Bar length

[Elmore]

Todays Words : Excurrent & Deliquescent

When limbing I'll typically use my 361 with a 24". Depending on tree size, I'll walk down the falled tree and limb as I go. I'm not going to walk a tree with and bend over with an 18" bar. Find any West Coast timberman who's limbed anything in the last ten years or so, and he'll tell you that an 036 (nowadays a 361) with a 24" or 28" is his favorite combo (if he's a Stihl man)....!

I think that you being on the west coast you are talking about large conifers that exhibit excurrent branching. With a long bar on a large saw you can make short work out of those trees.

I need a new bar and am wondering if I should buy a 12" or 14". Any suggestions for a 35cc saw dedicated to limbing / clean-up?

You being in Idaho and Idaho as a western state certainly has a lot of conifers, may deal with a lot of broadleaf, deciduous shade trees that exhibit deliquescent branching. The limbs branch off in all directions. Not as orderly as a conifer with an excurrent habit. When limbing up these sort of trees I prefer a small, light saw with a more maneuverable, short bar, 14" or 16".

 

[upandcommer]

Firewood cutter here I have three saws for wood getting my ms290 sports a 20" .325 x.63 my pooplan wild things sport a 14 and 18" but the 18 never gets used, and a homelite xl12 that sports a 18" .375 x.50 all work good if you use the saws properly the xl12 needs to be leaned on it is an older torquier saw and the others are high revers so you need to let the chain speed do the cutting for you never let the newer saws bog or they die in the cut. THe older saws like to be pushed to let the torque take the brunt of the abuse. Again just my input and i mainly do firewood unless the mill comes out then the big saw comes out.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

At 6'2" a 24" bar fits me perfect. Any shorter and I'm bending over all the time. A 20" bar is quite fatiguing for me compared to a 24" bar.

 

[SawTroll]

Remember now,"Just for grins" is and can be very ,very good for your mental health!
Ed

Agreed! :rockn: