48" bar and chain

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logger450

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I was hoping for a little help. I can't find anyone that has 48" bars for sale for my 395 and 3120. I will need a ripping chain for the mill and a regular chain for the occasional big tree. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have seen online 52" 3/8 .063 156 dl Forrester bars that that fit Husqvarna mounts. Around $200.00. They should work on an Alaskan 48" mill if that is what you are seeking. I think Granberg sells their ripping chains by the link but 156 links ain't gonna be cheap. Your local dealer should be able to cut you a regular chain.

There may be other, higher quality bars available in 52" but that's all I have noticed on my budget.
 
I ended up going with a 50" Cannon for my 661. Ordered it from AP's bar shop out of North Carolina. Expensive but the quality of the bar is excellent. I'm running 3/8 .063 skip chain for milling. As far as chain goes, I just run regular Stihl RS with fine results. I've ran the Woodland Pro ripping chain and it works fine but I don't see much difference in the finish quality versus regular chain. Many guys will also take a regular chain and just file it at 10° or 0°. Everybody has what works for them but for the limited amount of milling I do, I haven't seen enough difference to justify two different types of chain.

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We often generically call bars 48's, when they are actually an inch or two longer or shorter. Get the one closest to what you want that is available. I wanted a 42 for my big Homelites, the closest I could find was a 45. I just posted pics of some Red Oak slabs I milled with out of the box Stihl RS chain. My friend came over with a similar set up as mine with ripping chain, my cuts were much smoother. Smooth cuts are more skill than chain. Plus I don't have to swap chains to cut firewood. Since I have between 40 and 50 saws, I just leave the 660 on the mill, with RS chain. If I thought there was a significant difference in the end product, I'd use milling chain. Just don't see it.
 
I found my old post, "Red Oak", and bumped it to the top. Check it out before you buy a loop of ripping chain. Lots of guys use ripping and love it. I cut more firewood than I mill, and the 660 with the 36 on the mill, is also my favorite medium size firewood saw. Just saying give your standard chain a try first.
 
I found my old post, "Red Oak", and bumped it to the top. Check it out before you buy a loop of ripping chain. Lots of guys use ripping and love it. I cut more firewood than I mill, and the 660 with the 36 on the mill, is also my favorite medium size firewood saw. Just saying give your standard chain a try first.
I completely agree with everything you said! A smooth feed is much more crucial to getting a good finish than the type of chain used. I'm not downing the ripping chain but I feel the same. I do more cutting than milling and I don't see any difference so no need to mess with two different types of chain.

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