Best Bar Size for MS440 Magnum

[Skeans]

20" to 28" would work fine. A 16" bar on a 440 is "odd"

Only guys I know that run short bars like that are precommercial thinning guys.

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[ChucktheCanuck]

20" to 28" would work fine. A 16" bar on a 440 is "odd"

Well I've been known to be called "odd" by me buds sometimes, so the "odd fit" used to be appropriate. Nonetheless, I'll be remedying the problem by Friday, which is when I pick up my brand new 28" ES Light Bar and Chain!

 

[Mike Van]

Your backs trying to tell you something Chuck, that you're not 18 anymore. A longer bar isn't going to help, it's just more weight every time you lift the tip. Mine [back] started doing this at about 50 years old, 2 back operations later, now 65, it still does it. I'm still doing 25 cord a year though, you have to work around what hurts the most. If you don't want to kneel, get the logs up. A loader with a grapple that holds several at a time would work, forks would too. Maybe a deck, like you see at a sawmill or wood processor would too? A good supporting back brace is another thought. Or maybe even some style of processor, if $$$$ is there. That back won't last forever, everything we [wood people] do harms it further.

 

[ChucktheCanuck]

Your backs trying to tell you something Chuck, that you're not 18 anymore. A longer bar isn't going to help, it's just more weight every time you lift the tip. Mine [back] started doing this at about 50 years old, 2 back operations later, now 65, it still does it. I'm still doing 25 cord a year though, you have to work around what hurts the most. If you don't want to kneel, get the logs up. A loader with a grapple that holds several at a time would work, forks would too. Maybe a deck, like you see at a sawmill or wood processor would too? A good supporting back brace is another thought. Or maybe even some style of processor, if $$$$ is there. That back won't last forever, everything we [wood people] do harms it further.

Points to ponder.......

 

[Hddnis]

440 is 28-32" bar size, I run 32" on mine with 3/8 chain.

 

[turnkey4099]

440 is 28-32" bar size, I run 32" on mine with 3/8 chain.

Same here but occasionally downsize to a 20" bar to noodle rounds.

 

[ChucktheCanuck]

Your backs trying to tell you something Chuck, that you're not 18 anymore. A longer bar isn't going to help, it's just more weight every time you lift the tip. Mine [back] started doing this at about 50 years old, 2 back operations later, now 65, it still does it. I'm still doing 25 cord a year though, you have to work around what hurts the most. If you don't want to kneel, get the logs up. A loader with a grapple that holds several at a time would work, forks would too. Maybe a deck, like you see at a sawmill or wood processor would too? A good supporting back brace is another thought. Or maybe even some style of processor, if $$$$ is there. That back won't last forever, everything we [wood people] do harms it further.

Well I'm picking up the 28" bar tomorrow (the ES Light version), so that's a done deal, and I'm pretty darn sure that it's gonna make a heck of a difference when I don't have to bend over to cut wood laying on the ground.... however, beyond that I think you've got a couple of good points. I'd really love to find myself an old grapple that I can set up to pick up logs and hold them while I cut em up, for sure, and the idea of purchasing a good supporting back brace is probably a no-brainer (that's me!); I should've had one of those a long time ago.... Cheers

 

[ray benson]

I often take a knee when bucking, easy on the back. A kneepad on the right knee might make life easier.

 

[Trx250r180]

20" to 28" would work fine. A 16" bar on a 440 is "odd"

I have a 16 inch picco on a 440 right now ,yes it looks odd ,but the 026 wont start so run what ya got .it cuts 6x6 fence post tops nicer than the 32 does ,lol

 

[ChucktheCanuck]

I often take a knee when bucking, easy on the back. A kneepad on the right knee might make life easier.

Yeah, I like to kneel down on one knee when I'm cutting up at the shop; I have massive base of wood shavings that have built up over the last 5 or 6 years, and it's beautiful soft to kneel down on (and it also helps that I don't have to worry about cutting through a log into rocky soil, as I have at least a foot or more or rich fluffy loam which is very easy of the chain..... However, after cutting for more than a few hours I start to get tired of getting up and down and up and down ad nauseum, and that's when I really start cutting a lot while standing... which is when I start suffering from the back pain.... So today I finally picked up my new bar and chain! I'm really quite happy with the results so far, and I think it is going to be a wonderful addition to the Bundle Kings small cache of back saving tools which will allow me to continue cutting happily into the future.....

 

[CR888]

You stack your wood well!

 

[ChucktheCanuck]

You stack your wood well!

Thank you kindly sir!

 

[J.Walker]

What about a saw buck stand to bring the wood up to you.
Doing up firewood logs at the landing I really like smaller bars.

 

[ChucktheCanuck]

What about a saw buck stand to bring the wood up to you.
Doing up firewood logs at the landing I really like smaller bars.

Well yes.... I was just talking over on the other site about an idea me and a welder friend had; he's the same fella that did up my bundle Jig for me (see pic below). We started throwing around some ideas for getting the wood up off the ground, and came up with a possible rig that would look something like one level of a rectangular scaffolding rig (albeit built with 2" or 3" square steel tubing) with a heavy duty set of wheels on the bottom to give it mobility, and one or possibly two winches fixed on the top and sort of offset from the center by maybe 1.5' or 2'. So basically I'd pull down a log of the pile and use the peavey to roll it over a couple of feet and then roll this mobile winch rig over top of the log until it's centred. Then it's a simple matter of hooking up the log to the winch(es) and hauling it up 24" or 36" off the ground. Then I just whip out my bran new little MS291 (which I'll have bought by then) and start chunking 'er up at my leisure, and Bob's Yer Uncle!

Cheers

 

[sawjunky23]

Would it help to use a lighter saw? A 440 is plenty of saw for a 16" bar. And they are fairly heavy. I can't help but wonder if a 50cc saw would be easier on your back

 

[ChucktheCanuck]

Would it help to use a lighter saw? A 440 is plenty of saw for a 16" bar. And they are fairly heavy. I can't help but wonder if a 50cc saw would be easier on your back

Well yes indeed, you're probably correct about getting/using a lighter saw. The 440 is all I have at the moment. I'm also sorry to admit that the 28" bar didn't work out as well as I was hoping, and I'm back to using the 16" bar on the 440.... Using the back brace, and kneeling down to do most of my cutting is helping some..... I think a lighter saw will be the next logical step, but I'm not sure when that'll be happening just yet.... Time will tell.....

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I run an 18" bar on all my saws. (360s and 460s) I do have several longer bars but rarely use them. The longest one I think is a 36 or 38" and it's really hard on my back.

I bought a firewood processor partly because of a back injury. I use a saw to cut tree length logs (45ft) in half and to clean up any limbs or forks that got missed by the stroke delimber.

I find a shorter bar allows more use of the felling dogs vs the tip of the bar and for me it's much easier on my back. Plus the saw is lighter too.

My "go to" saws are the 360s. They pull an 18" bar fine and aren't too heavy. I once did a hand felling job with a 660, I couldnt walk the next morning, my back hated me.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

You stack your wood well!

Really? I've fired hired hands who stacked like that and no matter how much training just couldn't get it. It's not nearly tight enough for my standards.

Few days ago I dumped out the "cord" one guy stacked and redid it myself. I only had a smidge over 3/4 of a cord. I don't spend forever either, a cord takes about 45 min to stack.

 

[hseII]

Really? I've fired hired hands who stacked like that and no matter how much training just couldn't get it. It's not nearly tight enough for my standards.

Few days ago I dumped out the "cord" one guy stacked and redid it myself. I only had a smidge over 3/4 of a cord. I don't spend forever either, a cord takes about 45 min to stack.

Hail, Hail.

King of the Farewood Stackas.

 

[sawjunky23]

Really? I've fired hired hands who stacked like that and no matter how much training just couldn't get it. It's not nearly tight enough for my standards.

Few days ago I dumped out the "cord" one guy stacked and redid it myself. I only had a smidge over 3/4 of a cord. I don't spend forever either, a cord takes about 45 min to

Show us a picture of the stacks