Short bars on 50cc saws?

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bassJAM

bassJAM

Feeling the Heat
Jun 5, 2012
478
Cincinnati OH
So I originally got my 550xp with an 18" bar when I thought it would be my only saw. But now I've got a Dolkita 6421 that primarily wears a 20", so the 18" on the Husqvarna seems redundant (especially with the monster Makita spikes taking away 2" of bar length!). So I'm really considering a 13" bar on the Husqvarna. It seems like anything shorter than 16" isn't really popular in the states on a 50cc saw, but I find that the 18" is just a little too long and it gets in the way more than it helps when limbing, and I can't see that a 16" would be a heck of a lot different.

So has anyone used such a short bar on a saw this size and have any thoughts they'd like to share. Right now I'm leaning towards a 13" bar, but would consider a 15" as well. Primary use for this saw is limbing and bucking smaller pieces, and I tend to reach for the Makita after things get above 10".
 
My dad's saw has a 16 inch bar and mine has an 18. Honestly the 16 feels much smaller after using the 18 all the time. I don't think I would put a 13 inch bar on a full size saw because the weight of the saw itself doesn't really change. If you wanted a little limbing saw I'd get a small overall saw designed for a short bar, it would feel much handier. Just my .02
 
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I run a 16" on my 346XP and it's just about right actually. It has reasonable reach and is still very maneuverable. I don't know that I would go less than a 16 on it unless you were going to do climbing with it and at that point a top handle saw would make more sense.
 
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I have a 16" NK bar on a 346XP (predecessor to the 550XP), and I wouldn't want to go smaller. It is perfectly balanced for limbing and can buck wider logs without making multiple cuts.

I have saws with smaller bars, but I actually prefer the longer reach for limbing. My 38cc saw with a 14" bar is light and nimble; however, there is a trade-off. There is a lot more bending down and reaching with a short bar.
 
See, I don't really use the reach of my bar. I tend to just move to where I need to and place the saw so it's cutting as close to the powerhead as possible with every cut. I almost never cut near the end of the bar.
 
I run a 12" on a 42cc saw and it's great, BUT the balance of that thing feels off. It almost seems not worth it, IMO, but I do need a new chain, so I guess I'm not the perfect source for this...
 
When I have the need to limb out a tree, I do the exact opposite. I strap the 25" bar on and just walk down the tree. I am not sure that I would like the powerhead to be the heavy end. If I am gonna be out of balance, I would want it to be towards the bar end. Personal pref.
 
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Jags said:
When I have the need to limb out a tree, I do the exact opposite. I strap the 25" bar on and just walk down the tree. I am not sure that I would like the powerhead to be the heavy end. If I am gonna be out of balance, I would want it to be towards the bar end. Personal pref.
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No bending over, that's how I do it, too.
 
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bassJAM said:
See, I don't really use the reach of my bar. I tend to just move to where I need to and place the saw so it's cutting as close to the powerhead as possible with every cut. I almost never cut near the end of the bar.
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You need to stop by our farm and cut treetops from a timber harvest all day or at least an afternoon. At sundown, I'll ask you if you still like your short bar. Reach and balance are important during longer cutting sessions.

Well, that's my perspective. I do recognize that not everyone cuts the same type of wood and the same way. Other than shelling out cash, there's no reason not to try a short bar and chain. It's an easily reversible change. On a 50cc saw, I'll vote for a 16" NK bar (weighs less) and regular kerf .325 chain as it's sweet spot.
 
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you could probably find a short woodland pro B&C for under 30 bucks.
 
Since I have the choice of a 20" or 28" bar on saws that are identical except for displacement, I find myself living with the big one. The longer bar makes it conveniently nose heavy.

I had a 270 with a 18" bar and swapped it for a 16". I liked the 16 much better.
 
I could maybe see the benefit after cutting all day on reach, definitely on balance. Balance is what's got me thinking about a 15" bar. I just find it odd that the other side of the pond prefers a much shorter bar on saws and thinks 15" is the outer limit on a 50cc saw. There's got to be a valid reason for their thinking. I know as American's we tend to like things big, but often I'm aligned more with the European train of thought. I'll take a small sports car that's slower but handles any day over a fast muscle car, same as I'd take a light handling motorcycle long before I'd own a heavy cruiser.
 
bassJAM said:
I just find it odd that the other side of the pond prefers a much shorter bar on saws and thinks 15" is the outer limit on a 50cc saw.
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It changes all over the place. Over the pond doesn't have any old growth trees negating the need for long bars. The west coasters here in the states will strap a 28" bar on an MS 290.;lol
 
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What you do is get an old saw with an auto & manual oiler combo. Then you determine the longest bar that your automatic oiler can handle and then add about 6 inches to that length and put a skip chain on it. Then you do thumb workouts every day so you don't get tired on saw days.
 
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I just got a new husqvarna 550xp. It came with an 18 inch bar ( still in sealed box ) and chain. This is going to be my only chain saw going forword. I burn 2-3 cord per year prob cut 5-6 cord a year with my father. I do some sugaring and have a large chunk of property. I'll prob use my fathers 65cc Stihl to do a portion of the bucking. So my question is should I stick with my 18 inch bar or try to trade it for a 16 inch bar?
 
Sell the 550.
 
I have a 16" on my 025, and that has become the saw I use most. Good power and balance IMO
 
With a 13" bar that saw will feel (and be) unbalanced. If you need/want a 13" bar, sell the saw and buy a smaller one. As stated by others, limbing is much lower effort with a long bar - you might want to consider trying to change your technique if you do a lot of it.
 
efoyt said:
I just got a new husqvarna 550xp. It came with an 18 inch bar ( still in sealed box ) and chain. This is going to be my only chain saw going forword. I burn 2-3 cord per year prob cut 5-6 cord a year with my father. I do some sugaring and have a large chunk of property. I'll prob use my fathers 65cc Stihl to do a portion of the bucking. So my question is should I stick with my 18 inch bar or try to trade it for a 16 inch bar?
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I would swap it out for a 16
 
Jags said:
It changes all over the place. Over the pond doesn't have any old growth trees negating the need for long bars. The west coasters here in the states will strap a 28" bar on an MS 290.;lol
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Eons of raping and pillaging the land and wars have left Europe pretty barren. Agreed , not much there as far as big timber.
As far as bar length. I run 20" on everything. I've never felt the need to have an armament of different size chains and bars floating around . KISS method I guess.
 
JustWood said:
I run 20" on everything.
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On occasion I do run into some big stuff, hence the 25" bar. My "normal" bar that does 85% plus of my cutting is an 18" on my MS361. The 361 with 18" of bar and a sharp chain is a wood cutting animal.
 
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I'm not sure if the "they have smaller trees" theory holds water. Because if you're only cutting smaller trees, why not save some money on a saw and step down to the next smaller size? Heck, they pay more for gasoline than we do, so surely they'd want a smaller saw for the fuel savings alone!
 
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