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[OMGTANGERINES]

my dwarves aren't reliably using bins to store metal bars. I've got a 10x10 bar/block stockpile set to only metal bars, and it's set to max bin usage (100 bins), but they're only using 5-10 bins for storage.

I definitely have excess bins in a furniture stockpile; the bars that aren't in bins are not tasked for anything and I've tried forbidding and reclaiming them, and same for the bins. I've tried deleting and remaking the stockpile, with no effect.

any ideas on what's causing this?

[PatrikLundell]

Don't use bins. Their implementation is bugged in that if two dorfs try to access the same bin at the same time the second one gets locked out because the item is inaccessible. If that was a workshop order, the order is cancelled (even if it was on repeat), and you get spam reports regardless. I only use bins for garbage disposal (i.e. stuff to be "sold" to caravans, such as x¤pig tail sock¤x:s), as those bins are used for retrieval only when caravans are inbound (and I still get some of them not hauled to the trade depot because a garbage storage job blocked it).
The bin (and barrel) usage logic is to allocate new storage containers only when the old ones get full, so a new one is only hauled to the stockpile when the previous one is filled, and it's possible to get container hauling blocked because there is no free space in the stockpile (I think moving things from the stockpile into its containers is lower priority than hauling to the stockpile.
Minecart quantum stockpiles make it possible to store everything but booze compactly.

[Nolimit]

In my experience, dwarves will often fill whole stockpile mostly with bars, putting only few bins in there, and then they'll start filling bins and adding more of them, eventually using stockpile more efficiently. But it takes some time. There are also some bugs related to bins and hauling. I only use bins for bars and sometimes finished goods. It doesn't work perfect, but it works good enough for me.

[Fleeting Frames]

Second the rec for QSP in bin stockpiles. I've written a short guide how to make one

I recall report of them being inaccessible also counting as unavailable for manager, so you'll get overproduction until after your weapon/craft bin is completely full as all crafts in said bin "disappear" whenever someone goes to pick up the new craft created, thus triggering a job for new craft to be created.

Minecart quantum stockpiles make it possible to store everything but booze compactly.

And not having booze stockpiles makes it possible to store it compactly in still as well, as booze doesn't rot.

Tbh, can do that with most workshops when using JIT production, though butchers' need refuse for clutter and farther-away corpses, and mass-production of bars/blocks will clutter the workshop.

(You can store normal bare food in minecart and have dwarves eat out of it if you can't place food stockpile but need food in room, but booze-filled minecarts are inaccessible for drinking, if accessible for 0-distance boozecooking.)

[Loci]

my dwarves aren't reliably using bins to store metal bars. I've got a 10x10 bar/block stockpile set to only metal bars, and it's set to max bin usage (100 bins), but they're only using 5-10 bins for storage.

...

any ideas on what's causing this?

Perhaps you mistakenly set a large number of "reserved bins" on the stockpile screen? ("Reserved bins" will never be used for anything in vanilla.)

[Buckley]

The idea of not using bins makes my head explode... but yes, I've run into this problem too.

One trick I've started doing is having a stockpile set to 'pull' bins from Carp Workshop - say, 100 or so.  Then, when it's full, I change the stockpile settings to accept no bins at all anywhere.  I don't know if that specifically solves my problem or if it's just a priority issue in terms of job assignments and they eventually get around to using them.  Also, Sometimes I'll cut the number of bins allowed to just over what I need in all my stockpiles.  Again, not sure which specific jiggering described above does it... but eventually bins get used.

As for the problem of job cancellations... I only find it a majorly annoying issue at my loom/ cloth workshop and my rough gem pile.  Especially if I'm producing a lot of thread from a farmer workshop or weaving a lot of cloth.  I've taken to building two identical stockpiles in such cases... so like... my loom can pull from one stockpile or the other.  I let one stockpile get a decent amount of material in it then disable it taking from anywhere so that the dwarves tend to use bins in the other stockpile. 

I produce from one stockpile set to take only from x without designating x and let the stock of stuff to bins go to a 2nd stockpile.  A bit of a pain but workable... and actually helps me pay attention to setting mass clothing build type orders anyway.

Hope that made sense.

[anewaname]

any ideas on what's causing this?

The process of filling bins is slow. If there is no unfilled bin on the stockpile, then a dwarf will haul an empty bin to the stockpile, then a dwarf walks around to collect 10 metal bars and hauls them to the bin, then those two jobs are repeated (these jobs can be seen in the Jobs menu). This means that there is only one dwarf assigned to filling the stockpile bins at any time. If you also factor in the weight of the bars slowing the dwarf, as well as the travel time for the dwarf to get from the meeting area to the smelter. It can take months for a 10x10 stockpile to fill up with full bins. It may be that your stockpile is just filling slowly. If your metalcrafters are using metal bars from the bins while they are being refilled, it will be even slower.

I tend to avoid using stockpiles or QSP for metal bars that I plan to use soon. The smelters and forges are always close together; and the metal bars accumulate in the smelter until a metal crafter walks over to take them. When there is a large surplus of metal bars or charcoal that I know will not be used for a long times (if at all), then I will make a binned stockpile only for that metal, allow it to fill up, then remove the stockpile, leaving the full bins to collect dust. My smelters are always cluttered.

The bin (and barrel) usage logic is to allocate new storage containers only when the old ones get full, so a new one is only hauled to the stockpile when the previous one is filled, and it's possible to get container hauling blocked because there is no free space in the stockpile (I think moving things from the stockpile into its containers is lower priority than hauling to the stockpile.

There is no blocking of the container hauling; the jobs are just either lower priority or are queued on a slower schedule. You will see many dwarfs hauling individual items and then an empty bin will be placed on top of one of those individual items. I've seen stockpiles with a bin on every square and individual items on most squares.