Chain saw question

[NHmitch]

I have a Stihl 290 Farmboss chain saw that has an 18 in bar. I heat with wood, and I need something smaller, that I can use to trim, and fit in smaller spaces. I have a craftsman 32cc saw with a 16in bar. I want to save money, and not buy another saw. Can I put a 12in bar on the craftsman 32cc? Will that be dangerous, or will it work just fine? I need it to be this small to trim branches, where the 16 and 18in bar is too long. Thanks for the help,

Mitch

 

[jpm1]

I would take the craftsman to your stihl dealer and see if they can fit a 12" bar to it along with the proper chain. I see no problem with running a short bar on the saw, a lot of wood carvers do it all the time. I cut a lot of wood each year and a couple of years ago purchased a small Stihl with a 14" bar. Much lighter and easier to move in the brush with and it compliments the 2 other Stihl's nicely making my job easier :thumbsup: . . .John

 

[newbury]

Look up Bailey's (baileysonline.com) if your local stihl dealer isn't that local.

 

[Storm56]

+1 on Baileys. They have a "bar fit selector" that should point you to the right setup. Since our local Stihl dealers think everything they sell is gold plated I have found other products and suppliers, Baileys is right up there. Amick's is pretty good too!

 

[SHORT KID]

If your Stihl dealer has a good supply of parts, take the Crapman saw in for them to look at. I have a couple Crapmans that I got for cheap and I end up running around every time I need a chain or bar. They don't stock much in stores anymore. I seem to have a problem replacing bars or chains on them. I was able to do the opposite of what you want to do a few years ago. Then I got an old Homelight one hand operation, good for climbing and small limbing. :thumbsup:

 

[dustinfox]

I have a Stihl 290 Farmboss chain saw that has an 18 in bar. I heat with wood, and I need something smaller, that I can use to trim, and fit in smaller spaces. I have a craftsman 32cc saw with a 16in bar. I want to save money, and not buy another saw. Can I put a 12in bar on the craftsman 32cc? Will that be dangerous, or will it work just fine? I need it to be this small to trim branches, where the 16 and 18in bar is too long. Thanks for the help,

Mitch

I don't see why that would be a problem. As long as the bar is compatible with your saw and the chain is compatible with the bar.

 

[big e]

Just a thought, but I had similar situation and sold a Poulan saw (garbage) on Craigslist. As I recall it sold the next day. I then put that money toward what I really wanted.

 

[pacerron]

I don't see why that would be a problem. As long as the bar is compatible with your saw and the chain is compatible with the bar.

And the chain is compatible with the sprocket.

 

[NHmitch]

Thanks so much for all of the replies! I bought the craftsman one, when I was younger, and did not heat with wood. I found it at Sears when someone had tried it once returned it. They sold it "used", for $55. My Stihl is like cutting with a hot knife through butter. That saw is amazing. I notice a HUGE difference between the two. The craftsman fatigues your arms pretty quickly from the vibration. It cuts well, but the chains must not be as heavy duty, and dull really easily. The just closed the Sears store near my house, and the closest one is over an hour away. Oregon makes the replacement bar, and chain, and it runs about $38 for the INTENZ chain and the bar. I will eventually want to buy this Stihl,

In the meantime, these are the two saws that I have, and they need a good cleaning! I think I may try the bar, and I will let you know how it works. I have been keeping an eye on craigslist for the older Homelite Saws. They actually are really good, reliable little saws. I brother had one from my dad that is from the 70's, and it runs like a champ. Now I just need to make a mount to carry them on the tractor.

My Saws:

I am making a homemade log skid using two tractor draw bars. I am attaching a steel skidding tong to my 3 point draw bar, and then at the other end of the log, I am going to use another draw bar that I have lying around, and I am putting tires on the part that would attach to the lift arms. This end, I will put under the log at the oposite end away from the tractor, and attach it with a ratcheting tie down strap. This should allow me me to skid larger logs out of the woods, without dragging the log in the dirt, and dulling my chain when I cut it. Hopefully it works. Again, thanks for all the help.

 

[s219]

I have a craftsman 32cc saw with a 16in bar. I want to save money, and not buy another saw. Can I put a 12in bar on the craftsman 32cc? Will that be dangerous, or will it work just fine? I need it to be this small to trim branches, where the 16 and 18in bar is too long.

You sure can go to a shorter bar, but at some point you'll find that the powerhead is just way too big, and the whole thing will feel unwieldy and tail-heavy. You may find a 14" bar is a better fit. It really depends on how big and heavy the powerhead is.

I once tried to put a smaller bar on a 40cc saw, and it looked and felt all wrong. Among other things, the bar was shorter than the length of the powerhead! Darn thing looked like a paring knife and was just too clumsy. I went one size larger and it was perfect.

Another thing to try is to go with a low-profile bar, which will not be as wide, and have a smaller radius tip. That really helps improve maneuverability. I use a standard 16" bar on my 40cc saw for day to day use, but for limbing or trimming, I switch to a 16" low profile bar, and it really works well.

I'd be tempted to recommend a 14" low profile bar for your saw, but don't have a good feel for the size/weight of the powerhead.