New thoughts on a 16" bar

[alderman]

Up until now, most of my cutting has been done with an 18" or 20" bar with either a Shindaiwa 488 or 500. With the exception of my smaller limbing saws, I never had anything with a 16" bar.

As reported on here earlier I recently aquired a Shindaiwa 500 that came with a 16" bar and .325 chain.

I've got a newfound admiration for the shorter bar. I'm 6' 4" and with anything less than a 32" bar, I'm going to be doing a lot of bending to get to the stuff on the ground. If I bend a little, I might as well bend a lot.

Maybe its just me, but with the shorter bar it seems easier to keep the chain out of the dirt. On a log deck it definately is easier to get a good "bite" into the log without contacting those near and under it.

If you cut a lot of small wood like I do, you might be pleasantly suprised with a shorter bar.

 

[SawTroll]

....
Maybe its just me, but with the shorter bar it seems easier to keep the chain out of the dirt. On a log deck it definately is easier to get a good "bite" into the log without contacting those near and under it.

If you cut a lot of small wood like I do, you might be pleasantly suprised with a shorter bar.

:agree2: That is all true, and well known!

 

[J.W Younger]

Depends on the saw, balance is important too.

 

[SawTroll]

Depends on the saw, balance is important too.

Sure it is!

 

[dancan]

Up until now , I never had anything with a 16" bar.
I've got a new found admiration for the shorter bar.
Maybe its just me, but with the shorter bar it seems easier to keep the chain out of the dirt. On a log deck it definitely is easier to get a good "bite" into the log without contacting those near and under it .
If you cut a lot of small wood like I do, you might be pleasantly surprised with a shorter bar.

Darn it , now that the east coast secret is out there will be a shortage on bars at Oregon .

 

[Pain Cow]

I have 16" through 25" bars on my firewoood saws. I experience what I call the "wrong screwdriver" issue but with chainsaws. When I'm looking for a flathead all I can find is phillips, when I need my 25" bar& my bigger saw all I have is my 16". So I generally keep an 18" on my smaller saw& a 20" on my 390. It never fails that whenever i'm carrying the 25" bar around it's overkill and a struggle to keep it out of the dirt.

 

[o8f150]

biggest bar i use is a 20" bar on my 670.. love the 14 on my 370

 

[Guido Salvage]

I've got a newfound admiration for the shorter bar. I'm 6' 4" and with anything less than a 32" bar, I'm going to be doing a lot of bending to get to the stuff on the ground. If I bend a little, I might as well bend a lot.

Have you considered a bow saw?

 

[alderman]

I only have one bow bar and I haven't tried it yet.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I only have one bow bar and I haven't tried it yet.

If you are 6'4", that isn't going to help your back much....

 

[sunfish]

I cut firewood and have found 16" to be perfect. Haven't found a need for more bar. Well, except for this very large lightning struck white oak I just found.

Will try out the 357 w/20" this fall, but it'll most likely get an 18".

 

[Duke Thieroff]

Just downsized the 18" on my Johnny Red to a 16"

Figured it wouldn't have any trouble at all pulling that chain. Cuts like a bat out of hell and I like it a lot. Don't need too much for firewood anyways

CT

 

[Streblerm]

I really like a 16" bar on a 50ish cc saw. No bucking spikes. It is easy to keep out of the dirt and nimble as others have mentioned. Depending on the saw, the weight and balance can be very favorable. I would say I could cut 90% of what I need with a 16" bar. Once you ditch the bucking spikes, it is almost the same effective cutting length as an 18".

Less cutters to sharpen too!

 

[sunfish]

StephanC and Streblerm, I'm going to have to try the 346 without spikes. I broke the spikes on my old Poulan years ago and like it better without. Thanks for the reminder

Oh, and yes, it is easier to keep a 16" off the ground, we are eat up with rocks around here.

 

[SawTroll]

I really like a 16" bar on a 50ish cc saw. No bucking spikes. It is easy to keep out of the dirt and nimble as others have mentioned. .....

Yes, that is how I like them as well!

Actually, that is considered a long bar here - most use 13" ones!

 

[Gypo Logger]

Some taller people tend to use the tip of the more than shorter people, resulting in excessive tip wear and associated kick back.

I rarely go dogless, but will change from the spiked one to the toothless one.

This keeps the muff off the wood and the paint on the casing.

John

 

[nmurph]

i must have gorilla arms or my legs are as short as a midget's. i am 6'4" too and i find a 24" bar on my saws to be just about right.

 

[bsheldon]

I am just the opposite--I like the reach that a bit longer bar provides. I am right at 6 ft tall and a 20" bar is almost perfect for doing trim work with. I do not have to bend nearly as much. That is what I have on my personal saws. I regularly use a Stihl 280, and an old 028 (super?) that both have 16" bars on them and they just don't "feel" right. I am sure I could get used to them but I have to work harder to get around decent sized stuff and I have to bend more to do the trim work. I guess to each their own.

 

[gallegosmike]

:agree2:
I had a Poulan 4200 (70cc) saw for 30 years. It came with a 24" bar. I removed it when it was new and used 16" on that saw for 30 years. I found the weight reduction and balance was much improved for the type of cutting I was doing. Red oak for fire wood. I found out that if I couldn't cut it with a 16" bar, I couldn't pick it up and put it in the truck. I should add that I removed the bucking spikes on the saw because they slowed it down when running a 16" bar and chain. It would drop through red oak faster without them.

Also it was a lot easier to keep track of where the end of the bar was relative to other stuff...like dirt and branches that may cause kickback.

This is what a 16 looks like on a 372XP....

Weight reduction is nice, but reach is better part of the equation. I am willing to put up with more weight. Just so I do not spend my time bent over limbing and bucking. I am using my 346xp with 18" NK setup for felling and pre-limbing to get at the base of the tree. For limbing and bucking when the tree is on the ground. I switch over to my univent with a 24" bar running full comp semi-chisel. Almost all the firewood that we cut is pinon pine and juniper. They are a huge mess of low to the ground limbs. I normally have to cut my way in to access the trunk.

My .02

Mike