Full Skip/Short Bars

[toolmaker]

I posted a thread earlier in the summer asking for advice with dropping a big tree in the neighbors' yard.
Ended up buying a 28" bar for the job to go on my MS460, and a full skip chain.

After the tree was on the ground, I needed the long bar to cut the trunk up into firewood lengths and was VERY impressed with the speed that this combo put out.

The 20" bar is what I normally run on the 460 with full-comp chain.
Would full skip work well on the 20" bar?
Do you think it would cut rough? (vibrate)

 

[computeruser]

I would not want to run skip chain on a 460 with a 20" bar. Skip chain has its purpose and that purpose is for use on long bars for chip clearance and to reduce the number of cutters in the wood at any particular time to keep the saw up in its powerband. These traits are not necessary on a shorter bar. Sure you could run it on a 20" bar, but what's the point? The saw is more than capable of pulling a full batch of cutters on a bar that length, so what would you be gaining with skip, other than slower cutting?

 

[SawTroll]

Just a thought, how about a skip chain combined with a nine or ten pin sprocket?

At least, the chain speed should be good....:biggrinbounce2:

 

[blis]

Just a thought, how about a skip chain combined with a nine or ten pin sprocket?

At least, the chain speed should be good....:biggrinbounce2:

13" bar with 10 pin sprocket + full skip would be like OMGWTFBBQ

:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[bump_r]

13" bar with 10 pin sprocket + full skip would be like OMGWTFBBQ

:hmm3grin2orange:

ya lost me at "bbq"...

Back to thread. You "could" run that 28" bar w/skip-tooth chain on a Farm Boss, but why? I agree with the notion to stick with full comp and 20" and skip w/ 28". To make the cutting speed with a short bar/full skip keep up with the tradidtional full comp, I feel you'd have to go kuh-razEE fast with chain speed or drop your depth guages ("rakers" if you have "dawgs" on your saw) deep deep deep. Either practice would sacrifice safety and comfort in order to produce similar cutting characteristices as would a common full-comp/20" bar set-up.

It's cool to think outside the box, but remember that there's a time to just say "Naaaaaaaaahhhhh..."

But that's just me. Perhaps someone has tried this and has real-world results that would counter my suppositions here.

 

[Ed*L]

A 046/460 simply plays with a 20" bar. I don't think you need to go full skip on a bar that short. I just added a 24" bar for mine, the saw still plays with it. I didn't notice much drop in cutting speed or power. I'm running the Woodsman pro 30rc chain on it.

Ed

 

[SRT-Tech]

what about a FULLLL skip chain, with meybe like 2 cutters on it, on a old Homelite 10" bar......10 tooth sprocket......

vroom :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[toolmaker]

Okay, I'll stick with the full comp chain on the 20" bar.
As someone said above, my 460 "plays" with a 20" bar. This is one fine saw.

 

[Lakeside53]

I used full skip chisel on a 16 inch bar, 034S for a while cutting 10-12 inch alder into rounds.. (all set at waist height). YEE HAAA!!! 11k in the cut! Grabby, kicky, nasty... and fast. Chips everywhere.

NOT very practical though.. but real quick to sharpen! Tough on the saw... Full comp would have been a mich better choice, but I had a bunch of chain to us up (my excuse).

 

[B_Turner]

Just a thought, how about a skip chain combined with a nine or ten pin sprocket?

At least, the chain speed should be good....:biggrinbounce2:

With a ten tooth sprocket you may have trouble keeping the chain on the bar.