Husquvarna 359 20" bar/chain replacement

[Pete S]

I am ready to give up on filing and grinding on my current (2nd in 10ish years) bar. Typically my saws end up cutting sweep to the left. Now it's to the right. I think it's well worn enough to say good bye.

OK, now what to buy? My origional bar's nose is in better shape than my second purchase of an Oregon brand.

I don't want to break the bank but don't want to buy junk either.

We end up cutting a lot of dead wood which is hard, and I use the factory bar oil and burn up about 5+ cords of wood annually.

Any experience good or bad, or advice is appreciated.

I need to make a purchase soon as I stopped midway today as the darn thing was cutting so crooked, I just said to heck with fighting it! ARrRuuuGGhhh!

Thanks!
Pete

[sugaringman85]

Usually if your cut is running hard one way or the other its because the chain has been sharpened to much on one side. try to keep the strokes on the chain the same on both sides. but the bar rails do widen after time. the best way to keep this from happening is always making sure your chain is tight, a sloppy chain allows for more play as it goes through the cut. Oregon makes really good bars and chains, if thats what you have used in the past stick with it. Either that or go back to a husky bar. good luck!

[Russell Lampron]

Usually if your cut is running hard one way or the other its because the chain has been sharpened to much on one side. try to keep the strokes on the chain the same on both sides. but the bar rails do widen after time. the best way to keep this from happening is always making sure your chain is tight, a sloppy chain allows for more play as it goes through the cut. Oregon makes really good bars and chains, if thats what you have used in the past stick with it. Either that or go back to a husky bar. good luck!

Oregon makes Husky's bars.

[Justin Turco]

Hi Pete, The problem is obvious. You need a stihl. And a Chevy...if you don't already have one. heh heh.

Justin

[Pete S]

Hey! I love my "Husky"! I'm just re-thinking this bar/chain thing.

Spend the money and actually get the money back is use,......or just buy what the Fleet Garm store has as a combo package and get'er dun!

I'm tough on my saw, but I do maintain it. We have SO many dead trees we're always cutting dead HARD wood.

Today I was cutting a live but dying ash which was like cutting boxelder/hot butter, but the saw was cutting so crooked 1/2 through a 12" log it would bind.

I've dressed this perticlar bar on the past and did a bit today but either I have some sharpening issues with my chain, or my grove is "wallered" out too much.

Believe me there's plenty of miles on it.

Hope things are good Justin!

[buckeye gold]

Do you periodically turn your bar over? I was told to do this by an old timber man, it seems to reason there is more wear on the bottom of a bar. I have a habit of over filing one side too. When I get it out of whack i take it to the saw shop and let them true it up on their power sharpener and it almost always fixes the wandering. Maybe you can tell if you've got a lot of play in the chain groove when it's tight by watching how the chain runs on top of the bar when your running it free and at a low speed to see if it runs true. If you've had the bar hot and it's looks burnt or blue then you may have to replace it. My best guess is you just need to true up the chain. If your really close to the sharpening guide line that marks the end of a chains life (on Oregon chain) I'd opt for a new chain.

[Cardigan99]

Right on Pete. I run a 359 because it's lighter than my 670 Champ and she IS my Beee-atch. I generally run Oregon bars, but I figured out a while ago it doesn't matter what bar you run, it's going to wear. the reason you're drifting one way or the other is because one side of the bar has worn and the other side is higher. Every time I sharpen my chain I flip the bar. I also broke down an bought a bar dresser to take down the high side. Works like a charm. Costs around $20. Well worth the investment.

[Pete S]

I've dressed this and my other bars several times. They get that nasty edge on them as well wear. I typically use a right angle grinder, then a file checking with a small metal square. It sounds crude but has been very effective.

I may just take the chain in and have it re-cut, BUT that's about 6.00, so a combo is about 45.00.

I'll probably just give in and buy new, hang the old on a nail with the other one, and in 10 years wonder why I saved it.

[Cardigan99]

Hey Pete, check this out. This is what I use to dress my bars.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=13025&catID=274

[oneoldsap]

Take the old bar along when you visit the saw shop , it probably needs to be dressed on a belt sander to true it back up . The chain won't usually make the cut go to one side , no matter how poor a filer one might be ! Now if you buy a new bar save the old one to file chaines on . Just clamp it in a vice , drop the drivers into the groove and file away . You will do a much better filing job without having to chase things around . Plus most vices are mounted indoors where it's warmer , or at least out of the wind . I used to manage a saw dealership , Huskys , Johnsereds , Stihl and Partner .

[maple flats]

2 bars in 10 years is fairly good. I run Husky's, a 359 and a 365. You should flip the bar every tank of gas, but few do. I flip mine about every 6 or 8 tanks. Try to dress it using the Pferd dresser shown in the link above from Bailey's. Is the chain loose side to side, does it rock? If yes try a rail closer, also available from Bailey's. Make sure the bar oiler is not bad or plugged. Use a good bar oil only, no substitutes. As others have said, proper sharpening is the most important, however, equal strokes have nothing to do with it. I took a training course called "Game of Logging" an intensive hands on course (required by many workman's Comp insurers for loggers). In that course we were taught to sharpen the chains. Do not count strokes. You MUST have the right angle and a SHARP file but you file each tooth until it is sharp. The teeth do not need to be the same length. Looking just at the cutting edge, a sharp tooth has no shine. Sharpen each until the shine is gone. Most try to get too much use from a file too. If you take a stroke with the file with a piece of white paper under the bar, you should get a good amount of filings. Each stroke should feel like it is cutting. I get about 4 sharpenings from a top quality file. I used to buy files by the dozen (actually 3 or 4 dozen at a time) but arthritus has put a stop to most of my hand filing. I now use a $400 grinder. I however do lots more sawing than you. I (or my helpers) cut between 15 and 20 full cord between my sugarhouse evaporator and my house, both heated entirely by wood. I also have a sawmill and often need to buck or at least square up end cuts on logs on the mill. If you can't seem to master sharpening, Husky has an excellent roller guide, try one. They are only about $10 or so and they will give you excellent results. http://www.baileysonline.com/search.asp?SKW=Husqvarna%20guide&catID=10383

[Three Maples]

I like what Dave said about files most people use a file to long. I file with only the file no guides been doing that since my first new saw in the 7 grade early 60s now i am in my early 60s. My advice is never run a dull saw when it stops cutting best is for you to stop cutting. Do not worry about equal strokes the angle needs to be correct in both the top of the tooth and and front to back there are lots of good guides that will help untill you get the hang of it. For fastest cuts I use square tooth chain they are less forgiving on dirt but much faster in the cut. Flip the bar when you think of it. Most important keep it sharp and use good oil. An easy way to tell if the oiler is working. When it sits ideling for a good period of time it will sling a little oil when you jazz it. If not clean the bar.

[Pete S]

Thanks Dave, I didn't know they even made a "rail closer". I ALWAYS check if my chain is being oiled. When the bar comes off I thoroughly clean that port on the bar.

[xulgiy]

Dave is right on the money. the only thing I'll add is to use the file gage for the "rakers". it makes no difference in speed to file them down real far.... what the gage will do is make each raker transition smoothly into the cutter. Much less vibration in the saw and will give you the fastest cut on a sharp chain. The roller gage he mentions has a raker gage attached right to the guide. Best $10 you'll ever spend!

[Chainsaw Baby]

I file every time I fill up the chainsaw and immediately after cutting rocks (try not to do this!). I cut for a sawmill back when the earth was cooling and if you sharpen every tank, it doesn't take long to learn well, freehand (no guide). Again, bars should be flipped (I like the comment about "when you think of it" so true!). You can also tell when the oiler is plugged, as the chain tends to stop more suddenly coming off the thottle. Cutting for a sawmill, I used to replace the saw every year! Now I get about 10 years out of a Stihl 26. I cut with an 18" bar, which is fine for southern Ontario, where trees greater than 3' diameter are rare. Also, limbing with a 40 pound beast is tough after you turn 50!

[MJFlores]

Well, I only run Stihl (not saying there's anything wrong with husky though) but have learned to hate Oregon stuff. I only use Stihl bars and chains. My main saw is hard used all year long, and have adopted this method..it'll sound wasteful but it works and I've managed to convert a buddy to do the same. I use only Stihl chains, I knock them down once to bet bigger chips flying, after that they're tossed and replaced with a new Stihl chain. The bars never get flipped, and after their 4th chain the bar goes too and is replaced with a new Stihl bar and chain. For me it's about saw performance and I cant waste time with a bar and chain not performing up to what the saw does...that can get dangerous and I'm convinced that's where the majority of injuries come from. Again, this works for me so you may want to consider it.