Dropping down a bar size

[arbclimber]

No??????

 

I'll get my coat

 

Maybe you just have a one track mind mate.

[nepia]

The smallest saw i use is a little ms170, with 14inch bar. Are there any advantages in dropping down a bar length, i.e. a 12 incher?

Will i achieve faster chain revolutions or anything like that?

cheers.

 

 

My first saw was an MS170 with a 12" bar and in all honesty I felt it wouldn't have been any use at all with a 14" - not up to it. The jump from 12" to 14" with such a small engine is a much bigger one than, say, the jump from a 18" to 20" bar on a 56cc engine if you get my point.

Another consideration is how often do you need those extra 2" with such a small saw? You're not going to be sectioning 14" trunks with it or you'll be there all day. Might as well go for a 12" bar and enjoy the lack of unnecessary bar length and extra manoeuvrability (and not accidentally catching other branches when snedding) but if you're happy with what you've got then everything I've said goes by the board doesn't it!

[rowan lee]

My first saw was an MS170 with a 12" bar and in all honesty I felt it wouldn't have been any use at all with a 14" - not up to it. The jump from 12" to 14" with such a small engine is a much bigger one than, say, the jump from a 18" to 20" bar on a 56cc engine if you get my point.

Another consideration is how often do you need those extra 2" with such a small saw? You're not going to be sectioning 14" trunks with it or you'll be there all day. Might as well go for a 12" bar and enjoy the lack of unnecessary bar length and extra manoeuvrability (and not accidentally catching other branches when snedding) but if you're happy with what you've got then everything I've said goes by the board doesn't it!

 

Im with you on that, we use the 170 for small jobs only, branching, cutting out overgrown laurels, etc. All the other work, felling, cross cutting etc is done with a 250. I reckon the step down, will make it a slightly more manoeurable tool.

 

Thanks for that mate.

[detritus21]

With a 12" bar the saw is likely to bog down. I have a saw with 18 and 15 bars. The difference in the amount of times you start to bog down is massive between the two. With the 18 on its quite easy for it to start to struggle drop to the 15 and I've had no problems. This is on a 43cc saw but the same would apply to smaller saws. The drop of 2" on a smaller engine saw will make a difference to cutting abilty and speed of cut.