2100 or 394/066 ??

[fordtruckf100]

Hi, my name is Duane. I'm looking at buying a good used saw for milling.
I'm on a limited budget. I'm not in a position to buy a new saw and am
hoping to get a good used saw. My question is: Would you go for the
older 2100 or would you stay with a newer saw like the 394 or 066?
Thanks for any advise.

 

[dustytools]

Hi, my name is Duane. I'm looking at buying a good used saw for milling.
I'm on a limited budget. I'm not in a position to buy a new saw and am
hoping to get a good used saw. My question is: Would you go for the
older 2100 or would you stay with a newer saw like the 394 or 066?
Thanks for any advise.

I believe that any of the three would serve you well. I see parts on e-bay for the 2100 all of the time. If you were to find a good used one within your price range snatch it up and slap it on the mill.:greenchainsaw:

 

[carvinmark]

All are good for milling and taking down the trees too.

 

[FJH]

Hi, my name is Duane. I'm looking at buying a good used saw for milling.
I'm on a limited budget. I'm not in a position to buy a new saw and am
hoping to get a good used saw. My question is: Would you go for the
older 2100 or would you stay with a newer saw like the 394 or 066?
Thanks for any advise.

my self I like the 2100 for milling, its simplicity! It also hangs on to a pull alot better than the 395 xp It has an exceptional working rpm range compared to the 395!2100 gets my vote!The down side is the parts are getting harder to find!

 

[oldsaw]

The 2100 is a great saw, but it's getting a bit old, and parts, well, there are saws to cannibalize. I'd be more inclined to find a 394/395 or an 066. If you weren't milling, I'd be more excited about a 2100 for a "back-up" big saw.

That's just me though. Find a good 2100 and it will serve you a long time.

Mark

 

[andrethegiant70]

I use a 2100 for milling and its a great saw. I'm trying to build another and I'm definitely hung up on parts. As much a LOVE this saw, I think that parts availability is a big deal. My next monster saw project will be an 066 or 395/5. 066 parts are EVERYwhere... the 394 and 395 don't seem as prolific but its still a good choice.

I would REALLY love a 3120, but I don't see many used parts at all for these saws... and NEW parts? Wow! There are very expensive.

 

[fordtruckf100]

Thanks. For the Advise.

Thanks again.
Duane in VA.

 

[aquan8tor]

Duane, whereabouts in VA are you?? If you're anywhere near Cville, you're welcome to come out & check out my 394 while I'm milling sometime. Its got plenty of power for what I need. Its no modded 084, but it serves me well. The muffler mod added a lot, believe it or not.

 

[vamtjewboy]

hi from narrows va

hi duane and lewis,
i'm in narrows which is about 35 minutes west of blacksburg on 460. where r u duane? did u decide on a saw? i'm struggling between a 395 and a 3120. it sounds like a ported, muffler modded 395 or even 385 would do me just fine. but i do cut a lot of black locust...holy hard stuff! -nick

 

[aquan8tor]

hi duane and lewis,
i'm in narrows which is about 35 minutes west of blacksburg on 460. where r u duane? did u decide on a saw? i'm struggling between a 395 and a 3120. it sounds like a ported, muffler modded 395 or even 385 would do me just fine. but i do cut a lot of black locust...holy hard stuff! -nick

Just read the post again. Thought I should tell ya, I'm Nate; a Lewis Winch is an attatchment that goes onto your saw like a saw bar, with heavy reduction gears. You chain the steel body of the winch to a tree, and you have a strong, portable winch to drag logs up a hill, or pull deer out of the woods, or whatever. Mine is currently under the weather, with the cable tangled around the edge of the spool.......gotta take it to a machist to press the shaft out; I got it wedged in there pretty good.

 

[fordtruckf100]

aquan8tor and vamtjewboy

aquan8tor and vamtjewboy. Hi. I live in Ridgeway, VA. It's located a few
miles south of the Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA. I purchased a
used 066. I'm in the process of getting things together to use it milling. I'm
currently using a Poulan Pro 375. Kind of small but does rather well in
smaller stuff. I've milled some maple, white oak, and cedar with it.
Duane in Va.

 

[aquan8tor]

Hopefully you've found Bailey's, a sponsor here; best prices on pretty much everything. I've gotten at least a dozen chains there, files, bars, etc etc etc. Also, you're pretty close to their east coast distrubutor, somewhere in N.C., maybe TN. Can't remember. Shipping is quick, reliable, etc. I sound like an advertisement. Happy milling. You get any cypress around Ridgeway?? I saw some cutting boards at the local farmers market that were made out of reclaimed cypress timbers from somewhere near lake gaston; I know its a big lake, and you're probably at least a hundred miles from there; just curious. Never been around that area before; farthest I've been is radford. Lots of forest around there.

 

[fordtruckf100]

No cypress. I wished.

aquan8tor: No Cypress around here. Eastern Red Cedar is about the only
decent weather type wood around here. The only problem with cedar is
I usually use about 1/2 again more wood per project because of
cracks, knots, soft spots, etc... I'd love to find a nice cypress tree I
could get a hold of. There is a supplier of exotic woods, etc... around
here but the stuff is very expensive. This is partially why I got interested
in CSMilling. Now I mill because I like it. I've used Bailey's some. Talking about
reclaimed lumber. I have a friend who is helping a guy tearing down old
tobacco warehouses and getting some nice reclaimed pine. 100 year old
first growth stuff. He is planing it with toung and groove and selling it for
flooring. Later, Duane in VA.

 

[fordtruckf100]

vamtjewboy

hi duane and lewis,
i'm in narrows which is about 35 minutes west of blacksburg on 460. where r u duane? did u decide on a saw? i'm struggling between a 395 and a 3120. it sounds like a ported, muffler modded 395 or even 385 would do me just fine. but i do cut a lot of black locust...holy hard stuff! -nick

I'm located about 100 miles southeast of you (the way the crow flies) I
bought an old Farmall M just a little south of you a few years ago and
we used to go grouse hunting north of you in George Washington Nat. Forest.
Up around Cold Springs. Beautiful place. I got a good deal on an 066. This should do anything I will need. I haven't milled any black locust. It is hard.
I usually use locust for fence post. Does it make nice lumber??
Later, Duane in Va.

 

[vamtjewboy]

black locust lumber

i have used the locust for barn poles and headers. it was slow going with my 288, but i know there isn't much stronger than dry locust (or green for that matter). i am building a house and going to make locust 2x10's. locust has a tendency to and twist when cut into lumber. i squared the poles on two sides and even they have ed pretty good in some places. in the same vein...i found a guy selling HUGE osage orange in ohio....some were nearly 3 feet in diameter. i milled some up....it went from bright yellow to orange after drying for a while. i have heard that it is the hardest wood in north america, black locust being 2nd. i plan on using it for window lintels in my cob house.

if u have seen my other posts, my 288 died and i'm looking for a new saw. i was looking at a stage 3 T 390 by dean @ washington hot saws, but i'm still not sold on the notion that it is the best for milling in terms of durability. i want to sink some money in a good saw that will last for many years. i am thinking about a 3120xp and then modding it slightly after the 2 year warranty is up...muffler mod for sure, maybe a light weight work port. what is ur opinion about hot saws (work, not racing). i'll send pictures of the locust lumber one of these days.

 

[vamtjewboy]

past willis?

how long would it take u to get to willis. just curious about ur location. u must be near the parkway!

 

[fordtruckf100]

if u have seen my other posts, my 288 died and i'm looking for a new saw. i was looking at a stage 3 T 390 by dean @ washington hot saws, but i'm still not sold on the notion that it is the best for milling in terms of durability. i want to sink some money in a good saw that will last for many years. i am thinking about a 3120xp and then modding it slightly after the 2 year warranty is up...muffler mod for sure, maybe a light weight work port. what is ur opinion about hot saws (work, not racing). i'll send pictures of the locust lumber one of these days.

Personally, if I had the funds for a new saw for milling I would go with either
the 3120xp or the 880 Stihl. I would probably go with the 3120xp for the 2 year warranty. As far as modding, I would leave it alone and use it. You may
benefit from a muffle mod, as this aids in the saw running cooler which is
necessary in a milling saw. But other than that I think you would have a
strong saw that would last a long time.

 

[fordtruckf100]

I sent you a privat message.

how long would it take u to get to willis. just curious about ur location. u must be near the parkway!

I sent you a private message. Duane in VA.