What length of bar to get on my new saw

[Greenerpastures]

Hi everyone

I am buying a new Shindaiwa 590, it is only 47.9 cc's,
my question is should I go for an 18" or 20" bar, they cost the same.
Both bars are .325" pitch by .58 gauge.

I will use this saw to remove hedges for fire wood, the maximum
thickness of the log will be 14", the majority being on average 8 or 9.

I would have gone for a heavier saw only for the fact there is a lot cutting
bushes and reaching involved, in this respect the 20" bar will keep my back straighter,
but if it costs me too much power then I would have to go for the 18".

May be some one can advise if in particular I will loose a lot of power with
the longer bar.

Thanks & Regards, john

 

[Czed]

Hi everyone

I am buying a new Shindaiwa 590, it is only 47.9 cc's,
my question is should I go for an 18" or 20" bar, they cost the same.
Both bars are .325" pitch by .58 gauge.

I will use this saw to remove hedges for fire wood, the maximum
thickness of the log will be 14", the majority being on average 8 or 9.

I would have gone for a heavier saw only for the fact there is a lot cutting
bushes and reaching involved, in this respect the 20" bar will keep my back straighter,
but if it costs me too much power then I would have to go for the 18".

May be some one can advise if in particular I will loose a lot of power with
the longer bar.

Thanks & Regards, john

Welcome im dave are you sure you dont mean a shindaiwa 491 I've got the echo 490 same saw it came with a 20 inch bar but i prefer the balance of an 18 inch bar on a 50cc saw it pulls a 20 ok i use stihl rs chain they are nice light saws my 490 hasn't broken in yet but it's fun to run i did a muffler mod and retuned really helped it i have the echo 590 same as a shindaiwa 591 usually run a 24 inch bar on it 3/8 pitch easy on the back don't have to bend over as much lol

 

[Duce]

Pick one, you will not loose much, if any power between 18 or 20 inch.

 

[Czed]

I see your in ireland so maybe those saws have different badges 591 top 491 bottom

 

[Czed]

Those saws come with 3/8 for the 590 591 here and .325 for the 490 491 both are .50 gauge I've had the 590 four years no issues.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Those saws come with 3/8 for the 590 591 here and .325 for the 490 491 both are .50 gauge I've had the 590 four years no issues.View attachment 51738

Hi, thanks for posting, the 490 over here is not like the ones I see in the pictures on here, here is a link,
http://www.shindaiwa.com/products/category_detail/id=7457 , it has the 0.058 gauge bar, with a .325 chain
that is big enough given it has only 47.9 cc.
I was told it was the replacement for the 488.

 

[Czed]

Hi, thanks for posting, the 490 I here is not like the ones I see in the pictures here, here is a link,
http://www.shindaiwa.com/products/category_detail/id=7457 , it has the 0.058 gauge bar, with a .325 chain
that is big enough given it has only 47.9 cc.

Thanks for the link it looks like thats the old model here in the us the newest are the 491 and we have
the shinny 501sx that's our newest model has more power than a 490 and 491 stop by not so pros thread and say hi

 

[Greenerpastures]

Welcome im dave are you sure you dont mean a shindaiwa 491 I've got the echo 490 same saw it came with a 20 inch bar but i prefer the balance of an 18 inch bar on a 50cc saw it pulls a 20 ok i use stihl rs chain they are nice light saws my 490 hasn't broken in yet but it's fun to run i did a muffler mod and retuned really helped it i have the echo 590 same as a shindaiwa 591 usually run a 24 inch bar on it 3/8 pitch easy on the back don't have to bend over as much lol

Hi and thanks for posting, no, ~I do not see a 491 model in my location, I attached an image in post #6 of the 490 in question.
And yes, the Echo saws are sold here, just not close to me, and as far as I am aware they are also produced
by Shindaiwa.
I made a mistake and sold my Jonsered 2153, and its newer replacement gave a lot of trouble over here so
decided to try the Shindaiwa.

 

[Czed]

I liked mine so much i bought two 590s and a 490 lol the echo's were here first i had an old 416 shindaiwa and a 488 great saws.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Thanks Czed, comforting to hear they are a good enough saw. Would rather see my model
commented on though as the490 and 491 could indeed be considerably different saws.
Hope there is no catalytic on mine, never had a saw with it, and from what some folks
tell me they need to run hotter to do a proper job.
Time will tell.

 

[rburg]

The 490 in your post did replace the 488 and it was made before Echo and Shindaiwa merged I believe. I prefer an 18" bar on this size saw, but it would do ok with a 20".

 

[Greenerpastures]

The 490 in your post did replace the 488 and it was made before Echo and Shindaiwa merged I believe. I prefer an 18" bar on this size saw, but it would do ok with a 20".

Hi rburg

I appreciate your post, kind of leaning towards the shorter bar myself, will be doing a dry run
tomorrow with the saw, have left a message for a local guy who is quite well up on the do's and dont's of all this. Don't know when Echo got involved with Shindaiwa, but the 490 I have is the
only one shown on the manufacturers EU site, I will check the plate on the side for a date, though I would find it odd that if there is a more up to date model it is not on their site on my side of the
world.

Regards, john

 

[Czed]

Throw up some pics of your saw someone on here has that model there's one shindaiwa guy on here that's got a ton of info on those.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Throw up some pics of your saw someone on here has that model there's one shindaiwa guy on here that's got a ton of info on those.

Hi, thanks for posting, The saw in post #6 is the same as mine, I can't put up any actual
images as I have a card reader problem, CF card for my cannon no longer works in the card
reader, bent pins so need a new one before I can get any images off the camera.

Thanks & Regards, john

 

[Greenerpastures]

Hi all

The saw in my post (#6) is advertised on the manufacturers
EU website, I can not find a newer model 490 nor can I find the 591 for sale over
here at all.
So am puzzled to know whether the rather different shaped 490 I see in Czed's posts above
is an update to my saw, or is it just a different saw for the US market
without knowing it is difficult to interpret whether the rather positive comments regarding
peoples 490 are in relation to the saw I have, I do however know the model I have
seems to have been sold for at least 5 years as you tube shows users from this period.

Thanks and Regards, john

 

[Greenerpastures]

I changed the bar to the 18", plenty big given only 47.9 cc.
The dealer has another 490 on the shelf where mine was yesterday,
even so, when the last of these are gone, there won't be any more as
it looks like they discontinued it, and have replaced it with the 50 cc 501
model that looks like the 452 in shape.
The only niggle is I do not see adjustment holes on the casing to adjust the carb,
so am guessing it is not adjustable, will have a spare adjustable one any way in
the workshop as it fits the children's small quads.
May be it is like some of the carbs on the Honda Generators, where one can bust out a
small foil cover and find an adjustment underneath.
Any info on the 490 is welcome, especially in relation to the carb and the appropriate mixture.

Thanks & Regards, john

 

[Alderman]

The 490 in your post did replace the 488 and it was made before Echo and Shindaiwa merged I believe. I prefer an 18" bar on this size saw, but it would do ok with a 20".

What he says. The 18" just seems to feel better on this saw.


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[skidooguy]

I have the 491 with a 20" .325 and I wish I would have went with the 18" personally. And the 491 also has a cat muffler so it's pretty choked up in stock form. Very light saw and have only used it once for firewood but it seemed to run well and is really economical on fuel. It is primarily my farm saw that spends life in the back of the pickup so I don't have many hours on it yet. If you wear gloves while cutting a person would benefit from a larger starter handle, it's a tiny little bugger.

 

[Czed]

I have the 491 with a 20" .325 and I wish I would have went with the 18" personally. And the 491 also has a cat muffler so it's pretty choked up in stock form. Very light saw and have only used it once for firewood but it seemed to run well and is really economical on fuel. It is primarily my farm saw that spends life in the back of the pickup so I don't have many hours on it yet. If you wear gloves while cutting a person would benefit from a larger starter handle, it's a tiny little bugger.

The muffler on my 490 was cake to mod i pulled the limiters added a dual port and retuned it woke that saw up and didn't make it much louder at all.