Husky vs Stihl vs Echo for Milling

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I get whatever is cheapest at the time I need it. Last year I got 14 gallons of mystic branded bar oil for around $6.00 each. Still have quite a bit of it left. I find it's just best to stock up when you get a good deal.
 
I use Canola or other cheap Veggie oil if I’m milling a bunch with the 3120.

It’s easy to go through a couple gallons of bar oil when slabbing a few big logs… I don’t want all that poison on my land…. It adds up.
You’ve got to clean up your saw and mill though as Veggie oils can harden/gel up over time.
I just use a rag and some 40:1 mix while everything is fresh.
Never had an issue.

On the felling and limbing saws I use Itasca brand… good/sticky and usually cheap bar oil.

With Canola, I have found critters actually eating the stuff off the ground including a bear chowing down on a pile of alder chips that soaked up a minor spill…. Effin bastard went to the trash for desert!

View attachment IMG_4681.MOV
 
Just run virgin canola oil and don't leave it in your saw after it was boiling off the bar studs.

The AM 395 clone in as good as you can buy or get built for common chainsaw milling except the 888. That XP clone is going to be the best bang for your buck imo. Running Stihl S2 mount bars on everything isn't a bad idea or Cannon. The chain cutter tip is where the work gets done so buy semi chisel if you suck at sharpening or get better at it and run full chisel. Cheap chain sucks! Full chisel dulls faster milling with bark on or in dirty wood/bark on the entry side.

Your going to need an accessory oil feed if you mill wide dry stuff. Yes the 395 can oil the 36" milling bar but you may go bigger up to a 42 or 52" slabber or Cannon belly bar. The muffler always needs improvements suited to your mill. A stock saw isn't a bad choice here with a decent air filter system on it as is. That said I mostly mill with a ported 660 OEM saw with many mods. It has a much better pull and higher compression but nothing crazy. The 084s aren't crazy either. Tools are best kept under control while crossing the eyes and dotting the Ts. 😉

1200 or 1201 will outlast them all 😀

If I had to start from scratch and wanted a basic simple clone to build it would be the 395xp Pro or equivalent. Second would be the 070 if milling time isn't a concern. They might be slow but are very well suited to just churning along nice and steady. I do not like the old ignition systems hidden away under the flywheel. The rest can be updated or altered as needed. Buyers choice at this point. Longer bars and taller tails with more cutters are better suited to bigger rims and more cubic centimeters spinning more weight to keep up the torque.
 
Why did you change form saber to dominator, might help the OP
chose between them.

Only because of the testing results that were done in another forum. I still have saber and will use it. It's great oil. I just bought a couple quarts of the dominator because it did so well in the tests. The amsoil rep said saber was created for use in trimmers, blowers and saws at 80:1 ratios. He also said that in ported higher rpm chainsaws that dominator might be a slightly better choice but at 40:1. I ran the saber at 40:1 as well.
 
Only because of the testing results that were done in another forum. I still have saber and will use it. It's great oil. I just bought a couple quarts of the dominator because it did so well in the tests. The amsoil rep said saber was created for use in trimmers, blowers and saws at 80:1 ratios. He also said that in ported higher rpm chainsaws that dominator might be a slightly better choice but at 40:1. I ran the saber at 40:1 as well.
I have no experience with either, though I read dominatro has better protection
against rust in the bottom end, and saber does not, that alone would keep me
away from saber, probably not as big a problem if your using the engine all year
round but sitting up rust will start if there is no protection from that light film of
oil in the bottom end, dino oil seemed to do a great job in that department, I run
semi synthetic for that reason, Echo Gold Blend at 40:1.
Made a mistake one day, dumped in a 200ml bottle 4.5 liters of fuel, it was barely
noticeable, that stuff certainly burns clean, now there was a tiny hint of smoke, but
at 20:1 I was surprised how well it all went, never had a 200ml bottle of 2T before,
caught me off guard.
 
I have no experience with either, though I read dominatro has better protection
against rust in the bottom end, and saber does not, that alone would keep me
away from saber, probably not as big a problem if your using the engine all year
round but sitting up rust will start if there is no protection from that light film of
oil in the bottom end, dino oil seemed to do a great job in that department, I run
semi synthetic for that reason, Echo Gold Blend at 40:1.
Made a mistake one day, dumped in a 200ml bottle 4.5 liters of fuel, it was barely
noticeable, that stuff certainly burns clean, now there was a tiny hint of smoke, but
at 20:1 I was surprised how well it all went, never had a 200ml bottle of 2T before,
caught me off guard.

They both have rust protection. That was tested as well. Don't be afraid of either of them.
 
They both have rust protection. That was tested as well. Don't be afraid of either of them.
People who tore down saws lead me to believe saber does not do well in this regard,
I have no link to the video though, wish I had kept it now.
 
People who tore down saws lead me to believe saber does not do well in this regard,
I have no link to the video though, wish I had kept it now.

I have heard that of dom but not saber. Remember saber is designed for handheld seasonal equipment that sits during the off season. Dom is made for a race engine that is torn down often. From the long term tests I've seen, I trust them both.
 
I use Canola or other cheap Veggie oil if I’m milling a bunch with the 3120.

It’s easy to go through a couple gallons of bar oil when slabbing a few big logs… I don’t want all that poison on my land…. It adds up.
You’ve got to clean up your saw and mill though as Veggie oils can harden/gel up over time.
I just use a rag and some 40:1 mix while everything is fresh.
Never had an issue.

On the felling and limbing saws I use Itasca brand… good/sticky and usually cheap bar oil.

With Canola, I have found critters actually eating the stuff off the ground including a bear chowing down on a pile of alder chips that soaked up a minor spill…. Effin bastard went to the trash for desert!

Aren't most bar oils like 80% bar oil? I think the Tractor Supply brand is, at least.
Just run virgin canola oil and don't leave it in your saw after it was boiling off the bar studs.

The AM 395 clone in as good as you can buy or get built for common chainsaw milling except the 888. That XP clone is going to be the best bang for your buck imo. Running Stihl S2 mount bars on everything isn't a bad idea or Cannon. The chain cutter tip is where the work gets done so buy semi chisel if you suck at sharpening or get better at it and run full chisel. Cheap chain sucks! Full chisel dulls faster milling with bark on or in dirty wood/bark on the entry side.

Your going to need an accessory oil feed if you mill wide dry stuff. Yes the 395 can oil the 36" milling bar but you may go bigger up to a 42 or 52" slabber or Cannon belly bar. The muffler always needs improvements suited to your mill. A stock saw isn't a bad choice here with a decent air filter system on it as is. That said I mostly mill with a ported 660 OEM saw with many mods. It has a much better pull and higher compression but nothing crazy. The 084s aren't crazy either. Tools are best kept under control while crossing the eyes and dotting the Ts. 😉

1200 or 1201 will outlast them all 😀

If I had to start from scratch and wanted a basic simple clone to build it would be the 395xp Pro or equivalent. Second would be the 070 if milling time isn't a concern. They might be slow but are very well suited to just churning along nice and steady. I do not like the old ignition systems hidden away under the flywheel. The rest can be updated or altered as needed. Buyers choice at this point. Longer bars and taller tails with more cutters are better suited to bigger rims and more cubic centimeters spinning more weight to keep up the torque.
Thanks for that. I'm leaning 395 (again xD). Seems like I can get the clone for $350 and replace any parts that break with genuine Husky parts (which supports Husqvarna, for anyone who thinks I'm ripping off Husky by buying a clone). It also seems like the 395 has a of power hidden (probably because it is the EPA version of the 394?).
I have heard that of dom but not saber. Remember saber is designed for handheld seasonal equipment that sits during the off season. Dom is made for a race engine that is torn down often. From the long term tests I've seen, I trust them both.
Thanks for this info.
 
Aren't most bar oils like 80% bar oil? I think the Tractor Supply brand is, at least.

Thanks for that. I'm leaning 395 (again xD). Seems like I can get the clone for $350 and replace any parts that break with genuine Husky parts (which supports Husqvarna, for anyone who thinks I'm ripping off Husky by buying a clone). It also seems like the 395 has a of power hidden (probably because it is the EPA version of the 394?).

Thanks for this info.
I never noticed any real difference between the 394 and 395. The 394 was prone to vapor lock issues. The rubber intake pretty much solved that issue.
 
I have no experience with either, though I read dominatro has better protection
against rust in the bottom end, and saber does not, that alone would keep me
away from saber, probably not as big a problem if your using the engine all year
round but sitting up rust will start if there is no protection from that light film of
oil in the bottom end, dino oil seemed to do a great job in that department, I run
semi synthetic for that reason, Echo Gold Blend at 40:1.
Made a mistake one day, dumped in a 200ml bottle 4.5 liters of fuel, it was barely
noticeable, that stuff certainly burns clean, now there was a tiny hint of smoke, but
at 20:1 I was surprised how well it all went, never had a 200ml bottle of 2T before,
caught me off guard.
Disclaimer: I am not attempting to hype one oil product over another, but I am going to relate my experience with one product over a period of 40 years. I know for a fact, that there are lots of other excellent 2 cycle oils out there.

I have been using Saber 100:1 in all my equipment since 1982,, including an old Lawnboy I resurrected on a bet, that had been run on straight gas, and have never had a lubrication related problem with a single two engine in all that time.
At 79, I am not as active anymore, I still use a lot of two cycle oil in applications such as, in my Husky 480 and several trimmers. I also have approximately 30 chainsaws (all runners), in my collection, and still like running my big saws. (all on 100:1 using the Amsoil Saber oil)
Starting in the 70s, I was quite concerned with the degradation of the fuel, but I have not had a problem with any of the saws I used a lot. I think the most important issue, is to never, ever, run the saws lean. The extra fuel in a saw running slightly on the rich side, is actually being useful by providing cooling.
I might also add, that I have had no problem with the stability of the mixed fuel, but with the continued reformulations of gasoline, I now add stabilizer to my two cycle container for over the winter when I use less two cycle fuel.
Bob
 
395 is great for milling, I’m sure a clone is the same or at least similar. As mentioned previously, muffler mod is really all it needs. On a hot day the stock muffler can get hot enough to start melting the top cover. Run around 40/42:1 and tune the saw a touch rich and have fun
 
I use Canola or other cheap Veggie oil if I’m milling a bunch with the 3120.

It’s easy to go through a couple gallons of bar oil when slabbing a few big logs… I don’t want all that poison on my land…. It adds up.
You’ve got to clean up your saw and mill though as Veggie oils can harden/gel up over time.
I just use a rag and some 40:1 mix while everything is fresh.
Never had an issue.

On the felling and limbing saws I use Itasca brand… good/sticky and usually cheap bar oil.

With Canola, I have found critters actually eating the stuff off the ground including a bear chowing down on a pile of alder chips that soaked up a minor spill…. Effin bastard went to the trash for desert!

View attachment 1007636
Nice bear, nice footage, and a pretty nice house too. I only have one garage and its so absolutely filled with stuff that I can barely park my car in it.
 
If you have a rim sprocket clutch bell you might get hold of a 3/8LP rim at standard/large spline, along with a guide bar without a nose sprocket (Cannon, Stihl) and you can use the Stihl 3/8LP mill chain - its super narrow kerf combined with an ultimate longevity as for keeping the sharpness. You wont go back once you've tried it.
 
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