Saw-- What Am I Looking For?

That's a nice saw Jack! Try to keep it away from your toes.

 

Do you do a clean like that over the off season too?

 

Thanks, I plan on keeping the two separated.

So, how big of a bar do you guys think this can pull for those special occasions?

 

Got any details? I'm new here

 

My 036 runs a 25 inch bar OK. All its ever had on it. It has the same oil pump as the 034 with the adjustable oiler. I do not know what the pump output is though. Stihl rated the 036 to have a 20 inch bar. The 361 can go to 25.

A 22 inch bar is probably ideal for a 360/361. Oregon and Carlton makes them in 3/8, but its 0.063 gauge. And they are like stupid expensive.

 

Details on the oiler upgrade, I meant.

 

I was thinking 24 for the odd time that I need it.

 

Yep' I know, but there is a bunch of stuff I come across here in town that I can even begin to cut.

 

You are mixing up saws here. I posted an oiler upgrade for a 361, which has the same oil pump body as the 460/460R. You swap out the control bolt and the pump piston as a pair to get higher flow rates of the 460R for running a 28 inch bar on the 361. A stock 361 can run a 25 inch bar no problem, and I have been running mine with 25 inch bars with full comp loops for many years. Mostly noodling, but also falling and bucking hardwoods like white and black oaks. With a 28 inch bar on a 361, you need the oiler mods and skip.

The 034/034S/036/MS360 have different oil pumps than the 361, but they have the exact same flow rates. The 034->MS360 also have two different pumps which can be interchanged. In my 034/036 service manual, they say that the oil pumps were changed from model X2023983 and on. So I have a later oil pump in my 036. They say that the old and new pumps can be swapped out. They note that the newer pumps have a control bolt that has a 1/4 turn from min to max (same as newer Stihl saws), whereas the earlier pump has 2 turns from min to max. The max oil pump flow rate listed on the 034->MS360 is 15.5 cm(3)/min. The max flow rate for the 361 is exactly the same as the 036.

So, let me go on record here to say that while the 034->360 user guides say that the 20 inch bar is the limit, the 361 has the same rate oil pump and the user guide has a 25 inch bar limit. So in fact, the 034->360 will all oil a 25 inch bar just fine, w/o any modification. Also the 034S and 036 have slightly more stock HP than a 361, so they can and will run a 25 inch bar (really a 24, but Stihl calls them a 25) just fine. Full skip or full comp, your choice there. As for running a 28 on a 034S or 036/360, or even a 361, you would need to upgrade the oil pumps. I do not have the upgrade parts needed for the 034->360, and there are at least two different oil pumps on them. For the 361, the pump piston and control bolt can be swapped out with the ones for the 460R, which has higher flow rates than the 361 or the 460.

Clear as IPL mud?

 

Now my brain hurts.

 

Go with it. You will like it.

 

OK, for the simpletons: the 034 Super, 036, and 360 saws will all pull and oil a 25 inch bar.

Oz has spoken. Happy now?

 

Ok, so many questions... But make this easy-- can you show me a bar that I can use without having to swap any other parts and the chain(s) to go with it.

 

OK, to add to what Dex said: any large mount Stihl bar will work. The bar on your 250 is a small mount and will not fit. An o34Super calls for either a .325 or 3/8 B&C in my IPL. I agree with Dex on using 3/8 std. With 3/8 you can go with either gauge, 0.050 or 0.063. I have run both and noticed no difference, but I run 0.050. 3/8 rims will drive either one. You have to match the gauge with the bar and chain. Here in the western US, the 0.050 is far more common. In the EU and Oz/NZ, 0.063 is far more common. East coast, I dunno.

So if you go with a set of 20 and 25 inch bars in 3/8 std. 0.050, there are some options for bars and chains. Stihl makes an E and an ES bar. E bars are laminated and lighter weight, and they are cheaper. ES bars are solid and have a replicable nose sprocket, and are more expensive. I prefer ES bars myself, but I also own and have used a lot of E bars. Bars come in yellow and green types, mainly based on the width of the nose. Wider nose, more kickback, yellow type. More narrow nose, less kickback, green type. There are other bars out there, from Oregon, Cannon, GB, etc. I use all GB and Stihl bars now, but I have owned and used Oregon and Cannon as well.

Some examples of bars to get are:
Stihl E 20 inch bar, 3/8 std. 0.050 gauge 10 tooth nose sprocket green bar PN: 3003 008 8921 (72 drive link chain)
Stihl ES 25 inch bar, 3/8 std. 0.050 gauge 10 tooth replaceable nose sprocket green bar PN: 3003 000 4030 (84 drive link chain)

 

If your saw has a spur sprocket, swap it out with a rim drive setup. For the drive rim on that saw with a 20 and 25 inch bar, all you need is a 7 pin type. If you run a 16 inch bar on that saw you may want to run with an 8 pin rim for faster chain speed. Smaller rim, slower chain speed, more torque. Bigger rim, higher chain speed, less torque.

Now, once you have your bars selected, you need to decide what type of chains to use. With Stihl, there are basically two types. RS and RM. RS is full chisel, and RM is semi chisel. RS is faster, but it can dull a lot faster so you need to use it in clean wood. RM is more forgiving of crud and dirt, and will stay sharp longer cutting in bad conditions. Both come in safety (green) and non-safety (yellow) types. Safety loops usually have added rakers that help to prevent kickback, but they cut slower than non-safety. I prefer and use non-safety myself. Both types also come in full comp, semi-skip, and full skip. Semi and fill skip have added drive links between cutters to add space. Skip chains allow chain speed to remain higher while using longer bars. They have fewer cutters though, so they may or may not cut any faster (highly variable on cutting situations). They do allow for flexibility in cutting though, like different rim sizes and different cutter types do.

This is all oversimplified, but enough to get you started with a B&C setup.