Chainsaw Bar Length?

[HillStreet]

Respectfully disagree as OP in NO WAY said he was doing TYPICAL (emphasis added) cutting with the stringers you mention. Therefore I stand by (pun intended) my opinion.

Peterc, you are right on the money. The load of 18 foot logs was stacked across 3 runners that keeps them off the ground. I actually pulled 3 more logs from the pile and made 3 more runners so I can pull logs off the stack for cutting.

I have the 20 inch bar because I used to fell and buck trees. Never did it for a living but did plenty of it for my own use or for friends. I did the last of that type of work when I built my house a couple of years ago.

Now the only cutting I will do is log length firewood in my own yard at my own pace. I am no longer in a hurry since retiring last year, and I can take my sweet time setting up the logs onto the runners for cutting, moving the rounds out of the way, then setting up again for more cutting.

I am glad that I bought the load. Prices of everything is up no matter how you heat. I remember the days where I was scrapping for any piece of firewood out in the woods and I took way too much risk to drop trees----in some cases I was way out of my league but was too dumb to know it. Now that I'm older and wiser, I enjoy the relative ease of cutting log length wood for my own use.

Thanks everybody for your input. I was at the Stihl dealer today buying bar oil. I looked at saws, bars, and chains. After some serious thought, and thanks to your input, I think I will just stay with the equipment I have. After all, that's what I've used for a long time.

 

[turnkey4099]

I only saw one answer dealing with the size of the saw-a Stihl 290 really cries out for a 16"bar if you are sawing hardwood-which I think the OP is doing. Although a second saw is an expense, I can't imagine anyone who plans on cutting much wood not having two saws. No matter how careful you can be, there is always a chance of pinching a saw-much easier to cut it free with a 2nd saw.

I know my father worked seasonally as a self-employed logger-I remember carrying a 2nd saw in and out of the woods when I weighed 100pounds and the saw weighed 20-thought it was a stupid thing then, but have learned the wisdom of it as I grew older.

Will

An option other than a second saw is a 2nd bar. Drop the power head and put on the other bar. Done that a few times. Lots easier if the saw has an "inboard clutch" such as the Stihls.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Will C you have to remember when we were kids a Chainsaw was a torque monster and did in fact weigh alot more than they do now.

Amen to that!! The ones with the gear drive would not quit!!. First one I used was a McCullough (?sp?) back in the 50s. We even had a post hole attachement for it - 2-man (or boy) operation with outboard helper handle. If it tied into a rock it would proceed to twist both of us up.

Harry K

 

[Redbug]

I am running .063 gauge chain with a .325 pitch on my chainsaws. The bars and chains are interchangable between saws. This helps to understand about chain:
http://www.baileysonline.com/PDF/saw-chain-101.pdf


If you get a clutch drum that takes a replacable rim, (the thing the chain goes through that makes it go around), you will have less parts to replace when the chain wears the drum splines out. I don't think many people know about the replacable rims that goes on the clutch drums. A little bit about drums and rims:
Rim & Drums | Chainsaw Parts | Husqvarna Chainsaws, Outdoor Power Equipment and Tree Care Supplies from Baileysonline

 

[dmccarty]

An option other than a second saw is a 2nd bar. Drop the power head and put on the other bar. Done that a few times. Lots easier if the saw has an "inboard clutch" such as the Stihls.

Harry K

That is what I do. We heat with wood and burn 4-5 cords a year. With the need to make firewood and take care of trees downed/killed by Momma Nature, the Stihl and I get frequent work outs but I cannot justify the cost of an extra saw. It simply is not needed and I seldom pinch a saw anymore to the extant I need to cut the bar out of the wood. Plastic wedges really help prevent bar pinches when cutting up the trunk. Lately, bar pinches are from cutting up the tops and that is not so hard to resolve.

Last weekend the trees started to leaf out and I noticed two more dead trees that need to be cut down. No reason they should have died, the largest one is not even 6 inches in diameter and not very tall. I can only guess that lightning hit the trees even though they are shorter than surrounding trees. :confused3:

A second saw with a short bar/chain would be "nice" for topping but not nice enough for me to spend the money. :laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[jymbee]

It was still manual oil though with a button you had to push three or four times a minute to pump oil out to the bar.

Exactly! The only reason I switched from manual to automatic oiling was that they pretty much stopped making/selling manual oilers. The best machine by far, IMO, would have a combination of auto + manual oil capability. Auto for most of the normal cutting and a manual where you can pump extra oil for such things as flush cutting a large stump.

 

[turnkey4099]

That is what I do. We heat with wood and burn 4-5 cords a year. With the need to make firewood and take care of trees downed/killed by Momma Nature, the Stihl and I get frequent work outs but I cannot justify the cost of an extra saw. It simply is not needed and I seldom pinch a saw anymore to the extant I need to cut the bar out of the wood. Plastic wedges really help prevent bar pinches when cutting up the trunk. Lately, bar pinches are from cutting up the tops and that is not so hard to resolve.

Last weekend the trees started to leaf out and I noticed two more dead trees that need to be cut down. No reason they should have died, the largest one is not even 6 inches in diameter and not very tall. I can only guess that lightning hit the trees even though they are shorter than surrounding trees. :confused3:

A second saw with a short bar/chain would be "nice" for topping but not nice enough for me to spend the money. :laughing:

Later,
Dan

Pretty much what I did back when I first started in 1976 - worn out Homelite XL12 with 24" bar. Gradually finances improved and it began upgrading - somehow wound up with 4 saws not ranging from a 16" (should have been 14") bar to 28" bar. Used to limb with a Stihl MS210. Last year bought a Stihl 192T (top handle).

Now that 192t is the way to go for a limbing saw, bit spendy ($330) but Wow! such ease of limbing. Yes a top handle is dangerous used one handed.

Harry K

 

[MossRoad]

I only saw one answer dealing with the size of the saw-a Stihl 290 really cries out for a 16"bar if you are sawing hardwood-which I think the OP is doing. Although a second saw is an expense, I can't imagine anyone who plans on cutting much wood not having two saws. No matter how careful you can be, there is always a chance of pinching a saw-much easier to cut it free with a 2nd saw.

I know my father worked seasonally as a self-employed logger-I remember carrying a 2nd saw in and out of the woods when I weighed 100pounds and the saw weighed 20-thought it was a stupid thing then, but have learned the wisdom of it as I grew older.

Will

You don't need two saws if you have a short and long bar. If you happen to pinch one of the bars, just remove the two bolts, remove the saw from the bar, put you other bar and chain on, and retrieve the stuck bar.

 

[MossRoad]

An option other than a second saw is a 2nd bar. Drop the power head and put on the other bar. Done that a few times. Lots easier if the saw has an "inboard clutch" such as the Stihls.

Harry K

Ah, you beat me to it!

 

[sld]

I have a 20" old Craftsman from the early 70's and a newer 14" Echo. Both have their place.

For most jobs that I do around the yard I will grab the smaller saw. It's just easier to use.

I'm in the camp that having 2 saws is a good thing.