A lot of guys in aus run the 12" bars. What I run on mine is actually the 12" .043 gauge bar made for pole saws. If you run a couple chains on them with the pole saw, then .050 runs on them fine. They're a little narrower than the standard 12", and smaller diameter tip. Lots of guys seem to like the lite 12" bar because it's flexy. You can twist it easily, and it springs back.
I used to think that 12" was the way to go. I always thought that proper work positioning and not running a saw way out past your reach, then adding an extra 4" of bar to the saw and cutting with the kickback prone tip was dangerous, and put unnecessary strain on your body. I even used to think that getting that last little bit of power from the saw was good for making all kinds of jump cuts and chasing wood off the tree, giving you a little extra finesse. I used to change up to a bigger saw when I needed more than 12" of bar.
All that is behind me now. I compared my 12" bar to a 16" bar I couldnt help but notice the 16" bar was bigger, and I felt a little embarassed about my small one. Life was really great with that 16" bar, everything was way better. Until I noticed an 18" bar one day. That was way better! I could reach even further than the 16" guys, and the nose was only just a little heavier. But then I found a 20" bar.
Well, this year I'm doing things different. I'm selling off all my saws except one 200t and one 660. It's a 2 saw plan that covers everything. The 200T has a 36" bar on it. I Know it sounds like a lot of bar to run on a 35cc saw, but I pulled the spark arrester out. You get used to the balance pretty quick. I use the 200t for everything from pruning small fruit trees and shrubs right up to felling trees 6' in diameter. The small dogs let you really take advantage of the full length of the bar, and the reach is awesome. I hardly need to limbwalk anymore. It's not quite as fast as a bigger saw, but when you look at the time you save not swapping saws, it works out about even. Plus the 200T is really light. I'm putting a 6' bar on the 660 to do trees from 6' to 12'. I'm not going to do trees over 12' anymore.
The other benefit that you might not have thought of is that it makes it really easy on my groundies too. Instead of all those confusing numbers, I just say 'give me a saw' and they can ask 'the big one, or the little one?'. Some of the smarter guys work out which saw I want without even asking!
Shaun