Short bar-long bar, whats up?

[SawTroll]

... and the 20" on the 26 is right. The 26 is good for the small stuff 12"s and smaller and the 46 is good for the rest. .....

I am sure that the 026 would be "good for" larger wood than 12" if you put a 16" bar on it in place of the 20" one.....:deadhorse:

 

[Freakingstang]

Here in the northeast, we don't have the big wood that the west coast has. There is also a much difference in the hardnes/denseness of the wood. A 372 with a 28" bar won't handle Oak. But throw a 18 or 20" bar on it and it is fun stuff.

I run a 16" on my 55 rancher and it handles small stuff ok. You get all 16" buried and it isn't the most productive saw.

I run an 18" on my 365. It is a good balance between power and torque.

The 372 gets a 20" with a 8T rim and is the main saw I use most of the time. I do have 24" and 28" bars for it when the need arises.

I see putting a longer bar on the saw that isn't needed is like jacking up a stock pickup and putting 40" tires on it. It looks tuff, but doesn't get a lot of work done.

What I am curious is to why you would want to regularly cut and sharpen with, say a 24" or 28" bar when you are cutting stuff mainly in the 16" to 20" diameter? And could you tell me how someone 6 foot tall can use a 28" bar standing up to buck logs on the ground? and not hit the ground? Doesn't make sense to me, but hey differant strokes for differant folks.

And never heard of a bore cut? That all I have used. I guess it all boils down to where you come from, where you do the cutting and ways you were taught as a younger user.

 

[clearance]

I don't know how I run a 28" bar all day and keep the chain sharp, no idea, whats even more amazing is that guys buck big wood with 36"-42" bars who are shorter than me. I like the 28" because of versitality and comfort.

 

[TimberPig]

What I am curious is to why you would want to regularly cut and sharpen with, say a 24" or 28" bar when you are cutting stuff mainly in the 16" to 20" diameter? And could you tell me how someone 6 foot tall can use a 28" bar standing up to buck logs on the ground? and not hit the ground? Doesn't make sense to me, but hey differant strokes for differant folks.

It's what you're used to mostly on the bar length.

As to how to buck with the longer bar and not hit dirt, all you have to do is back up from the log a little. A little care and attention to what you are doing, and it isn't a problem once you are used to it.

 

[Pacific]

I never really bought the 026 for big falling that why I got the 046 the 26 is my brushing saw and light jobs where I don't want to carry a heavy saw.

 

[PWB]

20" on my 034 super, 24" on my 064, 30" on my 084.
The 30" seems ro be a really nice match on that saw, I like the balance. (Oregon Power Match Plus) Long enough for most of my firewood dropping and bucking, although I am working from both sides on some stuff still. Going to need a longer bar for some stuff, but it will spend most of time hanging on the wall. Seriously considering the 20" on the 064 and about a 16" on the 034, I like power! Just don't get this long bar to save the back idea, more weight farther from the body is harder on MY back!

 

[musher]

bar lenghts and back pain

Just don't get this long bar to save the back idea, more weight farther from the body is harder on MY back!

I assume it's becuase they like long-distance sawing, so the longer bar means they don't have to lean over quite so far to get to stuff down near the ground.

I find that the weight is a bigger issue, and when I need cut stuff down there, I just squat down so that I can keep my back as straight as I can.

 

[asb151]

I assume it's becuase they like long-distance sawing, so the longer bar means they don't have to lean over quite so far to get to stuff down near the ground.

That is the issue for me. My back prefers a 24 inch bar. I can keep better a posture cutting wood near the ground. Less bending over which makes up for the little extra weight.

 

[brncreeper]

Thanks for video Smokechase! I fell in love with my 346 all over again

 

[Lakeside53]

West Coast wood... no short bars on this one

For you guys that live out east, where what we get in 65 years... This is a Douglas fir that would have been a seedling right after the big clearcut on the east side of Seattle.. . Clear cut originally in 1895 (or so) and then again in 1945-47.... This one is about 65 years old, and in Doug fir terms, just a spring chicken.

The home owner lied about the size and I believed him.. just took my 066 and a 28 bar. Wished I taken the 36 bar or the 088, but it cut fine... Measures about 36 on the wide side.


Trimming the stump:

heavy.. damn, is that the 066 near the bottom of the picture???

Size comparison:

Bifurcated about 30 feet up (was bigger here than at the stump cut), then twin trunks to 170 feet.

 

[Lakeside53]

Another West Coast tree - Red Alder

This Red Alder is 21 inches diameter for 20 feet, then tapers off slightly.. Going to mill it tomorrow.. About 55 year old... One of our few hardwoods.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Nicely done Andy. I've got a nice Doug fir I'll be working on Monday, Wx permitting. Here's my most recent alder. Good 90'+ tree in a 95' yard. I don't like climbing them as much as I do fir or even cedar. The bark feels too thick and soft. I'll bury a spur nearly 3/4 an inch, but I still don't feel 100% set. I was going to top it for the removal, but the top was all split and hanging over the neighbor's yard, so I came back down and falled the thing whole. Then laid a nice WRC right next to it in the opposite direction. Remember, I'm a timber guy, so I like doing trees in one piece when I can!

This is it on the ground- 30" dbh.

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31725&d=1141321901

Jeff

 

[Lakeside53]

Nicely done Andy. I've got a nice Doug fir I'll be working on Monday, Wx permitting. Here's my most recent alder. Good 90'+ tree in a 95' yard. I don't like climbing them as much as I do fir or even cedar. The bark feels too thick and soft. I'll bury a spur nearly 3/4 an inch, but I still don't feel 100% set. I was going to top it for the removal, but the top was all split and hanging over the neighbor's yard, so I came back down and falled the thing whole. Then laid a nice WRC right next to it in the opposite direction. Remember, I'm a timber guy, so I like doing trees in one piece when I can!

This is it on the ground- 30" dbh.

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=31725&d=1141321901

Jeff

Nice...
You going to mill that alder? or take it to the mill -$770 per 1000bft for Alder... I'm milling mine... not sure if I'll use the 088 or the 66. I think I want to break the 088 in before milling with it..but..

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Nice...
You going to mill that alder?

HA! Already milled, stacked and drying...

Milled with my buddy's 660/Alaskan

 

[SawTroll]

..... and about a 16" on the 034, I like power! Just don't get this long bar to save the back idea, more weight farther from the body is harder on MY back!

I feel the same, and my back is really bad.
On my 361 I use the 15" bar most of the time, and the 18" mostly for felling.

16" on a 034 should work very well.

 

[rbtree]

Nice alder, Andy. P Woozel just turned me on to an alder buyer who pays $1400 mbf for perfect stuff, if over 13" He shrink wraps 10'6" lengths within 48 hrs of being cut, and ships it back east, where it is veneered, then imprinted with an image of the grain of any wood, then used for high end applications like car dashboards.

We felled about 25 alder Saturday, but the neurotic clients wouldn't let us drive a log truck across their lawn, even if on 3/4" plywood...cost us a good $1500-2000.....

Like most westerners, I used to always run long bars. But now I also like shorter ones for speed and ease of use--and smaller saws, since mine are modded, they've plenty of power. And I have lots of saws, so can run a 20-24 bar on one 372, a 28 on another and a 32 on the 7900.

 

[B_Turner]

Here's why I like long bars sometimes. That is my 066 with a 42 inch bar after I just cut the butt flat to removed the hinge stuff to fit better in my trailer. Second pic is the piece I cut off for my trailer. These pics are from this morning.

Turns out my neighbors big backhoe is off on loan, so I am not quite sure if I will have to cut up the stick in the trailer. All of my areas that I normally can drag the wood out of the trailer are plugged up with wood bigtime. I put the tape on this piece after I had trimmed it and it is 53 inches diameter. The base of the tree was naturally a fair bit bigger.

 

[SawTroll]

Long bars save backs (bending) for ground work/limbing. Short bars save chains (tips in dirt), great power, less weight to hump around, quick to sharpen.

I run the shortest bar most of the time, put the long bars on when required.

Totally agree, bending a bit isn't that bad, even though my back is really bad (bend the knees).

Most of my birches aren't that close to the ground anyway, when falled, because of the limbs.

 

[GASoline71]

Totally agree, bending a bit isn't that bad, even though my back is really bad (bend the knees).

Try sayin' that when you're 6' 5" tall...:hmm3grin2orange:

It's the main reason I run loooooonger bars.

Gary

 

[SawTroll]

Try sayin' that when you're 6' 5" tall...:hmm3grin2orange:

It's the main reason I run loooooonger bars.

Gary

Well, I am only 6' 1".........