Opinions on using an MS 880 with a 21/25 inch bar?

[Muddy42]

I currently have two working saws:

1) Stihl 028 Wood Boss, 47cc with a 16 inch bar.

2) Stihl 088, with a 36 inch bar or 48 inch bar.

[Note incompatible bar mounts]

I love the 088, its a beast which is amazing in the alaksan mill. In terms of the saw work I do, it is mostly cleaning up windblow.  I really like the 028 for small windblow, it runs fine and I can use it all day. The 028 is fine for any felling I do. 

 

But... there is the odd occasion where I am logging up big trees and I need something else, a bar length in the 21/25 inch range to deal with a big trunk.  I have used the 088 and 36 inch bar before but I do find that length of bar too long and unwieldy when its not buried in wood (and frankly a bit scary!).

 

- I don't want to buy a longer bar for the small saw, I hate small saws with long bars.

- Does anyone use an 088 with a shorter 21/25inch bar?  I can get an Oregon bar and 404 chain for £100 on ebay.  Am I mad for considering, would it still be unwieldy?

- If so, I guess I would consider getting a used MS460 for a few hundred quid.

 

Any advice appreciated

[htb]

@Rob D

[Bob_z_l]

Got a Sugi 24" on my 881 for small milling and occasional crosscuts.

 

Rob at Chainsaw bars as posted above is the font of all knowledge.

[Muddy42]

41 minutes ago, Bob_z_l said:

Got a Sugi 24" on my 881 for small milling and occasional crosscuts.

 

Rob at Chainsaw bars as posted above is the font of all knowledge.

 

Cheers, how do you find using a 120cc 10kg saw for crosscutting?

[Bob_z_l]

1 hour ago, Muddy42 said:

 

Cheers, how do you find using a 120cc 10kg saw for crosscutting?

Hard work if I'm doing a load. It doesn't tae long to remind you how heavy in comparison to my 261.

Trade off, carry two saws or just one and extra bar. Depends on job.

I mainly wanted the smaller bar so that when milling I only needed one saw. 

[Rob D]

Could get a rim sprocket kit for the 028 - switch to a lo pro set up - and run a 20" or 25" lo pro bar.

 

We don't have the rim sprocket kit but any of these could be converted by swapping the rim.

 

 

[Mik the Miller]

I have an 880 with a 25" bar (also a 48 and 72 I use on the Alaskan). The 880 loves the 25" and just falls through oak and beech boughs.

It's not the sort of combo you want to swing about for more than an hour or two but it works perfectly and feels reasonably well balanced.

I run an 8 tooth (404) rim sprocket from Kevlargaffs (on eBay) which speeds the chain up a bit.

 

Current wisdom is to use a smaller (narrower kerf) chain but I like the way a sharp full chisel in 404 cuts. it's solid.

I can see the wisdom on a mill but for bucking and making hinge cuts I like the wider cut when using a wedge.

[Mik the Miller]

For an occasional use bar, this from Rotatech is fine. It's not as heavy/rigid/hard as some of the other brands available but it's not crap either. As long as you are carefull and the chain is well oiled, for less than £45 it's a really usefull bar.

 

Rotatech .404, 25" for 880 chainsaw

[Muddy42]

On 01/07/2022 at 14:42, Bob_z_l said:

Hard work if I'm doing a load. It doesn't tae long to remind you how heavy in comparison to my 261.

Trade off, carry two saws or just one and extra bar. Depends on job.

I mainly wanted the smaller bar so that when milling I only needed one saw. 

 

On 01/07/2022 at 22:48, Mik the Miller said:

I have an 880 with a 25" bar (also a 48 and 72 I use on the Alaskan). The 880 loves the 25" and just falls through oak and beech boughs.

It's not the sort of combo you want to swing about for more than an hour or two but it works perfectly and feels reasonably well balanced.

I run an 8 tooth (404) rim sprocket from Kevlargaffs (on eBay) which speeds the chain up a bit.

 

Current wisdom is to use a smaller (narrower kerf) chain but I like the way a sharp full chisel in 404 cuts. it's solid.

I can see the wisdom on a mill but for bucking and making hinge cuts I like the wider cut when using a wedge.

 

On 01/07/2022 at 23:02, Mik the Miller said:

For an occasional use bar, this from Rotatech is fine. It's not as heavy/rigid/hard as some of the other brands available but it's not crap either. As long as you are carefull and the chain is well oiled, for less than £45 it's a really usefull bar.

 

Rotatech .404, 25" for 880 chainsaw

 

On 01/07/2022 at 21:57, Rob D said:

Could get a rim sprocket kit for the 028 - switch to a lo pro set up - and run a 20" or 25" lo pro bar.

 

We don't have the rim sprocket kit but any of these could be converted by swapping the rim.

 

 

Thanks all.  I will give a shorter bar a go, this is definitely just for occasional use.  I will stick with .404 chain and sprocket, I am trying to reduce the number of chain permutations (pitch, files, sprockets) rather than increase them!