Bow bar on a 044

I picked up a green bow bar from a member on AS and put it on my 044 that I had a narrow bow on. I had to turn down the studs and cut a clutch cover to get it it fit right. I used it to buck a dead elm that fell in my back yard and it worked great. I can't wait to use it more.

 

Stupid question from a Pellethead, what is the advantage of a bow bar??

 

X2 I've seen them a few times but glad I'm not the only one

 

I believe that the main reason for a bow bar is for trees that fall across ditches. It allows you to cut through without pinching the bar. That's what I've been told anyways.

 

Thanks, that makes sense to me.

 

You can buck a log on the ground without bending over. See in the video, I'm hardly bending to cut and can cut all the way thru without the bar getting pinched.

 

Thanks rookie1

 

Ahhhh!

Why aren't they more readily available?

I understand that they are a little bulky space wise, but if it works who cares how much more room it takes than a standard bar?

 

I agree,lawyers probably put an end to them. I would never fell a tree with one. I would use another saw to do that. That's why I have a 15 saw plan.

 

Yeah, they look like purpose built bars just for horizontal tree cutting.

It slices and dices! But wait, there's more!
NO MORE PINCHED BARS!!!!

 

You can cut down through a tree on the ground and the bar doesnot pinch. And you don't have to bend over as much. A big thing here in the south. All the pulpwooders of 30 and 40 years ago used them.

 

When I first started out as a forester we still had some old school guys that cut and loaded by hand basically. (This was is 2004!!) They used bow bars on 046 and 044s to cut every thing. Those guys cut stuff like 18" diameter pine down standing on the stump with them. They were good.

Their truck was an old short wood truck converted to carry long wood...well 16 to 20ft longwood. Short wood was loaded perpendicular to how the truck sits, Longwood is hauled like you see it today. The truck had a PTO winch and hand made crane that sat up on top of the cab. It swiveled and they pulled the cabel and chokers out to the wood and yard ed it back to the truck then undid the chokes and lifted one end on the truck, loosened the choke and then went farther down the log and then lifted the but up over the standard onto the truck. Was something to watch in this modern word of logging for sure.

 

In the early 00s bailey's still carried them, it was the smaller "brush clearing " bars. Then they were forced to drop them from what I have read on old AS posts by a sweetish chainsaw company for selling them and their product? Maybe I have that part a bit wrong. But once they stopped carrying them I heard the company could be called direct and still get them. I searched them out like 3 years ago but don't think there around anymore...or they may be but it hasent come up so I don't think they are and dont think they would sell enough anyway.

 

Long as you keep them pointed down they work great. My dad can tell you about getting them above waist high though. We had a storm come through trees blocked the road something terrible. So dad grabs the 041 with the bow and heads out to help the fire department. About 15 minutes later he's taken a ride to get his face sewed up from the forehead to the chin. Cut his left nostril off and took out 4 teeth plus he had four lips.

 

Can't "like" that.

 

Ouch...feelin sorry for your Pops!

 

He made a full recovery I Appreciate all the medical professionals out there.