Bigger Bars

[urbandekay]

How fast do you want the saw to cut, with a skip chain you could run a longer bar, if you can fit it.

[Coletti]

As above really and I've also been told about the third of the cc thing but my argument is this...you would run a 48" bar on a 3120xp do why not run a 24" on a 560xp? It's half the size bar and the saw has more than half the power. Many dismissed the idea of an 18" on the 550xp when I first mentioned it but now many use the same combo. All down to personal preference in my opinion

[Logit]

I needed to cut up a 5ft diameter oak and only had an 046. I bought a 36 inch bar for it (max recommended length in the user manual is 30 inch). The 36 inch bar fitted *but* the oil pump, even when set to max flow rate, could not properly lubricate this length of bar, what a difference 6 inches makes ! I didn't want to be beaten by this and so I did some research and discovered that Stihl do a high flow rate oil pump for this saw for the Australian market, since the wood is often hard and dry over there. I asked my local Stihl dealer to order the oil pump for me and they said, speak to Stihl.... I then did some more research and came across L & S Engineers on the web. They were incredibly helpful and somehow managed to order the high flow rate pump for me. I fitted it and the 36 inch bar is well lubed and I managed to cut up the big oak. Yes, it was fairly slow, but it did the job and I didn't have to buy a bigger saw for this one job. The chain was Rapid Super full chisel (non skip) and running an oversized bar with that sure did improve my sharpening technique and I ended up buying a bench grinder.

Skip chain has been mentioned which would clearly help reduce the load on the saw and also semi-chisel chain should also require less power than full chisel chain.

So my experiences in summary was, for a one off job it is possible to run a longer bar (check that it will actually fit the saw) but it will be slow, take it easy and check that either the oil pump has enough flow rate or see if a higher flow rate pump can be fitted.

Comparing the flow rate range from your saw with the flow rate range from the smallest saw in the range which is specified to take the bar length you are interested in will give some insight into this flow rate issue. I guess worst case you could manually add extra oil for a one off job.

[slim reaper]

Was the oil tank running out well before all the fuel was used or did the extra work the engine had to do driving the longer chain compensate in that the fuel ran out before the oil?

slim

[Stephen Blair]

If your saw is cutting straight then having the optimum bar size is a pleasure and just cut twice the width.

I run 026's with 13" bar, powerful and aggressive, 15" bar it drops my enthusiasm to use it by 80% I reckon.

046 with 25" bar, a pleasure. And I've never ventured more.

Tried a 066 with a 30" bar and I was back bored and frustrated.

088 with 36" bar , very sharp a pleasure, not very sharp it like racing an old square shaped Volvo!

 

If your just using it for firewood and a pretty easy going guy, put as big on as you want and plod on through, when your in a tree and want to thump off something big without it barbers chairing on you, keep it minimal.

[steve collins]

ive got some skip chain and il tell you now you dont want to use it on any hardwood or conifer(my opinion) as its used for softwood in the states, as it will cut more chip out with the cutter being in the wood a fraction longer due to the spacings and the saw is able to take the extra load comfortably. Plus the saws using skip chain are often ported so the saw isnt overloaded at all

[Little Al]

ive got some skip chain and il tell you now you dont want to use it on any hardwood or conifer(my opinion) as its used for softwood in the states, as it will cut more chip out with the cutter being in the wood a fraction longer due to the spacings and the saw is able to take the extra load comfortably. Plus the saws using skip chain are often ported so the saw isnt overloaded at all

 

I am confused, can some one explain how by removing every other cutter or two from a chain the ones that remain stay in the wood longer than they would if the missing ones were replaced, surely at a given chain speed in a given size piece of wood the one cutter will remain in the wood & cut for the same period of time & this is not dependant on it having one preset or two before the next cutter( or is there something that I have failed to grasp) The logging Co I service saws for, cut a lot of spruce, pine & often use a semi or skip chain,the longest bar they use on the saw mentioned in post# 9 is 28inch, they find the oiler is just about on the limit at that length for their requirements

Edited March 17, 2014 by Little Al

[Stubby]

I am confused, can some one explain how by removing every other cutter or two from a chain the ones that remain stay in the wood longer than they would if the missing ones were replaced, surely at a given chain speed in a given size piece of wood the one cutter will remain in the wood & cut for the same period of time & this is not dependant on it having one preset or two before the next cutter( or is there something that I have failed to grasp) The logging Co I service saws for, cut a lot of spruce, pine & often use a semi or skip chain,the longest bar they use on the saw mentioned in post# 9 is 28inch, they find the oiler is just about on the limit at that length for their requirements

 

Your right . The cutters are in the wood for the same amount of time for a given chain speed . It would be if there was only one cutter on the chain ! I think the confusion is that a larger amount of chip is carried along the kirf . The space were the cutters were is now chip carrying space .

[Stubby]

Was the oil tank running out well before all the fuel was used or did the extra work the engine had to do driving the longer chain compensate in that the fuel ran out before the oil?

slim

 

The design intent is that there will be oil left in the tank when the fuel has run out so you never get a situation where the bar is not oiling . The problem is that when the bar is too long for the saw it wont be able to lube enough but it wont run out before the fuel .

[slim reaper]

The design intent is that there will be oil left in the tank when the fuel has run out so you never get a situation where the bar is not oiling . The problem is that when the bar is too long for the saw it wont be able to lube enough but it wont run out before the fuel .

 

But Logit has fitted an uprated oil pump so I was asking him if what you have stated is still the case

slim

Edited March 17, 2014 by slim reaper