One of the only videos to actually show kickback multiple times in a few different positions. As a begginner just trying to interprit stuff i read online its really awesome to have a resource to actually see it.
hey bukin billy! dont know if you'll see this but i wanted to say thank you for your videos. my pops was a timberfaller back in the 80's and i grew up in the mountains with him and my mom in a 5th wheel trailer going from site to site. i remember all the smells from those days... i swear i still smell dad coming home from his day out working. you remind me so much of him. i had such a great childhood out there learning so much. the days in the truck, watching dad file on the tailgate, the campfire dinners, and long walks during the day with mom and the dogs. what a way to grow up, ya know? anyways thanks for keeping this stuff alive and teaching the ways. pretty awesome, much love!
My pops had a tree service back in the 70s when the Dutch Elm disease went around. I was pretty young so I mostly dragged branches and rode to the dump. He taught me a lot but I'm picking up a lot of great tips on safety watching Billy's channel
Hey, that was fantastic information. We just bought a gas chainsaw tonight. Neighbor cut trees & we now have a lot of big tree trunks to cut. Some for friendly fires & some perhaps for some kind of diy's. We want to survive this chainsaw operation ahead. Thanks 👍
I'm 18 and I own so many vintage saws, I absolutely love the old monsters. People think my priorities are wrong, but I always just tell them: "chainsaws are less expensive than women" 😆
I'm 43 and have been cutting since I was 10. I can tell you friends this man knows what he is talking about. I'm short so can get away with the 24" bar but at 20" I am hunched over or crouched and my back can't take it any more. learned this when I bought my first long bar and found myself using it more than my short light one for limbing and bucking.
I'm not person that is the wood cutting business of any kind! I don't even cut wood to heat my home! The last 6 years I have doing it from fun (following buckin billy). I learn something everytime Billy covers this subject! Thank you Buckin
I am an Lumberjack from Austria and here we cut mostly with an 16 to 20inch bar. I think for cutting down trees thats all i need. I experience kickbacks every day and its just an thing you have to learn to deal with it. Have a great day.
I agree, I'm used to 13" on 550 and 560 and the older saws. Nothing have ever happend to me from a kickback. In fact the only people I know cutting them selves was in the legs and feets. I have cut in my shoes when using longer bars but never from standard euro sized bars. Here in Sweden 13-18 is common in the forest.
Thx for this video. Im self taught with chainsaws , my old man left when i was 10 and wood is how we heated so i had to learn to run a poulan 16in bar was a heavy beast for me back then and that saw has since been stolen. Im 52 now and been running a Sthil 280 16in for med light work for near 20 years now and my wife is picking up a sthil with a 36in bar today from my sisterinlaw whos husband passed away this summer. Gotta learn new tricks so im watching to learn and AM learning. Thank You.
Your channel has inspired me to learn this craft. This past year I purchased a powersaw and re-handled an old axe head using skills taught to me in your videos. It is hard to imagine just how many folks you have inspired and helped in so many different ways. Thanks for all you do Buckin!!
I use a 24 sometimes I’m on the east coast so with all the hardwood an on the mid size saws a shorter bar works better but I still use the tip to cut so I’m standing up not bent over. My bigger saws all have long bars well 28 to 36 I never had a need for something longer than 36 lol .
Excellent tips for both pros and homesteaders alike, BBR! I’m in my 50s now and working “smarter not harder” is more important than ever. “Stand up and buck” are words to live by!
This is great advice for anyone with a chainsaw. A longer bar is much more useful and safer than a short one. Short bars have a tendency to rotate faster than a long one, and when you consider the fact that they're coming at your face in a severe kickback situation, slower is better. Also the firewood bucking technique is spot on for keeping the tip out of the dirt. Stay safe brother!
Honestly, you just put everything I've been realising over the last few years about long/short blades into just the right words and demonstrations. Great stuff
A 24” bar used to be a long bar in my book. Through these videos I was encouraged to go bigger on both the saw and the bar. After 35 years of various kinds of labor I need to find better, more efficient ways of doing work. I am about the same age as Buckin’ so I hope that we both have a couple of decades left of throwing down and getting it done.
Buckin, I find your videos immensely entertaining and educational.. I was born into the wood business and had my first legit chainsaw at 5 years old (under VERY close supervision of course). What I find the most interesting about your videos is how we are near polar opposites on some things, but knowing the “why” makes it easy to not try to get on and debate a point. So much of what we all want to wrestle about is very dependent on where and what you’re doing. Case in point.. Unless you’re dealing with a very specific circumstance in my area. I wouldn’t give a plugged nickel for a bar over 24”.. I don’t do a great deal of bucking on the ground (we haul tree length logs) and for the job -I- do I want whatever length of bar that makes the saw balance flat when you hold it by the wrap handle. Having a nose heavy saw dealing with the timber we have around here will wear you out fast. Doing what you do having a short bar will wear you out fast. Watching different people do things properly to fit their local timber stand really amuses me, largely because now I know if I have to deal with that thing some time I have a base knowledge to deal with.
Thank you for showing us how to stay safe, Buckin’. I’m 6 foot 3 so I may need to upgrade my saw so I can run a 30 incher, but I love the demonstration. Makes so much sense. Be kind Buckin’ Army!
Ditched my 28” full house for a 36” skipper after watching your channel 2 years ago. I’m able to operate all day without hurting my back. Stand Up and Buck!!! Literally life changing. Appreciate all your positivity.
100% agree, longer bar is easier on the back and safer in so many situations as you are farther away from the tree depending on what you’re dealing with. 24” is my shortest preferred bar length for firewood but I’m under 6’ tall, 28” is my go to bar length at work for everything.
@@jpcrazystealth1 I’m 5’10”, at work I use a 28” on my 372’s and for firewood either a 24” or 28” depending on what’s on my 365 at the moment. All depends on how much power your saw has, 28”-36” would be good for you tall bastards. 😜
@@c.j.8423 OK well here’s the kicker. My chainsaw is only 60cc’s. Honestly it’s actually 59.8cc…. What’s the longest bar you can get away with on a 60cc saw? I happen to have an Ecco 590cs. Sure, I would love to go spend 1000 or $2000 on a really nice Stihl saw, but that’s not in my budget this year. Any suggestions? I know that I can port the saw. which I haven’t done. And I know there’s a stronger coil that will increase power. Would I be able to manage the same length of bar without the increase of power? And vice a versa? Jesus I know I’m asking you a lot of questions. But I only started Chainsawing about a year ago. I didn’t really understand how much I was going to fall in love with it, and I just want to improve my equipment.
@@jpcrazystealth1 factory specs for the echo 590 say 20” is the longest bar but I’m guessing you should be able to run a 24” and a skip tooth chain, performance my suffer but I know people running 24”-28” bars on 60-65cc saws without issue. Keep the chain sharp if you try it out. As far as a bigger saw, keep any eye out on the used market. I’ve had a few follow me home for good deals and they were next to new or well cared for. Nothing wrong with an echo though, they seem well received by friends that run them.
@@jpcrazystealth1 i am 6'3 200lbs i went from the typical german size 20"/24" (i am from germany and here 20" is a big Bar) "to 32" and 36" its wounderful 😉 i have a littel treeservice and for Falling and bucking 32/36 all Day even tho its noticably Havyer but Standing up while cutting makes up fot it all the way Greetings and all the best to you
one of the greatest lessons you have ever taught is minding the tip of your chainsaw for the dangers of kickback...on the wood pile bucking the dangers of the ones below and beyond are easily avoided when you stay away from them. Happy trails friends!
I really appreciate your experiance based safety. As a 1 time safety manager I understand the difference between textbook safety and practical safety. Your saving a lot of people a lot of headache.
Thanks for the video, great safety tips. I've recently started using a 28" bar on a Stihl 462 for brushing in thick manzanita and oak woodland for some of the reasons you mentioned. Less bending over, farther away from the tree while cutting, etc. I still have to focus on not putting my tip in the dirt while cutting brush but it's overall less work than the 20" bar I was using before.
Thank you for demonstrating. Always been scared of chainsaws and thought kickback happened when the blade got pinch. Thank you for your detailed demonstration and advice!
Great video. Our saw shops in New Zealand appear to have an obsession with selling saws with very short bars, even the big saws, the 500i comes with only a 22". I now run 28 and 30 on my 500i and 36 on my 660 and as you say I can work all day and not get a painful lower back. So much easier.
Tell me about it , my dad was sold a 576xp with a 20” bar , unfortunately he passed and I inherited it …. I used it once and has had a 28” ever since . He used it for years like that and I don’t know how
Hi" am from Liverpool England and am 60 years " got my first chainsaw 58 years old . And I so wish I found out the fun you can have have cut wood to burn " Especially now the cost of living is nutts " it keep us warm it cooks are food and its a much better life now i think ! Its surprising how good you can get with something when you enjoy it so much and yes I'm talking about a chainsaw. Anyway was going to get 24" bar an chain for my stihl 034 av see' but think its going to be to heavy for it . Shame could do with a little help on my back to be fair ! Thank for the vid your a pro can tell !!!
Same with a chainsaw mill in the woods. The more time you spend finding ergonomic stances to save the lower back the more work you'll get done. 👍Helpful vid!
You talk about chainsaw safety, then drop start the saw! It's something I see so much in YT and it really grinds my gears, my old boss would've sacked me if he saw me do that.
Yes sir Buckin. My 28" bar is my favorite. I cut a fair amount of firewood and I used to use short bars. You inspired me a while ago. My back tells me you are right. : )
Thanks for the content today. When it comes to safety, you can never ever teach too much. When things happen, they happen fast. I was cutting and a couple of logs were getting close together. There was a few inches overlap. Imagine my surprise when blade of saw touched in kickback zone. I was letting saw wind down, but it was a lesson. No injury ,and I was using my Stihl. Tomorrow The Husky will get a little workout. Keep the safety lessons coming. Even if you think it is trivial, it may help someone to say hey I need to be extra vigilant here and so on. I won't tire of it. Thanks. Take care.
When I don’t expect to cut except something in the trail, I like a compact saw so it fits in the waterproof box. I really like your demonstration and agree that a long bar is better for work. I didn’t know before, but now I do.
Excellent job on this video pal. Very good demo for those who don’t use a power saw much. Can’t tell ya how much I’ve experienced the same back saving results w/ a long bar. Your passion for the work is inspiring. Keep liftin’ us up Buckin’….you’re the best.
I've learned some interesting things from you and your channel Buckin Billy Ray. I'm disabled but I still cut my own firewood as well as most of the logs for my sawmill. Thank you for sharin the many things that ya have on your channel. Very educational!
For most people, a perfect bucking saw probably has a 24, 28, or 32 inch bar, depending on the height of the user. For me, being rather tall, a 32 inch bar is perfect. That being said, I don't own a 32" bar. Bucking is normally a pretty small part of any job I do, so I make due with what I've got, normally a 24" bar that also serves as my climbing saw once I'm out of top handle territory. I stay safe by offsetting the bar from my face, so if it kicks back, it won't hit me in the face, and kneeling down to buck, cause my knees can take more than my back, especially when wearing saw protection pants. Just some thoughts for people who don't have the perfect setup for whatever reason.
You should trademark ‘stand up and buck’ if you haven’t already. Totally agree…went from sthil ms 261 16 inch to 462 28 inch. Now instead of working my back that I always strain/injure, I’m working my arms. I use ht131 polesaw with 14 inch bar on smaller stuff (limps,pruning) instead of chainsaw. The reach is great. With sharp chain, it rips and the small chain is easier to sharpen. With proper technique, you’re working your arms and shoulders too. This is a good 2 saw combo and glad I traded the smaller 261 for the larger 462. 24 inch bar is smallest I’d want on a chainsaw IMO. 28 inches gives good reach for me at less than 6 foot tall, but taller people may want 32 inch. 36 inch starts to be excessive IMO unless you’re 7 foot tall. If you’re felling monster trees, single bar wont cut it. A 28 inch bar will let you cut up to a 4.5 foot tree…extremely rare and sawmills wont take larger than 4 foot. 24 inch bar is just enough but 28 inches gives a buffer. For the majority of tasks, 16-20 inches will get the job done, but the trade off is you’re straining your back instead of arms because you’re forced to hunch your back.
"Staand-up...and-Buck!...are you ready to Rock! .. are you ready to-roll. ..Stand up and Rock!" Thanks for the Tips buck'n, mixing it up and making good soup. Thank You for your Service to the Logging and Rock'n Industry The Alaskan. .
Fun seeing bar length from a working guy's point of view. All the cowboys on RU-vid are using 20" bars on the 500i, 462 and the such to show how fast they can cut. Great video Sir.
Freaking love it Dude, sitting here watching this in east central Mississippi. Just got in from bucking 36 inch old growth pine with a 572 with a 32” inch on it!! Ohh, In the dang rain friend!😆
Nice! I use a 18 inch on my 372! For me i have no reason to use a longer bar but it's just me! I'm tempted to buy a longer bar for next firewood season! for this season i'm done with the firewood i need for the winter! Your content is a permanent school for me! Always remember what my father says: A saw is not a toy! Respect it and always be alert when work with it! Keep it up!!!!!!!
I agree I think 18" is the best size for the 372. It feels very balanced then. I now use 20" and I cannot move around effectively in the forest and will soner or later cut into rocks or ground. But I have 20" on it because I have smaller saws also. I don't understand why Americans use such long bars. Just the costs and the time it takes to file them. Not to mention carrying them around. My 55, 357, 346, 353, 550 and 560 have almost always used 13 and 15" that is great in the compact forests with uneven terrain we have here in mid Sweden. With that I can cut most trees from one side anyway. Really 75% of all bars sold here is below 18". I only ever use 18 or 20 on my 560 and 372 when I'm cutting real timber or cutting firewood in a pile. But I guess everyone should do what they works best with.
I turned around to find a colleague screaming at me for help back in January. Stihl 441 with an 18" bar cutting firewood in our work yard. He split his face from his eyebrow, down his nose to his top lip - missed his eyeball by several millimetres only. Lucky really. Dogging in to cut firewood bent over like that takes your concentration off your tip. I didn't see it happen but I'm convinced he hit a peice of wood beyond the one he was cutting and that's what caused his kickback. If you're out there thinking you'll just 'catch' a kickback like you see Buckin' doing in his demo here, when it happens for real, giving it the big guns and it takes you by surprise, I'm telling you, you'll not. Stay safe and sensible out there friends, cause I won't forget that fella shouting for me in a hurry!
Once a fella understands how and why of a kick back the long bar shouldn't be as scary to them. When you stand up and buck you have such a better view of the kick back zone. Paul Bunyan getting close!
Hey I really appreciate you taking the time to show us this. I've run a 20" bar forever just not knowing anything but an achy back. I'm gonna order me a 24" bar an chain now. Thanks again.
Great Safety Video. Kick back is the main reason for the Chain brake. Yes the brake can save you but the thing to do is in knowing how to prevent the kick back. My hat's off to you for a great video.
I'm 5'4 and up until recently I only had a 16" bar on an MS170. It doesn't hurt my back too much to bend over but I attribute that to my height. I do primarily landscaping for work and small amounts of arborist work on fruit trees, ornamentals, and hedges. However I've been doing firewood for a few years now and as I get busier in that hustle I found it wouldnt cut it. I will still use it for small logs in the 8-10" range, or the girlfriend can. This year we got a lot of 24-32" logs so it was time to get a better saw. Picked up an old husqvarna 2100CD with a 36" bar. Got it sorted out at the saw shop and I'm ready to process these logs that have been sitting a few months.
Thanks for sharing buckin and I've done your technique since I've started watching your videos and I can at least walk away at the end of the day I don't know how people do it but I see it all the time appreciate the info keep up the hard work and thanks for the videos!!
Buckin', what model of Husky power saw would you recommend to be able to run a longer bar? Currently I have a gen 1 550XP and longest bar recommended for it is 20" which is what I am running on it. I mostly use the saw for falling and bucking on my own property for firewood. I also use it to buck 8' lengths if I have to buy wood.
This is the best chainsaw course on RU-vid hands down. I have experience and a course, course was for work safety which is a joke, they have unexperienced men with a chainsaw course just to cover their own ass with safety prodigal. But anyway that's not why I commented, good for you showing this experience you have, we all need to pay attention regardless, thank you. Subbed.
I have a 20" bar on 291, and that's plenty.of tip hanging out when cutting med size wood. I agree with you on how exhausting bending over to cut rounds on the ground can be- especially if it's something like ash, that just doesn't cut that fadt...
I want to try your advice on this Buckin. One other thing I've noticed in my own sawing is that any time I keep the powerheads closer to the wood I can feel a lot more of the exhaust gas on my forward hand. It's probably not as big of a deal if you've got a side piped muffler, but my OEM mufflers throw the exhaust forward and repeated cuts on the dogs on a hot day really heats up the saw.
It just goes to show that positioning and safe technique is important. A faller friend of mine told me one time he was falling in the winter with snow shoes. When he was putting his back cut into a tree the kickback zone touched another tree that was beside it. The saw came flying out of the tree and cut through his winter boot right down to the sock. Luckily he was uninjured
I really enjoy watching your videos. And I'm learning a lot from them as well. I recently started using a chainsaw again after several years absence. Though i had to get a kobalt 40v 14 inch chainsaw from a pawn shop because it was cheaper ($100) and it looked almost new i have access to two other 40 v batteries. I had to got down a holly , oak branch, and a sycamore. I haven't finished the sycamore because it fell right by a shed and its really close to fence . I don't want to cut into the shed and I'm limited by space. How the sycamore grew and fell made it really awkward to cut. It's wider than 14 inches and its second growth. So when it was younger it came from 2 parts and merged. I have been cutting wedges out . I don't have time to work on it daily. And i cut most of it..
i domt think there is much more powerful way to live life other than to share a bit of yourself with others to better others lifes. thank you for your part in this life
Buckin’.. since we’re talking about long bars vs short bars, I prefer the longer ones not only because my back won’t allow repetitive motion, but also because they work better with my high torque saws like the old Echo CS 680. That saw will pull a long chain and a caboose..
At 63 years old the most weight I can handle is a 20 inch bar on a 50 cc echo. As a novice homeowner; if I can’t cut it with a 20 inch bar I have no business cutting it. I do know my limitations. Thank you so much for showing the kickback. My question is if I accidentally hit pure dirt will the kickback be as hard? I worry about kick back a lot as I am left-handed. Most chainsaws are made for right handers. The chain brake is in line when you’re holding the saw properly with your right hand. Not so much when you hold it with your left. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
I'm 6 foot with a long reach a 24 in bar I get pretty good darn that 056 get heavy quick nowadays. Going in for hip replacement before long hoping that helps and get me back my firewood cutting
I run a Husky 288XP with a 28" bar and just like you said it is way easier bucking than with my husky 351 with an 18" Thanks for the great video !!Hello, from Ontario
