What length bar is best for dropping a 50" diameter tree?

[imagineero]

I still have have to call BS on that last claim you made. A 1/2 diameter bar does not reach all the parts of any circle, unless it has full 360 degree approach to the log. ...or you make notches to get to the center.

It's not that hard, but it is hard work ;-) Still beats the crap out of lugging a massive bar around all day though. Big logs end up standing high off the ground, so you do have access to most parts of the log. Bucking a log double the size of your bar is about where I sign off an leave it to the big boys, but double is definitely doable, even without cutting from both sides. You'll want a nicely dressed bar, and a chain with cutters all identical length, angle, raker height, so you get a good straight cut.

With a log nicely on the lay and no tension or compression you can start off from the top, maybe 20% of your bar length below the top of the log. With the bar facing downwards start your cut so you are bucking well below the halfway point of the log. Work upwards and over, get down on the near side and work it all the way down, then from near the ground you can reach where you started over on that far side, having never gone over there. I'm sure thats clear as mud to anyone who hasn't done it before ;-) Make sure that big boy doesn't roll on you!

This one I did last week (sorry about the awful photo) was getting up there somewhere near 60", probably a little shy. I had a 36" bar and it was still comfortable. Bucked it up once it was on the ground with the same bar. If I had a bigger bar it would have been nice, sure, but there's other factors too. Now I'm a lowly tree worker I can bring a whole truck full of gear to my jobs, so I make sure to have at least 4 saws on hand... but when I was out in the woods you don't want to carry more than one saw, and it can be a long walk back to the truck. If one has to do it all, I'd want the smallest lightest saw I could get away with.

Shaun

 

[pdqdl]

Ok. You are all right...if your bar reaches 1/2 way to the middle of a log, of course you can cut it up. No problem. I was rude and impatient to claim otherwise. My apologies to all!

I guess I failed to go back and remind everybody about my earlier claim that a bar won't cut as much as it claims to. By the time you subtract for bucking spikes and other features that may be present on a saw, that 28" bar won't cut off but 27". I have checked every saw in my inventory, and not a one of them will actually reach quite as far as the official length of the bar.

So...if you need 24" to cut up a 48" log, you had better have more than a 24" bar, or you had better plan on working real hard at it.

Here is a pic of my recently acquired MS-460 with a 36" bar. It tips the scale at only 34 1/2" cut, which clearly won't cut up a 6' log without extra effort.

 

[treeclimber101]

The moral of the story is thats why I don't cut down big trees , cause I can't figure out what size bar I would need ....

 

[RandyMac]

Ok. You are all right...if your bar reaches 1/2 way to the middle of a log, of course you can cut it up. No problem. I was rude and impatient to claim otherwise. My apologies to all!

I guess I failed to go back and remind everybody about my earlier claim that a bar won't cut as much as it claims to. By the time you subtract for bucking spikes and other features that may be present on a saw, that 28" bar won't cut off but 27". I have checked every saw in my inventory, and not a one of them will actually reach quite as far as the official length of the bar.

So...if you need 24" to cut up a 48" log, you had better have more than a 24" bar, or you had better plan on working real hard at it.

Here is a pic of my recently acquired MS-460 with a 36" bar. It tips the scale at only 34 1/2" cut, which clearly won't cut up a 6' log without extra effort.

There is something to that. This old logging saw's bar measures 50" from the case and only 46.5" from the spikes.

 

[no tree to big]

reminds me of the time when I cut down a ugly beast of a silver maple about 48" with a 16" 32cc mcculloch. fell and bucked it all into firewood, what can I say I was 16 and made 300 bucks + fuel, went well too!

I think I used an oversized saw though I could have eaisly done it with a 14":dunno:

 

[jefflovstrom]

reminds me of the time when I cut down a ugly beast of a silver maple about 48" with a 16" 32cc mcculloch. fell and bucked it all into firewood, what can I say I was 16 and made 300 bucks + fuel, went well too!

I think I used an oversized saw though I could have eaisly done it with a 14":dunno:

Pic's or it did not happen.
Jeff

 

[RandyMac]

30cc Echo, 14" Bar, 42" Tanbark.

 

[no tree to big]

Pic's or it did not happen.
Jeff

that tree is long burnt, and no pics of the action when I was falling it it looked like a stair case for a notch took alittle off the sides a little off the back and by the time I was done I had a 20" tree to fall :eek2: good thing it was not a windy day and was solid through out! then when I bucked it up I made a cross cut from both sides of the big stuff then noodled a couple lines in the end of the log then the "edges" fell off leaving me with a big rectangle then I cut that off the trunk and repeated, a lot. you dont believe me, find me a tree and fly me to cali and hand me a 16" saw its gonna be ugly but it will hit the ground and turn into blocks

EDIT: or you could do what was done in the above pics... much more professional looking lol

 

[DangerTree]

30cc Echo, 14" Bar, 42" Tanbark.

Randy Mac that's funnier than sh.. I'm trying to find a photo of a 65" cotton that I killed with an ms200 you more or less wittle em' down like a beaver! Ha freakin Ha!!

 

[RandyMac]

I helped my boss whittle a 22' Redwood with an old Homelite.

 

[DangerTree]

I helped my boss whittle a 22' Redwood with an old Homelite.

Now that I would like to have seen. How many months did that take?

 

[RandyMac]

9 hours.

Here is a big one, my buddy Vestal is on the right.

 

[DangerTree]

9 hours.

Here is a big one, my buddy Vestal is on the right.

I'd like to see you take that down with a homie.

 

[RandyMac]

Some Homelites were big, very big.

 

[DangerTree]

Some Homelites were big, very big.

No I mean a little homie after all we were talking about how big a tree can you nuke with a whittler.

 

[DangerTree]

No I mean a little homie after all we were talking about how big a tree can you nuke with a whittler.

Oh and Randy Where did you find that safety gear. I love it it looks like regular street clothes kinda urban camouflage style.

 

[RandyMac]

They took down giants with handtools, I imagine you could fall any tree with any saw.

PPE wasn't in the vogue back then, although in the logging woods, hardhats, gloves and boots were required.
I did use knee length chaps when I had to, they were leather reinforced canvas/fiberglass, good for soaking up bar oil.

 

[tree md]

Randy Mac that's funnier than sh.. I'm trying to find a photo of a 65" cotton that I killed with an ms200 you more or less wittle em' down like a beaver! Ha freakin Ha!!

I took a 68" Cottonwood down with an 029, 20" bar about 7 or 8 years ago... Climbed most of it but had to drop a good 60' pole... Had to cut 6" wide cookies with the 029 that were chest high and roll them through a 36" gate and out to the front... Took us 4 days... Wouldn't want to attempt that again...

 

[teatersroad]

9 hours.

Here is a big one, my buddy Vestal is on the right.

What is Mr. Skaggs holding there?

 

[RandyMac]

What is Mr. Skaggs holding there?

Gun Sticks aka Gunning Sticks. A device to accurately place undercuts on large diameter trees. You stand in front of the tree, in the direction of desired fall, and your second saw marks the trunk. Often used in conjunction with a plumb-line.