Short bar question

[straight6jeff]

Hi All, This might be a noobie question, but I have a short bar question. I currently have a Husky 61 Rancher with a 20" bar. I have some tight area's to do some small thinning and bucking. A 12 -14" bar would work much better than the 20. Aside from turning the oil flow down a bit, is there any drawbacks to running a short bar, In reading the Accidents/injuries forum, I will be getting chaps this weekend. i have always worn helmet, ears, face, steel toes, and a leather welding vest.

Thanks,

jeff

 

[taplinhill]

I've run a 16" bar on a 61 with no problems. Finding a 12" that will fit may be hard.

 

[GASoline71]

Shorter bar.... does not compute...:hmm3grin2orange:

Don't know about a 12" bar for the saw. A 16" will prolly be good for what you wanna do. I personally use a longer bar when buckin' and limbin' becasue I'm so dang tall. Then I don't have to bend so much.

Gary

 

[straight6jeff]

I hear you on teh bending over. The issue I have is that the house we just bought kind of has the "Sanford and Son starter kit" look in the yard. There is a lot of downed trees, rocks, brick, metal, junk, inter-twined with the branches and trees. Oh yeah, a lot of this is in a couple of inches of standing water. i figure a short bar would be easier to maneuver and safer. I think a 13" bar is teh shortest I hve found (from Bailey's).

Thanks for the input.

Jeff

 

[romeo]

The only drawback is the size of wood you can cut and the bending over. Other than that it should cut like mad. Not to mention you could sharpen your chain twice as fast. I have never needed a bar that short so I couldn't source one.

 

[blis]

AFAIK 13" is the shortest bar available as standard bar, 12" and shorter low-kickback/carving bars...

 

[clearance]

Shorter bar.... does not compute...:hmm3grin2orange:

Don't know about a 12" bar for the saw. A 16" will prolly be good for what you wanna do. I personally use a longer bar when buckin' and limbin' becasue I'm so dang tall. Then I don't have to bend so much.

Gary

+1, I am 5'11", I like to run a 28" bar on my 371, perfect. What is with this shorter bar thing, why do some people like bending over so much? Stand tall, be proud of being hetro.

 

[GASoline71]

+1, I am 5'11", I like to run a 28" bar on my 371, perfect. What is with this shorter bar thing, why do some people like bending over so much? Stand tall, be proud of being hetro.

Don't know mang...

6' 5" here... 28" bars are becoming more of the norm for me too.

Gary

 

[clearance]

Don't know mang...

6' 5" here... 28" bars are becoming more of the norm for me too.

Gary

5'11" In my socks, must be 6'2" in my boots.

 

[spacemule]

5'11" In my socks, must be 6'2" in my boots.

Ha! You mean high heels? :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[matty f]

some times i run an 18 on my 288 i always run a 14 on my 357,full chisel on both and they will rip the sh1t out of any thing i put in front of them................personally i think big bars are gay, so whats so good in moving at a pace with a 28 inch bar that if you go faster you de rail the chain.???..waste of time if your trying to de limb fast..

 

[clearance]

some times i run an 18 on my 288 i always run a 14 on my 357,full chisel on both and they will rip the sh1t out of any thing i put in front of them................personally i think big bars are gay, so whats so good in moving at a pace with a 28 inch bar that if you go faster you de rail the chain.???..waste of time if your trying to de limb fast..

I thought you guys cut down all the trees there anyways, besides, you drive on the wrong side of the road so no big suprise. De-rail the chain, uhh de-rail is a term for trains I think, and boy do your trains suck, all day to go to London from up north. Don't get your knickers in a twist Matty, I was born there too.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

When I bought the 361, I was going to put a 14" bar on my 346 for limbing, but the shortest bar that Bailey's sold for it was a 16"er. I gave up.

Anyone know where I can get a 14" .325/.050 sprocket nose bar for a 346?

Ian

 

[Stihl #1]

A buddy of mine was trying to do some thinning and clearing with his MS 440, with a 35" bar, and all he managed to do was ruin the chain and bar with dirt. So I put a 3 tooth blade on a FS 130 bike handle trimmer and man was he blown away! He said it was faster, easier, and way better than a saw. And if you put a limit stop and chisel tooth blade, you can do bigger stuff. Something to think about.

 

[matty f]

I thought you guys cut down all the trees there anyways, besides, you drive on the wrong side of the road so no big suprise. De-rail the chain, uhh de-rail is a term for trains I think, and boy do your trains suck, all day to go to London from up north. Don't get your knickers in a twist Matty, I was born there too
.

No need to be like that clearance we are all gods children
ahh but you could go and put your spikes on and trim a tree with your 28 bar!
For some reason though the european saw manafactures recommend a lot smaller sized bars than the one's you run.
here the bigest bar i can get for my 288 is 28 but ive seen you guys run 35's on them..I would be interested to see how they run.

 

[zzrjohn]

For some reason though the european saw manafactures recommend a lot smaller sized bars than the one's you run.
here the bigest bar i can get for my 288 is 28 but ive seen you guys run 35's on them..I would be interested to see how they run.

Mat, maybe its because on the longer lengh bars, they seem to run semi-skip or skip chain (in the states).

I'm trying to locate some 3/8 x 063 or .404 semi or skip chain over here but no one seems to stock it....

 

[matty f]

skip chain ??? doesnt that have less cutters? why should using it make a diference

 

[zzrjohn]

skip chain ??? doesnt that have less cutters? why should using it make a diference

Husky recommend a 28" bar max in the uk for a 372XP using a full comp chain, we must consider the cut wood chips binding/slowing the chain in the cut plus the power requirements to power a chain with full comp cutters.

If we reduce the number of cutters on the chain there is now more room for the cut wood chips in the groove, reducing the chip binding. also there should be less power required to pull the chain due to less cutters.

So we could lengthen the cutting bar to take advantage of the extra available power, it is possible to run a 8ft bar on a MS880, it all depends on the power head used, bar,chain type and wood density.

 

[NBailey]

When I bought the 361, I was going to put a 14" bar on my 346 for limbing, but the shortest bar that Bailey's sold for it was a 16"er. I gave up.

Anyone know where I can get a 14" .325/.050 sprocket nose bar for a 346?

Ian

Haywood, call and ask for a CTC 13 SJ58. This is a .325 x .058 gauge bar (56 dl) for $9.95 while they last. Part of the unadvertised bar stock.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

Thanks Nick... Things have changed here in the last few days, and I've sold the 346. I'll be tapping you for some chain and bars for the new saw when I gather the cash tho.

Ian