Chainsaw bar milling upgrades

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Ben_jet

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Hi, I have a DOLMAR PS-7900 saw. I am looking at buying a 36" bar to start milling Australian ironbark. I'm just seeing what PITCH & BAR GROOVE GUAGE is best recommended, and even any bar brands that are available to buy in Australia. Thanks in advance
 
That's a lot of bar for that saw, it may pull it ok with skip tooth or a Granberg style chain on it but I'd suspect you will need an aux oiler.
Pitch: 3/8
Gauge: Generally whatever you have ready access to in the way of bars & chains. There is a train of thought that says 063 oils better than the narrower gauges but I can't say I've noticed... I spend my money on 058 bars as I have plenty of chain & I like the thought that if groove wear gets excessive I can switch to running 063 on them
 
That's a lot of bar for that saw, it may pull it ok with skip tooth or a Granberg style chain on it but I'd suspect you will need an aux oiler.
Pitch: 3/8
Gauge: Generally whatever you have ready access to in the way of bars & chains. There is a train of thought that says 063 oils better than the narrower gauges but I can't say I've noticed... I spend my money on 058 bars as I have plenty of chain & I like the thought that if groove wear gets excessive I can switch to running 063 on them
Thanks mate. I appreciate the advice
 
That is asking a lot of an 80cc saw, especially in hard Aussie wood.

3/8 chain of gauge that's plentiful in your location.
For chains might want a mix of full comp and skip/semi-skip, for when you do thick vs small. I'm a fan of using quality chain with cutter filed ~5-10 degrees.
I like $tihl chain$ but you pay a premium. Those hardwoods semi-chisel might stay sharp longer.
There was a place a few years back , left coast supplies (out of business), that had a wide selection of GB bars at a bargain. The good GB bars are great quality, I should have stocked up. I paid $22 USD for a 25" bar with replaceable tip............if GB is an option check out those.

Concering the saw, if you don't add an aux oiler, put a "waterer" on the bar. Water costs about nothing and heat is the enemy of the bar/chain milling. It will also keep the bar oil on the bar from getting real thin on a hot bar.

Be sure saw is on the rich side of the tune. A MM might let engine heat out better.

People with experience with your sort of trees might have some better suggestions.

If you find you like milling look for a bigger beast for a powerhead.
 
I run a 32 inch bar on my 460 magnum 063 / 3/8 ripping chain, tuned rich. Granberg CSM. No aux oiler. Most stuff I mill is around 24 - 26 inches. Just loading up now to head out and mill some ironbark, gum, and white cypress for constructing seating at campsites.
It won’t win me any speed records but it gets the job done and the saw is still pristine. Be real careful about fines clogging up your air filter if you are milling on the ground and the wood is dead.
The last thing I cut was dead red gum and I had to sharpen after every two 10 foot slabs. Unfortunately it cracked and warped so bad it’s now a garden bed frame instead of furniture.
 
That is asking a lot of an 80cc saw, especially in hard Aussie wood.

3/8 chain of gauge that's plentiful in your location.
For chains might want a mix of full comp and skip/semi-skip, for when you do thick vs small. I'm a fan of using quality chain with cutter filed ~5-10 degrees.
I like $tihl chain$ but you pay a premium. Those hardwoods semi-chisel might stay sharp longer.
There was a place a few years back , left coast supplies (out of business), that had a wide selection of GB bars at a bargain. The good GB bars are great quality, I should have stocked up. I paid $22 USD for a 25" bar with replaceable tip............if GB is an option check out those.

Concering the saw, if you don't add an aux oiler, put a "waterer" on the bar. Water costs about nothing and heat is the enemy of the bar/chain milling. It will also keep the bar oil on the bar from getting real thin on a hot bar.

Be sure saw is on the rich side of the tune. A MM might let engine heat out better.

People with experience with your sort of trees might have some better suggestions.

If you find you like milling look for a bigger beast for a powerhead.
Thanks so much mate. Appreciate the info.
 
Hi, I have a DOLMAR PS-7900 saw. I am looking at buying a 36" bar to start milling Australian ironbark. I'm just seeing what PITCH & BAR GROOVE GUAGE is best recommended, and even any bar brands that are available to buy in Australia. Thanks in advance
3 years ago , a 42" bar on ms 460 (72cc) did well. Not the hardness you will deal with. IMG_20180413_183707.jpg
Think I was running semi-skip, on closer look full skip so chips didn't clog as much. A 60" bar with 8 pin drive using full skip was very fast runner on my ported 661 milling maple. Once again not nearly the toughness as in your neighborhood. 20190515_134709.jpg
Trick(s) is to match your feed to not bog ph down. My 1st ms460 came with 3/8 × .063 so all my bars have that from 20"-72" lengths. Reels of chain is the only way for me.
G'day
 
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