056 AV Super

[qbilder]

Asked a similar question in the chainsaw forum but no responses yet. Yall use saws for milling so i'll ask here, too. Is an 056 a good saw for milling? I got one from my uncle but it needs a little work. Runs great but needs minor work. While i'm working on it, are there any mods that I can do to make it better for milling? I'm in it for cheap so I can afford to put some cash into it. This will be my first CSM, so I have a lot to learn.

 

[lumberjackchef]

Pro's to this saw for milling would be that you are within the threshold of the minimum most recommend for cc's and it has the torque to pull med-long bars in bigger diameter wood.
Its yours and you don't have that much invested in it.

Some of the Con's are -gas cap wrong angle for mid cut refueling
Parts are getting very hard to find and when available can be outrageously expensive!


Any saw that size will work fine, and I know several that have used this model as a mill saw, but there are many others more desirable for this chore.......3120, 2100,394, 090,088,084,066


Depends on your application, Budget, desired results, and size and type of wood more than anything else!

But IMHO use what you have and try it out to see how much you like it, and you will make any adjustments to the equipment that you prefer based on your experiences after milling a while.

 

[qbilder]

Thank you for the knowledge. The first job will be a years dead, dry white oak that is pushing 48" diameter. Length is currently 12 feet ish but can be bucked shorter if it helps. Other than that, I have no idea what I'll use it for. I have a good band mill & need the CSM for quartering logs larger than 30" diameter so they can fit my band mill.

 

[mikeb1079]

congrats on the score q. i've not run that saw but i ran it's big brother 075 til it got stolen. it is nice to have the torque for milling. i think bluerider has milled a bunch with that saw and knows about em.

 

[qbilder]

congrats on the score q. i've not run that saw but i ran it's big brother 075 til it got stolen. it is nice to have the torque for milling. i think bluerider has milled a bunch with that saw and knows about em.

Thanks I'm still on the fence whether to try it or not for milling. I'll keep an eye out for an 084, 880, or 090. I'd really like to have over 120cc's. I was budgeting between $800-$1000 for a saw head but am a week out from having the full nut. When I get something for sure i'll be bugging yall for bars, chains, mills, and all the techy stuff like tooth grind & carb adjusts :msp_scared:

 

[Ax-man]

Those 056's are good saws but not so good for milling. It isn't a power thing but the air filter set-up on those saws is really bad. In no time at all the air filter is clogged and the saw doesn't run right till you clean it. Regular cutting is just about as bad at least that has been my experience.

I haven't ran our 88 on a csm and probaly never will due to the weight. Never ran an 84 but have ran our 076 quite a bit for milling and so far it is the best saw for the job. When I first started milling I used a 650 and liked it quite a bit also but didn't want to make it a full time milling saw . I have a ms 660 waiting the wings for some parts and am anxious to see how this one will do.

 

[qbilder]

I have a giant old white oak to try it on. If it proves worthy then I might make appropriate mods to mill with it. Otherwise i'm going to find something else. I have leads on a couple saws. One is an 084 & the other an 090. The 090 has a long bar already but it's going to kill me to ship it here.

 

[lumberjackchef]

I forgot to mention that my favorite saw for milling on my 36" setup(so far) is my Modified Big Bore 066. I also have a line on a good looking 084 but availability of parts is becoming an issue with that model as well. 66's are plentiful on the bay and locally for me so its a no-brainer. I have also run a 2100CD husqvarna on my 36" mill but still like the power to weight ratio of the 66 much better!

 

[qbilder]

I have seriously considered the 066 or 660, but was afraid it might not be enough power for big logs. I won't be using it much, but when I do it will be big stuff. It's still bigger than the 056 and much more common. Would the 066 or 660 do alright slabbing a 36"+ white oak?

 

[excess650]

I have a 36" on my 066BB, and it works pretty hard making 30" wide cuts in hardwood. My 660 with stock cylinder doesn't have as much grunt as the 066BB. I just bought 42" bar/chain/sprocket to swap my 3120 over to 3/8" and take the heavy loads off the 066BB.

When it comes to milling, more displacement is better! I've read negative reports about the aftermarket top ends, but my WP from Bailey's just keeps on cuttin'. I would do it again, but would replace the rings with Caber or OEM Husky 395xp rings "just because".

 

[qbilder]

I saw a 3120 on the bay a while back that was around $900, thought about grabbing it up. There's an 084 locally for sale but the guy wants $1000. Comes with a 36" bar & chain and a 30". Might give him a call to see what his bottom deal is. I'm thinking the bigger I can get, the better. Like I say, it won't get used a lot but when it does it'll be big stuff. I don't want to have a lot tied up in it but it's looking like i'm going to anyway.

 

[BlueRider]

If you are after the max in ccs look for one of the various saws that used the west bend 820 for the power plant. They are all different but the motor can be compleately removed from the frame and parts for the motor are still being made. In fact the motors are still being made and at 137cc they have some serious power and they can be modded to put out over Montgomery wards made a saw with this motor as did several other marque's.

 

[mikeb1079]

firstly, i love my 066 for milling. mine has been a very reliable saw for me. that said, 36" white oak would be pretty much maxing it out and you'd have to be very steady to not bog it down. at least for mine. be patient q, keep your eyes open for a 088 or 3120 i think you'll be glad in the long run. after all, with the right logs you could probably pay for it in a day by selling huge slabs. at least around here they bring a pretty good buck. in fact im kind of in the same boat...i have some huge oaks that i need to quarter for my mill and i'd like to have a bigger saw with maybe a 60" bar and alaskan to do it. i just listed my 066 for trade plus cash for a bigger saw. we'll see what happens. good luck

ps: i just narrowly missed out on an 880 for 500 bucks on my local cl! those types of deals tend to sell quickly.

 

[qbilder]

firstly, i love my 066 for milling. mine has been a very reliable saw for me. that said, 36" white oak would be pretty much maxing it out and you'd have to be very steady to not bog it down. at least for mine. be patient q, keep your eyes open for a 088 or 3120 i think you'll be glad in the long run. after all, with the right logs you could probably pay for it in a day by selling huge slabs. at least around here they bring a pretty good buck. in fact im kind of in the same boat...i have some huge oaks that i need to quarter for my mill and i'd like to have a bigger saw with maybe a 60" bar and alaskan to do it. i just listed my 066 for trade plus cash for a bigger saw. we'll see what happens. good luck

ps: i just narrowly missed out on an 880 for 500 bucks on my local cl! those types of deals tend to sell quickly.

Thank you for the encouragement. I found an 084 locally that is in great shape & strong, comes with some good bars & chains but will need a 5' to do what I like. It's $800, a little more than I want to pay for an older saw, but I think i'll buy it. I see a few deals on ebay from time to time but i'm nervous about buying ebay saws.

I'm not sure how to even sell slabs. I have never sold any of my wood before. How do you go about pricing big slabs & who buys them?

 

[SDB777]

Seems to be the same song here, I used a MS390 with 36" ripping setup to make a lot of slabs. Was it big enough? Probably not but the saw never stopped eating wood. Was it fast? Probably not, but then again I didn't think it was a competition to see how fast you could make a slab.

I used a 064 dualport with 36" ripping setup to trim big stuff for the bandmill and never had issues in WhiteOak, BlackWalnut, and PignutHickory. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I don't think I need to spend $1500+ on a really big saw!


Use what you have, go easy on the equipment by letting it cool between cuts and keep plenty of oil on that chain. Besides the price sounds right for this new saw.



Scott (work smarter not harder) B