Newbie setting up Alaskan mill

[giantsridge]

Greetings all,

I just joined this forum and have already saved myself alot of time/mistakes by reading several posts, so thanks for the information!

I am purchasing an Alsaskan 36" mill to cut timbers from large pine and occasionally hardwood logs that are available. I have general experience with chainsaws and have always used Stihl saws. I'm now looking for a larger engine for use with the CSM and need advice...It seems like most of the posters are using Stihl saws, so I'm wondering if that is true and if so, why?

In pricing new saws, it appears that Stihls are much more expensive than comparable-sized Jonsered or Husqvarna models. Furthermore, our local dealer (of 45 years) has dropped their ties with Stihl claiming that their saws are not well made anymore. So I am leaning towards a Husky 372 or Jonsered 2186 as alternatives to the Stihl 650 I intended to buy.

Any suggestions on what engine would be the better choice for this application?

Thanks!
Shawn

 

[dustytools]

Check with a member here that goes by Stipes. He has the Jonsered that you asked about and really likes it. I ran it last weekend and it is a very nice saw with plenty of power. If you could swing the extra dough I would take the Husky 395 over the 372 just incase you need the extra power sometime. Several members here including myself use the 395 for milling and swear by them. Good luck.

 

[excess650]

When I decided to try milling, I bought a used Stihl 066. It has since been modified by way of big bore kit, so is roughly 99cc vs 92cc stock. I've also since purchased a used Husqvarna 3120. Milling is tough duty for a saw, so more displacement is better than not enough. The negative of the really big saws like the 3120 and 088/880 Stihls is that their weight makes them almost impractical for normal chainsaw work. The best current compromises seem to be the Stihl 650/660 and Husqvarna 385xp, 390xp, and 395xp(or Jonsered equivalents).

I tried my 272xp for milling, but felt it underpowered/overworked. I have no reason to think a 372xp or Jred 2171 would be any better.

 

[OhioGregg]

These guys have given some great advise! If money wasn't a hindrence, which it was for me, I probably would have bought the 395xp or ms660. I almost pulled the trigger on the 2186 Jred, but at last moment found a super deal i couldn't pass up on a 385xp. It has served me well, no complaints at all. That being said though, theres no substitute for cubic inches and horse power when milling! Whatever you choose, you will have fun!
I gaurantee it!

Gregg,

 

[BobL]

It seems like most of the posters are using Stihl saws, so I'm wondering if that is true and if so, why?

That's simple, milling is the hardest ask of saws and big stihls are ideal for milling as they have a heritage of coping with milling over a very long period of time. There are also a lot of big Stihls sold to people who eventually work out that they are heavy and hard use all day as regular saws so they don't end up using them that much and these often end up being sold and bought as used milling saws Other saws are perfectly capable of doing the job. Stihls are not the only milling saws around and the Husky 3120 and 395 are also very fine saws and also ideal for milling.

In pricing new saws, it appears that Stihls are much more expensive than comparable-sized Jonsered or Husqvarna models. Furthermore, our local dealer (of 45 years) has dropped their ties with Stihl claiming that their saws are not well made anymore.

This may be correct for their newer consumer level - their previous generation small saws are just lasting way too long, even given the abuse and lack of attention they get. But I would not even dream of using these consumer saws for milling. The professional level saws are still well made and even those with significant plastic in them have been around for long enough and lasted long enough to indicate they are going to be around for some time.

So I am leaning towards a Husky 372 or Jonsered 2186 as alternatives to the Stihl 650 I intended to buy.

It depends on the size of logs you are going to mill but with a 36" alaskan you can tackle 30" logs and for those I would start with either a 395, or a 660.

For milling I mod all my saws, and while I try to make it as far as possible to be able get theses saws back to a stock, modding voids the warranty, which is a good reason why a good used saw is a better option for me.

 

[LAndrews]

I bought my 395 after lurking on this board for a long time and like it a lot - but can see where more oomph would be useful - even with only a 32" bar. Toughest thing I've done is ~20" hardwood and that made the 395 struggle slightly. Same width of redwood and the saw just cruises. I think there's some guys here who are doing work that I can only dream of and they're all using huge motors.

I can't speak to the quality of the Stihl saws but I don't know anyone who's egregiously dissatisfied with theirs. I'm a bit surprised - but also understand that these things happen. I quite like their chain and suspect it's possibly the best stuff going - from an engineering perspective at least.

 

[SilverBox]

I'd go with a Used Husky 395xp or 3120 if money is tight. A 372 is kinda small for any bigger milling.

 

[mtngun]

I wouldn't buy a new saw for milling, unless I had just won the lottery.

An older saw that looks rough but that has been rebuilt by someone who knows what they are doing will give good service for about half the price of a new saw. Watch the trading post on this forum. If you buy a used saw from a forum member, they will give you an honest deal.

I mill with a used Stihl 066 and there is a lot to be said for that model. It is easy to work on and parts are readily available for it, and yes, you are going to have to maintain your milling saw no matter what brand and no matter whether you bought it new or used. Milling is rough duty.

You can't have too much power for milling. 90 cc or bigger. I've milled with an 80cc saw, and it got the job done, but it was working hard and bogged down easily.

Good luck, and welcome to the elite milling club.

 

[Backwood]

I mill with an old 394 husky and like it. I also use a stihl for general cutting. Seems to me the husky's air filter stays cleaner than the stihl's ?

 

[gink595]

Check with a member here that goes by Stipes. He has the Jonsered that you asked about and really likes it. I ran it last weekend and it is a very nice saw with plenty of power. If you could swing the extra dough I would take the Husky 395 over the 372 just incase you need the extra power sometime. Several members here including myself use the 395 for milling and swear by them. Good luck.

I ran that same saw last weekend on a mini mill for a bit, and it seemed to have enough power to do the job for sure. It was a nice saw The only other saw I've used for milling is a 7900 Dolmar and it seems fine but I haven't had a chance to use a bigger saw to compare wether I like it or not.

 

[DRB]

I mill with an old 394 husky and like it. I also use a stihl for general cutting. Seems to me the husky's air filter stays cleaner than the stihl's ?

+1 My husky air filter seems to stay cleaner longer as well.

 

[Coalsmoke]

I've used a Husky 372XPG a fair bit for milling. It does ok, but you have to be patient with it and remember that it is a medium sized saw. That said, the 372 built a timber frame structure for our new barn using an alaskan mill. My new saw is a husky 395XPG, that has been ported, with shaved head and matching piston and a 3120 muffler. It screams and I like it a lot, but haven't stuck it on the mill yet. I've been to busy making split rail fence to stick it on the mill

The air injected Husqvarnas will stay cleaner much longer than the stihls will. This is important when milling in my opinion. I personally don't care much about a saw's brand, but rather its performance, but after having enough problems with Stihl over the years I find all I buy now are Huskys.

 

[BobL]

The air injected Husqvarnas will stay cleaner much longer than the stihls will. This is important when milling in my opinion.

This what I heard as well, but after spending a week using a Husky 3120 and my good old Stihl 076 alongside each other, same logs, same conditions, I didn't notice a lot of difference in the air filters at the end of the day. Some of these logs were bone dry and quite hard so we were making quite a bit of fine dust. I did notice a bit more of difference between the filters from a Stihl 290 and a Husky 385 that we were using for bucking with the 385 being quite a bit clear. It didn't seem to phase the 290 though, that is one gutsy little saw.

I am pleasantly surprised at how clean the air filter on my muffler modded 880 is after a day of milling, it's definitely cleaner than the 076. The sawdust falls into the path of the exhaust which blows it 2-3 yards clear of the saw leaving very little to tread on, I think it also helps keep the air filter cleaner as well.

 

[stipes]

Check with a member here that goes by Stipes. He has the Jonsered that you asked about and really likes it. I ran it last weekend and it is a very nice saw with plenty of power. If you could swing the extra dough I would take the Husky 395 over the 372 just incase you need the extra power sometime. Several members here including myself use the 395 for milling and swear by them. Good luck.

I never ran a 395 till the GTG and it's got alot of guts to do anything I want to mill with....The Jred has been a good one for me and later down the road I would like to get a bigger saw...Gink's Dolmar 7900 impressed me too...Cut pretty fast tru that sycamore!!!

 

[excess650]

The Husky 3120 has been around since the late 1980s, so doesn't have air injection like the later saws.

I happen to think the air filters on the Stihl 066/660s do a good job, but do need attention after a days milling.

Regardless of brand, most would benefit from a pre-filter like K&N filter sock.

 

[Brmorgan]

Out of the three saws you listed, I'd lean towards the 2186 hands-down. Significantly more displacement than the 372 and personally I prefer Jonsered / Husky antivibe and air filtration to Stihl's when it comes to milling - not that either would be a deal-breaker. I sold a 2186 I bought at a pawnshop to a fellow AS member back in January. I never really ran it very much, just fixed it up and sent it off, but I was really impressed with the build quality and design. For one, it has an inboard clutch which is very handy when milling. As an alternative, I could also suggest the nearly equivalent Husky 390 which also has the inboard clutch. I've never used one, but I've heard good things.

On the other hand, if you could get a really good deal on a 650, you could in theory slap a 660 Big Bore kit on it and have a near-100cc saw instead of 85. At least, I'm pretty sure it can be done.

I'm 100% in agreement with getting a used saw for milling if possible though. Milling wears parts out faster, so you're better off letting someone else take the major depreciation hit and find one in really good, lightly used shape at a good price.


That's interesting about your dealer dropping Stihl. There has been some discussion here lately about poorly cast cylinders that people have found on brand-new saws; I wonder if it's something to do with that? Or does he know something we don't?