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I have a Stihl 029 that I converted to use 3/8 chain, roller sprockets, etc.; 20" bar.

Recently, I bought a new Oregon Power Match bar.

All of my old bars have nose grease holes on both sides and always took grease easily.

I have two of the typical old-school bar greasing "guns" that have always worked before.

This Oregon bar has only a single grease hole; try as I may, I have thus far been unable to get the first drop of grease into this bar.

I have rolled the sprocket to a dozen different positions, heated the grease a bit, cut and limbed several big Poplar trees in hopes that maybe it would wear in and take grease.

I am not too concerned of it not getting lubed, as bar-and-chain oil just about drips off the nose during use.

Am I missing a trick or using the wrong tool ?

I know surely some of you have this same bar; how do you grease your's ?

Thanks for reading.

holy crap....your telling me I'm supposed to grease that wheel at the end of the bar?? I have never!

George - I think I can make your life easier here...

I primarily heat with wood and cut about four cords a year, and have been doing so for 15 years. Although I'm not quite as into the saws as Cubs, I have more than a few saws, some new, some old. At any rate, this has lead me to more than a few years of lurking on chainsaw forums.

There are people on both sides of the argument of greasing or not greasing the bar tip. Some brands (even good ones) don't come with a hole at all to grease the sprocket.

I used to grease them, but after extensive reading and thinking it through, I have decided not to for about the last 12 years.

The argument for greasing the tip is obvious, the idea that lube will make the sprocket last.

The argument against greasing the tip is that the grease attracts dirt and can wear out the sprocket faster, and that it gets plenty of lube from the bar oil. Bar oil does indeed get to the sprocket and the argument is that the bar oil is less of an attractant for dirt.

I have never wore out a sprocket before the bar, and it's nice to have one less thing to lube. Even if you do wear out a tip, there is no guarantee that greasing it would have helped. I haven't seen any feedback from pro users that greasing a tip has helped the life, and most of them don't grease.

So, my recommendation is forget about greasing them, life is easier and happier. I actually wish none of the new bars I buy came with holes, as it is just another ingress point for dirt. What I have been doing is oiling a new bar sprocket with motor oil before putting into use so it doesn't have to wait for the bar oil to get there.

Hope this helps...

Thanks, Tom; you have given me something to ponder and cogitate upon; BUT, it does sort of strongly go against my grain to not lube something that has a lube point.

There is a parable and lesson learned about why I bought this new bar.

I had a nearly new bar on the saw and was driving down a friend's narrow lane to cut a tree that he was afraid to mess with.
His driveway meanders through a crooked path of large trees with barely room enough to clear with a ton truck.
I heard a racket and looked in the mirror to see that my saw's bar had somehow worked itself through the sideboards and got caught between one of those trees and a bed standard; of course, the saw bar was the weak link in this chain of events.

Needless to say, my saw bar looked more like a horseshoe.

I placed it on two blocks under the rear of the truck with a hydraulic bottle-jack between the bar and truck, and carefully pressed the curve out of it enough that I could still use it.

It worked fine, but there was a definite curve in it.

I cut a lot of wood each winter for my momma to heat with..... A LOT! I haven't ever greased that sprocket. I do only use Stihl bar oil as it seems to hang on to the chain better than other brands. I had no idea people ever greased those or that there was hole for this job???