What does everyone prefer to run for a b&c length on their 046/ms460? I have bars upto a 32" that will fit on it. But I figure that the 32 would be for the ms660 clone that I have. I don't have a 28", but have a 25 and a 20.
I’m no pro wood cutter or saw user that much is for sure, but I bet most would tell you to run only as big a bar as you need. I’ve hear you can loose from a tenth to as much as a half a horsepower per foot of bar, either way it makes sense there’s some loss there.
If your going to have a 660 and your not going to purchase any more bars at this time I’d stick with keeping the 32 on that one unless you won’t use it much and put wichever one you’ll use more or whichever one will store better with it on there on the 460. Ultimately it doesn’t take much to change around bars and chains, not that we want to do it needlessly, it does take time.
As I probably mentioned somewhere in this thread I’ve been running a 36” on my 046 with a skip chain but only for the sole purpose of cutting high stumps low to save me some grind time.
I’m debating the same question you are but for the 046. I’m hoping my MS460 build will run even better than my 046 does and so the 36” would end up on the MS460 once broken in. So then which one ends up on the 046 my 20 or 28? which will I use more? Do I need all 28 all that often?
I used to just take the 046/36” and a 18” POS Poulan for small stuff and I guess the 36” is extra sometimes but I don’t wanna have to string that one up on the job if I don’t have to so it’s stayin on something.
I have many many more chains for the 28 and two bars too so that may dictate my decision for now. If it always feels excessive I’ll get more chains for the 20. If the 28” picks up a lot of the stuff the 36” use to feel a bit to big for it’ll probably wear keep wearing the 28”.
I guess that where I’m at on it. For now. Same decision to make for likely very different reasons of utilization.
Hope that helps. Probably didn’t.
Sorry for rambling, but it’s all there, I think.
Bruce