Will my Makita 6401 handle a 28" or more bar?

[Mr. Tettnanger]

I have a Makita/Dolmar 6401 w/ 20" bar. I lose about 2" due to how big the dawgs are. I have a chance to get a whole lot of red oak from a cousin. Unfortunately, it is a huge tree with like 36-48" diamter. It is on the ground and sectioned into about 24-27" lengths. I have to slice them in half since my stove will only take 20'22" MAX.

I tried my bet to get through a section with my Makita, but I just can't do it with the bar length. Can Can i safely run a 28" bar and work the saw hard or would it be best to invest in a larger saw/bar combo. I am not opposed to spending the cash if it is best in the long run.

If I should go bigger, please give me some recommendations please. I am not a Stihl fan because of prior bad experinces with 2 of their power tools. I had a Pro 26 chainsaw and a pro blower that both absolutely sucked.

Thanks!

 

[computeruser]

28” is asking a lot of 64cc but it would probably do acceptably with skip chain. Those are torquey and robust saws.

I run 28” full compliment on a 7900 and it does great in hardwood.

Having cut big wood with the Dolmar platform, they can surely handle it. But for really big wood like that, you will definitely notice the difference when you get after it with a 90cc saw, which is probably a better fit for that size stuff.

 

[cuinrearview]

My recommendation would be to put a 7910 top end on your saw. For less than $200 you would have all the saw you end for that 28" bar.

Edit: why not Mr. Saaz?

 

[jetsam]

You answer's in the "and run the saw hard". My 6400 slows right down with 24" buried.

The good news is that (as already mentioned above) the 6400 is pretty much the same saw as the 7900 if you swap out the piston and jug.

On the other hand, if you want to put a long bar on to finish a bucking cut here or there, go for it and be patient with the saw. For felling or lots of long cuts, bigger saw.

 

[sonny580]

depends on how big of a hurry you are in! --- take your time and short bar will do o.k. ----for only 1 tree--- make do with what you have and go slow! Just my way of doing stuff.

 

[jetsam]

I just had a quick look on ebay for the 6410 79cc top end kit with the new cover, and the only one on there is up to $300.

If you plan to go 79cc, sooner might be better than later. (I priced out a muffler for that saw a week ago and prices were $170-$250).

I'm going to keep an eye out for one of those kits at a reasonable price too, just to have it on hand before it becomes a $500 collectors item.

 

[cuinrearview]

Try SLE Equipment

 

[Piotr Pakula]

Cheaper and faster for the amateur will be to set up a skip chain

 

[Brushwacker]

I had a 6401 I set up with a 28in b& C.
It didn't seem to struggle to get through the wood until i got in white oak or harder. I sold it that way to a person that did part time tree work and he used it as his big saw for years and far as I know it's still alive somewhere. Bar buried often and bigger hardwood, want to get done faster ,use saws often are sound reasons for a bigger saw. Now then big wood your saw is adequate to point, probably not much bigger then what your up to now.

 

[Marine5068]

I have a Makita/Dolmar 6401 w/ 20" bar. I lose about 2" due to how big the dawgs are. I have a chance to get a whole lot of red oak from a cousin. Unfortunately, it is a huge tree with like 36-48" diamter. It is on the ground and sectioned into about 24-27" lengths. I have to slice them in half since my stove will only take 20'22" MAX.

I tried my bet to get through a section with my Makita, but I just can't do it with the bar length. Can Can i safely run a 28" bar and work the saw hard or would it be best to invest in a larger saw/bar combo. I am not opposed to spending the cash if it is best in the long run.

If I should go bigger, please give me some recommendations please. I am not a Stihl fan because of prior bad experinces with 2 of their power tools. I had a Pro 26 chainsaw and a pro blower that both absolutely sucked.

Thanks!

Also try the chainsaw section of the equipment forums below.

 

[jetsam]

We should have mentioned wedges as an option too.... you can turn monster logs into firewood with a small saw by splitting the rounds apart. Cut all the way around the top half at firewood length, around a 180° cut. Hammer some wedges in the end and split that half-round off, keep going. Works fine.

If you have a bucket loader or similar, you can split the whole log and then buck it.