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Stihl manufactures a wide selection of chainsaws for home, agricultural and forestry use, and the 026 is a lightweight, gasoline-powered model. If you own a Stihl 026 chainsaw, you can increase its functionality by installing a longer guide bar, but exceeding the manufacturer's recommendations for maximum bar length can void the warranty. The longest bar recommended for the 026 is 20 inches, whether or not it's a bar designed for reduced kickback.

Bar Length and Kickback

One of the hazards of operating a chainsaw is kickback, which happens when the chain binds in the wood being cut and throws the saw back toward the operator. Putting a longer bar on your chainsaw can increase the possibility of kickback because the extra chain in contact with wood increases the chances of binding or contacting a foreign object in the wood, and the bar is harder to control. Using a bar that is too short for the wood being cut is equally dangerous -- if the tip doesn't clear the other side of the log, the saw may kick back.

Stihl 026 Standard Bar

The minimum bar length for a chainsaw is 2 inches longer than the object being cut. A 14- to 16-inch bar is usually all that is needed for projects such as cutting firewood, trimming tree branches and cutting construction lumber. The Stihl 026 comes with a 16-inch bar, but a longer one may be needed to fell a tree or cut a log into smaller, splittable rounds. If the only saw you have around the house is your Stihl 026, you can adapt it for occasional heavy-duty log work by retrofitting the bar, but there is a limit to the bar length you can use.

Pros and Cons of a Longer Bar

Putting a longer bar on your chainsaw makes it harder to operate, because the extra length increases the force you must exert on the saw to keep the chain steady. It also increases the amount of power the engine must generate to drive the chain, and the engine can burn out prematurely if the bar is too long. The 49 cubic-centimeter, two-stroke engine on the Stihl 026 isn't designed for a long bar or heavy-duty cutting. Compare it with the MS 880 Magnum, which is Stihl's largest chainsaw. The engine displacement of the Magnum is 121.6 cc, more than twice that of the 026, and it can handle a 59-inch bar.

Stihl 026 Bar Specifications

In order to comply with safety standards set by the American National Standards Institute, Stihl recommends using only 16-, 18- and 20-inch bars with the 026 chainsaw. The company further recommends using bars with green labels, which identify them as reduced kickback bars. A green-labeled bar should be used with only a compatible low-kickback chain, which is also identified by a green label. Using a regular chain with a low-kickback bar actually can increase the possibility of kickback. If you choose a bar with a yellow label, then the same length restrictions apply.

About the Author

Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies.

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