# Stihl 036 Maximum bar size?



## Giles (May 15, 2015)

I muffler modded and did the carb mod on my friends 036. It is an older model with screw on G/O caps but runs excellent.He had a new 20" bar and chain that he bought because the 28" bar and chain were worn out--at least the chain was.
He wanted me to sharpen the 28" chain and it was useless.
It has a 375 chain setup and I told him the saw would not pull a 28" B/C and would possibly pull a 325?
I told him, if he wanted to use the 28, he needed a bigger saw.
Did I advise him right.


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## Trx250r180 (May 15, 2015)

Giles said:


> I muffler modded and did the carb mod on my friends 036. It is an older model with screw on G/O caps but runs excellent.He had a new 20" bar and chain that he bought because the 28" bar and chain were worn out--at least the chain was.
> He wanted me to sharpen the 28" chain and it was useless.
> It has a 375 chain setup and I told him the saw would not pull a 28" B/C and would possibly pull a 325?
> I told him, if he wanted to use the 28, he needed a bigger saw.
> Did I advise him right.



Depends what you are cutting ,a 25 to 28 bar works fine in softwoods out west with the 036 , in other regions in harder wood ,not so much .


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

even here in soft woods that is the max for it. i like a 20- 25" on them myself and wouldn't even consider .325 for that saw. it has the power for 3/8's.


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## ChoppyChoppy (May 15, 2015)

I run 18" on the couple I have. Mostly use them as "light duty" saws like limbing or cutting brush.

Might be able to pull 20", but it's quite easy to stall them with just the 18".

Granted I also had a ported 460 and with an 18" bar it was just barely enough power IMO. Haha!


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

ValleyFirewood said:


> I run 18" on the couple I have. Mostly use them as "light duty" saws like limbing or cutting brush.
> 
> Might be able to pull 20", but it's quite easy to stall them with just the 18".
> 
> Granted I also had a ported 460 and with an 18" bar it was just barely enough power IMO. Haha!



are you saying that a desirable 70cc stihl doesn't have the power to pull a chain around and 18" bar. that's awesome! in all realness though. i read somehwere that you were full of **** so i don't know if i can believe you. LOL


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

Phhuuut! You have Shrimpy Bar Disease for Alaska.

The 036 Stihl user manual that I have says a 20 inch is the largest bar that you want to run on an 036. But it has more power than a 361 and the same oil pump output as a 361, and the longest bar that Stihl says to run on a 361 is a 25. My experience is that a 036 will run a 25 inch with full comp no problem, same as the 361. I find that an 18 inch bar is a wasted of torque on either of them unless I up the rim to an 8 pin. You can go to a 28 inch bar with skip chain on an 036, but the oil pump is not big enough to keep that size bar wet on a stock 036/360 or a 361/362. The bars will burn from lack of oil. I have seen that type of bar burn a lot around here, where many dealers sell 60cc Stihl saws with 28 inch bars on them, new. I think a 22 inch is the sweet spot for these 60cc saws, but those length bars are hard to find. I run a 25 most of the time on my 60cc Stihl saws, and I only drop to a 20 in harder hardwoods (oak, madrone, black locust, and the like).


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## KenJax Tree (May 15, 2015)

A 20" is perfect on my 562 but some of the saw polishers say thats too much and 18" or even 16" is better.[emoji1]


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

i run a 20" on my 562 as well although if it weren't for the 26" on the 372's it would likely get a 24".


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

KenJax Tree said:


> Haven't you figured out that VF is usually full of [emoji90]



I know several guys in Palmer, AK and they are standup guys. But I guess he is the exception. Nice shiity emoticon there though. If an 18 is too big a bar for a 460, he should not be cutting rocks with it. My 460 came with a 20 and that was plain overkill. I swapped it out with a 32.


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## redoakman (May 15, 2015)

I run a 20 inch bar on my 661 cutting. Timber but that's hardwood drop the Rackers a hair keep chain sharp eats up wood like crazy .


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

redoakman said:


> I run a 20 inch bar on my 661 cutting. Timber but that's hardwood drop the Rackers a hair keep chain sharp eats up wood like crazy .



you got a youtube channel brandon? any logging vids? i wanna see what you guys log back east. around here the feller bunchers do anything 30" and down unless it's small wood on steep slopes. i'd be logging with a 60cc if nothing was ever bigger then 20"


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

With a 20" running a 661 is a waste of saw***. I bet you could do the same with a 461 in hard or soft woods. Many loggers here have proven that you can here.

***with the exception of Oz where they cut rock hard eucs!


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

windthrown said:


> With a 20" that is a waste of saw, and I bet you could do the same with a 461. Many loggers here have proven that.



guys are running 36" bars on the 461 here. occasionally 42" for the odd big tree as well. a 50cc saw will cut 20" with .325. it's all about weight out there. i like 90cc with minimum 33" no bending over.


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

westcoaster90 said:


> guys are running 36" bars on the 461 here. occasionally 42" for the odd big tree as well. a 50cc saw will cut 20" with .325. it's all about weight out there.



I agree. The most common (and sometimes the only) saw I saw here in logging camps was a 044/440. The 461 has taken its place. I run 3/8 low profile on my 50cc saws and they cut wood like its butter!


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## redoakman (May 15, 2015)

westcoaster90 said:


> you got a youtube channel brandon? any logging vids? i wanna see what you guys log back east. around here the feller bunchers do anything 30" and down unless it's small wood on steep slopes. i'd be logging with a 60cc if nothing was ever bigger then 20"


I don't my self but later on tonight I will look for a good one for ya . most fallers run 25 inch bars cutting and 20 on the landings , but I grew up useing 20inch bars. We rearly see feller bunch's around here unless it clear cuts . most logging crews cutting hard wood are 2-4 men .


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## redoakman (May 15, 2015)

windthrown said:


> With a 20" running a 661 is a waste of saw***. I bet you could do the same with a 461 in hard or soft woods. Many loggers here have proven that you can here.
> 
> ***with the exception of Oz where they cut rock hard eucs!


I couldn't agree more . there are some people that cut with 70ccs saws all the time and love them . but for the most part u see people running 20-25 inch bars on 660/661s and 390-395s. Just the way we cut hardwood out here . are cutting techniques are diffent for the most part .


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

[QUgotta admit though. the stihls do balance well with a short bar. seems they were designed for it cause they nose dive heavily with anything longer. one of the reasons i won't run them. alot of people don't realize it but fighting with that nose dive all day makes for worse fatigue at the end of the day.


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

I never had a problem with nose heavy bars. Once they are in the cut that means nothing. Carrying a lighter bar, yes, nose heavy? Meh... I never understood that argument. Limbing in corks I want the long bar nose down anyway. But hey, I run all kinds of different size saws and different bars given different conditions. I also prefer to run the lightest and least vibration prone saw that I can. Less fatigue that way. And in the woods I lug them around mostly on an ATV.


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## ChoppyChoppy (May 15, 2015)

westcoaster90 said:


> are you saying that a desirable 70cc stihl doesn't have the power to pull a chain around and 18" bar. that's awesome! in all realness though. i read somehwere that you were full of **** so i don't know if i can believe you. LOL



No, read my post. It was a joke that flew right over your head apparently!


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## olyman (May 15, 2015)

westcoaster90 said:


> are you saying that a desirable 70cc stihl doesn't have the power to pull a chain around and 18" bar. that's awesome! in all realness though. i read somehwere that you were full of **** so i don't know if i can believe you. LOL


 hes been accused of loads of BS on more than one topic in here............and removed posts because of it........30 yr old,,still in mommys house...


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

Had a neighbor like that in CA. Was 32, still living at home, was a jerk with all the neighbors, thought he was cool and ruled the earth. Cops came around to talk to him regularly. I decked him one day when he assaulted me. Even after that he still had no respect, still was a jerk, but he did not mouth off to me any more. For all I know he is still there living at home, in his 40s now. An all grown up momma's boy. Never paid a dime in rent either.


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

windthrown said:


> Had a neighbor like that in CA. Was 32, still living at home, was a jerk with all the neighbors, thought he was cool and ruled the earth. Cops came around to talk to him regularly. I decked him one day when he assaulted me. Even after that he still had no respect, still was a jerk, but he did not mouth off to me any more. For all I know he is still there living at home, in his 40s now. An all grown up momma's boy. Never paid a dime in rent either.



sounds like the way to many kids these days end up. myself, i had bums for parents. first job at 15 i was paying the rent and alot of times the hydro when living with my dad. then my brother was buying grub as well. my dad was just a burn out sitting at home all our lives. taught me alot of **** about saws, ***, powersports, and automotive though. then i moved out at 17 and got weekly calls to borrow money  no matter how many times ya say no they just keep on calling. they stopped now though.


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## windthrown (May 15, 2015)

Yah, I have also had a job since I was 15. I moved out of the house when I was 17 too. Moved back home once to help my mom fix her house up to sell it. It sold, and I moved out again for good. I own my house outright here. No mortgage. No bank loan.


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## rwoods (May 15, 2015)

Back to the OP - an good 036 will run a 25" fine with the right touch while cutting firewood. Probably be okay with a lighter touch using a 28" but I wouldn't want to use it for serious falling. My stock 036Pro is my favorite saw, but I am afraid that it is about to lose that spot to my ported 361. Only one tank through the 361 so far, but things don't look good for the 036 keeping its standing.

Ron


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## Big_Wood (May 15, 2015)

windthrown said:


> Yah, I have also had a job since I was 15. I moved out of the house when I was 17 too. Moved back home once to help my mom fix her house up to sell it. It sold, and I moved out again for good. I own my house outright here. No mortgage. No bank loan.



sorry my bad, my first job was actually 12 but i was just a part time dish washer. said NEVER again and i have never done it since LOL. first real job where i was steady full time was at 15. after school every evening getting home at 11-midnight. i did work on *** and motorcycles for people right from age 6 to but it wasn't steady at all. i remember all the other kids inside playing video games while i was outside pulling apart outboards and saws trying to figure what was wrong with them. it really is sad to see the 40 year old momma's boys. always wanting everything yet own nothing cause they are to lazy to do anything for themselves.


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