stihl 066 how big a bar??

[Banshee]

Your 066 ain't got no pair at all if it can't pull a 60" bar with a full house chain with the rakers half file off.


What the heck guys. My 066 must be a pile, because it pulls a 36" bar with semi-skip and 7 pin and it's nothing to write home about.
My 066 has just a little over 150 psi compression, with a stock muffler.
If I had to redo I would have went with a 32" or even a 28" bar.

 

[Lakeside53]

Yep.. Mine must be POS too, even with DP :greenchainsaw: Maybe there's a reason stihl doesn't make a bar longer than 36 for the 066 opcorn:

You can run just about any long bar on a big saw, but I hate babying it...

 

[04ultra]

20", 25", 28" ,32" and 36" all work fine on my 660's.......My sling'r wears a 36" and it runs great......

 

[Justsaws]

Pis-sin and moan-on, about what it can versus what it does well.

28", sweet spot.

36", after that start removing cutters. After 48", remove some cutters, take a chair, food and drink with you. Maybe a tent.

 

[dave k]

On a normal day 25" roll tip with .404 RS and 8 "pin" sprocket.
Have bought a 36" as the dealer was selling them at the = $170 with chain ! and having seen a pal running a 36" I will be fitting an Aus spec oil pump as the ash and beech just suck the oil off the bar. Off the top of my head a standard oil pump has a piston stroke of 0.95 versus Aussie spec 1.13. Normal and biggest bar here lads run would be 25" on 3/8 RS

 

[Wet1]

The largest I run on my 064 (yes I know it has a few less cc's, for now anyway...) is a 32" bar. It pulls it pretty good in equal size wood, but I wouldn't think you'd want anymore than a 36" on that 066. Then again, any job I know I'm going to be cutting wood 32" and over, I bring the 3120/880 and I can tell you they pull a 36"+ bar with much more authority. I'm sure a 066/660 will pull a bigger bar, but you'd have to baby it, and I'd also be concerned about the oiler keeping up. I'd say go for the 36" with skip.

BTW, lets hear more details on the new (used) saw!

 

[superfire]

bar ?

36" bar and full skip
any bar over 24 requires either semi or full skip

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

The largest I run on my 064 (yes I know it has a few less cc's, for now anyway...) is a 32" bar. It pulls it pretty good in equal size wood, but I wouldn't think you'd want anymore than a 36" on that 066. Then again, any job I know I'm going to be cutting wood 32" and over, I bring the 3120/880 and I can tell you they pull a 36"+ bar with much more authority. I'm sure a 066/660 will pull a bigger bar, but you'd have to baby it, and I'd also be concerned about the oiler keeping up. I'd say go for the 36" with skip.

BTW, lets hear more details on the new (used) saw!

I got a new 660 Magnum this year with a 36'' bar. Cut up a 6ft beech and it did great by my standards. Ran 3 tanks of fuel running full depth cuts and it would bog if you REALLY leaned on it but it cut great. I'm running RMC on it. by the way one tank of fuel averaged 19 cuts.

 

[66mag]

I have run my 066 (dp muffler) in white oak with a 32" bar and full comp chain. It does really well. Like Andy said anything much bigger I grab the 880.

 

[gink595]

What the heck guys. My 066 must be a pile, because it pulls a 36" bar with semi-skip and 7 pin and it's nothing to write home about.
My 066 has just a little over 150 psi compression, with a stock muffler.
If I had to redo I would have went with a 32" or even a 28" bar.

Me too! I bought a used one a couple weeks back, I thought of this thing to be a monster, WTF was I ever disappointed by my high expectations.

At wkpoors GTG I compared the 7900 with a 7 pin and 20" with RSC to the 066 with a 7 pin 20" RSC and the Dolmar was a few tenths faster. The 066 has 155 psi. of compression. I said this in a earlier post but I'm doing a muffler mod and a new piston and rings and giving this thing another chance. If the Dolmar is faster it's gotta go.

It's an alright saw I do like it, but I think people are talking them up a little more than they are.

 

[Peacock]

Me too! I bought a used one a couple weeks back, I thought of this thing to be a monster, WTF was I ever disappointed by my high expectations.

At wkpoors GTG I compared the 7900 with a 7 pin and 20" with RSC to the 066 with a 7 pin 20" RSC and the Dolmar was a few tenths faster. The 066 has 155 psi. of compression. I said this in a earlier post but I'm doing a muffler mod and a new piston and rings and giving this thing another chance. If the Dolmar is faster it's gotta go.

It's an alright saw I do like it, but I think people are talking them up a little more than they are.

Put long bars on them.

The 066 was never intended to be used with short bars. The 066 will pull an 8-pin and a 28" bar in hardwood and run away from a 70cc class saw.

 

[blsnelling]

Me too! I bought a used one a couple weeks back, I thought of this thing to be a monster, WTF was I ever disappointed by my high expectations.

At wkpoors GTG I compared the 7900 with a 7 pin and 20" with RSC to the 066 with a 7 pin 20" RSC and the Dolmar was a few tenths faster. The 066 has 155 psi. of compression. I said this in a earlier post but I'm doing a muffler mod and a new piston and rings and giving this thing another chance. If the Dolmar is faster it's gotta go.

It's an alright saw I do like it, but I think people are talking them up a little more than they are.

Here's the deal Gink. If the smaller saw is strong enough to pull the same chain speed as the larger saw does in smaller wood, the big saw isn't going to be an faster. Put longer bars on them and bury them in 32"-36" wood and you'll see the difference. The 7900 won't have the torque to maintain the chain speed in that size wood. Or, put a larger rim on the 066 and see which one's faster. Bottom line, you're not loading the 066 enough to show it's power difference.

 

[gink595]

Put long bars on them.

That was just for fun with the short bars, Infact the only bar I have for that 066 is 36", thats how I bought it. But the point being was I am still shocked how that Dolmar stacked up against it. I wouldn't have figured it to be like that. I'm sure the extra displacement will shine with long bars in big wood. I'll have to give it a go sometime when I can get back out and play.

 

[blsnelling]

If you're wanting to run a 42" bar, sounds like you need your 076 back, lol.

 

[gink595]

Here's the deal Gink. If the smaller saw is strong enough to pull the same chain speed as the larger saw does in smaller wood, the big saw isn't going to be an faster. Put longer bars on them and bury them in 32"-36" wood and you'll see the difference. The 7900 won't have the torque to maintain the chain speed in that size wood. Or, put a larger rim on the 066 and see which one's faster. Bottom line, you're not loading the 066 enough to show it's power difference.

I don't doubt that one bit, It was just a learning curve for me and real world experience running both saws. After reading about these saws you start to imagine things that aren't true of them and have expectations beyond the capabilities.

I did see that first hand at that GTG with my buddies brand new 880, how much slower it cut than the smaller displacement saws.

 

[excess650]

I believe that Husky455Rancher and Ian are both firewood cutters, so the "westcoast limbing, walking the log" with a 36" doesn't even come into play. Likewise, they're cutting hardwood, so the big bar, softwood stuff doesn't apply. Once the rounds are cut, they have to be moved, and I don't think either of them are up to lifting 48" oak rounds 16" long.

Do either of you guys have a grapple truck, log skidder, yarder or yoder? I didn't think so....that means parking the truck or trailer as close to the firewood and carrying it. While that means you don't have to "pack your saw" in and out, the guys that do aren't carrying wood out either...

After using the 36" on the mill(30" max width cut", I decided that I didn't need a 42" B&C to maximize the mill's cutting width. That much width almost requires 2 people to use the mill, and is more effort than I want to deal with (by myself) on a regular basis. I have a 25", 32"(still unused) and 36", and I know that my 066s would be used more if I had a 20" to cut with than a 42" to look at.

A better bet for firewooding big logs would to be make 2-3 horizontal and vertical cuts from the end(easier starting from the smaller end) and then vertical cuts into firewood sized pieces that can be moved without killing yourself. It doesn't require a ridiculously long bar unless you're still trying to prove your manhood.:monkey:

 

[Peacock]

That was just for fun with the short bars, Infact the only bar I have for that 066 is 36", thats how I bought it. But the point being was I am still shocked how that Dolmar stacked up against it. I wouldn't have figured it to be like that. I'm sure the extra displacement will shine with long bars in big wood. I'll have to give it a go sometime when I can get back out and play.

Yep. It is surprising how the 'small' saws can keep up in small wood. My 441 runs within a second or so of the 660 in wood under 20".

It's a little different when the longer bars come out.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

If you're wanting to run a 42" bar, sounds like you need your 076 back, lol.

Nah, I've had my old torque monster and think I prefer a little more RPMs. An 090 will pull a hellish long bar but take it's sweet time to do it at 6500 rpms. I had the 076 tuned to 10K and with a 36" bar buried, I think (hope) the ported 066 will be the faster saw. With the 372 pulling the 28" bar like it does, I could really use the 088 upgrade for the really long bar but... the 066 is the right price and I have the trading material on hand.

So... for the moment... the 372 will be the 8 pin 18" bar saw and the 066 will be the 8 pin 28" bar saw. Maybe some day I'll have a ported 088 for the 8 pin 42" bar. I'm slowly getting all my bar lengths covered. When the 45cc 346 dies, I'll have to come up with the hotrod limbing saw.

Recently I've started running the 346 more often. The last batch of firewood I've been cutting is less than 12" so the bigger saw has stayed in the case. I hate messing with the smaller stuff... less splitting but it seems like I cut and cut and cut without making a decent load. Whack up a 20" tree into rounds and you get a good load pretty quick. Divide and conquer a 36" tree and you come back for a second and third load.

sorry for the run on post... It's Margaritaville at the Haywood Household tonight...

Ian

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I believe that Husky455Rancher and Ian are both firewood cutters

Yep, I quarter the bigguns or split on site.

Ian

 

[blsnelling]

Nah, I've had my old torque monster and think I prefer a little more RPMs. An 090 will pull a hellish long bar but take it's sweet time to do it at 6500 rpms. I had the 076 tuned to 10K and with a 36" bar buried, I think (hope) the ported 066 will be the faster saw. With the 372 pulling the 28" bar like it does, I could really use the 088 upgrade for the really long bar but... the 066 is the right price and I have the trading material on hand.

So... for the moment... the 372 will be the 8 pin 18" bar saw and the 066 will be the 8 pin 28" bar saw. Maybe some day I'll have a ported 088 for the 8 pin 42" bar. I'm slowly getting all my bar lengths covered. When the 45cc 346 dies, I'll have to come up with the hotrod limbing saw.

Recently I've started running the 346 more often. The last batch of firewood I've been cutting is less than 12" so the bigger saw has stayed in the case. I hate messing with the smaller stuff... less splitting but it seems like I cut and cut and cut without making a decent load. Whack up a 20" tree into rounds and you get a good load pretty quick. Divide and conquer a 36" tree and you come back for a second and third load.

sorry for the run on post... It's Margaritaville at the Haywood Household tonight...

Ian

Your logic sounds good to me. Can't disagree with you on any point.