bar maintenance

[basswidow]

That little sprocket at the tip of the chainsaw bar. Does that require lube?

I had to replace my bar because mine seized up. I took a good look at it and it siezed on a regular cut. The bar was NOT pinched and the tracks looked good, bar was getting plenty of oil (which is for the chian). I was thinking maybe something got in there and jammed it up. Not sure, but I couldn't free the little wheel. Shouldn't this little sprocket get some lube or oil? I put a little dab on the new bar.

At first I thought it was a problem at the engine end. If you are gonna have a saw problem, a new $ 20 bar is not too bad.

This was my second season with the saw. I think I've cut about 12 cords with it. I've been rough with it. It's been pinched a time or two but I always check the rail and make sure the chain moves well. I also rotate it from time to time. Perhaps it was just it's time?

Yesterday I was cutting in 12 degrees and the chain and bar oil was thick like pudding. I got all my wood bucked. Next weekend is splitting time.

 

[fyrwoodguy]

the best way to grease tip is to take guide bar off saw and clean bar grooves top & bottom,oil holes and spray lube into tip and rotate with fingers untill it rolls good and free...then rotate tip wheel with compressed air for 5-10 seconds,blow out crud in both sides of bar rails THEN GREASE TIP.
i've seen a lot of tip failure , when all you do is grease the tip on the saw with no cleaning as you force dirt into the bearing while greasing
most of the time the oiler in your saw will lube the tip wheel. just race the motor a little between each big or long cut and see the oil spray out.

 

[LLigetfa]

There is a small hole in the end of the bar made for a grease gun like this.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41K519SMT8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

 

[golfandwoodnut]

It depends on the bar. Stihls do not have a grease hole and Husqvarnas do. Stihl claims it causes more harm because it attracts sawdust. Who knows who is right.

 

[bogydave]

There is a small hole in the end of the bar made for a grease gun like this.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41K519SMT8L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

+1 What LLigetfa said & showed. . Oregon & Husky have grease holes
Type of Bar?
& clean it every now & then, moisture in the dirt, dust, if left dirty & not use for a while will cause corrosion.
Cleaning the tip, chains slot, oil holes & spray with light oil will help the bar last for years

 

[basswidow]

Thanks all.

My bar is on an ECHO and as far as I can tell, it doesn't have the lube hole.

I will keep on the cleaning and maintenance of my replacement bar. It's a cheapie too. I should order a spare from Bailey's just in case this happens again.

 

[smokinj]

Thanks all.

My bar is on an ECHO and as far as I can tell, it doesn't have the lube hole.

I will keep on the cleaning and maintenance of my replacement bar. It's a cheapie too. I should order a spare from Bailey's just in case this happens again.

just blow the slots and oil hole out good and all will be fine.

 

[Flatbedford]

I have never lubed the bar original bar on my 13+ year old Stihl. Every time I have it apart there is plenty of oil all over it. Maybe that's why they don't have a lube hole. Don't need one.

 

[rphurley]

In the wintertime I add about 1/4 kerosene to my bar oil to thin it out in the cold weather. That was recommended in the manual for my first Craftsman chainsaw.

 

[savageactor7]

Over the years that's happened to me about 3 or 4 times...and always when things have been working perfectly. All of a sudden... KAPOW!...locked up solid just like the kickback chain break engaged.

With the saw off usually I can recover by lacing the chain straight along the bar violently across a trunk one way then the other. Later on in the day I'll give the all components the full compressed air treatment and find the bar sprocket freewheels just fine. For clarification I always grease my tip and have replaced when they get down there and same same with drive sprockets too.

 

[LLigetfa]

I've had only one nose sprocket failure in my life way back in the 70's or 80's. I was cutting in really dirty wood at the time. All my nose sprockets had grease holes and got a regular application of grease.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I've cleaned out the nose sprocket with WD-40, then re-lubed mine. After the WD-40, it spins freely.

 

[charly]

One word of caution, you can over rpm a bearing when spinning it with air, so go slow. You don't want to get that high pitch wine, besides your now spinning a dry bearing. Sometimes I'll mix a little hydraulic and a small amount of stp , for oil cling , to make a light weight winter, bar oil , works good. Line clearing stick saws are only lubed by the hydraulic oil that runs the sticksaw, from the bucket truck. :coolsmile: