is bigger better?

[TJ-Bill]

Out to cleaning my saws tonight.. getting ready for the spring rush,, I'm thinking of cutting a few cords of my own plus getting 12-14 dropped in the yard, 8 for me rest for my farther..

Anyway to get to the point... I started with the little ms180, I think that oiler just goes all the time.. Then I cleaned my 310, cleaned the filter. changed the plug, took the B&C off and cleaned inside.

I had both saws apart at the same time.. and I had both B&C`s laying beside each other,

my 180 has a 15" bar and my 310 has a 16" bar!!


I was thinking about a bigger bar on my 310.. but I was happy with the 16" ..

Is Bigger Better?.. I would think the Bigger bar would load down the saw more...

 

[stihl waters]

It will make a diff.,plus longer bars cost more. I fall everyday here in N.S. and I use a 16in. on my 361 & 440,all I've ever needed.

 

[BarkBuster20]

I would never run a 16 inch bar on a saw that weighs as much as a 460. Put a 20 inch bar on it and save your back, unless your 4'5.

 

[Encore]

I agree. I typically run a 20" bar. Just a lot more comfortable.

 

[stihl waters]

I would never run a 16 inch bar on a saw that weighs as much as a 460. Put a 20 inch bar on it and save your back, unless your 4'5.

It's just an East Coast thing BarkBuster, basically all you see here. I've seen 18in. used occasionally. I've been debating going to 18 myself for the reason you mention. Yeah I kinda figure you West Coast guys must just shake your head when you see our 16in. bars .

 

[TMFARM 2009]

my opinion is that if it's running maximum bar length it's maxing out the saw's capability... the smaller the bar the more power reserve you have and less bogging down in the cut.
example is ...my two 370's one is 14" the other is 16" the 14" out cuts the 16" all day long.. switch bars from saw to saw and its still the same.. 14 wins, more power less bogging.. both are good limbing saws but i prefer the 14..
best i can tell ya is to borrow a bigger bar and try it before investing in a bigger bar..you may not be pleased with its performance on your saw, and this way your not out the extra $$$$. :msp_thumbsup:

 

[gmskyjacker]

Go for the 20 inch . Chain seems to keep a nice edge longer then my smaller bars. Plus it ot saves my back when I don't have to bend down to nip every limb

 

[TreePointer]

20" is fine for a 60cc saw or larger.

 

[Circle B MN]

I'd say run what works best for you. If you can bet by cutting with the 16, stick with it. Around here I found 20" as a standard works best for me, and a 24" on the 441 balances well. I have a 32" for the 441 that I use as needed, but it makes the saw feel very nose heavy and I don't care to use it more than needed.

 

[sunfish]

I like 16" best, but 18" work well, I only use 20" when needed.

Longer bar, more weight and takes longer to sharpen.

 

[fields_mj]

Depends on your needs. If you're not cutting anything bigger than 16" then I wouldn't bother putting a bigger bar on it. If you occasionally run across some bigger wood, then it might be a good idea to have a 20" bar and chain for it, but I wouldn't run it that way all the time if you're mostly cutting small stuff.

Most of the wood I end up cutting gets up to around 22" and the 18" bar on my 036 does fine with it. I run .325 chain on a 9 pin rim, and I've taken the drag links down to about .035" and I can still lean on it and the torquey little guy just sinks into white oak like a knife through butter so long as the chain is nice and sharp. I've thought about going to 16" bars to save a little more weight, but the 18" seems to be about the optimal length for the wood that I'm cutting. I've always got the 064 for the bigger stuff

Just my 2 bits.

Mark

 

[TJ-Bill]

Thanks for the the replies guys.. I have to go to the dealer in the next week or 2.. I'm thinking about getting one of the Kombi systems. I'll look at the bar while I'm there.

Most of the wood I cut is 16" some get little larger but for the most part 90% is 16" or smaller.

Maybe when I wear this chain out I'll step up to the bigger bar,, it would be nice to have the option if I needed it.

Thanks

 

[aandabooks]

I like to run a 12" on my 180. Makes for a zippy little limbing saw. Once the branches get above 10" its time for a larger saw anyway. Next step up is an 18" on either the 310 or 044. I keep a 24" bar in the truck for the 044. I don't run it often because I like to maximize the power with the 18".

 

[Guido Salvage]

As a general rule of thumb, the largest bar for your saw can be determined by taking the cc's of the saw and dividing by three. For example, a 60 cc saw should have no larger than a 20" bar.

I am 6'2" tall, so a longer bar works better for me when reaching down. However, there is a fine line between bar length and proper balance. I have a 30" bar on my Homelite 540 (88 cc saw) and it is nose heavy, while I run a 20" bar on my Jonsered 910 (86 cc's).

 

[fields_mj]

I have a 30" bar on my Homelite 540 (88 cc saw) and it is nose heavy, while I run a 20" bar on my Jonsered 910 (86 cc's).

Don't feel too bad about that Homelite 540, I have a 28" on my 064 and it's nose heavy as well. I keep thinking I'll get a little 24" bar for it, or get a homelite pro lite bar, but I doubt that I ever actually spend the money because I don't use it a lot.

 

[4seasons]

I have a poulan super 25 that came with a 16 in bar. The little saw would cut ok with that big of a bar but I rarely use it for more than limbing as my Dolmar 116si takes any of the big stuff with its 20 in bar. A couple of years ago I found a 12 in bar for the S25 in a junk bin at a saw shop and picked it up for next to nothing. I couldn't believe how much better that little saw cut with taking 4 inches off the bar. I have been cutting some big stuff lately and thinking about going to a bigger bar but with my experience with a smaller bar on my little saw I think a bigger saw would be needed to go to a bigger bar. That 3 time bar size for displacement seems to be about right in my experience. My 35 cc saw likes a 12 in bar and my 60 cc likes a 20 in so I need a 90 cc to run a 30 in bar.