I JUST Gotta Say This...

[StihlRockin']

Oh NOOOOO!

I had to check this milling forum out for the first time and saw one post...

NOW I'M HOOKED!

I gotta get me a set-up too! I do tree removals, etc, so finding the wood will not be a problem. I'm even burning wood for the first time in over 20 years, so I'll have not only wood to burn, but wood to mill !!!!!!

You guys and your toys are addicting!

Might as well start with this...

I see myself into wood approx. 14" to 19" quite frequently. I will also be seeing larger wood, mostly pine I'm guessing, somewhere on the average of 18" to 30" wide. What saw do you recommend I get for my first milling saw? I would like to stick with Stihl. ($$$ is not that big an issue)

Thanks,

StihlRockin'... newest member of the Mill-Your-Own-Wood-Club. !!!

 

[ropensaddle]

Oh NOOOOO!

I had to check this milling forum out for the first time and saw one post...

NOW I'M HOOKED!

I gotta get me a set-up too! I do tree removals, etc, so finding the wood will not be a problem. I'm even burning wood for the first time in over 20 years, so I'll have not only wood to burn, but wood to mill !!!!!!

You guys and your toys are addicting!

Might as well start with this...

I see myself into wood approx. 14" to 19" quite frequently. I will also be seeing larger wood, mostly pine I'm guessing, somewhere on the average of 18" to 30" wide. What saw do you recommend I get for my first milling saw? I would like to stick with Stihl. ($$$ is not that big an issue)

Thanks,

StihlRockin'... newest member of the Mill-Your-Own-Wood-Club. !!!

660 in stihl!

 

[parrisw]

Get as big of a saw as you can afford. It takes lots of power to mill. I use a Husky 394xp, and its does well. I use a 36" Alaskan mill, with a 33" bar. Get the 36" mill. When mounted up, you don't actually get 36" of cutting ability. You get about 32" with a 36" bar.

 

[BobL]

Get as big of a saw as you can afford. It takes lots of power to mill. I use a Husky 394xp, and its does well. I use a 36" Alaskan mill, with a 33" bar. Get the 36" mill. When mounted up, you don't actually get 36" of cutting ability. You get about 32" with a 36" bar.

It's also not just about the size of the trunks, if you're into crotches, small trees can still have big crotches.

 

[stevethekiwi]

I started the same as you buddy.

1 x 395 with a 36" granberg alaskan mkIII. Worked well. I practiced on pine, but then i got bored with it. Pine here is the major export, and the major wood used for housing, cheap furniture etc, so it was not a good economic decision to mill pine. Far too cheap! So I looked for other wood... but the good stuff was bigger than 32" (36")

Long story short i now have gradually progressed to 2 x 3120's on an 84" double ended GB bar milling everything I can. And still, the odd 10' Macrocarpa comes along and I'm left thinking... "if only I had a lucas mill... I could clean this up in no time"

and then there are hoists, winches, thicknissers... why oh why don't i find a cheaper hobby like walking.

take my advice. Dont get started. walk away. this stuff is way too much fun and will cost you a great deal of "wife time"

I still have a wife, but i think the "we need to talk" conversation is just around the corner

Anyone need to buy a cheap mill setup?



Steve

 

[MotorSeven]

It's also not just about the size of the trunks, if you're into crotches, small trees can still have big crotches.

BobL, ya made me smile this morning....your a funny guy:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[MotorSeven]

SR, def,def,definatly the MS880(and a wheelbarrow to carry it !)

RD

 

[zopi]

If $$ isn't an issue, get a mini mill on a 660, and an alaskan III on an 880...

Be careful tho' you might get an itch for a band mill....

 

[glennschumann]

I made my suggestions in this post... with some other advice for folks new to saws in general. Hope this helps... my post was 11, but the thread has good information throughout.

Peace

Schumann

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?p=853389#post853389

 

[StihlRockin']

Well, I gotta say I'm a little more informed since the last time I posted this. I've watched some videos of the Mark III in action and some reading, plus looked at some diagrams. So does that make me an expert yet? LOL!

I do have some 044's, a 046 and 066 that can be used, but I need an excuse to get another saw, so most likely my first mill saw will be the 066. We'll see! I'm eyeing a bigger saw right this moment, but it would be for tree removals.

Thanks for the comments gentleman.

StihlRockin'

 

[timhar]

If money is no object, I would suggest a band or swing mill. I know this board is geared toward CM'er's, but CMs are slow, labor intensive and wasteful of the wood. As a tree man, you probably have the ways and means of moving logs around, so that ability cancels out the only real advantage of the CM which is being able to go right to the log.
Just my two cents.

 

[Marmaduck]

You've got plenty of saws now!! Get going!!

Yes, there's no replacement for displacement, BUT:

I've been doing fine with a husky 570 on the mill.
The new 395xp is *almost* broken-in.
I used my MS290 on a mini-mill and it worked great!

Pretty soon, I'll use the 395 on the mill, the 570 for bucking/mini-mill/big mill back-up, and the MS290 for the mini-mill as needed...especially since that bar is already dented from the mini-mill.

Also, for trees less than 36", I think the 20" bar on the mini-mill should be fine.

L8R,
Michael