Stihl recommended bar length USA vs UK

[Al Smith]

I might add that wrap handles are not the norm in these parts .What few exceptions are 3/4" wrap handles on few 066's used by the fellers but they are rare .Each and every one of my older PNW saws has a full wrap including an old 048 Stihl .

 

That one BTW is going to get changed as soon as I find the time with a standard non wrap from the bones of an 042 I recently acquired .

[wyk]

The wrap bars are mostly so it is easier to start a humbolt undercut from the weak-hand side(at least for most), but it also helps so you can easily feed the pulling end of the bar on a back cut, and is a lot of help on steep terrain. It isn't any fun to use the pushing side of the bar in 3-4' of wood a few dozens times a day. It takes a lot more effort, and the saw tends to spit back out at you when the tree pushes or gunks up. Carrying around an extra 6 ounces is easier. It's not like you have to flush cut with that saw, anyways.

 

When a long bar is buried in softwoods, it encounters all sorts of resistance. You have sap that wants to gum up the wood - so a high output oiler is a necessity, especially since the bar is going to heat up buried in a lot of wood for an extended duration. You also have very fibrous wood, which makes large and longer chips. So skip chain makes much more of a difference, especially since the softer wood allow faster chain speeds,for clearing out the chips. Also, very few professional fallers I know do not have a ported saw.

 

As for the local every day guys, a 24" bar on a 60cc saw gets the job done. It could be faster with a 20, but the 24 just covers all your options better,and it pulls it decently in soft wood.