What's with Stihl's recommended guide bar lengths?

[Taxmantoo]

nope, sure doesn't but have any of you ever seen a 20" bar on a big saw like a 660 or 880 or Husky 395 or 3120, they look very small.

Well, if a 210 takes a 16" bar, then a 310 should use a...........16" bar, right?

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

I know a dealer who sell about a dozen 880's a year and none of them with anything bigger than 25" bars. He has one guy who has been a customer of his for about 20 years and every two years he buys 2-880's with 21" bars. The funniest thing is with the big bar spikes he probably gets 19" of actual cut.