husqvarna 55 .325 18" bar or 3/8th 20"bar

[TIMBERTRON]

So I have a question I have a 55 Husqvarna and it has a .325 18" bar I also have a driver and 20 " bar in 3/8ths which would be the best choice for taking 28inch diameter pine trees down and bucking it up and what is the difference between the 2 types in performance

 

[Jimmy in NC]

I haven't run a 55 but from talking with a good friend/faller that has worn out many 55's, it won't pull a 20" 3/8 in 18" poplar. Stick with .325 chain and it'll like the 18" length the best. For 28" diameter pine, you really need a bigger saw in my opinion.

 

[SawTroll]

By all means go with the 18" .325 set-up - the saw will thank you. The difference between an 18" and a 20" bar won't matter much in 28" wood anyway.

 

[half_full]

prior to finding this site the 55 rancher was my "big" saw. I tortured that poor thing since nearly new with a 20" bar because I thought it would allow me to cut bigger trees. It WILL pull it if you baby it in the cut. But, best to get a bigger saw if you really feel the need for a bigger bar.
I don't think I've started the 55 since I picked up a 372. Although, I also picked up a 346 at about the same time...

 

[TIMBERTRON]

thanks for the info guys i just normal stick with whats on it but i had the bar and driver for it and thought it looked cool on it but wanted to know if it was wise to do so
i know the 55 and 55 rancher had the option or had the 3/8 guage to them but wasnt sure what the difference is except there is more mass to move

 

[MRCo.]

I personally set up 51s with .325, no bigger. 55s are a 'cusp' saw to the 209" league to me- a real 18" with the beans to pull a 20" if you push its limits. But if you want to pull the 20" 3/8, use a full skip chain. That will help the saw perform better. I've set up lots of 55 owners with skip chains and they are all full skip converts now!

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Just don't do what the previous owner of my 028 did, used a 3/8 bar and chain and a .325 clutch sprocket....

 

[TIMBERTRON]

husq 55 chain and bar

OHH I will not be that guy and use a 3/8 chain on a .325 driver I do repair saws for people but I really lack experience on a lot of topics but I am self taught I was just wondering if I could use the 3/8 full chisel chain and 20 inch bar on the husq 55 muffler modded as well I just finished rebuilding. or if I should leave it .325 with the 18 inch bar the tech support says I can but all they are doing is reading right from the online manual and the manual says it will take it but I had the guys on here say don't because its a big load on the saw so I will stick to a .325 driver, chain and 18 bar I haven't cut with the 3/8 set up yet I wonted more input in my corner before I tare loss with this saw for bucking about 20 cords of fire wood up to heat my familys and my homes this winter

the 3/8 guage and 20 inch bar dose look real cherry on the saw . I must say even cool but cool dosent always mean good for the equipment so I refer to those that have done it or have more experience with the saws ive been rebuilding saws and repairing saws for only 3 1/2 years now and still learning new things daily but I have got 2 stroke mix in the blood now and really like fixing saws

 

[rburg]

I used a 55cc partner for years that used 3/8 chain and on bigger trees used a 20" bar. In pine your 55 with 3/8 should have plenty of power.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I'd have to agree. That 55 should pull 20" in pine pretty well. I'm willing to guess you'd need a stop watch to tell the difference. The stop watch may just tell you that it prefers the 3/8's over 325 in the pine.

 

[bowtechmadman]

Sharp chain will make a bigger difference than the 2" of bar or size of chain.

 

[SawTroll]

I used a 55cc partner for years that used 3/8 chain and on bigger trees used a 20" bar. In pine your 55 with 3/8 should have plenty of power.

Those Partners are better suited for that set-up than a Husky 55 is - but it will of course do it.

 

[cheeves]

My 1998 rebuilt 55 runs great with a 16" bar and .325 chisel chain!

 

[TIMBERTRON]

OK well im starting to cut all the wood this weekend will have to get the stop watch out and see how well it dose i have new chains and i have both .325 and 3/8th and i have a 18 "bar for the .325 and 20" bar for the 3/8th so will have to do some cutting at this point to see what works best on this 55 and go with that i thank everyone for all the insight on what should work and what might not will be a bit wiser by the end of next week i have a feeling

 

[TIMBERTRON]

chain type 55

well i tried both setup the 3/8 20in bar and a skip tooth chain it did well for some of the wood but it was slow and i had to baby the 55 in the deep cuts so i switched out and went with .325 and 18 inch bar with a semi chisel chain and the saw really eat through the wood with little efforts only got thur 7 cords so we will see how the rest goes but the .325 18 bar is what it should really be set up with
thanks everyone for the help

 

[Kenskip1]

I would say that it depends on the cylinder of the 55. Open port cylinders would be best with a 325+18 chain. Closed ports have a bit of an edge in the power department and will pull a 3/8 +18-20 with little effort.Ken

 

[TIMBERTRON]

I would say that it depends on the cylinder of the 55. Open port cylinders would be best with a 325+18 chain. Closed ports have a bit of an edge in the power department and will pull a 3/8 +18-20 with little effort.Ken

I didn't know the power difference in the 2 types of cylindersbut it had a closed port on the original aftermarket is open port when I rebuilt it so that would be why hay thanks for the info

 

[almondgt]

If you have a tight saw, chain is sharp and the compression is where it should be a 20" bar with 3/8 chain is not an issue for a Husqvarna 55. Some top ends were 45mm and some were 46mm. And then the closed port 45mm top end, well a 20" bar is no issue at all with that assembly. I do it on a regular basis.

 

[Mmeloche]

If you have a tight saw, chain is sharp and the compression is where it should be a 20" bar with 3/8 chain is not an issue for a Husqvarna 55. Some top ends were 45mm and some were 46mm. And then the closed port 45mm top end, well a 20" bar is no issue at all with that assembly. I do it on a regular basis.

Is 10.degree easyer then 35 degree to pull foe the saw because 10 degree leave niver finish

 

[Cord_Nipper]

If you have a tight saw, chain is sharp and the compression is where it should be a 20" bar with 3/8 chain is not an issue for a Husqvarna 55.

Agreed
I've cut a lot of Florida water oaks with a 55 set up with a 20" 3/8 bar and chain.
A sharp chain is your ally.