Tree Work
Chainsaw Bar to Trunk Diameter
For most felling and bucking, you want a bar at least 80% of the trunk diameter for a single-pass cut. Enter your bar length and trunk diameter to see if you can do it in one pass or need to bore/loop.
Coverage
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- Bar ÷ trunk ratio
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- Technique
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- Notes
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FAQ
What ratio is ideal? +
A bar about 110-130% of the trunk diameter gives you single-pass cuts with comfortable tip clearance. Going much longer adds weight and tip-kickback risk on smaller cuts.
When is a short bar dangerous? +
When you cannot tell whether you have severed the back of the trunk. Hidden uncut wood causes barber-chair and unexpected rolls. If your bar cannot reach through, bore-cut from both sides and verify.
Why 80% rule of thumb? +
Below 80%, you are running risk of incomplete cuts and you lose visual access to what is happening on the far side of the trunk. It is a fast judgment threshold, not a hard rule.