18" guide bar + chain recommendations.

[hippytyre]

I've just been gifted a huge fallen beech tree for firewood and I've got most of it all cut up already with my 15" bar on my 346xp. I'm getting to the base of the tree now which is really thick and my 15" bar is falling short. Can anyone recommend a good chain and bar combo for this saw? I realise it'll be a little slower.

 

 

Thanks

[NI Tree]

i would go for micro light pro bar and chain as the cut is narower than the standard 325 chain but it will not last as take a many sharping though but it is worth it

[Rob D]

You can get the oregon pro lite bars that run 95vpx which is a .325 chain with .050 guage. This has a lo profile and takes a thinner kerf.

 

 

I use a 15" bar with my 346 with 95vpx chain and it works well...

 

18" bar part number is 180MLBK095 an its 72 drive links of 95vpx.

 

Double check the bar number if you can as Oregon are pretty much on par with Stihl these days as having product names and numbers where no one has a clue what they mean!

[NI Tree]

the only problem with the micro lite bar and chain is you can not put a felling bar i to the cut

[Rob D]

Yes they are excellent the micro lite bars but they only do a max length of 14" that carrys the .043 guage chain.

[Charlieh]

Yes they are excellent the micro lite bars but they only do a max length of 14" that carrys the .043 guage chain.

 

 

ER no and no

 

they do an 18" and as far as i was aware the micro lights are the designed for running 95vpx the pro lites arent designed for 0.050 they are designed to run the normal 0.058 gauge chain.

[NI Tree]

just so you know they also do a 20" micro lite bar too

[Rob D]

ER no and no

 

they do an 18" and as far as i was aware the micro lights are the designed for running 95vpx the pro lites arent designed for 0.050 they are designed to run the normal 0.058 gauge chain.

 

 

This is the main problem with Oregon (and Stihl) in that they seem to insist on complicating things so that no one really knows what they're on about.

 

For starters they've recently changed a lot of the names around....

 

The pro lite bars up to 18" will run the lo pro .325 .050 95vpx chain (page A35 of new catelogue).

 

The pro lite bars also come in the .058 version as well (page A36 of new catelogue). As well as .063.

 

The mico lite narrow kerf bars only go up to 14" and these also run a narrow kerf lightweight chain that has an .043" guage.

[Charlieh]

This is the main problem with Oregon (and Stihl) in that they seem to insist on complicating things so that no one really knows what they're on about.

 

For starters they've recently changed a lot of the names around....

 

The pro lite bars up to 18" will run the lo pro .325 .050 95vpx chain (page A35 of new catelogue).

 

The pro lite bars also come in the .058 version as well (page A36 of new catelogue). As well as .063.

 

The mico lite narrow kerf bars only go up to 14" and these also run a narrow kerf lightweight chain that has an .043" guage.

 

Typical, well its different to what they have on their selector guide on their website. I had been told not to run the 0.050 on pro lites as the narrower kerf doesnt wear the bar rails at all evenly, but it sounds like they have changed this! I run micro lite and micro lite pros with 95vpx on all my smaller saws, its a great combo for saws like the 346xp

[Rob D]

The 95vpx set up is a good one for smaller saws and works a treat.

 

Actually looking at it it may be the double guard bars that are the ones that take the .043" chain.... I dunno I'm confused now!

 

Oregon now have these Pro Am bars as well and some of these take the 95vpx chain (and some don't)...