*Isn't it interesting none of the manufacturers of "light weight" bars will tell their weight?* Some decent group should maintain a chart of credible numbers.
I just bought a new Stihl Rollomatic ES Light to replace my original Stihl Rollomatic E Standard bar for my Stihl MS 362 C-M. I was really looking forward to adding a 30% decreased weight to an already light saw further increasing the power to weight ratio of this beast of a chain saw. So I get the new light bar and immediately weigh the bare bar on my wife’s kitchen food scale, with the light bar coming in at 32.9 ounces. So then I go to the shed and change out the new bar for the old, clean up the old bar real good, because I’m going to be weighing it on my wife’s food scale, and it comes in at 36.0 ounces, a whopping 3.1 ounces lighter, or an unimpressive 10%. Now I ask myself, why did I just pay $148, three times as much as I could have for a Standard bar, to save a mere 3.1 ounces? I was expecting the bar to be 30% lighter, which would have been about a 25 ounce bar. Stihl, you lied to me!
I’m not saying the bar isn’t any good, what I am saying is, if the bar isn’t between 25-30% lighter, it’s not up to 30% lighter, it is and should be advertised as “3 to 30% lighter, depending upon bar length”. That would be truth in advertising.
I’m looking at the STIHL 2024 POWER TOOLS & ACCESSORIES booklet I received from my local dealership. On page 51 center right on that page it clearly states “STIHL ROLLOMATIC ES LIGHT” “…up to30% lighter than the STIHL ROLLOMATIC E…”. If that is not true, then it is a lie. It does not say, only on long bars, or only if you replace your shorter bar with a longer bar, or only if weighing on the moon, it says 30% lighter. A 20” bar is not a short bar, but it definitely is not a long bar, but additionally, 30% is 30% no matter what the volume.
The new husqvarna bars are rebrand Sugihara, I had a 20" Sugi and they are indeed heavier than the Stihl bar, I almost wouldn't call them lightweight. That said they're incredibly well made and the rails are very hard/durable.
I don't have a 28 stihl lightweight yet, just the sugi, it works for me though. I tell guys for small mounts just by a laminate bar, good value for the weight unless you use them more often. I have yet to use the new Oregon versa bars, but they seem to be a good value too. I do know one guy who blew the tip out of one running it on a ported 7900, he's not an experienced cutter, besides ive got a blown out 28 Oregon in the basement that I did 😥
I only run laminated bars on my smaller saws for weight savings, it makes a big difference. I talked to a few guys running the Oregon versacut bars, so far they're holding up really well. I plan on putting some time on the Oregon versacut to see for myself.✌
No. The 250 uses the small bar mount pattern 2005, this bar is the larger 2003 mount. The 250 will never properly handle a bar over 18" the saws components are not made too.