32" on a MS460?

[Woodsrover]

So I’ve got this new MS460 that came with a 25” bar that’s perfect most of the time, but I’d like to get a bigger bar for those special occasions. I’ve got a dual-port muffler coming for it. I’m wondering if this saw will pull a 32” bar in hardwood with regular 33RM2 chain, or will I have to run a skip chain on it. Or maybe I should just get a 28"?

Any opinions? Who here is running a 32” on a 460?

Thanks!

Jim

 

[computeruser]

You'll definitely want to use skip at 30"+. At 28" it is a toss-up, but I think that your saw will prefer skip at that length, too.

As for whether or not it will be happy with a 32" in hardwood, you should be fine with skip chain and reasonable expectations. My 7900 is happy as can be with a 28" buried in hard maple, skip or full-comp, but admittedly it is a lot happier with a 20". 32"+ would be a lot of bar for a <90cc saw in hardwoods.

 

[046]

cut mostly hardwoods... my 046 wears a 20in bar with square chain

 

[Locoweed]

32" with skip chain will get the job done.

 

[GASoline71]

Out here in the Pacific Northwest in the big softwoods it is very common to see a 046/460 with a 32" bar on it. Full skip chain. 044's/440's will be used as well to pull a 32"er.

Gary

 

[RiverRat2]

You'll definitely want to use skip at 30"+. At 28" it is a toss-up, but I think that your saw will prefer skip at that length, too.

As for whether or not it will be happy with a 32" in hardwood, you should be fine with skip chain and reasonable expectations. My 7900 is happy as can be with a 28" buried in hard maple, skip or full-comp, but admittedly it is a lot happier with a 20". 32"+ would be a lot of bar for a <90cc saw in hardwoods.

Ditto,,,,,,, if you need the length in hardwood skip is the answer for a stock 460... Your saw will live longer and that is the goal to make them last, Right????? now if you were to go woods ported or even Big Bore woods
ported,,, that would be another story!!!!!!!!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Out here in the Pacific Northwest in the big softwoods it is very common to see a 046/460 with a 32" bar on it. Full skip chain. 044's/440's will be used as well to pull a 32"er.

Gary

Ditto. Gotta run full skip. The 460 was made for that set up!

Why RM2? Ditch that stuff. The RM cutter is OK for dirty, but ditch the "2" part. If you're in clean wood, try the RS cutter.

Jeff

 

[Reddog]

Ditto. Gotta run full skip. The 460 was made for that set up!

Why RM2? Ditch that stuff. The RM cutter is OK for dirty, but ditch the "2" part. If you're in clean wood, try the RS cutter.

Jeff

I have to go with Jeff here. Run RS full skip if you are in clean wood.

I use a 046 pulling a 28 or a 32 full skip RS in all hardwood. Works fine for me.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I ran a 28" with full skip RS on my 460, no issues. Cant see another 4" of bar making that big of a difference.

Switching from RM to RS will also tax the saw less.

 

[Frank Boyer]

I have a stock 460 with a 28" bar with non skip chain. It pulls fine in 25"-30" Oak, but it can be bogged down. Skip for a 32" bar.

 

[sawinredneck]

I run 32" full comp RM style on the Big Bore woods port 046, it pulls it fine, I have seen the same setup on a stock 046, it wasn't pretty, I wouldn't want to run that saw all day!! Will it do it, yes, will you be happy, and will you're saw be happy, not really. But it wil get the job done.
Andy

 

[peter399]

Some thoughts about bar length:

Especially in the US, you seem to have very long bars mounted on
your saws. I must say I don't really get the point of using such long bars.
A 32 inch bar for example. When walking around the tree, you can cut a 64 inch tree with
that bar. But how often do you do that?
An 18 inch bar where you can cut 32inch should be enough
for most people. Then you can use other (scandinavian) felling techniques to cut even bigger
trees.

Aren't the drawbacks of having long bars quite may?

1. HEAVY! All these discussions of a saw that weighs X,Y lbs or another that weighs
X,Y+1 lbs are quite uninteresting when you carry around a looong bar that weighs tons.

2. Steals a lot of engine power resulting in slower cutting speed.
Power that could be used for better purposes. i.e. changing
sprocket and increase chain speed?

3. Takes years to sharpen compared to shorter ones.

4. Expensive chains!

5. Limbing = mission impossible?

The only advantages I can see are:

1. Less dangerous when you can do a traditional cut from one side.

2. Possible to fell bigger trees.

I don't know what you think, but to me it seems like people tend to use longer
bars than the really need?

/Peter

 

[GASoline71]

Peter... do a search on bar lengths. You will find that out here in the Pacific Northwest in the big timber, the longer bars are needed. We have learned to deal with the weight and unbalanced feel of them. Actually small bars on big saws out here feel "weird".

You can argue the chain speed and weight, and blah, blah,.... But until you have cut a 40" dbh Doug fir on an 80 degree sloping sidehill... you will be thankful for that longer bar.:deadhorse:

Gary

 

[Woodsrover]

It's about the Chicks, Peter.

Sure, they'll tell you that size doesn't matter, but when the truth comes out, chicks dig big bars!!

 

[GASoline71]

HAHAHAHA!.. Good one!!!

Gary

 

[peter399]

Peter... do a search on bar lengths. You will find that out here in the Pacific Northwest in the big timber, the longer bars are needed. We have learned to deal with the weight and unbalanced feel of them. Actually small bars on big saws out here feel "weird".

You can argue the chain speed and weight, and blah, blah,.... But until you have cut a 40" dbh Doug fir on an 80 degree sloping sidehill... you will be thankful for that longer bar.:deadhorse:

Gary

For that application Gary I sure understand that you appreciate the long bar What I mean is that not many here do that kind of work or do they? I have the impression that many use 20+ inch bars when cutting 12 inch firewood which is pointless imo.

/Peter

 

[GASoline71]

Agreed peter... good post.

Gary

 

[Sprig]

For that application Gary I sure understand that you appreciate the long bar What I mean is that not many here do that kind of work or do they? I have the impression that many use 20+ inch bars when cutting 12 inch firewood which is pointless imo.

/Peter

Not really pointless Peter, its a major back-saver! I'd rather pack and extra pound around in my hands than be bending over stuff (or crouching, what-ever) all day. In a perfect world all firewood would be cut around waist height, then I could fathom using a short bar a lot, but most stuff ends up on the ground and a longer bar improves one's posture when cutting. I concur with Gary about short bars 'feeling weird', I myself don't care for anything under 18" and run a 24" on my work saw regularly for everything I do, just used to it I suppose.



Serge

 

[Diesel JD]

What sprig said. That's also why I like bow bars, saves my back, iI much prefer the weight to having to bend over.

 

[PWB]

You guys might like a longer bar to save your back, but I find just the opposite. I'm better off to bend my knees to get down rather than carry the extra weight. As for a long bar, had to put a 36" bar on an 038 the other day after we dropped a big limb on the 066 it usually lives on (got it pinched, don't ask). 36" with full house full chisel, 7 tooth sprocket, made the stump cut on a monster willow on the side of the road. Ideal? Not even close. Did a lot better than I expected though, very respsctable. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I had to!

At home I run a 20" on an 034 super [it will be shorter the next time it needs a bar], a 24 on an 064, and a 30 on my 084. There's a 50" in the shed for the 084, haven't needed it yet, hope I don't but I know there's lots of trees around here that the 30" won't handle.