Greasing Bar Sprocket

[Ron Scott]

Has anyone used a solid bar (no roller end) without greasing? I've had them heat up quick with no grease. If the bar has a grease hole, I usually grease with every gas fill or chain sharpening.

[Tom]

Ron,

I use a solid tip.  Never have put any grease on it.

I  have yet to actually wear out a solid tip.  The one I took off is getting close, but it has nothing to do with the tip.  The rails are getting thin.  I only took it off because I had access to this better one that was discarded by the county.  I still haven't figured out why they threw it away.

If you don't know what you are getting into, a  solid nose is sure a good way to go.  I buck and limb a lot of dirty stuff and buck a lot of small stuff.  The chances of getting dirt into a roller tip are pretty good.

This bar also gets a lot of abuse from splitting large logs.  I've not been plagued with them lately, but in the past years have split my share.

I'll not say that these bars don't get worn.  I do dress them back square again though. 

I like solid nosed bars.   'course I would use a bow for all this small bucking if I  had one.  Dreaming again. 

[Ron Scott]

Tom,

What make and size saw are you using? Yes, the solid bars are good for cutting firewood and when you get in "the dirt".

They just don't run cool on my 372 Husky. Dealer said to use a roller bar only. 

[Tom]

my saw is a Husky 61 and it has had a hard-nose on it since new, back in 1993.   I've never noticed it running exceptionally hot.   It gets hot but it is usually when I stick the bar full depth in a 5' red oak and  rip its length.

I've had roller tips before.  Over the years, I've owned "pro" poulens, macs and sears(various manufacturers) Usually it was the tip wearing out that caused me to scrap the bar.

When I "moved up"    to the Huskey, it was recommended that I use a hard nose.  I did and have sawn worry free ever since.  I've not noticed heat because of it, loss of power or stretched chains.  The sprockets have lasted as long as any sprocket I've ever used and I've never had any clutch problems.   I keep a sharp chain and it cuts like hot knife in butter.

Actually the only heat I feel is when the exhaust is crowded against the log.  Man!  That gets hot on my hand.   I have run the bar oil out before and the bar got hot, but, I think any of them would  without a lubricant.

[Medina]

Worked for a farmer (a very wise fella, those farmers know a lot) working my way through school, he always said that if it had a grease fitting, it was meant to be greased. However, he also always stated that grease was very much like money "Not enough and you are going to have problems, too much and it's very easy to have all kinds of messes."

Also worked at a mining facility where we trained on preventitive maintanance greasing continusouly run and high speed bearings where the instructor mentioned that same idea as above. More noticably in bearings with seals, too much grease can also be just as damaging as not enough.

I grease my roller tip 2 pumps in the morning before I start, have never had a problem with wear out or build up of grit.

[Frickman]

I run Stihl products exclusively and have not greased a sprocket tip for years, ever since Stihl switched over to low-maintenance tips. I wear out the bar rails or bend the bar before I wear out the nose.