Milling with 028AV Super or Husky 257

[ClemXP]

So I am considering doing some hobby milling, alaskan style, and the most likely candidates from my saw cache are the Husky 257 and Stihl 028AV Super. Does anybody have any experience with these saws, or suggestions otherwise?

I would probably mostly mill white pine, but may be interested in doing some local hardwoods too, if possible.

I figure the 257 is big enough, and I would probably couple it with a 16"-20" bar, 9 tooth sprocket and .325 semi chisel chain. (I've heard that normal .325 is comparable to 3/8 ripping chain)

The 028AV super, as I understand it, is a lower RPM saw than most. I imagine this would have a negative effect while ripping, but I would really rather dedicate this saw to the task, since it has proven to be an indestructible workhorse.

Thoughts?

 

[wigglesworth]

You need a bigger saw, IMHO. Those saws wont last long on a mill. Most mill with 70cc+.

 

[gink595]

I think your asking a lot of those saws, not to mention your patience... How big of wood you plan on milling with em?

 

[BobL]

the 028 is a 43cc low revving saw - a most unlikely and unsuitable candidate for any sort of milling saw.

The 257 is 57 cc, 20" bar cutting max width is then 16" - there are people milling the occasional log with this size saw but don't expect the saw to mill day after day after day or any sort of stellar performance while cutting especially if you are thinking hardwoods.

 

[Brmorgan]

Well if you have a 257 available, I wouldn't even bother thinking about the 028, super or not. A 257 will mill anything under 12" wide or so fairly well. My brother has one and we use it a fair amount with the yard care business, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the amount of grunt it has.

Having said that, I'd be willing to bet that you would NOT be pleased with a 9-pin .325 setup on it. I milled once with a 20" setup like that on my 041, which is 61cc and a lot lower RPM with more torque, and even then it wasn't really happy with it. And I was only slabbing 8" boards from cants. A 257 would be much happier with a 3/8 7-pin setup IMO. You could either run a low-profile semi-chisel chain for fairly fast cuts with a cleaner finish, or a full-chisel skip chain for slightly rougher cuts but with less load on the saw engine. And with a skip chain, you'd only have about half the cutters to sharpen compared to a .325 full-house chain. Personally I'd use the low-profile but it probably wouldn't hurt to spend the extra couple bucks and try both - on a 16" or 20" bar a skip chain won't set you back all that much. You would need an .050-gauge bar though, whereas most Huskies come with .058 generally.

 

[the westspartan]

You will be fine in white pine, hardwood is a different story! I think either saw would work in white pine as long as the logs are not huge. My choice would be the 257 for the extra displacement. However, I have milled a decent amount of white pine with a 50cc chinese yardsale saw, and it did reasonably well with a sharp chain in 18" pine. I would pick up an alaskan small log mill. You loose less bar length with this mill because it attaches to only the powerhead end of the bar. I have had really good luck and results with this mill.

Brmorgan is correct in saying the 9 pin is the wrong way to go with milling. It will bog down an already somewhat underpowered mill saw. I'd keep it at a 7 pin and try out the .325 semi- chisel full comp.

*Just as a side note* milling hardwood will not be a huge issue. This is because after you mill a little white pine, the saw dust will get in your veins (and everywhere else) and you will be chomping at the bit to get another saw just for milling. You will probably buy an old torque monster or possibly a 660/066 or equivelent. At that point you will be able to deal with milling anything you can come across up in NH.

GOOD LUCK

 

[ClemXP]

Thanks for your comments, everyone.

I think I will stick with the 257. I have access to .050 bars, and I like the idea of using 3/8 pitch. I had assumed that a .325 with high RPMs would mill well, but I agree about the pain of sharpening all those teeth.

I'll try it out and report back in a few months!

Thanks again.