milling with a husky 359

[teamollie]

I have a 359, pretty new saw, that's been great for cutting up blown-down trees. but this chainsaw milling process appeals to me because it seems I can actually do something useful with the wood. would a 359 and a 24-inch bar be adequate for milling hemlock and pine up to 18"-20" in diameter? would that saw be able to run a bigger bar? I know it'll be slower going, but speed isn't exactly a huge concern.

also, if I kept the 24" inch bar, what mill setup would folks recommend? the alaskan III? anything else?

thanks in advance.
-lev

 

[Adkpk]

Ya, I would say your pretty close to the edge there. I mill with a 359 and a granberg mini mill. And I think I'm pushing the saw a little. And that's in soft wood. You can do it but I wouldn't go longer than that. Not without a bigger saw.

 

[computeruser]

My two cents -

What you're proposing to do is asking more of that saw than it is really able to give. You may be able to do it, but it will be very slow going. I could possibly see milling 10-15" stuff with that saw on an occasional basis, though I really wouldn't want to do it. 70cc+ is more realistic, 90cc+ is much better.

If you intend to do this with any frequency, go with a bigger saw.

 

[clearance]

Kind of like pulling a 30' travel trailer with a Honda, you'll kill the little guy. No replacement for displacement.

 

[046]

24in bar on a 60 cc saw is marginal for regular cutting, much less milling..

you're gonna kill your 359...

 

[teamollie]

I really enjoy playing with that 359... I wouldn't want to kill it. it's about as big a saw as a 5'6 / 140 lb kid can swing around safely.

so you're telling me there's a bigger powerhead in my future? it's not something I PLANNED on, but I certainly can't see any reason not to do it, if I can pick one up used for not a lot of coin. I guess if I get a bigger machine, it'll be dedicated for milling. on a side note, how big a mill (24", 30", etc) would I need if I'm not handling trees over 2 feet wide? is bigger always better? or is the best choice the smallest that will do the job?

I'll keep my eye open... but you people are bad for my wallet in the meanwhile, I'll keep stacking any usable logs for next year.

thanks for the advice!

 

[Freakingstang]

I'm about 5'9" and go about a buck fifty. I have been using bigger saws that that for the last 8 years. I know have a nice collection of bigger saws. lol


The thing with milling, that i have read is that you are going to lose approximately 4-6 inches in the width of the cut for the mill setup. So if you plan on cutting 24" wide stuff on a regular basis, you should step up to a 28-30" mill. I don't know the exact sizes, but somthing in that range should get you close. I wouldn't got too big, like a 48" as that is just more weight to handle and more teeth to sharpen!

-Steve

 

[Newfie]

get a 36" mill and a big powerhead,90+cc. The 36"mill can be adjusted downward to fit shorter bars.

 

[timberwolf]

359? Sure it could be done, but 90cc -120cc would be a lot better.

Make sure to deal with the muffler first, esp if it is an EPA, the muffler holds a lot of heat in, otherwise milling with it could be a melt down. Richen it up a bit and run lost of oil 32:1.