Techlite bar

[rotaxman]

Hello,
I did a seach on these forums and I found a few posts, mostly one year old that mention the Techlite bar but I couldn't find a review of the Techlite.
I recently bought a 562XP which came with the 20" techlite bar and after 15 hours or so, I am having problems with the tip jamming up. I don't grease the tips, never have and I wear out the bar before having any issues with a tip. To grease or not to grease is another topic that I don't mind talking about but....later. I'm wondering if this bar absolutely requires grease.
The latest issue with the bar is that the chain will not move at all, unless I loosen off the cover to take pressure off the bar.
The bar from my 254 doesn't fit on the 562 so I'll have to pick up a new bar tomorrow and try it before I know for sure that it's the bar which is preventing the chain from moving. For now I thought I'd ask around here to see if anyone has any comments or reviews of this bar and others if you feel inclined.
thanks.....Mike

 

[MasterMech]

Lay that bar on something you know is flat. If you have a table saw the bed of that will work. Check to see if the bar is bent or twisted. Examine the rails for pinching or burrs.

Make sure there is not something on the saw or clutch cover interfering with the chain as well. You probably have covered the basics but never hurts to look again.

Are you positive the nose sprocket is locking up? If it is then its usually debris in the bearing or inadequate oil coming from the saw.

 

[rotaxman]

Lay that bar on something you know is flat. If you have a table saw the bed of that will work. Check to see if the bar is bent or twisted. Examine the rails for pinching or burrs.

Make sure there is not something on the saw or clutch cover interfering with the chain as well. You probably have covered the basics but never hurts to look again.

Are you positive the nose sprocket is locking up? If it is then its usually debris in the bearing or inadequate oil coming from the saw.

thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. I originally thought the brake was the problem but as you will read, it sounds like the bar.
I checked the bar and I can slip 4 sheets of paper from a grocery flyer, loosely under the bar so it's slightly bent. no nicks though.
I removed the bar after the chain locked up and the tip sprocket wouldn't move until after it cooled down. I cleaned out the very slight debris,enough to move it easily by hand but there's still a tight spot (20% of the revolution).
what's really strange is that the tip locked up approx. three times and each time I cleaned it out and continued cutting. The last time it happened, I cleaned the tip but I couldn't turn the chain unless I loosened the case. So... I'm not a professional forestry worker but I grew up with a chainsaw for cutting our firewood every year and I've never had this kind of trouble with a tip or chain jamming. So here are the chain of events if you feel like assessing the situation further.
I'm cutting a truck load of 16' logs and when I pinched the tip, I had already cut 1 full load and 7/8 of the second load with the same saw, bar and chain:
Saturday: I pinched the tip. I got it out by opening up the cut and the saw fell out. it was very well pinched. There was no pulling on the saw etc... to get it out.( I learned from someone else in these forums to use a wedge next time.... before it gets pinched.) As soon as the saw was out, I continued cutting. 30 minutes later the chain was jammed and the tip would not move, with the bar removed from the saw. I decided to pack it in for the day and read up on the techlite bar.
Sunday: chain jammed up continually. The last time I reassembled the bar and chain, the chain would not move unless I loosened up the case slightly. The last log I cut was a big ugly 30" yellow birch.
The only thing i can come up with is that the bar is overheating because I pinched it and there's internal friction. There's nothing visually wrong with the tip. The overheating is also caused from the bent bar causing added friction. The bar is well oiled, almost a full tank per fuel fill-up. I cannot figure out why the bar is bent. I guess I'm blaming the quality of the bar. maybe 20" bars are always very flimsy?
let me know if you agree with my assessment or what your thoughts are. I'm quite baffled. I'd really like to hear from anyone that has used a Techlite.....heavily. The saw is very well balanced with that bar and if I had used a 16" bar like I should have and saved the 20" for the few pieces that were too big for the 16". I wouldn't of had this problem.

 

[MasterMech]

At this point the bar sounds like its done, especially since it sounds like the nose sprocket itself may be bent in addition to the bar having a slight bend and the rails possibly being pinched. Pick up a new bar, some plastic wedges, improve your bucking techniques and spend an extra minute or two studying the tension on a log before you make a cut. Write the whole thing off as experience.

 

[MarkinNC]

A couple of thoughts and I by no means claim to be an expert. I have had the sprocket seize in an Oregon bar. I know that the chain lube is supposed to lube the sprocket these days but I grease the sprocket when I clean the saw up, flip the bar, sharpen the chain etc. They do still put the hole in the bar for it so it must not be bad for it.

I wanted to get one of those hand made bars from Baileys. But I pinch my bar enough (have never ruined one yet) that I decided to run the standard bars over the uber high end ones.

Sorry to hear about the bar. I hope you like the new saw though!

 

[rotaxman]

thanks guys. new bar and back in business. learn something new all the time. a few hundred cord of wood and never bent a bar and never would have thought that slight bend would lock up the chain. since the bar is worth so much I may bend it back and if it works I will replace the tip. besides a couple logs per year, I have no use for a 20" bar. maybe cut the odd 30" white pine tree standing and it's nice to be able to finish the cut without running to the other side. lol
greasing the tip seems to be up for debate. grease attracts dirt. professional forestry workers, my bro in law, never grease the tip and will wear out the bar before having an issue with the tip. his dad greases every day. go figure. I never seized a tip either and never grease.
love the saw. a joy to work with. i can cut a full truck (1 tier) load of 16' in 6 hours. it used to take more than a day. the 562 is a mean cutting machine