the powerhead and are usually less than a comparable Stihl and have a better, longer warranty as well (not that I've ever had any warranty issues with any of mine). I don't ever buy chain loops, I buy bulk chain and make up my own as needed and I don't care at all for the new Stihl lightweight bars, I prefer the Oregon bars or the Japanese bars. I machine grind all my chains as well as my arborist customers chains. Never hand file anything, ever and I always use canned gas, not pump gas and I like the Echo Red Armor 50-1 myself and always Stihl premium bar oil, never motor oil and especially not used motor oil. Have all my saws standardized at 0.050 width (drivers) chain, skip tooth of full comp don't matter and my rule of thumb is, when the heel of a tooth starts building pitch, it's time to install a new sharp loop as dull teeth only eat power and make sawdust.

Don't care for fuel injected saws at all, only carb saws because injected saws are way too complex, sort of like emissions compliant tractors and I like simple.

Finally, I use a battery powered Echo for pruning and limbing. No starting issues, instant on, instant off and they run just fine without the noise of a gas saw.

You may agree or not, but that isn't revelant to me. How I approach chainsaws and what I do and what works for me. It may not for you however, why there is more than one brand of saw and chain and bars as well as fuel and bar lubricant as well as sharpening methods.

 

[dodge man]

I’ve owned a MS 261 for a few years now with a 18” bar. I have to make an effort to bog down cutting big wood. I think Stihl says a 20” bar is the recommended maximum. The oiler is adjustable also so you can turn it up a little.

 

[Hay Dude]

Just for the record, I'd put a 16" bar on an MS-261. My stating that 18" would be ideal for the MS-362 was not meant to imply the same bar would be suitable for the much smaller MS-261, when cutting nose-buried in hardwoods. I was just giving a data point based on a saw I actually own, and saying "smaller than this", for the MS-261.

In the past, Stihl never "recommended" a bar size for a saw, they only listed the maximum bar length the oiler on the saw could handle. Has this changed? In nearly all cases, the maximum bar length the saw could run was longer than you'd want to run in hardwoods, but may be perfectly suitable for those only cutting softwoods. Different woods require different horsepower, for the same bar length.

I know some like to run longer bars for less bending while cutting, but I've never done that myself, it looks less safe to me. I'd rather bend and have the dogs resting against the workpiece, than trying to cut with the tip of the bar from a standing position. And I'd rather run a shorter bar on a bigger motor, and have the thing run like a light saber, than fight with an underpowered saw wearing a too-long bar.

Good point and I would add to that, it depends on what you use a saw for. Monday, we cleared a 500’ gulley of 4”- 10” cherry trees. It was a breeze with the 261C and 20” bar. You could stay back and away from the 1” thorns on the blackberry brush around them
Now if I was at the shop cutting 20” hardwood rounds, I probably would prefer a bigger saw on a 20” bar, or the 261C with a 16-18”.
Either task, I’d still take the longer bar as it’s more versatile. Slower in thick heavy wood? Yep sure is, but are you able to cut a 39” diameter log with a 16” bar? nope.
But you can with a 20” bar……

Back to your point: It depends on how many saws you can own. If I could only afford to own 1 saw, it would be a 50+cc with a 20” bar.
Does just about everything and doesn’t cost too much.

The best is several saws for different tasks, but we all don’t have the $ for that.

I have only 4 saws, so I’m covered for pretty much anything, but can remember when I only had 2 and seemed to get by just fine…

 

[xyz123]

I mean even poulan sells their little plastic saws 46cc with a 20" 325.

Good lord I hope a stihl 261 50cc pro saw could pull it that cost $700.

Heck I ran 36" on a 65cc poulan and 32" on 59cc stihl. Anything can be run.

 

[WinterDeere]

One nice thing about Echo's is thay all have adjustable oilers, easily accessed on the bottom side of the powerhead and are usually less than a comparable Stihl and have a better, longer warranty as well (not that I've ever had any warranty issues with any of mine).

Good post, but just to clarify one point, all Stihl pro saws I've ever owned have adjustable oilers. I've heard that some of their cheaper homeowner and "farm and ranch" series saws lack adjusters oil their oilers, but I've never bought any of those.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Back when men were MEN!
Actually I didn't know until I looked you can still buy a 2 man saw like that.