Learning about bars longer than 36 inch.

[Dieselshawn]

Hi guys. Learning here about long bars.

Are all bars longer than 36 inch only available in .063 gauge?

been thinking of getting a 41 inch or longer just to have for fun or when the time comes a long bar would be needed.

 

[Lnk]

Hi guys. Learning here about long bars.

Are all bars longer than 36 inch only available in .063 gauge?

been thinking of getting a 41 inch or longer just to have for fun or when the time comes a long bar would be needed.

They didn't used to, I have a 42", .050 bar in large mount husky. I actually don't think I have any .063 bars. My 36 is .058 if I remember correctly.

 

[Nutball]

It would make sense since bars that long would likely be used on high torque saws, and thicker drive links will hold up better to all that torque.

 

[Dieselshawn]

So there is 42 inch long bars in .050?

I can see .063 being more heavier duty.

My 660 does well with 36 inch bar.

This is my biggest saw so far.

I did have one friend that wanted me to mill a large log to make a fire place rest or possibly a table top.

 

[Woodslasher]

I fink @Funky sawman said he had a 50" 0.050 Cannon bar, but I may be wrong. All the 36+ off-the-shelf bars I've seen are 0.063 unless they're (potentially) old-azz 0.058 bars.

 

[Funky sawman]

I fink @Funky sawman said he had a 50" 0.050 Cannon bar, but I may be wrong. All the 36+ off-the-shelf bars I've seen are 0.063 unless they're (potentially) old-azz 0.058 bars.

The cannon .050 was a custom ordered roller nose bar. When my boss had it built in 1989 it cost like 300 bucks!

 

[srcarr52]

Drive links are usually the first failure point so there is no point in making larger bars in a gauge where the chain is sure to fail. Stihl chain is an exception because it’s all 63g at the rivets and skinnied down to 58 or 50 at the bar rail.

Oregon used to make a 36” in 50g but now it’s hard to find anything over a 32” in 50.

 

[gurwald]

I have a 42" gb bar in 58. 58 or 1,5mm is the most common gauge in Sweden.

 

[Dieselshawn]

@Funky sawman $300 in 1989? Must be an expensive bar in today’s dollars. If the boss still has that custom bar, it’s likely still worth $300 or more now.

Interesting info guys. No wonder some guys mistake a .050 Stihl chain with a .063 when they cut chain to package and sell to customers.

I have a new in box Stihl .063 square ground chain sitting on my shelf that I can’t use because it won’t fit in the bar groove. Had that chain ordered as my local Stihl dealer doesn’t sell square ground chains. I now just use the chain to show off to friends

 

[Normzilla]

Imo .063 should be the only way. I've thrown and wadded up more .050 gauge chains. Years back when I switched to .063, threw far less chains, and they would not wad up as bad. And when they did I was able to immediately run em again. .050 would burr up real bad when throw and bend the chain. I got the recommendation from my friend, from logging. He said cutting brush, limbing and bumping knots, the .050 chain broke and flew off. They ran all .063.

 

[Dieselshawn]

Imo .063 should be the only way. I've thrown and wadded up more .050 gauge chains. Years back when I switched to .063, threw far less chains, and they would not wad up as bad. And when they did I was able to immediately run em again. .050 would burr up real bad when throw and bend the chain. I got the recommendation from my friend, from logging. He said cutting brush, limbing and bumping knots, the .050 chain broke and flew off. They ran all .063.

Could that be the .063 gauge allowing more oil to pass through?

 

[Normzilla]

Could that be the .063 gauge allowing more oil to pass through?

Good point too, never thought of that. Not sure honestly.

 

[ManiacalMark]

$300 in 1989 to today is $708…

 

[dahmer]

$300 in 1989 to today is $708…

Seems right, Cannon bars are top of the line.

 

[Bryan Newton]

One of these daysi am going to have to invest in some light weigh bars but for now I am still collecting saws I want so I am just using the standard weight bars

 

[ManiacalMark]

Seems right, Cannon bars are top of the line.

That’s higher than Willie Nelson nowadays even for a 50”. You can get a 72” for $700

 

[Al Smith]

FWIW that 48" NOS McCulloch hard nose on my avatar saw is a .058 bar and runs .404 chain .143 drivers . BTW it's more than a 5 minute job to file that one .

 

[Bigmac]

Bars over 36” it is most common to get.063, allows more oil and a bigger drive link. I have a .o50 36” Stihl light bar, it works fine. I have plenty of bigger saws so use them on anything over 36”. Plus my 660 seems to barely oil a 36”bar, a 42” will be pushing it, I have seen a tree monkey 066 run a long bar 50”+ but I don’t know well it oiled it. Poor oil flow will reduce chain life and stretch a lot

 

[Al Smith]

It might be of note at one time they did make .404 chain in .050 .Fact I was given a Mac 10 series 32" bar in .050 that was .404 which I changed the nose to .375 . I only suspect it was a west coast bar at some time most likely for the 82 CC larger saws used on soft woods .

 

[av8or3]

I have some of the .404 .050 from Oregon. Works great on the older saws that require it.
I found that by changing from 8 tooth rim down to 7 seemed to make the long bar more “stable” when running one on my 066. Certainly felt better and the saw hasn’t flung a loop using it to date.