Recommended Bar Length
SpecificationThe guide bar length, in centimetres, that the manufacturer considers the best match for the saw's power. It is the length the machine is normally supplied with and the one that gives the best balance of cutting reach and cutting speed.
A bar longer than the recommendation forces the engine to drive more cutters through the wood, so the chain slows, the saw feels sluggish and the clutch and bearings work harder; a shorter bar cuts faster but limits the diameter you can handle. The practical rule is that the bar should be a little longer than the diameter of most of what you cut, so you can go straight through without boring from both sides. Bar length is also a safety choice: a long bar on an underpowered saw increases the time the nose spends unsupported in the cut. See Maximum Bar Length for the upper limit the saw will accept.