What's the smallest Chainsaw you can use to cut a 24/26 inch oak?

[svk]

I once processed a dozen large cottonwoods from 20-30” with a 42 cc Poulan for my aunt. The saw had already been used/abused for 10 years and died towards the end of the last tree when I was noodling the rounds into quarters.

If a guy needs to process one large tree, just about any saw will do as long as your bar is greater than half the diameter of the tree. If there’s more than a few large trees, find a larger saw.

 

[svk]

Eastern Canada is the same way. Big trees are rare so are bars more than 20 inches long.
I have a 18 inch bar on one of my saws and the locals think its huge lol. I know a bunch of guys with 16 inch bars on 365's, they cut up our 10-20 inch fire wood in a hurry.

Same here. Other than stumping, it’s very rare to need all of a 20” bar.

 

[homemade]

All good info guys. I too in the Midwest is capable of cutting most stands of timber with a 20”. I’ll bring my 288 with a 24 and 32 in bar along just in case. I do have a 20” for the 288 but that gets heavy after a while.

 

[newforest]

my "home made Bar Groove cleaner" is not actually 'home' made. It's just....a paperclip. Bar flipped weekly, and crud removed from groove and oiler hole, just in case anything large-ish was stuck somewhere.

Ran my first 20" bar in daily use recently. I have one for the day when a big log falls into my buddy's driveway. Have always run 16" otherwise. I was surprised how much I grew to like a long bar even with small wood. I haven't tried a 24" with skipchain as I have seen some run when 'slashing' is required, but I bet I would like it.

A little off-topic from 24" Oak, sorry.

 

[dmb2613]

To cut it quickly and safely a 28 in bar is the ticket with a 440 size saw

 

[Wow]

To cut it quickly and safely a 28 in bar is the ticket with a 440 size saw

28 yes. My Echo 590 runs a 27 bar when I have a really big tree. I just take it slow and it does fine. However, a 20 is what it normally runs. My brothers Echo 620P had a 24 inch bar when he bought it. Good day.

 

[Wow]

I've cut more small trees with a bar two or three times what was required

otoh
This was 38"dbh with a 45cc saw. (posted
before)

I don't think it's that unusual in the PNW. We have big trees of soft(ish) wood.

Is that an Echo saw? Kinda resembles my cs490 but surely it's bigger.

 

[andy]

Yup..... it’s an Echo cs450.
Great little saw.

 

[Wow]

Yup..... it’s an Echo cs450.
Great little saw.

Wow. I mean, cool and yep Echo makes some good saws. What pitch chain is that and bar length?
A friend once wanted fire wood. I dropped a 20+ inch oak with the cs590 then started topping it with my cs352. The guy got his Poulan saw out then turned around without starting the saw and put it back in the truck. He said, boy those Echo saws cut so fast I'm not gonna need my saw. I blocked the tree and kept him and his helper busy. cs590 and cs352 make a good team. Sometimes I'll use the cs 490 to buck but in a hurry, 590 or Sthil 029. Good day.

 

[James Miller]

011avt. Did it for near 2 decades for my FIL. Didn't know you couldnt cut big wood with a small saw till AS told me.

 

[Wow]

011avt. Did it for near 2 decades for my FIL. Didn't know you couldnt cut big wood with a small saw till AS told me.

The oldest saw of mine is an 024 Sthil. Still runs good. I've used an 18 inch bar and took down some pretty big trees. Now days I use as big a bar and as big a saw I can get taking down trees 30 inches and up. Once in a while I'll need to plunge cut a severe leaner. I'd be afraid to use a short bar which required plunging from both sides. It is possible but my preferred method is a bar long enough to reach both sides. Have a great day

 

[andy]

@Wow

It’s 20” .325 78dls

I still use it for fence-line around here.
Have a bunch of chains for that bar.
Best starting and quietest saw I have.

 

[James Miller]

The oldest saw of mine is an 024 Sthil. Still runs good. I've used an 18 inch bar and took down some pretty big trees. Now days I use as big a bar and as big a saw I can get taking down trees 30 inches and up. Once in a while I'll need to plunge cut a severe leaner. I'd be afraid to use a short bar which required plunging from both sides. It is possible but my preferred method is a bar long enough to reach both sides. Have a great day

I wouldn't use that 011 for big wood anymore. Although I know it would get the job done if needed. I've got a ported 590 for most firewood work now and a 7910 if the wood gets bigger. Also have a big old jonsereds on the bench right now that will pull bars bigger then I'll ever need.

 

[Wow]

@Wow

It’s 20” .325 78dls

I still use it for fence-line around here.
Have a bunch of chains for that bar.
Best starting and quietest saw I have.

Very good. I like my cs490. When things cool off I may MM and retune it. After I use all my bars and chains up in. .325 I may change to .375 however I'm not sure it'd actually improve the saw.

 

[svk]

Very good. I like my cs490. When things cool off I may MM and retune it. After I use all my bars and chains up in. .325 I may change to .375 however I'm not sure it'd actually improve the saw.

I am not sure that it would or wouldn't. On ported 50 cc saws, 3/8 cuts much faster though. Worth a try to see if you can borrow the parts.

 

[Wow]

I am not sure that it would or wouldn't. On ported 50 cc saws, 3/8 cuts much faster though. Worth a try to see if you can borrow the parts.

Thanks