Finding a good 090 for milling

[UnitCrewSawyer]

Hello, looking for some advice/help finding a good 090 for milling. Also hoping this isn't a duplicate thread.. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted with the search engine.

I already have an 084 with a 60" .404 ripping chain, but I find in larger (3 ft plus) Doug fir it has a hard time and I hesitate to go much bigger, although I would like to.

I've read a bit and come to the conclusion that there are a) a few 090 models which aren't the best for my application, the 090G, for example, and also that b) there are Chinese rip off imitations as well as people trying to sell other saws as 090s, namely 070s and Contras.

What's the skinny here??

Thanks so much,


Conrad

 

[rarefish383]

Conrad, welcome to the site. I mill for fun using an old Homelite 1050, 100CC saw. Only have a 36" bar on it. Just milled some Hickory yesterday. It really doesn't bog down much unless I lean on it too hard. But it does slow way down from milling Poplar or Pine. For the money nice 090's bring I can't see stepping up from your 084, I don't know if the extra 15 or so CC's produces that much more power or torque. Some of the guys who know the big stuff will be along shortly, Joe.

 

[mtngun]

I already have an 084 with a 60" .404 ripping chain, but I find in larger (3 ft plus) Doug fir it has a hard time

Have you tried 3/8 chain ? Malloff grind ? Muffler mod ?

 

[Big Beech]

drop to a seven pin sprocket, that would be the cheapest option first :smile2:

I would imagine that an 084 would bog down in the 3ft timber. an 090 will bring more meat to the table in spade loads. the newer saws tend to be faster, but speed in this size timber is a mute point imho :haha:

 

[UnitCrewSawyer]

Have you tried 3/8 chain ? Malloff grind ? Muffler mod ?

I have been considering 3/8 chain for sure - couple of questions on this in itself: 1) Is it going to be a big difference? It'll cost me a fair bit to set up. 2) I have been told that the steel used to make .404 is harder. To me, this doesn't make sense and sounds like a load of crap - why would someone make one chain harder than another?

I just found an electronic version of Will Malloff's book "Chainsaw Lumbermaking". Wow. Will have to compare the grind that my saw shop has been doing for me - I think it's very similar for sure after a quick read through the section. Not related, but his handwinching idea is bloody well genius as well. Not to mention another BC boy...

Hesitant about the muffler mod as I don't know enough about modding saws to be ok with using one for milling. Falling and bucking, sure, but milling seems so hard on a saw I like the idea of running stock. Comments?

Mtngun, and everyone else who has commented here, thanks so much I really appreciate it.

 

[mtngun]

I have been considering 3/8 chain for sure - couple of questions on this in itself: 1) Is it going to be a big difference?

All other things equal, the increase in cutting speed will be proportional to the reduction in kerf. I don't have a 404 chain to measure but would guess we're talking something in the neighborhood of a 10% smaller kerf.

Also, a 7 pin 3/8 sprocket spins the chain slower than a 7 pin 404 sprocket, so 3/8 chain should be easier on the saw, all other things equal.

It'll cost me a fair bit to set up.

I assume you'll need a new drive sprocket, a new nose sprocket, and 2 or 3 chains. You should be able to use your existing 0.063" gage bar merely by swapping the nose sprocket.

I have been told that the steel used to make .404 is harder. To me, this doesn't make sense and sounds like a load of crap - why would someone make one chain harder than another?

Chain breakage while milling is rare unless there is something else wrong. My milling chains generally last much longer than crosscut chains because the crosscut chains tend to have encounters with rocks and dirt. :msp_biggrin:

I just found an electronic version of Will Malloff's book "Chainsaw Lumbermaking". Wow. Will have to compare the grind that my saw shop has been doing for me .

Dunno what your saw shop has been doing but I see an easy 10% increase in cutting speed with Will's 0/40/0 grind compared to the common 10/60/10 milling grind. If you gain 10% with the Malloff grind and an additional 10% with 3/8 chain, that's significant.

Hesitant about the muffler mod as I don't know enough about modding saws to be ok with using one for milling. Falling and bucking, sure, but milling seems so hard on a saw I like the idea of running stock. Comments?

That depends on your comfort level and on which version of muffler your 084 has now. Some of the 084 mufflers were not so bad but others were extremely restrictive.

 

[BobL]

I have been told that the steel used to make .404 is harder. To me, this doesn't make sense and sounds like a load of crap - why would someone make one chain harder than another?

Yep - it's crap. How do I know? - because I have measured the hardness of 404 and 3/8 chains and while there was a slight variation between brands I could not detect any variation between sizes of chain. Also hardness and toughness are not exactly the same thing so a chain might be a bit softer but still have good wear characteristics.