Bar Size for Displacement

[ChillyB]

It’s logical to understand that slapping an inappropriately large bar on a given head is not a good idea. However, I’d like to understand why. Let’s say I have a bunch of 16” logs. If I use an 18” bar or a 24” bar will the saw behave much different? Is overloading the saw with too much bar because of the parasitic loss of slinging more mass of chain with more friction to the bar, or is it because with 6” more bar I might sink it into 6” larger wood? Of course I realize it’s some of both, but is it a little bit of parasitic loss and a lot of the tendency to cut bigger wood than the head can handle.

Another way, let’s say I want to run a 24” bar on a 55cc saw so I don’t have to bend down as much. I’m still not going to cut big wood with it. Will my saw be a dog anyhow?

Rookie question but I’m fairly rookie so not coming here with a lot of ego. Just want to learn from others experience while I gain more of my own.

 

[727sunset]

I mounted a 24” Power Match bar on my Dolmar 5105H...not for larger trees though. It sure saves a lot of bending…wish I had thought of this years ago !
As well, I run a skip chain.

 

[ValleyForge]

You kinda nailed It….Murphy law dictates a bigger bar will always find a bigger tree….lol

 

[Trailsawyer]

Small saws usually can't provide enough oil for long bars!!!

 

[ChillyB]

Small saws usually can't provide enough oil for long bars!!!

Now that’s a good point I hadn’t considered. In that case the Poulan Pro I recently sold could have oiled a 32” bar, and I could have cut saplings without getting off the tractor.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

It’s logical to understand that slapping an inappropriately large bar on a given head is not a good idea. However, I’d like to understand why. Let’s say I have a bunch of 16” logs. If I use an 18” bar or a 24” bar will the saw behave much different? Is overloading the saw with too much bar because of the parasitic loss of slinging more mass of chain with more friction to the bar, or is it because with 6” more bar I might sink it into 6” larger wood? Of course I realize it’s some of both, but is it a little bit of parasitic loss and a lot of the tendency to cut bigger wood than the head can handle.

Another way, let’s say I want to run a 24” bar on a 55cc saw so I don’t have to bend down as much. I’m still not going to cut big wood with it. Will my saw be a dog anyhow?

Rookie question but I’m fairly rookie so not coming here with a lot of ego. Just want to learn from others experience while I gain more of my own.

Depends on how small a saw. When on a firewood crew we all used 24-28” bars depending on our heights. Almond trees are rarely more than 18-20” at the stump which is usually about 20” tall. Then you have 4 branches, averaging 6-8” diameter. To avoid bending over the longer bars are used. Most of us ran Husky 266 or earlier models and 03x series Stihls… then 044s when they came out. A few ran the 066 when it showed up. Chain speed was king, not torque.
we got paid by the cord, not hourly so speed was always the first concern.

the saw will be nose heavy with a longer bar but that was an advantage for the way we worked.

 

[ValleyForge]

Now that’s a good point I hadn’t considered. In that case the Poulan Pro I recently sold could have oiled a 32” bar, and I could have cut saplings without getting off the tractor.

Heck, go for a 60”….sawing from the tractor is the holy grail…lol

 

[heimannm]

The longer the bar, the further it goes into the sod behind the log if you are not extremely careful.



Mark

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Heck, go for a 60”….sawing from the tractor is the holy grail…lol

There’s a YouTube vid of a guy with a 261…and a 32” bar. The saw actually does well, lol

sharp full skip chain with rakers at .020 or less…pull out of the cut a cole times to cycle oil at WOT…slow but it does the job.

 

[singinwoodwackr]

The longer the bar, the further it goes into the sod behind the log if you are not extremely careful.

View attachment 991880

Mark

Once you develop the “feel” of exactly where the tip and the bottom of the chain is when cutting that ceases to be an issue.
you also have to learn how to read your chips

 

[Parkerpusher]

I think if you use a long bar to add reach without bending over, the first consideration is the oiler. If using in larger wood and taking your time, this becomes more of an issue along with the clutch. Some small saws have a pretty robust clutch and some do not, and you will smoke them quick.

Power is prob the least concern, If it’s fast enough for you then it’s fast enough!

 

[ValleyForge]

The longer the bar, the further it goes into the sod behind the log if you are not extremely careful.

View attachment 991880

Mark

Murphy's law corollary… lol

 

[singinwoodwackr]

I think if you use a long bar to add reach without bending over, the first consideration is the oiler. If using in larger wood and taking your time, this becomes more of an issue along with the clutch. Some small saws have a pretty robust clutch and some do not, and you will smoke them quick.

Power is prob the least concern, If it’s fast enough for you then it’s fast enough!

Oiler is only an issue in big wood

 

[Mike Ray]

The longer the bar, the further it goes into the sod behind the log if you are not extremely careful.

View attachment 991880

Mark

also how big of a block can you load in the truck if you are cutting firewood?

 

[singinwoodwackr]

W

also how big of a block can you load in the truck if you are cutting firewood?

With physics 101, fairly large

 

[Mike Ray]

just got some 26" hickory, and 24" white oak logs . It was loaded in my trailer with a track hoe sadly I didn't have a track hoe to unload it.

 

[ValleyForge]

just got some 26" hickory, and 24" white oak logs . It was loaded in my trailer with a track hoe sadly I didn't have a track hoe to unload it.

Just hit the dump button, it all falls out….

 

[Mike Ray]

fist and skull and wheel stand on tractor

 

[Woodslasher]

just got some 26" hickory, and 24" white oak logs . It was loaded in my trailer with a track hoe sadly I didn't have a track hoe to unload it.

I got an old Ford highboy that was a logger's firewood hauler, the p.o. said he'd have the guy on the logging site load the truck full of log butts with their machine. When he got home he'd wrap a cable/chain around one of the logs, attach the other end to his Land Cruiser and he'd drive the truck as fast as he could one way and his wife would drive the Cruiser as fast as she could the other way. If you don't have a land cruiser, just wrap the chain around a tree instead.

 

[sean donato]

You must be cutting fluffy clouds and have all year to do it with a 32" bar on a 50cc saw.