Different bar lengths..

[Northtogladwin]

Great info given last time so I'll ask another!

I'm picking up a 462 that's on order soon and it will be ported in time.

I'm in northern michigan but some of the trees here are fat. Besides who makes them amd what brand, what are people finding they're using the most in bar length? I'll probably end up with a long bar for if if absolutely needed one and it's jist cool to have. A medium one amd an 18 or 20 inch as the shortest.
What has worked well for you? What's on your go to saw? Do you consider running a skip tooth on the longer bars? What's your weapon of choice if you are grabbing a saw for the weekend?

 

[Duce]

Dropping them and limping calls for different saws and bars for me. Mainly cut red oaks, 24 inch for dropping, full comp chains on ported 372oe, 20 inch on 400, 18 on 550. 100’s of ways to solve your problem, to each his own.

 

[Ryan Browne]

What other saws do you have? That's a big part of the equation for me. I run a 70cc and a 20" a lot for bucking firewood. I like a 70cc and lightweight 28" for felling decent sized hardwood. Much longer than that and I'm reaching for a bigger saw.

 

[Loony661]

Great info given last time so I'll ask another!

I'm picking up a 462 that's on order soon and it will be ported in time.

I'm in northern michigan but some of the trees here are fat. Besides who makes them amd what brand, what are people finding they're using the most in bar length? I'll probably end up with a long bar for if if absolutely needed one and it's jist cool to have. A medium one amd an 18 or 20 inch as the shortest.
What has worked well for you? What's on your go to saw? Do you consider running a skip tooth on the longer bars? What's your weapon of choice if you are grabbing a saw for the weekend?

I run 462’s daily logging hardwoods and I like 24” bars with full comp, full chisel. I can handle trees up to 40” diameter with this setup and still have over-reach.

 

[Northtogladwin]

What other saws do you have? That's a big part of the equation for me. I run a 70cc and a 20" a lot for bucking firewood. I like a 70cc and lightweight 28" for felling decent sized hardwood. Much longer than that and I'm reaching for a bigger saw.

Small husky 445 18 inch bar but it's not mine

 

[Catbuster]

Here’s what I think…

36 is too much for that saw, anywhere. Its predecessor would do it in wood like Cedar & Hemlock, but the 462 is not a 461 or 460.

32 is pretty long too. The original design 462 didn’t have the grunt to run one effectively, the newer ones with the updated pistons and cases do it a lot better, but again, sans sharp chain and softer woods it’s not ideal.

I mostly run 28” bars on saws that size. I like the balance, reach and the length I can use to buck almost anything I come across. A 462 will pull it well.

24/25 has always felt like it was a tweener size. I know a lot of guys run that length, but it always felt too long to be small and nimble like a 20 but usually just too short to reach out and grab what I want on the ground a lot of the time.

20 with a sharp chain and small dawgs makes for a ripper bucking firewood-sized logs, and it’s great if they’re at a comfortable height.

16/18/shorter… Just get a smaller saw. I ran a 440 with a 16” bar once and it just… It’s just wrong

 

[vw_motorsports]

24" and up I use a skip chain

 

[Gary Courtney]

I like 28" and I run 32 a lot on a 362 where I do not have to bend over as much limbing

 

[hacskaroly]

Do you consider running a skip tooth on the longer bars?

The benefit of skip chain will be less drag on the longer bars compared to full comp chain. Like anything else, some people swear by full skip, where others love full comp on the longer bars. I think the biggest complaint I have heard about full comp is having to sharpening more cutters compared to full skip.

 

[Gary Courtney]

The benefit of skip chain will be less drag on the longer bars compared to full comp chain. Like anything else, some people swear by full skip, where others love full comp on the longer bars. I think the biggest complaint I have heard about full comp is having to sharpening more cutters compared to full skip.

I run full skip on my saws

 

[pbillyi69]

i have never ran a 462. i do have a husky 372xpw that has only ever had a 32 on it with semi skip chain and is what i ran daily like that for years. semi skip just so there was less time sharpening chain at the end of the day. im on the west coast and cut soft and hard wood. i used the same set up when i lived in the midwest. when i got that saw it seemed slow compared to my work partner 372xp so we put an 8 tooth sprocket on it to speed the chain up and it seemed to help but we did zero timed tests. im pretty sure it still has that sprocket on it and it runs fine. i like the longer bar so i dont have to bend down when limbing.

 

[hacskaroly]

so we put an 8 tooth sprocket on it to speed the chain up

From what I understand between the 7 and 8 tooth sprockets, use one for more speed and less torque and the other for more torque and less speed. From what I remember reading, full comp is good through 24" bars, use semi-skip from 24" to 36" and full skip from 36" on. Those were basic guidelines to figure for less drag as the bar gets longer. As anything else, use what works best for you, your saws and the type of wood you are cutting.

 

[pbillyi69]

full skip is meant for long bars completely buried the lack of cutters makes more room for clearing chips. i have a 36 on my old 046 and have some full skip chain its cuts fine with it but its slower for sure. it takes a lot of grunt to run long bars with full comp due to chip clog

 

[pbillyi69]

yes more torque with a 7 tooth and more chain speed with 8 tooth. on my stock saw i havent ever timed it with the two sprockets to see. i would suspect that the same chain in the same log on the same day that the 7 tooth would actually cut faster because of the torque. there is only one way to tell. im too lazy to do it. if i can get to a get together i might do it because there would be others to play with. but by myself at home it doesnt really matter. lol

 

[Loony661]

yes more torque with a 7 tooth and more chain speed with 8 tooth. on my stock saw i havent ever timed it with the two sprockets to see. i would suspect that the same chain in the same log on the same day that the 7 tooth would actually cut faster because of the torque. there is only one way to tell. im too lazy to do it. if i can get to a get together i might do it because there would be others to play with. but by myself at home it doesnt really matter. lol

The extra torque won’t help you if you’re not taking a bigger bite with lower rakers. ViceVersa with the 8 pin.

 

[pbillyi69]

oh i have lower rakers and square ground chain and a simington grinder. i have made really agressive chains and not so agressive chains. i have settled on angles that cut hardwood smooth and fast. i usually run pretty big bite with my rakers

 

[Loony661]

oh i have lower rakers and square ground chain and a simington grinder. i have made really agressive chains and not so agressive chains. i have settled on angles that cut hardwood smooth and fast. i usually run pretty big bite with my rakers

Cool.

 

[Seachaser]

I like 28" and I run 32 a lot on a 362 where I do not have to bend over as much limbing

This. I run 20” to 32” depending on the situation. I bend over enough without having to do it every cut.

 

[ferris]

Here’s what I think…

36 is too much for that saw, anywhere. Its predecessor would do it in wood like Cedar & Hemlock, but the 462 is not a 461 or 460.

32 is pretty long too. The original design 462 didn’t have the grunt to run one effectively, the newer ones with the updated pistons and cases do it a lot better, but again, sans sharp chain and softer woods it’s not ideal.

I mostly run 28” bars on saws that size. I like the balance, reach and the length I can use to buck almost anything I come across. A 462 will pull it well.

24/25 has always felt like it was a tweener size. I know a lot of guys run that length, but it always felt too long to be small and nimble like a 20 but usually just too short to reach out and grab what I want on the ground a lot of the time.

20 with a sharp chain and small dawgs makes for a ripper bucking firewood-sized logs, and it’s great if they’re at a comfortable height.

16/18/shorter… Just get a smaller saw. I ran a 440 with a 16” bar once and it just… It’s just wrong

This
But I can’t agree with the 16“ bar. I think it makes fun on the 462 bucking hardwood

 

[davidwyby]

I’m 6’. I do not care for short bars. Got to the WI GTG and outfitted my new to me ported 461 with 24” that was handy. Tore into the firewood pile and didn’t like bending over and having to mind the tip, lest I catch it in the face. @Stihlalltheway showed up with a 32” I think and could easily stand up and buck. That’s generally how I go now. I used to run a lot of 70cc 28”, until last summer taking down some huge wide spreading oaks. 36” to drop. 346xp 20” to limb. I was using the 70cc 28” for the firewood size limbs…until one time it ran out of gas so I just finished with the 2188 36”. I preferred the reach of that to bending and extending the saw out from my body. I will run 32”-36” on smallish saws just for bucking smallish stuff. Not necessarily to bury in big wood. 32” is the best balance. 36” gets a little unwieldy. If I’m in the yard bucking off a forklift…whatever bar is just long enough to reach through the wood and a saw with plenty of power for that length. Long bars, lightweight for sure…and skip to prevent choking on chips, and less to sharpen.