Mill suggestions

[ACPequipmentservices]

Thanks for the info and advice guys! Sounds like ill be ordering an aux oiler!

Found a 661 locally for sale for $825 that looks damn near brand new with a 32" bar. If I can pick that up for $400 under retail it might be a good move but if I end up getting a brand new saw I'm thinking going with the 880 would be wise for the long haul. My 391 and the 25" bar will keep me busy for a while but will soon need to upgrade.

 

[SeMoTony]

Thanks for the info and advice guys! Sounds like ill be ordering an aux oiler!

Found a 661 locally for sale for $825 that looks damn near brand new with a 32" bar. If I can pick that up for $400 under retail it might be a good move but if I end up getting a brand new saw I'm thinking going with the 880 would be wise for the long haul. My 391 and the 25" bar will keep me busy for a while but will soon need to upgrade.

Less expense in making an aux oiler. You may even have most of the pieces to use in the equiptment shop at hand. Lower counter offer on the 661 then send it to a work saw builder will give a saw that can out preform an off the shelf 880, from what I've read .The 880's have been called dogs on thi site. Mill safe
Happy New Year!

 

[steve easy]

661's have yet to be proven a reliable saw, maybe they are ok if you do the odd tank here and there. They guzzle fuel while the 880 sips it. Off the shelf 880 is far more proven and reliable tank after tank they just keep going. Doubt there's many high hour 661's out there, certain there's high hour 880's.

 

[FISH BAIT]

This sure does sound familiar! I live south of Houston, and started out with the exact same set up and ideas. Been milling with a modified MS 390 for the past 5 years. Eventually worked up to a 32" bar on a 36" Alaskan mill with aux oiler. It will cut 28" oak slabs but it is SLOW. I have milled a barn full of oak, pecan, and cedar, the little saw will get it done but not with much grace. I just came across a deal on a 395xp so I'm finally getting to upgrade.

Good luck
FB

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

This sure does sound familiar! I live south of Houston, and started out with the exact same set up and ideas. Been milling with a modified MS 390 for the past 5 years. Eventually worked up to a 32" bar on a 36" Alaskan mill with aux oiler. It will cut 28" oak slabs but it is SLOW. I have milled a barn full of oak, pecan, and cedar, the little saw will get it done but not with much grace. I just came across a deal on a 395xp so I'm finally getting to upgrade.

Good luck
FB

Very fimilar and close! I have yet to try out my Alaskan mill, got my rails setup Friday and got shut down due to rain! But I was lucky enough to get a brand new 880 with a 36" bar for my bday. I ordered a ripping chain from baileys today so hoping to try out this week with or without the ripping chain!

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

Got to break in the 880 earlier this week!

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Very fimilar and close! I have yet to try out my Alaskan mill, got my rails setup Friday and got shut down due to rain! But I was lucky enough to get a brand new 880 with a 36" bar for my bday. I ordered a ripping chain from baileys today so hoping to try out this week with or without the ripping chain!

D@mn, that's a heck of a birthday present!! I bought myself a ported 660 for my birthday, but an 880 is a few dollars more. Take good care if whoever gave you that bad boy!

 

[SeMoTony]

Very fimilar and close! I have yet to try out my Alaskan mill, got my rails setup Friday and got shut down due to rain! But I was lucky enough to get a brand new 880 with a 36" bar for my bday. I ordered a ripping chain from baileys today so hoping to try out this week with or without the ripping chain!

New chain is not always sharp chain. I touch up new chain every time I make a loop off the reel. Search ; BobL & sharping chain for best advice on setting up chain for milling. That's an interesting present, and all I got for my B'day is an 046 for the other end of the dual powered 72" bar. But then for Christmas I got a 661 ported cylinder PH for the shorter bars (60" or less). Glad no insignificant other to interfere with my $

 

[DTrap]

Looks nice. Get that log up off the ground 3-4 feet and at an angle. Your back and knees will thank you later on. Plus it will cut a little easier with the weight of the saw and mill pushing it down the log.

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

Thanks for the advice! I have seen a few pics of people doing that and I now understand why!

Question, Y'all may see the brown color on the bar. Is that normal? Im assuming its sap sticking to the bar but wanted to make sure.

 

[steve easy]

Thanks for the advice! I have seen a few pics of people doing that and I now understand why!

Question, Y'all may see the brown color on the bar. Is that normal? Im assuming its sap sticking to the bar but wanted to make sure.

Nice setup, got an aux oiler in the plan?.

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

Nice setup, got an aux oiler in the plan?.

Don't have one right now but probably need to get one. Figured with the 880 and only a 36" bar I maybe on the edge of needing one. Thoughts?

 

[DTrap]

You might be on the edge but I would highly recommend one. It will extend the life of your bar, chain, and power head. Milling is inherently hard on a saw and any thing to help reduce stress is always welcomed.

 

[steve easy]

Don't have one right now but probably need to get one. Figured with the 880 and only a 36" bar I maybe on the edge of needing one. Thoughts?

I would, get as much on without wasting it. Lots of ways to do it, look at bobl's stuff if you want it to look cool.

 

[leechlightning]

Just checking if you know you can crank up the oil output on the bottom of the saw mine came default on a medium to low setting.

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

Just checking if you know you can crank up the oil output on the bottom of the saw mine came default on a medium to low setting.

I thought there might be a setting for that. I couldn't find any info about it in the manual and I only briefly looked at the saw for an adjustment.

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

Found the adjustment, it was probably set in the middle. maxed it out we will see how it does next time.

 

[DTrap]

The 880 will put out a lot of oil but I would still recommend an auxiliary oiler at the end of the bar. One can be easily built for $30 or less and that is nothing compared to the investment you have made so far. Why not take the extra precautions to extend the saw, bars, and chains life spans. Maybe not something you need to worry about right away but definitely worth the time to put one on. Your saw will thank you 5 years from now.

 

[ACPequipmentservices]

The 880 will put out a lot of oil but I would still recommend an auxiliary oiler at the end of the bar. One can be easily built for $30 or less and that is nothing compared to the investment you have made so far. Why not take the extra precautions to extend the saw, bars, and chains life spans. Maybe not something you need to worry about right away but definitely worth the time to put one on. Your saw will thank you 5 years from now.

I could tell when doing these 9' long slabs 3/4 of the way through a cut things would start to get pretty warm. Don't know if it was a lack of oil on the chain or just form running the saw hard. Bring me to antithetical question, when the saw would grab and go on it's own it would bog and go. If I worked the saw I could get it to run at max rpm. Is it safer to run it bogging at a lower Rpm or let it rev up? I'm read in a few other threads about what mix to run and I've always ran 50:1 mix with Stihl ultra but I think Ima mix a richer batch up just for milling.

 

[DTrap]

It was probably getting warm just from working it. The 880 is a beast and will eat lots of wood without complaining. I try to keep the saw from bogging much. You will get the best finish if you try to keep the saw moving at an even and steady pace. Keep even pressure on it and after playing around with it a few more times you will figure out the sweet spot the saw likes. I run my all my saws at 40:1 these days.