How big a Stihl to run a 36" bar?

[joe25DA]

In this neck of the woods mistaking Maine for Mass might getcha into some trouble. We're ME. Our southern sisters go with MA.

You are right though, in Maine we need 90cc at a minimum because we are manly, rugged and dangerous madmen. I don't know that a mass guy from cape anything ought to have that kind of power in his hands. Besides saws that big are probably illegal down there, everything else fun is.

Might be illegal, but it hasn't stopped me

 

[ash man]

I bought my 394 used from a member here, and its not a shelf queen. Its made quick work of some pretty big yard trees, by east coast standards, and enables me to cut trees probably above my pay grade. Besides all saws are cool, especially the big ones.

 

[Vibes]

I love finding a near mint 6 cube saw that some budding arborist tree guy bought when his daddy set him up in business. Thats usually the first thing they sell when the s#!t starts going towards the fan. They realize fast that its the only thing they have that's really worth anything and isn't needed. I'll try and get it, and a small saw, or a parts saw in a package deal.

 

[mdavlee]

A 28-32" bar will wear you out less than a 20" on a 660 if you're cutting for production in a day. The 28" light bars weigh the same as the 20" regular. I have a few people that made fun of the longer bars until they used them and next thing you know they have them.

 

[Hinerman]

Why on earth do you need a 36" bar? Do you have trees in excess of 6' I diameter?

My logger buddies run Stihl 660's with 20" bars and I have never seen anything they couldn't take down. And we have some really big stuff around here.

Why anybody would run a 660 with a 20" bar is beyond me when a 60-70cc saw, that weighs much less, is more than enough to pull a 20" bar, and will probably cut smaller wood faster than the 660.....just sayin'

Truth is that trees aren't big enough in Massachusetts for a non-professional to justify a 36" or 32" bar w/90cc saw. Tree services do have them for the occasional big yard trees. Loggers use 70-76cc saws; the 660's and 390's stay in the truck. If the OP wants to run a big hobby saw with a long bar, that's fine, but it's the wrong tool for the job. Too much chain to sharpen; saw's too heavy to fall, buck, and limb with all day unless you're logging for a living in the PNW or similar. This is what you find on Cape Ann:
View attachment 392903
Anyone see anything here that would require 90cc's???

For that matter, nor do I see anything that would require 70-76cc. But, I agree, who wants (or can) cut all day with a big saw....not me.

 

[sawfun]

Production time must be pretty low to tackle a 6 foot diameter tree with only a 20" bar. Tells me those guys are very poorly equipt. And unless in Austrailia where the really hard wood is, 20" is rediculous on a 90cc saw unless racing.​

 

[old-cat]

If you have a saw from Piltz it will handle ANY length bar with EASE!!!!!!!!!

 

[sawfun]

Once again, we have another internet true statement here.

 

[Mad Professor]

36" bar is WAY overkill. A 25" bar will handle trees up to 50". How many of those will you encounter?

I've dropped and bucked a 50" ash with a homelite super XL (young and poor back then). Was not fast but the saw cut many cords after that.

I'd look at a 044 0r 046 with 25" bar.

P.S. I have a 28" 3003 mount bar for my big saws if the need arises.

 

[Wannabe123]

Might be illegal, but it hasn't stopped me

Good to see the spirit of America still resides somewhere in Mass.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

A 28-32" bar will wear you out less than a 20" on a 660 if you're cutting for production in a day. The 28" light bars weigh the same as the 20" regular. I have a few people that made fun of the longer bars until they used them and next thing you know they have them.

Spot on mike..when theres light options at 28" i have no clue why anyone would run 24"....i say it all the time..esp on 70cc + saws

 

[Nick Kent]

32" is the biggest I'd need. But, some of these saplings around here are tough.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

3120xp nuff said.

 

[Mad Professor]

Good to see the spirit of America still resides somewhere in Mass.

West of Rt 495 and the flatlanders/politicians

 

[Wannabe123]

West of Rt 495 and the flatlanders/politicians

Yep. I was stationed outside springfield for a few years, and have a good pal from outside pissfield (Hinsdale to be precise). Berkshire county is truly awesome country, but the dips in Beantown still run the political show down there. Couldn't take it anymore, went home.

 

[pro94lt]

And I always thought all from the northeast were the same lol just one big happy region

 

[Mad Professor]

Yep. I was stationed outside springfield for a few years, and have a good pal from outside pissfield (Hinsdale to be precise). Berkshire county is truly awesome country, but the dips in Beantown still run the political show down there. Couldn't take it anymore, went home.

Stationed in Chicopee or Westfield?

I grew up close to the Pitt and it is is going under with political corruption, drugs, gangs , and social program leaches. Still nice up in the nearby hills though.

 

[Cedarkerf]

You can cut double your bar length but I like to use a bar on wood up to one and a half bar lengths, example 32" bar up to 48" inch trees, on big logs id rather buckem from one side which you can do by over bucking the far side and down verses a 24 " bar have to cut from both sides. Sometimes I wonder if people just parrot the double diameter verses actually doing much of that kind of cutting at least on big wood .
Saw wise I would say The 660 /661 is the way to go.

 

[sawfun]

Well I guess I will scrap ALL of my bars over 25" since said experts have deemed them useless. I can just use a Wildthing with 16" bar for any firewood I encounter. When I do encounter a 50 or 60 inch tree, I will just plan to spend a month or more cutting it rather than a few days. After all, I only need a 20" bar right? Maybe the PNW saw shops should all be sued for selling longer bars than the east coast wood cutters say we need.

 

[Gologit]

Well I guess I will scrap ALL of my bars over 25" since said experts have deemed them useless. I can just use a Wildthing with 16" bar for any firewood I encounter. When I do encounter a 50 or 60 inch tree, I will just plan to spend a month or more cutting it rather than a few days. After all, I only need a 20" bar right? Maybe the PNW saw shops should all be sued for selling longer bars than the east coast wood cutters say we need.

Nah...let the short bar guys have their fun. They like to cut and they have all the time in the world. On level ground they can get away with a short bar and doing the Swedish Stump Dance. If they'd rather jump around the tree, going from side to side and trying to match their cuts, and taking twice as long to get the tree on the ground as it should really take, let 'em. They're having a good time and getting some exercise playing at what we do for a living. No harm in that.

A long bar is good for limbing, too. Much less stooping and strain on my back. Is the saw nose heavy? Of course. It's supposed to be nose heavy. I want that bar tip down there where the work is. Also the weight difference between a 20" bar and a 36" bar shouldn't worry a guy who's in any kind of shape to begin with.

Me, I'd rather stand in one place when I'm falling. I can face it, back it up, drop it, and go on to the next tree. That takes a longer bar, at least where I cut wood.
It's just a personal choice dictated by real world conditions. No point in running around the tree like a monkey trying to **** a football if you don't have to.