Ideal T540ixp bar length

[Vicente]

I've got a 12" bar c on my 540 right now and want a longer one I'm trying to decide between the 14 and 16" I'm thinking the 14 may be the sweet spot with getting a little more capability but not killing the battery to fast or getting into making the auto overload kill switch trip a lot. For you guys running longer bars on it how have your experiences been? I just got a 261 which has been a pleasure to use on the 3 big pines I did last week so I'll probably just got 540ixp followed by my 261 on bigger removals.

 

[Stumpsprouts]

14”. Cuts that are over around 9” on hardwoods, or 12” on softwoods, switch to 261. That’s the sweet spot.

 

[Friedrich]

i use a 12“ but mainly hardwoods, i do doublecuts quite often but than drains the battery quite fast.

 

[miguel in new mexico]

I believe I read or heard from husqvarna, that that the 14" bar with Bli 200X
battery is "optimum" for power. Its been working great for me and folks I know running the same.

 

[ghostice]

14" and 300 batteries are my sweet spot. Even used the thing indoors for a reno, getting rid of some 12 X 12 fir timbers that were too heavy to haul out as lengths. T540's been one great saw. Only had one problem in a tree this year with it when I took about a 40' top (sketchy stem above so no more climbing rigging in the books) - 14" just barely tickled the bark on the other side of the stem for the notch so around I went. Other than that it's been cracker.

 

[Fivepoints]

I like the 16 on my 540lixp. Its the only one the dealer had at the time. Having a bit of extra reach is nice at times. I like the balance a bit better with the 16. Helps offset the battery being at the very back.

 

[27RMT0N]

I run a 14" with a quarter-pitch conversion. I haven't run a 16", but when I had the stock 14" setup I didn't like it much and felt it bogged down very easily in wood, something the 1/4" improved a great deal. I can't imagine a 16" cutting wood at full depth well... meaning it seems like just extra reach with extra drag, not extra ability.

 

[Vicente]

We'll the 14" bar I ordered at the local shop months ago finally showed up so 14" it is, chains are still back ordered so I'm going to grab a couple oregon from arbsession.