Will a Jred 2159/Husky 359 REALLY pull a 24" bar?

[Woodie]

Hello again all...

I've got it pretty much narrowed down to the Jred 2152 or the 2159. The reason I might go with the 2159 is because my dealer claims it will pull a 24" bar (and there happens to be one made for it).

Does it really have the 'nads to pull a 24-incher? If so, I'll keep an 18" on it for normal use, but I can have a back-up 24" if I need it. That will greatly delay my having to have a second saw. (Stops to put on his asbestos boxer shorts.) I know that is absolutely heretical to say on this board, so go easy!!

Also, I know some here hate the outboard clutch on those...how easy will it be to change bars/chains in the field?

Again, thanks to you guys for your good advice so far.

 

[Stumper]

Outbourd clutchs make changing sprocket rims more complex-bars and chains aren't really a big deal. I have never run either of those saws but, since my 50cc saws handle 20 inch bars just fine I have no doubt that the 59cc saws can handle a 24. Back when I ran 60cc saws I ran 20 inch bars on them but I was under no illusion that that was the outer limit. Reality is that most users don't cut anything that requires longer than a 20-though I will quickly grant that a 24 makes a lot of common trees a little easier to do with less overbucking.

 

[GASoline71]

My MS361 Stihl is a 59cc saw and pulls a 25" with a full skip chain just fine.

One of my buddies that I do a lot of cuttin' with has a Husky 359 that has a 24" bar on it. Pulls a full skip chain... no probs.

Keep in mind that all we cut are softwoods in the PNW.

Gary

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

My MS361 Stihl is a 59cc saw and pulls a 25" with a full skip chain just fine.

Keep in mind that all we cut are softwoods in the PNW.

Gary

Good post. Beat me to it.

 

[Justsaws]

The 2159 can do it with .325 semi-chisel chain quite well. If you use 3/8 keep it wicked sharp and it will be okay for occasional use. Full skip would help but I never tried it on that saw.

The 2152 is a nice firewood saw. Buy the 2159, it is much better all around tool.

I do not get to cut much softwood, mostly locust, maple, walnut, cherry, and other hardwoods. If you are not good at sharpening chain in the woods take some extra loops with you as these saws are fast spinning low torque machines, they just do not do well with nearly dull chain. Very smooth machines.

Good luck with choosing a saw, remember if you buy more than one at time the deals get better. You cannot have enough saws.

 

[Justsaws]

It is very simple to change bars in the woods. Five minutes task tops. That includes looking for the scrench in leaves.

 

[Woodie]

It is very simple to change bars in the woods. Five minutes task tops. That includes looking for the scrench in leaves.

How 'bout looking for the (dropped) bar nuts? Now I'm up to fifteen minutes minimum...

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

It is very simple to change bars in the woods. Five minutes task tops. That includes looking for the scrench in leaves.

Paint that sucker with flourescent pink construction marking paint.




Don't ask me how I know....

 

[Justsaws]

If I loose a bar nut it is break time.

Painting things orange encourages the Husky nuts to much. I would use safety green but Poulan people would want to rave about their Wild Things and that is just wrong. Safety blue is okay since Makita saws are scarce around here and nobody would knows what to say. If only safety blue showed up better at dusk. Perhaps a bright yellow since Poulan Pro saws are vastly superior to all others. I think I will just do a tie-died scrench as that could make everyone happy and be used like a crucifix against tree hugging hippies that stumble into the killing field.

 

[oneadam12]

i have thought about putting mine on a retractable key holder that clips to your belt. Anyone else tried this?

 

[Mack]

Wood...
Yes, No, Maybe,
Under most cutting conditions, in my neck of the woods, yes. A 2159 will handle a 24 inch with 3/8 pitch chain in Oak, Maple, softwoods etc. 18-20 inch stuff. Firewood and pulp, some saw logs.
Are you going to bury that bar in a old Elm or wet Maple butt?or maybe a knarly old Beech, No, it will run out of balls.
The 2159 is a lot more saw than the 2152, just look at the jug size. However it is at its best with an 18-20 inch bar and 3/8 pitch chain. If you want "nads" with a 24 inch, go for the 2171.
The only time the outboard clutch may be an issue is if you get hung up in a cut and need to swap out bars to get yourself out of trouble.
Most guys only swap out the sprocket rim when the service guy is screaming at them that the drivers are riding on the clutch splines!

 

[computeruser]

i have thought about putting mine on a retractable key holder that clips to your belt. Anyone else tried this?

Not a bad idea, actually. I recently started using the holder that Bailey's sells that mounts on the right side of a half-wrap handlebar. That's been the ticket for me!

Back to the original topic - 24" on a 359 with skip chain should run fine. Not the fastest setup, but it'd get the job done. The saw, obviously, will be happy with the 18" setup you plan for everyday use, plus it can run a skip 24" setup from time-to-time. Sounds like a decent way to get by without a large saw until you either really need one or you stumble across a good deal.

 

[GASoline71]

Agreed. The saw will be happier with a 18"-20" bar on it. If chain speed is a concern, than you will lose some with a 24" bar.

Chain speed doesn't really make a diff to me. Just because I am able to cut a Hemlock round 5 seconds faster with a different setup than I am runnin' now makes no difference. I still get paid for cutting no matter what speed the chain spins. I'm 6'5" and don't like to bend over as much.

Others will have a different opinion on this.opcorn:

gary