Author Topic: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!  (Read 9670 times)

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Offline 660magnum

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #80 on: March 17, 2015, 05:57:55 pm »
That would be neat just like on the Poulan 300 series. No one else would have one for a Husqvarna 371XP?
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Offline 3000 FPS

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #81 on: March 17, 2015, 06:02:41 pm »
That would be neat just like on the Poulan 300 series. No one else would have one for a Husqvarna 371XP?

Yep.
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Offline 660magnum

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #82 on: March 18, 2015, 06:26:05 am »
The guards in the picture are made of 16 gauge aluminum and are painted silver for some unknown reason? They come in different gauge thicknesses and are manufactured as an extruded 10' or 20' length of aluminum that is cut off to the proper length.

These guards may be extruded but I could easily bend them up from 9-11 gauge aluminum sheet.

I could also make the spurs from steel or aluminum, bent or machined from billet.

Good to know of a good source for these parts if necessary.

The spurs are harder to come by than any other part of a bow bar.

Although most 14" high bow bars have only a half guard on the top, the smaller 6" high clearing bars for cutting brush and Christmas trees are more often fully guarded top and bottom due to the nature of their use.
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Offline 660magnum

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #83 on: March 28, 2015, 03:12:22 pm »
I've cut some in the wood pile with my 19" X 14" size bow bar on my Husqvarna 371. A 372 size power head on this size bar might be a little on the over kill size. A good 60cc saw will pull it fine.

A cautionary observation . . .

My big bow bar just has a hand guard about half way up the top of the bow. The wood pile I was into has all diameters of silver maple from 4' and shorter. It is just a random pile and not stacked. I cut up some of the 4' long stuff into three pieces. As I was cutting, I observed the curve of the bow opposite of the spur or dog getting close to other pieces of wood. There is a good chance of a kick back if you let the other side of the bow touch something. For this reason, I wouldn't be cutting into a pile of wood? So be careful and have your wood spread out on the ground enough so your bar can cut as intended.

Due to the wide breadth when cutting with a bow bar in a fallen tree top or around a lot of brush, In addition to a potential kick back, there is a good opportunity to get "whipped" upside the head or across your left forearm with part of a vine or a long thin limb. Around here the woods are full of multi-flora rose vines. The thorns on one of those would work over your forearm or the side of your face real good if the vine was picked up by the back side of the bar.

For this very reason, my little #620 Commercial Bow Bar (8" dia clearing bar w/Stihl mount) has full guards on both the top and bottom sides of the bar. The clearing bars are typically used to cut off mesquite or sage brush or the little volunteer red cedars that pop up like weeds or even grape and multi-flora rose vines. You can just reach in with the tip of the bar and knock them off at the main stem. The picture below is the NOS clearing bar as received.

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Offline Eccentric

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #84 on: March 28, 2015, 03:57:52 pm »
Good info Jim.  I know a few guys with scars from bow bars...

Offline 660magnum

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #85 on: March 30, 2015, 07:32:52 pm »
Today was a little more agreeable with me weather wise and I attached my NOS Commercial Chain Bar 620  (Clearing Bar) to my Stihl 026PRO.

It went right on with no modifications to the Stihl 026PRO. The clutch cover cleared as well as the inner chain plate. Even the chain catcher at the bottom was OK.

It looks like the bar is going to need 82DL LG72 chain?  I'm going to shorten the top bar guard some before putting it back on with new screws.
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Offline Cut4fun .

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #86 on: April 01, 2015, 07:50:36 pm »
After running Jim's 371xp in some maple today with the wide bow bar.  All I can say is wow how fast it cut.  No bogging and not slow like others I have watched at gtg's. 

I will say I am not comfortable running a bow bar though.  Just something wrong in my mind going through a log bucking  with the tip.



Offline 660magnum

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #87 on: April 12, 2015, 11:08:46 pm »
Poulan 245A Unique Bow Detail

A couple of you have this saw. The bow bar, top handle/bracket, & clutch cover were factory offerings on a couple Poulan models such as the reed valve 59cc 306 and 74cc 245 back in the 70's.

This saw was for sale on Ebay. It is a nice looking example and possibly pretty original? The pictures may come in handy? I have other pictures but I thought these would help those of you converting a regular bar saw? Notice the two plates between the Bow bar and the saw and how the top handle attaches differently with a bracket than the regular saw because of the extra height of the bow bar? Also the bar nuts are special long reach barrel nuts needed because the bow bar is spaced outboard by the two plates one of which appears to be newly made in these pictures.

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Offline 3000 FPS

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #88 on: April 13, 2015, 01:36:57 pm »
I was looking at my 245 and with those double spacers in there it seems like the clutch and sprocket have to stick out a ways also.
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Offline 660magnum

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Re: Bow Bars Are Perfect For Firewood!
« Reply #89 on: April 13, 2015, 05:05:36 pm »
That looks like at least a quarter inch??
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