Stihl MS441 & MS462 recommended bar length maximum... 32" vs 28"

[anymanusa]

Does anyone care to hazard an explanation as to why Stihl has the maximum recommended bar length of 32" for the 441 and only 28" for the 462? I've long wondered this. Anywhere you look on their websites, you see the maximum length recommended for the 462 as being only 28" and the 441 they recommend 32".

? Does the 441 have more torque?

441:
50mm bore
36mm stroke

462:
52mm bore
34mm stroke

 

[Evan]

No idea. Neither in stock form are going t win races with a 32 but handle them ok. 28" balances so s much better . 28 just belongs 70cc saws.
Heres my 372. Ths my 28 my most useful bar and I have a few from 18-36.
28 on 70cc just does everything til you get into lots of 40" or bigger wod.
This bar has been with me for a long time and seen quite a few orange and white 70cc saws.

I wonder if it has something to do with the anti vibration on the saws.

 

[Evan]

No idea. Neither in stock form are going t win races with a 32 but handle them ok. 28" balances so s much better . 28 just belongs 70cc saws.
Heres my 372. Ths my 28 my most useful bar and I have a few from 18-36.
28 on 70cc just does everything til you get into lots of 40" or bigger wod.
This bar has been with me for a long time and seen quite a few orange and white 70cc saws.

I wonder if it has something to do with the anti vibration on the saws.View attachment 783889

 

[Evan]

No idea. Neither in stock form are going t win races with a 32 but handle them ok. 28" balances so s much better . 28 just belongs 70cc saws.
Heres my 372. Ths my 28 my most useful bar and I have a few from 18-36.
28 on 70cc just does everything til you get into lots of 40" or bigger wod.
This bar has been with me for a long time and seen quite a few orange and white 70cc saws.

I wonder if it has something to do with the anti vibration on the saws.View attachment 783889

 

[CR888]

AV/size of power head.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Could be that they think the 500i will be better suited for bars over 28" and I'm sure they'd like to sell as many of them as they can.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Never run a 441, however, 32 is more than a stock 462 wants to deal with on a regular basis, especially in hard wood. For time to time use, fine. However, 28 is much better suited to the 462. 24" is probably ideal.

IMO 32" regular use is better suited to the 90cc saws.

 

[U&A]

Never run a 441, however, 32 is more than a stock 462 wants to deal with on a regular basis, especially in hard wood. For time to time use, fine. However, 28 is much better suited to the 462. 24" is probably ideal.

IMO 32" regular use is better suited to the 90cc saws.

I agree


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Walkdog]

I had a lightly modded 441r and I think the 462 is an improvement in just about every way. I use em to make larger cuts in tree, so would never want to run a 32” bar on either - 24-25” is the sweet spot for authority in the cut. 20” for absolutely unstoppable oomph.

With a good port job I’m sure a 462 would have no problem with a 32” bar, perhaps even a 36”, but I much prefer a 90cc for those length bars, and there’s the obvious balance issue with such a light powerhead. I really don’t encounter a lot of wood that large, and when I do, I mostly reach for the 3120xp with a 32” bar - it’s much more fun to tear through it with gobs of power to spare than be pushing the saw to its limit the whole time.

 

[huskihl]

The 462 has more peak horsepower and torque, but it falls off and isn’t as forgiving with a longer bar. The 441 has a flatter torque curve with its power spread out over a wider RPM range

 

[U&A]

The 462 has more peak horsepower and torque, but it falls off and isn’t as forgiving with a longer bar. The 441 has a flatter torque curve with its power spread out over a wider RPM range

Cool info sir[emoji1303][emoji41]


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Jed1124]

With the stock single dog a 20” bar tips the 462 power head forward while sitting on a bench.
I would think a 32” would be really nose heavy.
The 441 is a tank (weight wise) compared to the 462.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

With the stock single dog a 20” bar tips the 462 power head forward while sitting on a bench.
I would think a 32” would be really nose heavy.
The 441 is a tank (weight wise) compared to the 462.

Wild...I never had a 20" on my 462 when I had the stock dogs. My 28" non light bar definitely tipped it forward, but with the big dogs, it doesn't. Funny how much of a difference those big dogs make.

 

[anymanusa]

So this has got me learning about the 441, 461, & 462. I had always just assumed the 461 & 462 where very very similar. Now I understand they're completely different saws. Bore and stroke and cc's and design. I never really paid attention to the specifications of these saws. Now I wonder if I don't already have the perfect 70cc saw given my desire to have an m-tronic saw as a requirement. The 461 doesn't come in m-tronic variety, and the 462 doesn't have the low end torque that the 441 has, but it is lighter.

 

[huskihl]

So this has got me learning about the 441, 461, & 462. I had always just assumed the 461 & 462 where very very similar. Now I understand they're completely different saws. Bore and stroke and cc's and design. I never really paid attention to the specifications of these saws. Now I wonder if I don't already have the perfect 70cc saw given my desire to have an m-tronic saw as a requirement. The 461 doesn't come in m-tronic variety, and the 462 doesn't have the low end torque that the 441 has, but it is lighter.

Your 461 looks like the previous generation stihls. The 462 looks like a slightly larger version of the 261. And it doesn’t weigh much more than a 261

 

[dmb2613]

25 in bar is best for either saw . The 462 is a better saw all-around than the 441. If you ever run a 462 you will love it

 

[Stihl 041S]

Ever work at a major manufacturer of a equipment???

The literature that goes with the equipment is the last thing to get done.

Often sent after the equipment does with larger things.
Many contracts are written that payment is held until manuals are supplied.

With something the size of a saw,when the saw isn’t finished on time, and most aren’t ........how many times are release dates moved......you are not going to take your top engineer to write the literature!!!!!!!

Ever notice how bad some instructions are........think about it.

I would GUESS .......from being there......that one guy wrote the specs on one saw and another not so good engineer wrote the specs on the other.

Who ever wrote the final copy was in graphics just put down what they were told, knowing that the pain in the butt third string engineer wasn’t going to change their mind. Ego of an incompetent engineer being what it is.

Just my $.02 from watching it happen in large and small equipment. Lol

You tell the always on the bench because of his record Of poor performance tech engineer “Hey .....that’s wrong” and smile and he goes ballistic!!!!!!

If you show a good engineer a mistake he says thanks and maybe laughs .....a big screwup and he buys lunch!!!!

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I use a 34" Reduced weight bar on my 441 BB . It pulls with authority. The 28 with full comp for hardwood, no problem.
Hell even my factory 441 pulls a 28" bar fast.

 

[PapaWhitebeard]

I know it’s a zombie thread but in case anyone finds this info useful in the future I’m running a 36” light bar on my MS462 and it loves it. Felled a 36 inch oak with it last weekend and it’s a blaster. Lightly ported and modified exhaust big dawgs on it but otherwise stock.

Earlier replies mentioned leaning forward on dogs… I’m running big dogs on it and it sits on a bench just fine on it with the bar in the air.

Incidentally Stihl now sells the 462 with a 36 inch bar option from the factory. They’re impossible to find—at least here in CA but if you check the Stihl website you’ll see that 36” bar is an option despite the mismatch with the literature included within my saw that states a 28 inch max.

I actually weighed my bar and chain on a postal scale (Oregon skip) and it might be worth noting that the 36 inch bar weighs almost a full pound LESS than the factory 28 inch bar with an Oregon skip chain…

* 5lbs 9 oz with the 36” light rollomatic
* 6 lbs 8 oz with the 28” using OEM rollomatic

(I was a motorcycle racer and I’m pretty cognizant about safety and weighing stuff… lighter spinning weight is better safer cuts faster etc… weight matters in motos and chainsaws)