Chainsaw Capacity Question

[Glen Blanchard]

I am about to purchase my first chainsaw. I know very little about them and am trying to decide on what bar length to get. I'd like to ignore for this conversation talking about the various manufacturers and keep this related to bar length only. I am considering both a 14" and an 18" and am torn between the two. I expect folks to chime in asking what size logs I will be cutting up. Certainly a valid question (and one that I don't have a definitive answer to as I have done very little harvesting). I imagine I will primarily be cutting up logs from trees which have already been felled. With that in mind, how long of a tree trunk can a 14" chainsaw safely cut in half? My intuition tells me (that if approached from both ends) something like a little less than double the length of the bar, so perhaps 26" or so. How valid is this assumption? What about the diameter? About the same?

Thanks in advance.

[Scott Hackler]

Glen,

I bought an 18" Husky because it was a good balance between power and weight. I have cut up logs that were 30" by approaching them from both sides. My lathe is a 16" swing and after ripping a fallen log with my 18" bar, I still have waist on the ends of the log for checking after sealing them up. That is the largest size I need and so that was a big decision for me to buy the 18" bar.

The more important suggestion is to make sure and buy your saw from a dealer, not the big box stores. The saws at those big stores are light duty and are NOT the same as the ones at a dealer. As far as brand... that is a can of worms, but a good Stihl, Huskvarna, Echo.... you really can't go wrong. And you'll appreciate the real power in a HD rated saw the first time you start ripping a log!

[Michelle Rich]

if you are ripping, it would be best to put on a rip chain..takes lots of power to rip vs. cross cut. I cross cut mine then smack 'em with an axe/maul to split them. I have never used more than a 16 inch bar & I built my house with a chainsaw. You can crosscut a smidge less than 32 inches in diam.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ditto what Scott said. Everyone has their favorites but Stihl, Echo, Husky are all good saws. I have a Stihl with a 18" chain. I have had 2 chainsaws in 25 yrs and the current one just replaced my 21 yr old Stihl. I bought Stihl because I have a dealer here in town that can service it.

[curtis rosche]

I would say buy one that would handle both sized bars. Buy as much saw as you think you will need and then some, and get a large and small bar for it. Buying a different length bar is alot cheaper than a different saw.

Get a 24 inch bar saw. Buy a 12inch bar that will fit it, now you have a bar for long rips and big trees, and a smaller bar for trimming blanks down and more precise work

[Jason Roehl]

How tall and how strong are you? Bigger saws get heavier pretty quickly, but there is an advantage--if you're cutting felled trees, the longer bar means you don't have to bend over as far to cut off limbs that are near/on the ground. I'm 6'0" tall, and I find that a 20" bar is pretty optimum. I've used a 16" bar for the same thing, and my back hurt more afterward, even though it was a smaller saw. Years ago, I bought a Husqvarna 372XP (20" bar), which was the highest power-to-weight ratio they sold at the time (and a pro saw). It's heavy, but I can get a LOT of wood cut in the time it takes to wear me out. In fact, about the same amount of wood in about 1/3 the time that I used to cut with a 20" bar on a lesser, lighter saw.

By the time you're into the 14" length, you'd be looking at one of two things, generally: either a professional climbing saw or a cheap, light-duty homeowner job. I think you'd probably be happier with a "farm-duty" level of saw and a 18-20" bar, depending again on your size and strength.

And, you're right about being able to cut not quite double the length of the bar, BUT, the smaller the saw, the harder that may be with the lower power. Saws that bog down under their own weight will wear you out quickly because you have to hold the saw back to keep it from stalling the chain. So will large saws that you can lever into the cut with the bumper spikes if you really lean into the cut (not advised!)

[John Bailey]

I think I got good advice when I bought my first saw. My dealer told me to start with a 16" bar until I got comfortable with it. He said less than that was too limiting and a larger bar for a beginner could be a safety problem. I ended up with a Stihl Farm Boss 290 with a 16" bar. It is a great choice for an all around size.

I now use a 20" bar on the Stihl and a 24" bar on my larger Husqvarna 576XP. These two saws do everything you would want.

My suggestion would be to go with the 18" bar, given the two choices you've mentioned.

[Roger Chandler]

I would get at least an 18" bar.......it is a good all around compromise......you can do smaller stuff without it being too heavy and it will also do some larger trees as well..........but not a steady diet of huge wood............for most turners 18" is a pretty good size.

Of course.........I have 3 saws.......one Husqvarna with 28" bar [a professional logging saw] a 20" Husqvarna and a 16" for light work like limbing.

[Glen Blanchard]

Sounds like the 18" is where I should begin. Thanks for the great advice!

[Ronald Blue]

You definitely don't want to buy a 24" even if it can be fit with a 12" bar. It will wear you out fast if all your cutting is small diameters. Engine size/weight is proportionate to what size bar it will handle properly. A 16" is a good starter size. Good power but not overly heavy. You can at least cut double the bar length. Especially since you aren't sure what you are even cutting. I don't know what you have in your area for trees and how big. It is nice if the saw has bucking teeth as it makes it easier on you. Especially in bigger pieces. A good dealer will be able to give you advice too. You also want hearing protection and maybe a face shield screen/hard hat. Some of these are integral. Good luck.

[Jeremy Hamaker]

One more opinion. I would not go smaller than 16" in any case.

[Richard Coers]

I would not get anything less than 20", but I do work with a lot of urban trees. It is so much nicer to go through crotch pieces with the bigger bar. The saw is happier and cuts faster if the tip of the bar is out of the wood when cutting. A buried bar takes a lot more effort during cutting. I finally bought a second saw with a 36" bar to get through those big logs. Don't regret it one bit. No need for a rip chain, just lay the cut disc on it's side and cut with the grain. It makes long strings, but the saw drops right through it. I also am not a fan of the safety chains they provide on new saws. They cut way too slowly for me. The safety chain comes with the saw, but buy a traditional chain before you buy more safety chains. Also buy a good file system and files. Touching up the chain quite freqently makes a huge difference.

[Michael Mayo]

I would not get anything less than 20", but I do work with a lot of urban trees. It is so much nicer to go through crotch pieces with the bigger bar. The saw is happier and cuts faster if the tip of the bar is out of the wood when cutting. A buried bar takes a lot more effort during cutting. I finally bought a second saw with a 36" bar to get through those big logs. Don't regret it one bit. No need for a rip chain, just lay the cut disc on it's side and cut with the grain. It makes long strings, but the saw drops right through it. I also am not a fan of the safety chains they provide on new saws. They cut way too slowly for me. The safety chain comes with the saw, but buy a traditional chain before you buy more safety chains. Also buy a good file system and files. Touching up the chain quite freqently makes a huge difference.

Whatever saw you end up buying the very first thing you should learn to do is sharpen your own chain! This is the single most important thing you need to know how to do when using a chain saw. If you just barely nick the chain on the ground it will need to be sharpened. I bought an Oregon chain jig that mounts on the bar and guides the file when you are sharpening and it made sharpening a much quicker and enjoyable (if you can say that about sharpening?) then trying to do it by eye.

I have two Stihl saws. One is a 025 with an 18" bar and I just last fall picked up a Stihl 044 with a 20' bar and that saw is a beast. The 025 was a saw my father purchased some time ago for light duty work around the yard and it is a nice saw but when it comes to cutting up big lumber the 044 eats everything put in front of it and never bogs or complains. It is significantly heavier than the 025 but it is also a much larger saw at 77cc's. When it comes to cutting big lumber you can't beat displacement. The 025 18" bar has cut some pretty big stuff as well but it has a much tougher time doing it and it takes a lt longer to make the same cut that the 044 can do in half the amount of time and effort.

[Jim Phipps]

A 14" b&c is pretty limiting. Yes you can cut larger logs from both sides but I have found that its not always practical/safe to access both sides of a felled tree like that. I started with a 16" and then bought another saw with a 25" b&c years later to cut bigger stuff. I'll tell you that the longer bar requires a lot more skill to handle safely. I think an 18" is reasonable and may be all you ever need. That being said, I'm really happy with my 16" and 25" combo so if you think you may step up later then a 14" or 16" might be a good start.
As an aside, we woodturners may handle chainsaws often, but not for long periods of time typically. Don't get sucked into believing you can make a saw do what a firewood cutter or pro tree guy can do. Play it safe, learn proper techniques and keep your skill level in perspective. I've been laughed at for wearing chaps. I just respond " I'd wear a whole chainsaw suit if I could find one".

[Isaac Carlson]

I grew up with a 20" bar and would hesitate to go shorter except for limbing or cutting very small stuff. Unfortunately that saw was taken by a relative when my grandmother died.
I loved that saw and now have my own. Stihl is the only brand I like. Yeah, I know, hornets nest.... I have a 390 and it wears a 20" bar unless I am cutting bigger stuff, then it wears a 28" bar. It has no problem pulling either bar in hardwood. I have opened up the muffler to let it breathe and run cooler, but that is a must on ANY saw. I have also modified the oiler. A stock saw can be fun, but they are more fun once you set them free. Make sure you get a rim sprocket. They run smoother and it is MUCH cheaper to replace a $5 rim than a $35 spur sprocket.