Hey guys, new to the forum but am overwhelmed with all the knowledge on here! I recently purchased a stihl 038magnum and am needing a new bar and chain. It has a 20" bar on it and I am wanting to replace it. Have cut firewood some for a while now but within the next year I am wanting to put in an outdoor burner in. So I am just now really getting serious about it and wanting to learn a lot about saw and sharpening and such. Long story short I am just wondering what a good replacement bar and chain would be and where the best place to order this stuff from. Thanks in advance for the advice! Hope everyone had a great Christmas!
Welcome to FHC! Nice saw. We love pics. Hang on to your wallet as you are about to get lots of good advice.
I dont know what size of wood you will be cutting, but a 20" setup balances well on that saw. Also, cant beat a Stihl bar and chain for the cost/durability. Stihl "RM" is a non-safety chisel chain, "RS" is a non safety chisel (round ground). If you are cutting standing, mostly green wood RS would be my pick. If you are scrounging dead stuff that has been on the ground, RM may be a better bet for you.
If you are not looking for anything in the "super-premium" category, ie. Tsumara, Total, Sugihara, Cannon, etc. then it is indeed tough to beat the OEM Stihl ES bars. That saw can handle much bigger than a 20" if you need as well even tho 20" would probably be my everyday bar for that machine. I do like those old 38 Mags, got any pics?
Thanks for the replies. I will take some pics and post later. Do most dealers sell the non safety chain?
Cost for cost, Stihl makes one of the best bars out there. Ya there are some other good ones (I dont know if there are any other than Cannon that wear better), but Stihl is "still" the best bang for the buck.
My 038 Mag balances perfectly with a 25" Stihl and RS. She uses a 32" whenn she has to, but normally and routinely pulls the 25" with authority
I'm gonna go against the grain I guess. Stihl makes a great bar. Truth is, near as good as they get. Not cheap either. And yeah, Shiny Sugi and What not, are fine an well made. But for a firewooder on a budget (or a tightwad). The el cheapo bars o today are dang good. The cheapy Foresters hold up well enough to local tree services that are more concerned with the bottom line then the prestige of a top shelf bar. I haven't run the Lazer brand yet, by I understand tree services are using them satisfactorily as well. If you find yourself bore cutting, get a replaceable sprocket tip bar. If you are not, I find the rails wear out before the tip anyway so why bear the extra expense (and often weight) of the replaceable tip? A guy that makes his living with a saw day in, day out... Sure, buck up for the best money can buy if you like. For firewood where the saw action is such a small overall amount of the time invested. Spend the difference on some nice new chains and or some PPE instead. Chaps make good sense for all of us.
I agree.. I've bought a few cheap Forester bars. Still have some. Good bars and the prices are great! But the Stihl E & ES bars will last longer and wear a little better. The Sugi, Tsumara, and Cannon bars are very nice and have better rail wear, but they are pricey. Oh and BTW, Welcome to FHC! !
I like Stihl ES bars if I can find them cheap. I used to frequent some saw shops and they would sell lightly used bars for real reasonable, as most people want a longer bar on saws they get in used. Total super bars were my got to cheap bars for years. They used to be 25-30 bucks. They are hard and last. Nowadays they are about the same price as anything else. Just don't buy an oregon bar, there are much better bars out there for the same money. They wear just by looking at them wrong. lol.
Well I went to my local stihl dealer and grabbed a new bar a couple new chains and went ahead and replaced the rear sprocket as well. Went out and cut for a while today, that thing is a beast. Although I have not ran anything bigger than my 291 to compare it to. There is a significant differnce in those two though. I sure appreciate everyone's input!
