Ideal Bar Size

[captjack]

I use to like the big bars because I thought bigger was better. Now I go for more power -

16 inch on the ms260 and 20 on the 046 I do have a 28 inch bar for the big trees if I need it. There is not much I cant cut with that 046 and 20 inch bar.

I have 7 and 8 sprockets I run the 7 with the 28 inch bar

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Time for a sing along....

Hey, hey Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With that rifle in my hand
I'm gonna be a shootin' man
A shootin' man
I'm gonna shoot the best I can

Hey, hey Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With that knife in my hand
I'm gonna be a cuttin' man
A cuttin' man
A shootin' man
I'm gonna cut the best I can

Hey, hey Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With that grenade in my hand
I'm gonna be a killin' man
A killin' man
A cuttin' man
A shootin' man
I'm gonna kill the most I can

Hey, hey Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad track
With that bottle in my hand
I'm gonna be a drinkin' man
A drinkin' man
A killin' man
A cuttin' man
A shootin' man
I'm gonna drink the most I can

 

[flotek]

18 does the trick for me ,a 20 may eliminate some bending ,but a faster rpm saw means less overall cutting time plus the weight is reduced

 

[husky455rancher]

heres the my bar useage order 18, 20, 16. 25, i rarly use the 36 but its sure nice to have when you need it.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

See sig. 18" on 2156=perfect, 20" on 2165=perfect, 24" on 2165=good, 20" on cs5500=good, 18" on supermini=good, 18" on xl1=good.IMO

 

[Cedarkerf]

Time for a PNWer to chime in. 28" 70cc saws standard combo. Lotta limbing done walking the log. I have a ported 372 on its way gonna run 32" Oregon reduced weight bar. This will be my all around saw. Was running an ms 460 28". Longer bars make limbing easy, in blow downs gives ya distance away from tensioned trees, lotta trees over 32" and you dont wanna buck from the down hill side and get rolled on.. Thats just the way we do it. Often times 32" is to short some times the 41" is to short on the 066.

 

[sbhooper]

There are lots of possibilities and it depends on the user. If you are dealing with trees under 25 or 30 inches, then for me, anything over a 20-inch bar is really unnecessary weight. Also, if you don't have the power, the big bar is going to be a pain to run.

I don't have anything over 25 inches to cut, so my saws do real well with a 20-inch bar. I have a 16-inch bar on my 260 for limbs and smaller trees. I will cut weight where I can as it gets harder to pack these saws every year.

Another thing is that the shorter the chain, the less they cost and the quicker they are to sharpen. I really noticed that the other day when I ordered two 16-inch chains from Bailey's for $9.95 each.

 

[Northwind]

I like the added reach of the 24" on my 576 over a 20" and run a 16" on my 346. I'd say try differen't lengths and see what you like.

 

[Wood Doctor]

For me the ideal would be a 20. Most of the cutting i do a 20 will handle it. Every now and then i'll have to break out the 25.

+1! Impossible to say it any better. However, I have a 16" for smaller limbing and pruning also. A single ideal size may be a figment of the imagination. The other day, I took out the 14" for some ladder work. Nice little old Mac that runs like a soldier.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I run a 16" bar on several saws because that is about the biggest wood they see and I do most of my firewood cutting with them. If Im felling/bucking something that they arent long enough for I get out a bigger saw with a longer bar. No point carrying around more weight than needed, til it is needed.

I can see why the PNW guys run big bars exclusively. If they swapped out saws for different parts of the job they wouldn't get as much done walking in and out of the woods. Or they would be even more wore out carying 2 saws.