Which bar length do you most commonly use on a 50 C.C. chainsaw?

[dancan]

Up here a MS260 and a MS361 comes with a 16" and they work quite well but a wildthing comes with an 18" or 20" but I have never run one of them so I can't comment on how they cut .
I am quite happy with my little 16" saw , maybe one day I'll try the bigger 18" or 20" saws .

 

[AngelofDarkness]

18"/.325 on the Husky 55.

16"/ 3/8 on the O31

22"/ 3/8 on the Poulan 330, buts thats more like 56cc's and seems to handle it just fine. BTW that saw will spank my 55, and a 55 can spank an 026/260

 

[hoss]

16"-18" unless it is an early mac 10-10 then I use a 20"

 

[FATGUY]

I ran my buddies 260pro (what a saw, small. light, considerable grunt) with a 18 b&c combo. I'm not sure of pitch, but it was the "safety chain" No problem in Black Locust ( so long as you don't get stupid with it and put your fatguy weight on it)

 

[CharlieG]

I like the 16 on a 50cc ish saw. Have a 20 on the 372XP and the Makita 6401 I just ordered up is coming with a 20, also. What do you guys run on these machines??

 

[jlh26oo]

Exactly even between 16" (& under) vs. 18" (& over): 47 combined votes for each at this point. So those who prefer 18" and up do so for a little more reach, as no one uses the entire length at once on such a small chainsaw anyways (with any length bar). And 16" is the most commonly desired "sweet spot", it makes sense that it's Stihl's recommended length on the M.S. 260.

So I just have to get over the notion that the 18" bar provides "perfect balance", as that's irrelevant when actually using it (only carrying around). It's just hard to deny balance in the looks and feel of anything, and the 18" looks and feels perfect. Well, at least a 16" bar is a few dollars cheaper (with a few less cutters to sharpen L.O.L.), and most importantly will have more zip!

Thanks for participating in the poll.

 

[superfire]

mez thinks this is old hat

try a 260 pro with modified muff and carb . mine is carb modified and muffler moded runnin a 20" bar 375 50 gauge chain. it can spank any saw in the 50cc range runnin a stock power head

 

[Brushwacker]

I've a good running 028 super I drilled another hole in addition to the 2 slots where the exhaust exits, put a 16" bar and Laser full chisel carbide impregnated chain W/8 tooth .325 rim and it rips well completely buried in black oak.
I like the reach of a 20" but I have a couple bigger powerheads w/20, so I went w/18 on my 026 which is the 50 cc I usually take along. If I were working in a bucket truck I think 16" would be best all around but bucking firewood on the ground I like the reach of longer bars for back comfort and it does save some footwork.

 

[Monkeyhanger]

16", no doubt - never used a longer one, but have used 13" and 15" ones in the past.
15" is perfectly OK, 13" is not, imo.

Hi,

I use a 13" on my 346XPG limbing saw (it is not used for anything else). I did try a 15" and found it to be too long for cutting up the tops or crowns of beech trees. With a 13" there is little chance of the tip of the saw catching on some other branch and kicking back when limbing, although kickback on a 346XPG is generally no big deal.

Bye

 

[skid row]

Running 18" bars and .375 full chisel chain on both my 026 pro and 026 with muffler mods. No underpowered issues at all.

 

[peter399]

Troll you need to get out and cut something bigger than limbs.....:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

Better cutting limbs than not cutting at all don't you think Ultra ? You should get out running a saw for a change.

 

[redprospector]

I run a 20" bar on the Husky 350 I carry on the skidder. I don't particularly care for the 350, but it just won't die (I haven't tried running over it yet ). If I don't need a 20" bar, I generally use an axe..........................Or a pocket knife.

Andy

 

[jlh26oo]

18" might be better for all-purpose use, but I decided to go with the 16" bar this time. Ultimately it might be more handy for alot of what I'm doing (clearing alot of small trees that are close together), and hopefully long enough for cutting some firewood. I'd rather err on the side of too-short, since it's Stihl's recommended length for this model. In fact, I noticed the M.S. 260 is not even the largest saw they do so for (I.E. 16" is the recommended bar length for the 59 C.C. M.S. 310).


Just a couple more hours 'til daybreak... can't wait to fire it up (let's just hope I'm not back here shortly thereafter asking what to do with a flooded chainsaw L.O.L.)!

 

[rbtree]

I have several 45-50 cc saws, all fully woods ported but one of my 5100's, which has a triple ported muffler as its only mod. I run 16, 18 , and 20 inch bars on them.....they all work just fine.

In fact, yesterday, we removed a small elm. My ehp 5100 was sporting a 20 inch full comp 3/8th chain, and was cutting only 10-15% slower in 14-20 inch wood than Dave's 460 with a 32 bar and a damaged muffler which has big gaps in it so it cuts at least 25% faster than stock. But then that 5100 will easily beat any stock 70 cc saw!

 

[Caz]

My PS5100 has a 20". Also have 2 Poulan 46cc saws with 20" bars.

 

[jlh26oo]

Oh yeah, I forgot to update this thread so thanks R.B.T. for bumping. It turned out to be a great length, 16" bar on an M.S. 260. I didn't notice the difference in reach from 18", but the step-up in power was phenomenal (though the 18" was also on a 42 C.C. chainsaw so probably more a testament to it than anything). I used the entire cutting length of the bar on a number of occasions, and it didn't even seem to slow down- EXCEPT on one type of tree (I.D.K. what it was exactly but it was slower going than the rest so must have been dense).

Otherwise for my purposes the 16" is a perfect match for the M.S. 260 I.M.O. I think I'll go for a 20" or 22" on an M.S. 460 or 372 X.P. when I upgrade.

 

[gmax]

I run a 20" bar .325 on my Blitz B 51.

 

[bclure]

Grrr!

I have a MS260 "pro".. I would love to run a 12" bar on this saw. The shortest bar that I have been able to find is 16". I talked to Stihl directly, the engineer that I talked to said that 16" is the shortest bar that Stihl will "Authorize" for use on the MS260. Freakin A!!! I am not "authorized" to run a shorter bar!?!?!? as a "pro" user, if I need a longer bar, I grab a bigger saw.

 

[2000ssm6]

12" is way too short for a 026, get a 180 or 200 to run that tiny bar.

You are not in norway are ya?

 

[bclure]

Too funny..

I am not in Norway, I wanted this saw for limbing. I also have my ground guy run it alot. Cutting a 6" limb with a 18" bar seems kind of crazy to me. It is easy to lose track of where the other end of the bar is. Or if you are cutting out towards the tip of the bar, you lose a lot of leverage and control of the saw. I think it is much safer to have the bar length that you need and no more. My main saw is a 441 with a 16" bar on it. Yes, I carry a 20 & 25 inch bar with me in the truck. I have had the 20inch bar on the saw twice in the last year, and haven't had the 25inch on the saw, ever.

But my point is, right or wrong, I bought a "pro" saw and I feel that as the "pro", I should be able to choose a shorter bar and not have some snotty engineer tell me that I am not "authorized" to run a shorter bar. As soon as something happens to this saw, it will be replaced with a Husqvarna.