Why run a short bar on a work saw?

[bitzer]

For the first two years of running a saw at work my boss had two setups: a Stihl 390 with an 18" bar and a 310 with a 16" bar. He left the 390 at his cabin often so I usually ran the 310. Eventually the 16" wore out and after watching something on TV with guys runnin longer bars, I put a 25" on the bosses account. Limbing was fun all of a sudden. I wasn't gettin a stick in the eye every five minutes. Bucking a log under pressure felt safer because I was that much farther away. I didn't have to bend over as much etc.. In the same sized wood (12") the 390 with 18" ran close to the same time as the 310, 25". Before I got that bar I had never seen any one other than maybe a tree service use one that long. At the time I thought why go short and I still do. If I get into wood that is too big that it slows the saw down so much I reach for my bigger saw anyway (84cc). The 310 and 390 have since been modded (Thanks to AS). I am still wondering though and unless you only have one saw or nothing over 60ccs, why go short on a work saw?

 

[lone wolf]

short bar

easy to sharpen how long does it take to sharpen a 24 or 28 to long and if you make mistakes sharpening a 20 inch bar wont pull and jam in the cut .mainly faster to sharpen is why we run shorter bars .

 

[clearance]

No idea. I run a 28" or more on my saws, 'cept for my 020.

 

[forestryworks]

go long or go home.

 

[TJ-Bill]

I have a 310 with a Muf Mod and I only run a 16".. I guess it's not a work saw but a fire wood saw.. I thought about getting a longer bar but I really don't think I need one. Besides the " it looks cool" My little 310 will take anything I throw at it. But it's not a work saw and we're looking at it from different angles..

 

[bitzer]

easy to sharpen how long does it take to sharpen a 24 or 28 to long and if you make mistakes sharpening a 20 inch bar wont pull and jam in the cut .mainly faster to sharpen is why we run shorter bars .

It really doesn't take much longer to sharpen a full comp 24 or 28" compared to a 20". 24" is 84 links and a 28" is 91 links. I can't remember, but I think a
20" is 72 links.

 

[bitzer]

I have a 310 with a Muf Mod and I only run a 16".. I guess it's not a work saw but a fire wood saw.. I thought about getting a longer bar but I really don't think I need one. Besides the " it looks cool" My little 310 will take anything I throw at it. But it's not a work saw and we're looking at it from different angles..

I'm not talkin about it looks cool either. I'm talking about a stick in the eye and a bent back. By work I meant other than racing. Firewood included. Thats what these saws were and still are.

 

[litefoot]

, why go short on a work saw?

Because many here believe you need a 90cc saw to run anything larger than a 20" bar.:bang:

 

[logging22]

go long or go home.

 

[TJ-Bill]

I could definetly see how a longer bar could help the lower back when cutting wood on the ground all day!

 

[Evan]

i dont know when i buck wood all day with the 044 or 372 it feels very good to grab the 026

i consider work saws 24-28" this range bar lenght cuts pretty much the same size wood and will cut from small to big

 

[bitzer]

I could definetly see how a longer bar could help the lower back when cutting wood on the ground all day!

Hell yeah man! There you go!


BTW: my bigger saw wears a 28" normally, but I've got a 36"er for the big stuff.

 

[RVALUE]

go long or go home.

Agreed.

I have trouble understanding the comments about whether a certain saw will pull a longer bar. Is it not wood cutting over time? I can't tell any differnce on a free spinning chain, so the part I'm not using isn't costing me much.

Sure nice to not bend down!

 

[Scandy14]

why go short on a work saw?

Because we can.........................

 

[Philbert]

There is a difference . . .

There is a difference between burying the full bar in the wood, and using the end of a longer bar to keep from stooping over.

If you have the longer bar and just cut with the nose half, there probably won't be a big problem with the saw pulling the longer chain. But if you plan on using the entire length of the longer bar, you will need sufficient HP to pull all those cutters.

Some guys will see a 24" bar and assume that they can cut up a 48" log with it. I think that manufacturers spec recommended maximum bar lengths based on burying the whole bar.

Philbert

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Power and speed. I will run a 20" bar on the 395 when I have alot of bucking to do, it makes amazingly fast work of multiple stalks. Works best with trees under 24", anything bigger gets the 24". 28" is on the wish list for falling some of the bigger stuff. When I'm out in the bush, my main goal is to get as much wood cut as possible in the shortest amount of time.

 

[radoutdoors]

Power and speed. I will run a 20" bar on the 395 when I have alot of bucking to do, it makes amazingly fast work of multiple stalks. Works best with trees under 24", anything bigger gets the 24". 28" is on the wish list for falling some of the bigger stuff.

AGREED! When I bucked logs 40 hrs a week we used nothing but 20" bars on 390-395s and a 3120. I asked my boss why and he told me that I would see , which I did, the saws cut a faster, sharpening time was shorter and it is a lot easier to dress a 20" than a 24-28. Plus, once the 24's started to wear, they were a b!7ch to cut straight with, which meen trouble when cutting veneer logs.

 

[cbfarmall]

Because many here believe you need a 90cc saw to run anything larger than a 20" bar.:bang:

I use 112cc w/ gear reduction to pull this 21" bar. Because I can. Chris B.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Longer bars have a higher kickback potential if you are not careful, it easier to catch the tip of a long bar on a stick or another log causing kickback. Also when bucking a pile of logs stacked on top of each other a shorter bar is less likely to cut into other logs on the pile causing kickback and less likely to get in the dirt when cutting near the ground.

Fewer cutters to sharpen, fewer rakers to lower, and less weight are other reasons for shorter bars.

Out West they cut soft wood and always tend to run longer bars than we do out east.

Take your 310 and put a 28" bar on it and then start cutting 32" rounds of dried oak. Bring a 6 pack cuz you are gonna be there a while. However for wood on the ground a lot of guys use longer bars to save their backs

 

[bitzer]

Good reasons. To me if your running a saw that is 80+ CCs I don't think a 24 or 28" makes that much difference in cutting time compared to a 20", but then again it does make some difference. If you add the seconds saved up it makes time with more wood on the ground. Exactly the reason for modding a saw in my opinion, to get more wood on the ground. Still, I'm gonna go long!