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It's pretty tough to beat an aluminum ladder if you have any other use for it. I just take a ladder apart and put it back together after use. I have plywood cradles for the end of the log that fit the ladder perfectly and are cheap and easy to make. Lots of other options, but the ladder is nice...

I run a 50" bar and 48" mill on my 661. It pulls it just fine. To start, just use whatever chain you have. It will work fine. I start out with a standard chain and slowly adjust the angles each time I sharpen. Sure, the lower angles provide a bit of a smoother surface, but it's no deal-breaker...

Great saw.

I run my 440 on the smaller stuff. I don't think I would go any smaller than that. The 362 might do fine, but at some point you'll be happy for the extra power, especially when milling.

Stihl safety chain cuts great, it just requires more attention to the depth gauges. The oil hole on your bar also might have plugged up and gotten cleared up when you removed the bar to change the chain. If you're having trouble with oiling, that's often the culprit.

Nice work on the mill build. Cool project and interesting tree. I agree with BigOakAdot that you are likely to have a lot of movement in the slabs. 5" is really thick. If it was me, I would go 3-3.5". They will still be incredibly heavy. Look forward to seeing the inside.

Your starting cut will have the least amount of grain runout if you cut parallel to the outside of the tree. However, as you make subsequent cuts, you will either start getting more and more runout, or will have to sacrifice a board and adjust. I like to make all of my cuts parallel to the pith...

Most 084 parts are tough to find these days. Too bad, 'cause they're great saws.

I imagine a harvester bar would be quite stiff. Don't see the need at 42". My 50" Cannon is extremely stiff. No measurable deflection on my mill.

Many of the old saws have a lot of torque, which is great for milling. Finding parts and working on the saw can quickly get time consuming and expensive. As BobL said, if you're just doing it for fun and don't mind calling it quits if your saw dies, old saws can be an inexpensive alternative...

Cool! You can tow a small trailer behind your Subaru. Find an old, small utility trailer frame. You can load slabs right onto the frame and strap them down. I did this behind a small old Toyota pickup when I was younger, but Subarus actually have a decent towing capacity, as well.

Cannon bars are great. They have a rep for being heavy, but they don't weight much more than Stihl. Stihl bars are excellent, as well, in my experience, and usually a bit cheaper. Tough to go wrong with either one.

Bigger is definitely better when you're milling, but torque is the most important factor. Older saws make great torque and can often be had at a reasonable price, but can get expensive and time consuming quick if they have issues. On your budget, BigOakAdot's recommendations of an 056 or bigger...

I would contact Stihl directly. I wouldn't be surprised if your dealer hasn't done any real work to get your issue resolved. Go to the top.

Their everyday price on those bars is $69 plus tax. Considering how well they wear, I think that's quite reasonable for a German-made bar.

Tough to beat the Stihl and Cannon bars for durability. Stihl bars 28" and under are very reasonable for how they wear. I paid $59 for a new 28" Stihl ES bar a few weeks ago, but that was during a sale.

I'm running .325 on an 18" bar on my 261CM. It rips, but 15" hardwood is going to push 50cc pretty hard. Chain sharpness, geometry, engine break-in, as mentioned are all going to have a noticeable effect. One thing I haven't seen mentioned, but possibly has been, is depth-gauge height. Have you...

I had a number of those from 1 to 5 gallons. They all leaked... a lot.

Me, too. I replaced all of my plastic cans with Justrite metal cans. Worth every penny.

Dealer support is more important than brand. If I had a great Husqvarna or Echo dealer instead of the great Stihl dealer I have, I'd be running one of those brands. Sounds like Stihl needs to be made aware of this issue. I'm still curious if you've contacted them directly, Steve.