bar size for 365sp.

[Cody82]

After a 4 seasons of firewood and quite a few felling of trees its time for a new bar on my 365sp. As I dont ever really require the 20inch bar that comes as stock with the 365 saw I am considering dropping it down to an 18inch.
What are the main pro's and con's to this aside from the saw being probably more nimble.

Cheers.

 

[Evan]

i realy realy like 60-65cc saws specialy with 20" bars.

but i like limbing with the 24-28" gives me added reach around the tree for limbing. ive handled and ran a bones stock 365 and it pulled a 24" chain just fine

do you ever cut to 20" tip. if yes id say you already know the answer

 

[Cody82]

Thats the thing I have found I dont cut to a 20 inch tip and just thought the 18inch would prove more nimble and as the 18inch is smaller id get a big more power through it.


Most of it is on ground fire wood work, I only have the one saw so its really my "all rounder".

 

[jmethodrose]

personally I'd stick with your 20" bar, at least until it wears out and needs replacing anyway. I wouldn't have thought you'd get that much more power for it to be worth dropping to the 18", as you're not running the full bar in the wood anyway.

my advice would be stick with 20", it means you have the extra couple of inches if you ever need them and you have to bend over less!

cheers,
Joe

 

[REJ2]

The biggest disadvantage is the need for new chains to fit the new length bar unless you or someone else can shorten them. REJ2

 

[Cody82]

Is the 18inch chain a short cut 20inch for the 365?

Bugger it I will stick to the 20inch, I just got a GB 18inch bar cheap last year and im trying to way up options.....

 

[SawTroll]

Thats the thing I have found I dont cut to a 20 inch tip and just thought the 18inch would prove more nimble and as the 18inch is smaller id get a big more power through it.


Most of it is on ground fire wood work, I only have the one saw so its really my "all rounder".

You are right, but the differences will be rather small.
In this case it will be 68dl vs. 72dl, as the Huskys use longer 18" bars than some other brands.

I see nothing wrong with putting an 18" bar on that saw!

If you already have a GB bar that fits, go ahead and use it!

 

[FATGUY]

my brothers 2165 pulls a 24" all day long with no trouble at all.

 

[SawTroll]

my brothers 2165 pulls a 24" all day long with no trouble at all.

Sure, but that is "off-topic" in this thread!

 

[FATGUY]

Sure, but that is "off-topic" in this thread!

Niko, aren't they the same saw?

 

[justtools]

Sure, but that is "off-topic" in this thread!

Great to see you back Sawtroll! I have missed your comments.

 

[MadMax5578]

I have a 365sp. I cut a lot of oak and maple around my place. It has a 24" bar and I like it. Good for the bigger stuff and I really like bucking with it. My 261 and 455R both have 20" bars, so I use them or the 340 (16") for smaller stuff. I would keep the 20" bar IMO.

 

[REJ2]

After a 4 seasons of firewood and quite a few felling of trees its time for a new bar on my 365sp. As I dont ever really require the 20inch bar that comes as stock with the 365 saw I am considering dropping it down to an 18inch.
What are the main pro's and con's to this aside from the saw being probably more nimble.

Cheers.

He is looking for pros and cons of using an 18" bar as opposed to the existing 20" bar he now is using, ASIDE the fact of the saw being "probably more nimble", his words. The need for more chains comes to mind first, especially if you already have a decent number of good 20" chains. But you now have an 18" bar so get some 18" chains or sell the 18" bar and buy another 20" bar so you can use your 20" chains. If you buy new 18" chains be sure to match correct chain gauge to bar gauge. REJ2

 

[thumper440]

i have an 18 on my 2165 and 365. i use an 18 on pretty much all my saws. they balance well and can do all of the jobs from felling to blocking. i can cut trees alot larger than 18 (safely)with them. it all boils down to job description, tree size, amount of underbrush at the site (lol it does matter). i have used a 20 on my 268xp when i blocked stovewood from huge maple sawlog refusals. but i didnt like it at all in the woods. jmo..

 

[pgg]

I use an 18 and a 20 on my 2165, the 18" is the spot-on size for the saw, it's better balanced, gives the whole saw a better feel, more maneuverable, lighter, easier to control and keep from snagging unwanted stuff with the tip and less effort at keeping the tip away from the dirt, just all-round better choice. I use the 20" only for a bit of convenience if cutting a lot of fatter logs that are over 20" or so in diameter, the 65cc hauls a 28" thru even fatter logs with no dramas too, but 18" is the perfect size for that model

 

[SawTroll]

Niko, aren't they the same saw?

Yes my friend, but the topic was 20" vs. 18", as he didn't need as much as 20" - and not what the saw is capable of running.

 

[SawTroll]

I use an 18 and a 20 on my 2165, the 18" is the spot-on size for the saw, it's better balanced, gives the whole saw a better feel, more maneuverable, lighter, easier to control and keep from snagging unwanted stuff with the tip and less effort at keeping the tip away from the dirt, just all-round better choice. I use the 20" only for a bit of convenience if cutting a lot of fatter logs that are over 20" or so in diameter, the 65cc hauls a 28" thru even fatter logs with no dramas too, but 18" is the perfect size for that model

I actually have played with the thought of getting an 18" for my 372xp, but the difference from the 20" ones is less than 1 1/2" in reality, so I guess it remains a thought, as long as the 20" bar and its chains still are good.

I have a 16" one, but that one haven't found its way to the saw yet. If it ever does, I will post about it on here, with pics!

 

[thumper440]

pgg,, what kind of dog is that??

 

[parrisw]

IMHO, an 18" bar is 50cc saw territory. 65cc is 24" bar. I just dislike anything with less then 24"bar. I have a 357 20" and I never use it, I grab the 70cc saws with 28" most of the time.

 

[SawTroll]

IMHO, an 18" bar is 50cc saw territory. 65cc is 24" bar. I just dislike anything with less then 24"bar. I have a 357 20" and I never use it, I grab the 70cc saws with 28" most of the time.

Well, opinions vary, as they should!

I say (as a guide-line);

70cc, 18-24",

60cc, 15-18", maybe 20",

50cc, 15-16".

However, nothing is cast in stone - as conditions vary - those numbers are based mostly on balance, as we don't have any really large wood up here.

I really had use for the 24" bar I have for the 372xp only one time, but that was before I had that bar, and the 20" did the job just fine. "Overbucking" works just fine for felling as well as bucking, when you know what you do......