# 18" or 20" Bar for 562XP for firewood?



## scooby074 (Dec 14, 2012)

Im thinking of upgrading the factory Husquvarna 18" bar on my 562XP to a Powermatch 20"with a Stihl chain. I cut 95% of my firewood off the pile. Typical diameter of my current batch is probably about 10" on average

Im going to get a new chain regardless if I stay with the 18 or go to the 20 because I hate Oregon's chains and usually only run Stihl.

The factory bar that came with my saw is a bit of a POS. I call it the Pinchmaster 9000.  . Its a non-replaceable rollertip that is held together with very tiny rivets. The slightest pinch and the chain grove closes up. Sometimes so tight that I have to pull the chain and re-spread the groove with a screwdriver. Honestly its one of the worst bars Ive ever used when it comes to that. Frankly I expected better. I think is's an Oregon bar but I dont know which model. I thought the pro-saws came with Husquvarna branded Powermatch's? Ive never had a PowerMatch jam up like this thing. Ill snap a pic tomorrow of the bar.

So 18" or 20"????


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## TreePointer (Dec 14, 2012)

I like a 20" bar on 60cc saws.  It can handle being buried in most woods and I don't have to give up any reach.


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## Thistle (Dec 14, 2012)

Sounds like one of Oregon's cheaper laminated bars.Oregon makes all the other OEM branded bars,except for Stihl.Not sure how they're made today,but the 20" factory laminated bar on my 62cc Super 380 finally gave out in September after 12 1/2 yrs,100+ cords & lots of abuse.(Non-replaceable sprocket nose finally failed).I certainly cant complain about its longevity.

Maybe they're lower quality now,wouldnt surprise me none.

PowerMatch is a good choice,first one I bought was in 1994 for a McCulloch Pro Mac 610.Bought 2 more different lengths since then.I think they all say 'Power Match Plus' now,the newest one from last summer does anyway.


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## dorkweed (Dec 14, 2012)

Go big or stay home.  Ain't much difference from 18 to 20" anyhow!  If'n you've got a pair, you can handle it


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## bogydave (Dec 14, 2012)

So 18" or 20"????
Typical diameter is 10" on average

For your use
I vote 18"

Agree, Husqy don't put good bars on their saws.


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## TreePointer (Dec 14, 2012)

I'm curious as to what your current bar is.  There should be information (part no., pitch, gauge, DL, et al.) stamped on the bar near the mounting slot .


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## Flamestead (Dec 14, 2012)

bogydave said:


> So 18" or 20"????
> Typical diameter is 10" on average
> 
> For your use
> I vote 18"


 
+1
You won't cut that log any faster, you'll have more weight to lug around, and I can't see a longer bar being any safer.

I run a 16" bar on my 359 due to being in trees that average 12-14". After having run an 18" bar for years, I am quite happy with the 16".


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## Nixon (Dec 14, 2012)

Get a20" techlite bar . You'll like it .


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## smokinj (Dec 14, 2012)

Thistle said:


> Sounds like one of Oregon's cheaper laminated bars.Oregon makes all the other OEM branded bars,except for Stihl.Not sure how they're made today,but the 20" factory laminated bar on my 62cc Super 380 finally gave out in September after 12 1/2 yrs,100+ cords & lots of abuse.(Non-replaceable sprocket nose finally failed).I certainly cant complain about its longevity.
> 
> Maybe they're lower quality now,wouldnt surprise me none.
> 
> PowerMatch is a good choice,first one I bought was in 1994 for a McCulloch Pro Mac 610.Bought 2 more different lengths since then.I think they all say 'Power Match Plus' now,the newest one from last summer does anyway.


 

100 cords you sissy.  Oh and make it a 32 full skipper!


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## scooby074 (Dec 14, 2012)

Nixon said:


> Get a20" techlite bar . You'll like it .


 
I wish!! Those top of the line bars, like the Techlite, Gannons,  Sugihara's and things like that arent even on the shelf here!! Then there's the cost.. If its $100 at Baileys, it'd be $150 or more here. A little too rich for me.

Ive always bought PowerMatch's and have had very good luck with them... Plus all that's available locally is the PM and Stihl's. 

Im leaning more towards the 20 for the added reach,  I'm 6'1 so less stooping is good.


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## Nixon (Dec 14, 2012)

Can't blame you for balking at cost . I just did the same on a 28" ES light . $147.00 !  Bought an ES ,then ordered a 24" Sugihara .


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## smokinj (Dec 14, 2012)

Nixon said:


> Can't blame you for balking at cost . I just did the same on a 28" ES light . $147.00 ! Bought an ES ,then ordered a 24" Sugihara .


 

I love the es the last one I got was a 32 for 79.99 bucks. Now double that for the light and I am out.


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## Nixon (Dec 14, 2012)

smokinj said:


> I love the es the last one I got was a 32 for 79.99 bucks. Now double that for the light and I am out.


Yep , ES bars are as good as there are for the bucks . ES lights..... Not so much .


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## MasterMech (Dec 15, 2012)

Nixon said:


> Yep , ES bars are as good as there are for the bucks . ES lights..... Not so much .


 
Man am I thankful for good friends in the business.


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## Thistle (Dec 15, 2012)

smokinj said:


> 100 cords you sissy.  Oh and make it a 32 full skipper!


 

 Not on that Super 380,thank you. Does pull a 24 skip quite nicely however. Pretty nose heavy with it though,powerhead is only 12.5 lbs.


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## scooby074 (Dec 15, 2012)

Went to the Stihl dealer today to get a 20" PM ... No dice. Have to order the bar . End of next week if I order, so I told him to hold it until I check other dealers. He doesnt have anything over 16!! Says they might have sold 5 20" in 10 years. Mostly its 14 and 16" he sells..Well its all he stocks!

On the chain, He didnt have any 20" loops in stock, so that would be an order too.

So I figured I'd upgrade my stock 18" Oregon chain to my favorite RSC. After spending about 30 minutes there while they tried to figure out sizes (even though I told them) and counting links, he says that'd he'd have to brake a stock 60 tooth chain and add 8 teeth in order to me a chain, AND charge me for 2 loops because he had no bulk chain Needless to say I left without the chain.

I'll either find some 18" 35RSC 68 on a shelf or order one in. Im not too interested im paying for full extra loops just to cut them up. Not a real good day!


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## TreePointer (Dec 15, 2012)

scooby074 said:


> Went to the Stihl dealer today to get a 20" PM ... No dice. Have to order the bar . End of next week if I order, so I told him to hold it until I check other dealers. He doesnt have anything over 16!! Says they might have sold 5 20" in 10 years. Mostly its 14 and 16" he sells..Well its all he stocks!
> 
> On the chain, He didnt have any 20" loops in stock, so that would be an order too.
> 
> ...


 
You are looking for a .058 gauge bar and chain, right?  Did your dealer have 20" bars and chain in .050 gauge?  If you're adding a 20" bar and chain(s) to your saw, a switch to .050 gauge won't be a problem, unless .058 is more popular at dealers in your region.


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## scooby074 (Dec 15, 2012)

he had nothing in 20"s. no bars or (Stihl) chains. Nothing in 18 either.


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## TreePointer (Dec 15, 2012)

I thought you all had some big trees up there.  Maybe all the longer bars went for storm cleanup?  Or maybe it was those sneaky PNW'ers buying out all the long bars.


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## midwestcoast (Dec 16, 2012)

scooby074 said:


> I cut 95% of my firewood off the pile. Typical diameter of my current batch is probably about 10" on average


 
On a log pile I say a shorter bar is safer. If you don't need the length then all it is doing is sticking out the back side of the log you're cutting & getting into something you don't mean to be cutting (another log, ground...).
Vote for a 16" bar & add a 20" if/when you need it.
BTW, I find felling wedges very helpful for stopping pinches when bucking from a pile. Everything I scrounge is on the ground so bucking is all I've used my wedges for. Not sure if they'd be any use on logs under 10-12" though.
Oh, and your Stihl dealer sucks man


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## Como (Dec 16, 2012)

Why not order it from Baileys?

16 inch from the pile for reasons others have stated. I also have a 20 inch for reach, could really do with the next size up to save my back.


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## Bigg_Redd (Dec 16, 2012)

scooby074 said:


> Im thinking of upgrading the factory Husquvarna 18" bar on my 562XP to a Powermatch 20"with a Stihl chain. I cut 95% of my firewood off the pile. Typical diameter of my current batch is probably about 10" on average
> 
> Im going to get a new chain regardless if I stay with the 18 or go to the 20 because I hate Oregon's chains and usually only run Stihl.
> 
> ...


 
Definitely 18"

You wouldn't want to push that poor little machine too hard.


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## scooby074 (Dec 16, 2012)

Como said:


> Why not order it from Baileys?
> 
> 16 inch from the pile for reasons others have stated. I also have a 20 inch for reach, could really do with the next size up to save my back.


 
Because Baileys shipping to canada is foolish money. I called them once to order something (small) , I think it was a speed feed trimmer head, and shipping was $30. Then there is brokerage at the border because they wont use USPS, which adds another $30.

Now if they'd use USPS or get a Canadian warehouse, they'd probably get 90% of my business when it comes to chainsaw/small engine stuff.


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## scooby074 (Dec 16, 2012)

midwestcoast said:


> On a log pile I say a shorter bar is safer. If you don't need the length then all it is doing is sticking out the back side of the log you're cutting & getting into something you don't mean to be cutting (another log, ground...).
> Vote for a 16" bar & add a 20" if/when you need it.
> BTW, I find felling wedges very helpful for stopping pinches when bucking from a pile. Everything I scrounge is on the ground so bucking is all I've used my wedges for. Not sure if they'd be any use on logs under 10-12" though.
> Oh, and your Stihl dealer sucks man


 
Indeed he does.

They used to be a full service saw shop, complete with bulk chain and everything, but there is just no call for that now. He wasnt the only saw shop in town either, there were several others that have since closed up shop. There used to be a lot of manual forestry, but much of it has been replaced with harvesters, so there is no real call anymore for anything more than typical homeowner stuff.

I know of 2 old school saw shops left, but they are an hour away in opposite directions. They are Husky /Oregon dealers though, which means I could get my bar, but not the RSC chain I want.


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## scooby074 (Dec 16, 2012)

Bigg_Redd said:


> Definitely 18"
> 
> You wouldn't want to push that poor little machine too hard.


 
I think the 562 wont have a problem. It pulls the 18 without flinching. Plus, given that the wood itself is only 10", there should be no real difference in performance. Maybe if I had it buried in a huge log or something I could see it.

Im not worried about cutting into the next log on the pile anyways, im usually cutting in the tip area so Im not more than an inch or two out the backside of the log Im cutting.


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## scooby074 (Dec 18, 2012)

Cutting on my sawbuck today, the 18" was way short even though my sawbuck is only 18" between uprights. Im starting to wonder if 20" might be too short a bar for the sawbuck???


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## TreePointer (Dec 18, 2012)

??? 

If I'm cutting logs over 20" diameter, I'm doing it on the ground because I don't want to lift it onto a sawbuck.


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## scooby074 (Dec 18, 2012)

Sorry. I should have mentioned its a U style sawbuck. I stack all my smaller wood (<6" in it so I can gang cut)


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## computeruser (Dec 20, 2012)

For the work you're talking about, 16" (3/8" chain) with an 8t rim seems about right.

As for your dealer not "stocking" 20" loops, last I checked you could spin loops at any length off a roll of chain - count out drive links, punch rivet, find preset and strap, spin/peen over preset, and wham-o, a loop of chain!  What the heck kind of saw shop doesn't have the capacity to spin up loops on the spot?


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## HittinSteel (Dec 21, 2012)

scooby074 said:


> Because Baileys shipping to canada is foolish money. I called them once to order something (small) , I think it was a speed feed trimmer head, and shipping was $30. Then there is brokerage at the border because they wont use USPS, which adds another $30.
> 
> Now if they'd use USPS or get a Canadian warehouse, they'd probably get 90% of my business when it comes to chainsaw/small engine stuff.


 
Same to the east coast. I no longer do business with them because of their shipping costs.


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## scooby074 (Dec 21, 2012)

computeruser said:


> For the work you're talking about, 16" (3/8" chain) with an 8t rim seems about right.
> 
> As for your dealer not "stocking" 20" loops, last I checked you could spin loops at any length off a roll of chain - count out drive links, punch rivet, find preset and strap, spin/peen over preset, and wham-o, a loop of chain! What the heck kind of saw shop doesn't have the capacity to spin up loops on the spot?


 
They can make loops, they still have the gear, just since the downturn in manual logging here they dont stock any bulk chain. There is a little bit of Oregon bulk left but I wanted RSC. Theyve gone to pre-made loops because "its all standardized now"  , plus he said bulk was no cheaper considering the work inviolved.

He said he could have added links to the 16" RSC on the shelf, but I would have had to buy another whole chain to cut up for the extra links to make it a 18". That makes a $35 chain a $65 chain.


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## scooby074 (Apr 2, 2013)

Got geared up with a 20" Powermatch and some RSC.

Ordered in the Powermatch from the dealer that sold me the saw. Much cheaper than local. $65 vs.$110 at the local Stihl dealer. $65 for a bar up here is a VERY good price.

The RSC I had to have made up at the local Stihl dealer. Since I was in last, somebody must have had a chain made up because there was a part loop of chain so I didnt have to buy a whole one. $29. Excellent!

Ran it for a couple hours today. I love the Powermatch (this isnt my first PM/ I just really like them:D). Its so much better than the POS factory Husky that came on it. Love the extra length, really helps the back. I mic'ed the side plates and the PM is about 0.010" thicker than the factory bar. This should help a lot to keep the bar straight and reduce the chain pinching I was fighting with using the stock bar. Chain speed seems faster too, likely due to less drag. Saws turning over 13500RPM out of the cut... she's a screamer!


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## MasterMech (Apr 2, 2013)

scooby074 said:


> I love the Powermatch (this isnt my first PM/ I just really like them:D). Its so much better than the POS factory Husky that came on it.​


 
Was your old bar an HT or FT series bar?  Oregon makes Husky's bars.

PowerMatch is a great bar.


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## scooby074 (Apr 2, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> Was your old bar an HT or FT series bar? Oregon makes Husky's bars.
> 
> PowerMatch is a great bar.


 
I was under the impression that they did too. Then I read somewhere that husky was making their own now?

I dont know the model off hand. Ill get that info though. The bar had a non-replaceable roller tip and the rivets along the bar are exposed on both sides.


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## MasterMech (Apr 2, 2013)

scooby074 said:


> The bar had a non-replaceable roller tip and the rivets along the bar are exposed on both sides.​


 
That sounds like the lighter duty FT bar to me.


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## scooby074 (Apr 2, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> That sounds like the lighter duty FT bar to me.


 
Could be. It was complete garbage. Definitely not the HT. The HT is a PM. Wasn't labeled "Farm Tough" or anything, just "Husquvarna"


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## Havendalefarm (Apr 3, 2013)

I have a 562 but went the other way. 16" bar. I also only have a 16" bar on my 372. Cut between 100 and 200 cord a year with bucking done on log piles. Gives a bit faster cut and less potential for contact of the end tip on other logs. Powermatch bars and stihl chain mostly because that is what our local saw shop, House Trucking, has always sold me.


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## rotaxman (Sep 15, 2013)

midwestcoast said:


> On a log pile I say a shorter bar is safer. If you don't need the length then all it is doing is sticking out the back side of the log you're cutting & getting into something you don't mean to be cutting (another log, ground...).
> Vote for a 16" bar & add a 20" if/when you need it.
> BTW, I find felling wedges very helpful for stopping pinches when bucking from a pile. Everything I scrounge is on the ground so bucking is all I've used my wedges for. Not sure if they'd be any use on logs under 10-12" though.
> Oh, and your Stihl dealer sucks man


like the wedge idea, that will save me a lot of time,  never thought of that.


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## rotaxman (Sep 15, 2013)

scooby074 said:


> Because Baileys shipping to canada is foolish money. I called them once to order something (small) , I think it was a speed feed trimmer head, and shipping was $30. Then there is brokerage at the border because they wont use USPS, which adds another $30.
> 
> Now if they'd use USPS or get a Canadian warehouse, they'd probably get 90% of my business when it comes to chainsaw/small engine stuff.


if you know exactly what you need. Amazon has "original manufacturer supplies" and shipping is very cheap and sometimes free


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