Stihl Chainsaw 12" or 14" bar?

Question

The price difference between the 12" or !4 bar is a approx £3

or $6. Why would I chose the shorter blade for the sake of such a small price difference? There must be a reason other than the cost of replacement chains but I am struggling to find one

Please put me right.

Answer 1

Firstly, congratulations on choosing a proper saw. They are 1,000 times better than all that DIY stuff.

Chainsawas are different from most other powered tools. With most others, more power is normally better.

With a chainsaw, you want the right amount of power, no more.

Smaller saws are great for up trees, using all day etc.

There is really no difference between a 12 and 14 inch saw.

buy the 14 inch and get yourself 20 years of reliable work from it.

get ripstop trousers, mask/helemt/ear defenders and chainsaw gloves too.

You will also need a 2-stoke mixer bottle

Answer 2

Quicker to sharpen, less teeth.

If only on a small saw, less strain on the engine

Answer 3

If you need a compact 12in saw then you should choose it. Not for the price difference, but because you need it. It's a question of the right tool for the right job. My advice is get the 12in and the next one you get should be a >20in. The small one for lopping off branches and the big one for the main trunk.

Answer 4

A shorter bar makes it easier to use up a tree for limbing. The engine should be able to handle the longer one when you want to cut up the bigger pieces.

Tip: When limbing, set the throttle to shut the engine off when the throttle is released. That way if you have to jettison the saw when in the tree the saw is stopped by the time it hits the ground.