# Stihl MS 461 - Bar Length



## Lone_Gun (Mar 24, 2018)

I bought a very slightly used, and very clean 461 in late December. The saw is a 2016, but only has about 4 or 5 tanks of premix Stihl fuel through it. The guy had to cut a tree with it, and then moved, and didn’t need the saw. I know it broke his heart to let it go, but his wife was persistent. 

Unfortunately, I broke some ribs falling on ice at the end of December. Looking forward to getting some cutting done with it soon, now that I am healed up.

My question is, Stihl suggests up to 32” bar for this model, and the saw has a 32”bar on it. My original thought when shopping for it was to run a 28” bar with it. Will I lose that much chain speed and notice slower cutting with the 32” vs. the 28”?

For reference, I am in Washington State, and we have mostly soft woods here, like Pine, Fir and Tamarack.

Clearly there are many opinions and different situations to consider, but looking for some thoughts to help me decide what to do.

LG


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## greg13 (Mar 24, 2018)

Bar length does not control chain speed, drive teeth on the clutch is the factor.


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## Lone_Gun (Mar 24, 2018)

greg13 said:


> Bar length does not control chain speed, drive teeth on the clutch is the factor.



Ok, so maybe I swap the 7 tooth sprocket for an 8 tooth to see the difference?

From what I read, the 7 tooth has more torque, less speed... and the 8 tooth is more speed, less torque. Yes?

Seems easy enough to swap those and see the difference. Thank you Sir!

LG


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## Exmasonite (Mar 24, 2018)

Key for me would be the balance on the saw. I recently picked up a 441 used with a 25" bar. used that to fell a couple of bigger trees but then through a 20" bar on it. Balance with smaller blade is much better IMHO. 

I would figure out what you are going to be cutting the most and size your bar to that. I bet a 25" bar on that saw will be great. I would run that 90% of the time and throw on the 28 or 32 only when you need it. 

This is coming from the Michigander where 25" covers 95% of what I run into.


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## zrock (Mar 25, 2018)

it will probably cut slightly faster with the smaller bar and chain. Less drag and resistance with the bar. Keep the chain nice and sharp and you would never notice the driver difference. Going with a bigger driver may cause you to bog more now that you are loosing torque.


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## FLINT (Mar 25, 2018)

How big is the wood that you will be cutting with it.  You'd have to be cutting some pretty darn huge trees to need a 32" bar.  I think that saw would be awesome with a 25" bar.  Of course I'm in the east, so there are very very few trees that you couldn't tackle with a 25" bar.  I cut wood for years with a 16" bar and did just fine.  A general rule of thumb for ideal bar length is saw ccs divided by 3, so by that rule, you again come up with about 25".  If I were you I would get a 25" bar to run on the saw, and keep the 32" bar for the occasional giant.  You will likely enjoy the saw much more with a shorter bar.


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## Lone_Gun (Mar 25, 2018)

I cut a lot of large pine and fir, typically 24-36” with a Poulan with a 20” bar and a Husqvarna 460 with a 24” bar. That’s why I figured a 28” would be nice on the 461. I wouldn’t necessarily need a 32” bar regularly, but it would be nice at times on the big rounds to keep from cutting from both sides of the log. 

I appreciate the input, it gives me some great insight and food for thought. The 32” bar is a lightweight Stihl bar, so that does help with balance vs. the standard Stihl bar of the same size.

I need to do some cutting with the 32” bar I have and see how it feels, and then decide what I’m going to do going forward.

Thanks Guys...

LG


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## Zack R (Apr 3, 2018)

I have a 20" bar on my 65cc saw and find its plenty for firewood use. A 32" bar might look cool but would take longer to sharpen and be heavier to carry around.

I'd say keep the 32" bar for big stuff and get yourself a nice 20" or 24" one for firewood use. I run a Sugihara bar and Oregon full chisel skip tooth chain for pine (it works great). I like that the tip sprocket can be greased and the bar is well built.


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## Lone_Gun (Apr 3, 2018)

Zack R said:


> I have a 20" bar on my 65cc saw and find its plenty for firewood use. A 32" bar might look cool but would take longer to sharpen and be heavier to carry around.
> 
> I'd say keep the 32" bar for big stuff and get yourself a nice 20" or 24" one for firewood use. I run a Sugihara bar and Oregon full chisel skip tooth chain for pine (it works great). I like that the tip sprocket can be greased and the bar is well built.



I do have several 24” chains for my Husky, so may have to see if they will also work on my Stihl. That would be nice, just have to get a 24” bar and I am good to go. 

Thanks for the input.

LG


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## Tar12 (Apr 8, 2018)

You lose anywhere from 1.5-2 in of useable bar length depending upon the length of your felling dogs on your saw..I run a 32 of my 660 for the big stuff...that is the 32 in bars only purpose...when I run into smaller uniform logs the 25 in bar goes on..that turns it into a different animal altogether! It will eat those logs up! I do not put it on until i have 6 or more logs drug out as it makes short work of it! My bud logs for a living and runs his 461 with a 28 in bar daily and hard! Quality saw! His saw came with the 25 in bar and we spent a weekend cutting firewood for his elderly mother...we cut her winters supply in 2 days with that saw and it really shines with the 25 on it!


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## JohnDolz (Apr 8, 2018)

Lone_Gun said:


> I bought a very slightly used, and very clean 461 in late December. The saw is a 2016, but only has about 4 or 5 tanks of premix Stihl fuel through it. The guy had to cut a tree with it, and then moved, and didn’t need the saw. I know it broke his heart to let it go, but his wife was persistent.
> 
> Unfortunately, I broke some ribs falling on ice at the end of December. Looking forward to getting some cutting done with it soon, now that I am healed up.
> 
> ...


Nice, I scored the same saw ($500) and like yours it only had one tree use before I got it. It came with a 25" blade, I already had a 20" and bought a 36" for some really big trees I needed to cut. I tend to use the shortest blade I think I can use based on what I will be cutting that day. The shorter the blade the easier I find to maneuver, keep it out f the dirt, etc. With a sharp blade I find that all 3 do their job really well. Enjoy!


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## Lone_Gun (Apr 8, 2018)

Along with the 32”bar I do have a 20” bar with a couple of chains. So I think having the 25” for the bulk of the cutting makes a lot of sense. Then I have 3 size bars to choose from, depending on what I’m cutting for the day.

Great advise, and that is what I was hoping for. Nice to lean on a wealth of knowledge and experience in this fine group of folks. 

Growing up we had a Stihl 031AV with a 20”bar, and we cut all size wood with it and never considered anything longer. So, I kind of have to laugh at all of the homework I’m doing on what size bar I want to use. Hahaha

Thank you.

LG


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## Lone_Gun (Apr 8, 2018)

JohnDolz said:


> Nice, I scored the same saw ($500) and like yours it only had one tree use before I got it. It came with a 25" blade, I already had a 20" and bought a 36" for some really big trees I needed to cut. I tend to use the shortest blade I think I can use based on what I will be cutting that day. The shorter the blade the easier I find to maneuver, keep it out f the dirt, etc. With a sharp blade I find that all 3 do their job really well. Enjoy!



Yes, the dirt, rocks and metal tend to be rough on a razor sharp chain, and in a matter of a split second.

I am excited to tear into some wood with this saw... hope you enjoy yours as much as I know I will.

LG


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## Ashful (Apr 9, 2018)

Correction:  Stihl does not “recommend” a 32 inch bar on that saw, they specify that as the “maximum recommended” bar.  I’d run a 24” bar on that saw, if it were mine.  It will balance fairly well, and won’t struggle when you bury the nose in hardwood.  I’d keep the 32” bar for those rare occasions you’re cutting on something over 48 inches diameter, but I’d not be using that daily.


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## Tar12 (Apr 9, 2018)

Ashful said:


> Correction:  Stihl does not “recommend” a 32 inch bar on that saw, they specify that as the “maximum recommended” bar.  I’d run a 24” bar on that saw, if it were mine.  It will balance fairly well, and won’t struggle when you bury the nose in hardwood.  I’d keep the 32” bar for those rare occasions you’re cutting on something over 48 inches diameter, but I’d not be using that daily.


People get real disappointed when they run the "maximum" length bar allowed on a saw...What they recommend is spot on for productivity.


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## Lone_Gun (Apr 10, 2018)

Ashful said:


> Correction:  Stihl does not “recommend” a 32 inch bar on that saw, they specify that as the “maximum recommended” bar.  I’d run a 24” bar on that saw, if it were mine.  It will balance fairly well, and won’t struggle when you bury the nose in hardwood.  I’d keep the 32” bar for those rare occasions you’re cutting on something over 48 inches diameter, but I’d not be using that daily.



You’re right, I hope I didn’t type that into my post. That’s part of the reason I was not planning on buying the 32” bar with this saw. The guy I bought it from had it on the saw, and I am planning on getting something shorter for regular use. Saving the longer bar for when it’s necessary.

LG



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## lindnova (Apr 19, 2018)

Yes 24” bar is best on a 461. I have a 32” and it will work in big wood but the 24 is way less cumbersome to work with.


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