Big long bars seem to be the new fad. Must make guys feel like their saw is more badass. Don't get me wrong, if you're regularly cutting really BIG timber, it might be justified to run a longer bar.
BUT...if you're normally cutting firewood sized trees, or even occasional timber up to 2 to 3 feet in diameter, you do not need anything longer than a 20" bar.
The only thing a "too long" bar does, (besides bragging rights and making you feel your saw is badass) is to rob your saws power and bog it down.
Drives me crazy to see these guys who use their saws mostly for firewood, cutting 8" - 12" diameter logs on a regular basis, but they have a 24" or 32" bar on their saw! Lol, and then complain that they want an even bigger saw, or need to 'port it out' etc. because it's just not 'pullin' the chain' to their liking! Lol
Well, if they'd take that super long bar off and put a reasonable length bar 18" to 20" for the job they're doing, it would be equivalent to upping the horsepower by a huge margin and they'd be super impressed with their saw and how it 'pulls', and they'd cut a ton more wood!
No saw lesser than 70cc should ever have a bar longer than 20", unless you're always cutting soft wood, regardless of the manufacturers quoted maximum bar length.
Just my 2 cents - I was a logger for many years and there wasn't a tree in the state of WV that I couldn't fall and buck with a 288xp husky w/ 20" bar, and that was some big old Northern Red Oaks.
BUT...if you're normally cutting firewood sized trees, or even occasional timber up to 2 to 3 feet in diameter, you do not need anything longer than a 20" bar.
The only thing a "too long" bar does, (besides bragging rights and making you feel your saw is badass) is to rob your saws power and bog it down.
Drives me crazy to see these guys who use their saws mostly for firewood, cutting 8" - 12" diameter logs on a regular basis, but they have a 24" or 32" bar on their saw! Lol, and then complain that they want an even bigger saw, or need to 'port it out' etc. because it's just not 'pullin' the chain' to their liking! Lol
Well, if they'd take that super long bar off and put a reasonable length bar 18" to 20" for the job they're doing, it would be equivalent to upping the horsepower by a huge margin and they'd be super impressed with their saw and how it 'pulls', and they'd cut a ton more wood!
No saw lesser than 70cc should ever have a bar longer than 20", unless you're always cutting soft wood, regardless of the manufacturers quoted maximum bar length.
Just my 2 cents - I was a logger for many years and there wasn't a tree in the state of WV that I couldn't fall and buck with a 288xp husky w/ 20" bar, and that was some big old Northern Red Oaks.
