Makita XCU04 - Second bar - 12 or 14"?

[rossn]

I have an Makita XCU04 (16" 2x LXT Battery), as we recently had a storm and a 60' pine that had 2 leaders, and one split off.

The XCU04 will also take a 12" bar and a 14" bar (that would make it the same saw as the XCU03), and I am thinking it would be handy to have a shorter bar for my use, most of the time.

Would it make sense to order a 12" bar to pair with the 16" bar? Or should I be considering the 14"? I am thinking having all 3 bars is probably not needed.

Use: We are on an acre, and have around 35 mature trees. I'll do a lot of work from the ground by hand or with a pole, or to address storm damage - but I won't be climbing. I also have a number of fruit trees, though those will generally be pruned by hand. My overall use of the saw will be light, but on occasion something happens like the current mature tree that needs to get cut up. Most of the time I will prune by hand, but cutting smaller wood (3-6") would be it's use 90% of the time.

Thanks!

 

[irhunter]

I am not sure I can picture a 12" bar being that much handier. But, it is pretty certain, it couldn't hurt all that much to have one.

It looks like Oregon sells a 12" bar/chain combo for about 25 bucks.

Maybe buy the 12" bar and report back as to handiness.

Roy

 

[Franny K]

I got the xcu03 a few years ago and instead of putting the bar that it comes with I have put other ones on. It is a real common mount 041 in Oregon code. I decided the saw is kind of long and heavy, has a good solid attachment for the bar even if it only has one nut thing. It has two pegs with the stud in the middle. I generally use a more massive bar like one for the 0.050 gauge chain often with a larger nose so the whole thing is stronger and can be treated rough. Not exactly sure what the drive link count is for the Makita stuff in the 0.043 but in general 14" is 52 drive links and 16" is 56 drive links and the difference between them is only about an inch and a half. There is also a quarter inch pitch sprocket, not sure why they don't list it in the parts sheet.

 

[rossn]

Thanks - yes, I was also wondering about the 0.043" vs 0.050" seems like a nominal difference, but sounds like the thicker chain can take a bit more abuse, which is probably likely with someone who isn't using this regularly.

 

[Franny K]

Not sure what you mean by nominal. The Makita battery is 18 volts nominal because it is 20 volts fully charged and 16 volts when it shuts itself off. The 0.043 gauge 3/8lp chain varies by maker. Oregon and Stihl have slender cutters where some others have the same cutters or what appear to be the same cutters as on their 0.050 gauge 3/8lp. If you are trimming close to the trunk of a small tree, cutting off the branch perhaps 8" out then resting the sprocket guard on the trunk and precisely making a cut near the trunk so it will heal well then likely the smaller chain and the 12" bar would be what I would choose. That may mostly be done with a pole saw, a powered one.