Well I guess I will scrap ALL of my bars over 25" since said experts have deemed them useless. I can just use a Wildthing with 16" bar for any firewood I encounter. When I do encounter a 50 or 60 inch tree, I will just plan to spend a month or more cutting it rather than a few days. After all, I only need a 20" bar right? Maybe the PNW saw shops should all be sued for selling longer bars than the east coast wood cutters say we need.
Nah...let the short bar guys have their fun. They like to cut and they have all the time in the world. On level ground they can get away with a short bar and doing the Swedish Stump Dance. If they'd rather jump around the tree, going from side to side and trying to match their cuts, and taking twice as long to get the tree on the ground as it should really take, let 'em. They're having a good time and getting some exercise playing at what we do for a living. No harm in that.
A long bar is good for limbing, too. Much less stooping and strain on my back. Is the saw nose heavy? Of course. It's
supposed to be nose heavy. I
want that bar tip down there where the work is. Also the weight difference between a 20" bar and a 36" bar shouldn't worry a guy who's in any kind of shape to begin with.
Me, I'd rather stand in one place when I'm falling. I can face it, back it up, drop it, and go on to the next tree. That takes a longer bar, at least where I cut wood.
It's just a personal choice dictated by real world conditions. No point in running around the tree like a monkey trying to **** a football if you don't have to.