What bar length is too big?

[Conkers]

I have a stihl ms311 with a 18" b&c and have just finished noodling some 4' rounds with it. It would have been so much easier with a longer bar.

So i went back to the dealer to enquirer about getting a longer bar and i was told " Stihl only recommends 16, 18 and 20 and any others will void the warranty" I asked him about getting a 25" with a full skip and was told " no comment because your saw is under warranty."

I only plan to use the longer bar when i absolutely have too.

Will the ms311 (59cc) run the 25" with a full skip?

I really like the saw but now i wonder if i need another bigger saw. :greenchainsaw:

 

[woodgrenade]

It would pull it (on a limited basis), but oiling would be an issue.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Will the ms311 (59cc) run the 25" with a full skip?

As you progress up in bar length, you also need an increase in horsepower and torque to power the additional amount of chain in contact with the wood. If you are running the saw in 12" wood it might perform adequately (but then why run a 25" bar?) but it will not be effective if you are trying to use the full length of the bar.

You need to get into the "Professional Use Chain Saws" before Stihl recommends anything over a 20" bar. Surprisingly, they do state that the new MS362 (59cc's) will take up to a 25" bar.

Trying to ask your saw to do too much will ultimately shorten the life of your equipment. Use this as an opportunity to personally experience CAD and get another saw!

 

[komatsuvarna]

Id think that itd pull it, exspecially with the full skip chain. Its not going to be fast by no means. A 25'' full skip will have less cutters than your 18'' full comp. I wouldnt run it on it all the time, but id think itd get you out of a jam. Order an aftermarket bar from baileys and some oregon skip and the dealer wont know nothing about it,Itll even save you a few dollars.

 

[Wild Knight]

Rule of thumb: optimal bar length = 1/3 the # cc's

 

[computeruser]

The 311/25" setup at issue, yes, it will pull it. It won't pull it well when buried, though skip will be easier on it. And it will put more leverage on the plastic chassis; 'sap found this to be an issue when milling with an MS310, as I recall. Find out what the oil output on your saw is at max, and compare it to saws rated to pull that bar. If it's in the range, knock yourself out.

 

[o8f150]

36" bar on a 31cc saw :hmm3grin2orange:opcorn:

 

[Anthony_Va.]

Well I guess it would pull it if it had to. I would'nt do it though. It would be hard on that saw.

I say go buy a 460 or a 441.

 

[SawTroll]

.....

You need to get into the "Professional Use Chain Saws" before Stihl recommends anything over a 20" bar. Surprisingly, they do state that the new MS362 (59cc's) will take up to a 25" bar. .....

Such "specs" mostly just reflect what they had it ANSI tested with, not much more!

 

[SawTroll]

The 311/25" setup at issue, yes, it will pull it. It won't pull it well when buried, though skip will be easier on it. And it will put more leverage on the plastic chassis; 'sap found this to be an issue when milling with an MS310, as I recall. Find out what the oil output on your saw is at max, and compare it to saws rated to pull that bar. If it's in the range, knock yourself out.

Sorry my friend, but "will pull" is a worthless expression - it basically tells us nothing! :greenchainsaw:

 

[BobL]

I have a stihl ms311 with a 18" b&c and have just finished noodling some 4' rounds with it. It would have been so much easier with a longer bar.
So i went back to the dealer to enquirer about getting a longer bar and i was told " Stihl only recommends 16, 18 and 20 and any others will void the warranty" I asked him about getting a 25" with a full skip and was told " no comment because your saw is under warranty."
I only plan to use the longer bar when i absolutely have too.
Will the ms311 (59cc) run the 25" with a full skip?
I really like the saw but now i wonder if i need another bigger saw. :greenchainsaw:

It will work but just done expect it to be a stellar performer.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

I have a stihl ms311 with a 18" b&c and have just finished noodling some 4' rounds with it. It would have been so much easier with a longer bar.

So i went back to the dealer to enquirer about getting a longer bar and i was told " Stihl only recommends 16, 18 and 20 and any others will void the warranty" I asked him about getting a 25" with a full skip and was told " no comment because your saw is under warranty."

I only plan to use the longer bar when i absolutely have too.

Will the ms311 (59cc) run the 25" with a full skip?

I really like the saw but now i wonder if i need another bigger saw. :greenchainsaw:

Yea, definetly get a bigger saw if you need to run a 25". Some people get hung up on these long bars with little saws. I would'nt go over 20" on that one. I only run 25" and 28" on my 660. I know it will pull more but I don't need it. And if I needed a 60" bar, I would buy an 880 or an 090.

Match the bar to the saw, and the saw to the wood.

 

[isaaccarlson]

it will not cut like a mad beaver but yes it will work. It would help to do a muff mod as well. ( I pull a 28" full comp regularly with my MS390)

 

[Arrowhead]

I have cut tons of wood with a 20" 310. The 18" is a perfect bar for these saws. For occasional cuts the 25" skip will be fine, without a doubt. My 310 showed a huge improvement with a simple muff mod.

 

[stevohut]

Yea, definetly get a bigger saw if you need to run a 25". Some people get hung up on these long bars with little saws. I would'nt go over 20" on that one. I only run 25" and 28" on my 660. I know it will pull more but I don't need it. And if I needed a 60" bar, I would buy an 880 or an 090.

Match the bar to the saw, and the saw to the wood.

I have a 460 with a 28" full comp chain and I love it for noodling big rounds I can't split by hand. My saw is modded so it's got the cahonees to pull that bar and chain. It is recomended that you at least run a semi skip at 28" and longer bars.

stevo

 

[aandabooks]

I have cut tons of wood with a 20" 310. The 18" is a perfect bar for these saws. For occasional cuts the 25" skip will be fine, without a doubt. My 310 showed a huge improvement with a simple muff mod.

I agree 100%. Don't know about the 311 and its system for how it takes to mods though. Hasn't been much talk here at AS about it yet.

 

[madhatte]

Longer bar = less bending over. Might be worth it even on twigs. Try it and see if you'll like it. Dealer sounds a bit of a tool.

 

[MCW]

Hey don't get too concerned about running a 25" bar and skip chain. It will do it no problems and I can't see the oiler being an issue. People may laugh but I did up a 32" bar and skip chain and removed 50% of the cutters for a mate's 029. The oiler could just keep up and yes it pulled it - not stellar performance but it did cut and easier than I thought.

Ideally you should buy a 441 or 460 but I also realise not everybody has that sort of money to throw around. The 32" setup I did for a mate's 029 meant he could cut bigger wood occasionally than with a 20" bar and he didn't have the money to buy another saw anyway.

Your dealer sounds like an idiot. Get a 25" bar and skip chain somewhere else...

 

[belgian]

Longer bar = less bending over. Might be worth it even on twigs.

This has been stated several times on AS, especially by the pro's in logging envrironment. I think it's not really the rule for firewood users. Bars over 25" are pretty rare over here, even with the +90cc saws. Long bar = heavy weight to tote around, and harder on the saw.

I still don't really understand why there's such a big difference between european and US saw b&c combo's.

 

[Conkers]

I talked with a guy at work who has a 440 with a 25" bar and full skip chain, he said i can have one of his spare chains and he is looking to see if he has a spare bar.

I'll give it a try and see how it does.

The oil should not be too much of a problem, the adjuster screw is only 1/3 open and it uses 1/1 fuel and oil so cranked all the way open should be OK.

As for modding it, I'll wait until i get it fully broken in and then mod the muffler or get a spare one to mod. How do these new saw take to modding?