Husqvarna 455 Rancher Chainsaw

[Egon]

Well the chain speed definitely makes sense. But by properly reducing the number of cutters and the amount they bite you may end up with a system that require less power that that originally on the saw.

 

[Waynebro]

Well the chain speed definitely makes sense. But by properly reducing the number of cutters and the amount they bite you may end up with a system that require less power that that originally on the saw.

Well I guess I'm confused as to the benefit there. The only reason for increasing the size of the bar would be to cut a larger diameter trunk. And that means you want more power. You're suggesting reducing the number of cutters to increase the bar size while maintaining the same size motor. While in some circumstances that may be plausible the reasoning behind it is lost on me. You will have naturally more space between cutting surfaces over a larger bar, which also will be travelling naturally slower, or struggling to meet the speeds of a smaller chain, and that means less cutting occuring as well as working a smaller engine harder to match or come close to matching the speeds obtained on a smaller bar and chain with more cutting teeth. So I guess I fail to see the performance benefits there. Other than you can use your smaller, cheaper chainsaw to do work designed for a larger more powerful chainsaw.

I see a savings benefit, perhaps, (unless you burn out your smaller saw prematurely due to overworking it on timber it was never meant to cut) but I see no performance benefits. Even if you match the speed of the saw prior to increasing bar size you'd still have more distance between cutting surfaces meaning less cutting occuring over the same period of cutting time. So it would seem that while you could cut a larger trunk the performance hit would offset this benefit, not to mention likely overburdening your motor.

So while I'm confident it can be done, I can't see a good reason for doing it, other than perhaps to save money in the short term. But I guess if all you have is the one saw and cannot afford a larger one yet need to cut larger size trees then I suppose I could see it but I prefer a fast quick cut and that usually equates to the right sized bar for the motor.

 

[Egon]

The benefit may be being able to cut the odd larger diameter stuff without having to buy another saw. And yes the cutting time will be longer but using the proper chain there should be no extra load on the engine.

 

[Waynebro]

The benefit may be being able to cut the odd larger diameter stuff without having to buy another saw. And yes the cutting time will be longer but using the proper chain there should be no extra load on the engine.

The reduced number of cutting teeth less the number of additional teeth provided by the extra length of the chain on the larger bar would still equate to less cutting surface hence less wood displaced per revolution of the chain. That means more engine revolutions to cut the same piece of wood that could be cut in less time and with less engine revolutions when fitted with the proper sized motor for the bar. More engine revolutions for the same work means reduced engine life for the head fitted with the oversized bar. So as I said in my last response, other than the benefit of not having to purchase the correctly matched engine for your bar in order to cut larger timber I can't really see any advantages to using an oversized bar per the manufacturers recomendations.

By the way, I'm sure it works for those who know what they're doing, particularly with custom made chains that displace more wood per pass than other chains, particlarly the crappy anti-kickback chains. But my recommendation would always be if you can afford it, always buy the right sized mount for the bar.

 

[Timark80]

I was looking at craigslist in Pensacola FL.
Brand new 455,never had gas in it for $300.
If I didn't own a Stihl 025 already I'd be checkin it out.

 

[dfkrug]

I just checked my user manual and it says the standard bar length is 13",
and the recommended bar lengths are 13-20".

As for using the 24" bar, there will clearly be more friction, and the engine
may be asked to work harder if the full bar length is being used on a
particular cut. However there are other variables that also affect how hard
you work the engine: how many teeth (as mentioned), the depth of the
anti-kickback nubs, what kind of wood being cut, if you are putting any
weight on the saw, etc.

When I use the saw, I am trying to be attuned to whether or not the saw
is bogging down. It has plenty of power, in my experience, with some to
spare. I rarely am using the full 24" of bar, and I feel that there is enough
power available to go with a more aggressive chain. The fuel consumption is
high compared to my small saw, but probably normal. I am certainly wasting
the Rancher's power (and fuel) if I don't make it work harder. BTW this EPA
II engine (CARB-approved) does not put out much smoke, either.

As a slight aside, I was adjusting a friend's Stihl FarmBoss the other day and
I noticed that it had no compression release like the Husky. It's chain oiler
had stopped working, but I adjusted it to max and got it going again. He
paid a good bit more than I did for my Rancher.

 

[Egon]

More engine revolutions for the same work means reduced engine life for the head fitted with the oversized bar.

With this statement in mind should one only purchase the largest head available.

Please remember the suggestions for a longer bar are not for mainline use. Only for those times when a little extra length can be utilized. The Long bar does not always have to stay attached to the saw. Maybe it can be used only when required.

For the two saw's I have, Husky 55 and Husky365 I have bars that range from 13 inches to 24 inches in length. There are also some different types of chain. Different bars/chains get used for different purposes.

 

[Waynebro]

With this statement in mind should one only purchase the largest head available.

Of course not and that was never suggested in any of my responses. What I did say was one should purchase the "correct" head for the bar length, and since the 455 as has been pointed out in here is designed for a 13-20 inch bar then 13 to 20 inches would be the correct bar size for that head.

When you exceed manufacturers recommendations for bar length, you overtax the engine. If you cheat that by reducing the number of cutting teeth coming into contact with the wood you will increase your chance of kickback and reduce the overall life of the engine because it will take you longer to cut the same amount of wood compared to if you had you used the correct head for your sized bar.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I'm confused about something. I'm not being a wiseguy here, I guess I just don't get it, but how does a longer bar slow the chain down? The sprocket turns the same speed whether there is a 2" or 20" bar so the chain speed should stay constant, that is in feet per minute which would dictate cutting speed. I realize that a longer bar would mean less revolutions per minute, but that is only because it is going around a longer bar. Since the speed of the sprocket is constant, the speed of the chain should be constant. So the cutting speed should be constant regardless of bar length. Am I missing something?

 

[Egon]

Am I missing something?

No you are not.

When you exceed manufacturers recommendations for bar length, you overtax the engine. If you cheat that by reducing the number of cutting teeth coming into contact with the wood you will increase your chance of kickback and reduce the overall life of the engine because it will take you longer to cut the same amount of wood compared to if you had you used the correct head for your sized bar.

Well for sure the correct head is always the way to go but for that odd cut are you saying one should not use a longer bar?

And for that odd cut the larger head can get pretty expensive can it not?