New bar for Stihl 036 Pro

[Ashful]

So, I picked up a Stihl 036 Pro recently, supposedly real low hours, and the engine definitely looks it. Not only is the piston not scored, it doesn't even look like it's broken in! Pulled 155 PSI on the compression tester after a 60 second warm up, with a barometer of 29.72 in, so 10.6:1 compression. I'm happy with the motor.

However, it looks like the guy who owned it did not believe in bar oil. The bar is totally wasted, blue down both edges and badly worn. Four chains (two green, two yellow), all with some wear on drive links and tie straps, and the rim sprocket is also showing some wear where the rivets ride. It actually doesn't add up, to have such a clean motor with such a trashed bar, the story being this was the guy's only saw, and he didn't use it much. Oh well...

Who can recommend a good new bar for an 036 Pro? I've always run sprocket nose, and don't mind keeping the sprocket greased, unless someone wants to convince me I should be running something else. I've also been running 33RSC or 33RSC3 on my other saw, but again, could be convinced otherwise.

 

[Researcher1]

18-20 inch Stihl ES should work well on that saw depending on what size you want.

 

[Boog]

I like a 20" on my 036/360, and have a 25" I can put on it if needed. I would check out that oil pump on that saw to make sure it is running right. Run it with the bar and sprocket cover off and make sure it is putting out a good supply of oil.................... could be a problem there.

 

[lukem]

20" E bar has served me pretty well for the past several years on my 361.

 

[Ashful]

Yep, 20" is the size I intend to use, but I intentionally left that out to see what others would suggest.

The old worn out bar on this saw appears to be a Rollomatic E-standard. I'm not impressed with the way it's worn, on a saw that seems to have pretty low hours, but who knows what it's been thru? I think I'll ask my local shop for pricing on the E Super, as well as a Tsumura Total equivalent. They seem to put Total bars on most of the saws they refurbish, and their customer base is almost entirely professionals.

 

[lukem]

Yep, 20" is the size I intend to use, but I intentionally left that out to see what others would suggest.

The old worn out bar on this saw appears to be a Rollomatic E-standard. I'm not impressed with the way it's worn,

I have somewhere north of 25 cord on my "E" bar and it has a lot of life left in it...replacing it hasn't crossed my mine.

 

[Jags]

Aint' nothing wrong with the Rollomatic bars. Sounds like that one was abused.

 

[Ashful]

Cool... thanks guys. That will keep me from spending too much on the E-Super!

The original/trashed Rollomatic bar on this saw has no holes for greasing the sprocket. Not greasing the sprocket in green wood would always cause me problems on my 20" Echo, so now it's something I like to do religiously. What do you guys say about that?

 

[lukem]

I've never added any extra lube to my sprocket and it still spins fine. Seems to get plenty of bar lube. I know some guys say to lube the sprocket with some heavier grease or gear lube periodically, but I've never done it. Too lazy.

 

[Jags]

Grease/no-grease nose? Two schools of thought...you grease it, and you are set to grease it for life. No grease and the bar oil should do the job. Many bars no longer have the grease port. I haven't greased a nose sprocket for years.

 

[Ashful]

I used to be in the "no grease" camp, thinking that bar oil would lube the sprocket, and then I managed to seize the sprockets on two different saws inside of a few months, felling and cutting lots of green stuff. I got them freed up and greased, and now give them a shot of grease after every full day of cutting, and haven't had a problem since. I'm not sure if it's all about lubrication, or if the grease shot in thru that little hole is just displacing / ejecting debris that manages to get in there and clog up the sprocket, but it does seem to solve the problem one way or another.

I did forget to mention in my previous post, with respect to bar wear and 25 cords on a Rollomatic, I've processed 12 - 14 cords this year alone. I'll be at 25 cords by the end of my second year! I will slow down after another 2 years at this pace. It seems my burn rate will be about 6-7 cords per year, so just trying to get a year ahead each year, for my first three years.

 

[Jags]

And for full disclosure I run an 18" bar 80% of the time and my oiler is turner all the way up to support the 25" bar when it is needed. I am sure I am over oiling the 18" bar.

 

[smokinj]

ES Sthil 16-20 inch............

 

[Ashful]

So, I was all set to buy the Stihl ES. The saw shop had the Rollomatic E ($44), Rollomatic ES ($50), and a Windsor Speed Tip ($50). The owner said he runs the Windsors on his saw, ever since Stihl got rid of the grease hole, so I ended up going with that. Solid machined bar with replaceable sprocket nose, and grease holes. He said it's not a huge deal, but all things being equal, he also prefers a bearing he can grease.

 

[MasterMech]

Cool... thanks guys. That will keep me from spending too much on the E-Super!

I know I don't live in the real world when it comes to pricing but IIRC the price difference between the E and ES bars 20" and under is minimal. Worth checking into.

Also there are two versions of the ES bar, standard and wide nose. I prefer the wide nose, pick your poison.

 

[Ashful]

Yep... was $44 vs. $50. Not a wallet buster.

 

[StihlHead]

So, I was all set to buy the Stihl ES. The saw shop had the Rollomatic E ($44), Rollomatic ES ($50.

I would get a 20 inch bar for an 036, or a 22 if they had one (supposedly they make them that size).

No brainer for that little of a difference, get the ES bar. E bars are OK, I have many, but they do not hold up like ES bars and the nose sprockets cannot be replaced. Windsor bars are good, as are Oregon, Cannon, and GB. New Forester bars are all made in China now and their quality has gone through the floor. I prefer my GB bars as they are less oval then Stihl, but GB may have gone down the tubes on quality now. I have not kept up with where they wound up after being sold off.

You can always grease a no grease hole bar tip. Just squirt it between the sprocket and bar tip ad roll the nose sprocket around.

 

[Ashful]

I would get a 20 inch bar for an 036, or a 22 if they had one (supposedly they make them that size)... You can always grease a no grease hole bar tip. Just squirt it between the sprocket and bar tip ad roll the nose sprocket around.

Yep... went with 20" x 3/8" x 0.050". I already have a 28" bar on the 064 AV, so no need for anything bigger than 20"!

I'm not sure how grease would get down past the bearing shield, squirting it in at the bar tip. But more importantly, I suspect that injecting grease at the grease hole acts to eject debris from the bearing, as the grease forces out past the bearing shield. This may have a bigger impact on keeping your sprocket spinning after burying the tip in lots of green wood, than the lubricating value of the grease.