What bar-sizes do you consider optimal for your climbing saws? Like, if you could only have 2?

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arborjunky
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[top-handles only I mean!]
After getting a couple new powerheads and swapping-around some bars I'm left uncertain between a 15.25 or an 18" on my biggest saw....also have gone from 12" to 10" on my 'pocket rocket' tiny saw and love it, probably 5 real uses with it at 10" and I never found myself missing the 12", still swapping-up saws around the same time.

If you had all the bars in the world but just 2 powerheads to put them on, which would you choose? Maybe just keep an 'open mind' so far as what job you're doing IE swap them as-needed? TBH it's seeing the two 'extremes' that has me thinking this way (I'm not down to 2 climbsaw powerheads my 14"/32cc still rips I just never use it :p ), the extremes being:
- Hunicke's 200t with 20" bar, on the big side of things, and
- any tuned 2511t with 1/4", 10-->14" b&c
Haven't found the middle-area - my 14" - desirable (and it's my highest-quality bar, all of mine are interchangeable 5/32's but my 14 is my only 'pro' bar I just never use it as I'm always thinking "small saw, until large is needed" and that's fit every tree I've done since starting to jumble my bars)

What bar-sizes do you guys like/dislike, and why? Swapping up from 15.25" to 18" on my 36cc saw is only worrisome to me because of making it more-likely to snag&bang on stuff when climbing, already bang around the 15" often enough (can't believe I've yet to break plastic in a tree) Had to take the 12" from my lil 25cc saw to put on a polesaw I'd finished[that I'd stolen the 12" from in the 1st place] so reintroduced an old, nearly-new 10" Oregon and am in love with it just put the rakers low on its PX Oregon chain and it rips and by the time I'm needing over 10" I want >25cc (and my 25cc, well all of them, are really strong/efficient powerheads, it's never that I can't power the 10" or 12" I only swap when it's actually >10" wood to be cut), still default to the 25cc whenever possible despite it not being my favorite powerhead it's just the obvious IE convenience/form-factor which is probably why the 10" on it is so appealing!

Thanks for any shared bar preferences, am currently using only interchangeable 5/32 on all my saws so don't see it as worthwhile to swap to 1/4" -- yet, am planning to whenever I get my 1st lithium climbsaw, that'll be a 1/4" -- but despite being 'generic' Oregon stuff I rarely have issues and find them to be high-quality and that's with all of them sporting unusually-low rakers(depth-gauges) especially the 10" in fact I'm less aggressive on them the longer the bar..
[intentionally omitted any companies as I think sizes, displacements etc are best way to discuss this, don't think it's that big a deal whether "small saw" to you is a 150t, a 2511t or a g2500-clone like I've got ;D ]
 
14" personally.

In my area(Wisconsin) this works well. I've never felt like it was too much or too little. Once I get to the point where I need more bar, I simply need more saw. So down goes the 355t and up comes the 261c with an 18" on it.
Have you gotten any time in with one of the 'pocket rocket' saws yet like a 150t // 2511t // lithium husqvy // etc? Love my 355t in fact it's my favorite saw it is lightweight & just a total monster but for me the 2-->3lbs (1/3rd weight, roughly) penalty for using it takes its toll on me my shoulders more than anything, then again I'm a little guy in fact likely the smallest guy who'll post in this thread so surely that's a factor....still even holding a 2511t, merely ~10% lighter & smaller than my "pocket rocket" saw, had me wishing for an excuse to get a 2511 :p

Thanks for adding, will say that's not the 1st combo I was expecting! Are you using the stock/pro Echo bar (14") that came w/ the 355t? FWIW, a "16 inch" (15.25 in reality, so far as oregon/echo/husq bar sizing goes) oregon 'versacut' is actually lighter-than the 14" OEM echo bar and while only ~6mo it has held its own / has been pushed a lot and been great!

[btw what, if anything, do you have for a bigger saw than your 261c? My biggest is just a 42cc, need to decide on a bigger powerhead // bar size already, like 22-->24"..]
 
I haven't gotten any time on one of the smaller top handle saws like the 2511(although I do want to). Just realized this is in the Commercial tree care forum(I always just search for new posts). I'm not a commercial guy. I just have a side business doing removals, so know that when considering my answers. I just do work on weekends and have a non-treework related day job.

I am currently using the stock 14" echo bar with Stihl chain. When I wear that one out, I might consider a slightly longer/lighter bar like the Oregon. I have climbed with a 16" bar before, as well as a 12" bar on other guys saws, and the 16 just seemed like it would get in the way a lot and force me to have my hands in uncomfortable positions to keep the tip from hitting a branch or something. The 12" bar was less of a problem, but would lack for reach in bigger wood that I feel I need. Although if I had to use a bar other than a 14, I would take the 12 over the 16 and just jump up to the 261 more often.


The largest saw I've had to take into the tree has been my 462 with a 28" Tsumura bar. I figure if I need a saw bigger than that in-tree, that tree is probably too big for my skill set lol
 
I like the 12" (3/8ths LP .050) on the 2511t, just enough to do some chunking. Might someday try .043 but prolly not. I do like the 14" on the 200/201t's since they have the power to pull it. I run the 201t in the winter while doing trees full time and don't see the benefit of the extra weight. I properly tuned muff modded 2511t is pretty potent.
Once top handles are too slow/small the 562 comes up. My 562 must of just woke up since it was a animal last weekend. Very impressed w/ full comp 20" in pin oak. I know a 60cc should but it was beyond what I expected. It must of hit that magic hour count.
 
I've got two echo top handles: the 355t and the 2511t.

For the 355, I have the 14" and haven't run a larger or smaller bar on it yet, despite having it for 3 years now. Now that you bring it up, I may try my 2511's 12" bar on it to see how it goes. I don't think a 16" bar would be great on that saw unless I port it. I use this one for my removals and it gets the job done until the wood gets to 14" and larger. At that point I call for a bigger saw. For removals here in Utah, that means I'm nearing the bottom of the tree anyway.

For the 2511, I have the 12" bar. It handles that one very well. I haven't wanted to try the 1/4" chain on this guy, mainly because I don't want to have to sharpen that chain. I haven't tried the 14" bar on it, but I'm certain that saw wouldn't like it. I would be up for tying out a 10" bar if they have one. Use this saw for trimming, smaller removals, and other small, on ground clearing duties.
 
I keep 14's on my climbing saws(200t & 201t. Any longer and the tip scrapes the ground when I walk around. I have 16's and that I keep on my bucket truck saw (201t).
Any bigger and I get a rear handle saw.
Boss keeps 12's on the 2511's (ported and advanced) which are the lil zippers.
 
12" on the 161t battery saw
14" on the 355t
16" on the 201 t
20" on the 562

To answer your question, my primary gas tree saws would be a 355 with a 14" bar and the 562 with a 20" bar.

On order is a stihl 220 battery saw. Right now my 161 is doing most of my cutting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I usually run out of hp before I run out of bar length with my 2511t & 540i. That being said, while I usually go to a bigger saw when in 10 or 12" material, the reach of the longer bar is handy.
 
I currently run 12" 3/8lp 0.43 on my 2511t.
I don't think the 0.43 really helps. 0.50 with the good Stihl full chisel will probably be what I got back to.
Tried 14" before, felt too weak.

I have 14" 3/8lp 0.50 on my cs-355t. It runs well. I tried 16" 3/8lp and even running 0.43 I didn't feel like it had enough power.

Running 18" .325 on my cs-501p. No complaints.

The cs-2511t is awesome, I rarely use the 355t. Often skip right to 50cc.
 

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