Milling chain for 36” bar on a 385XP... or 390XP?

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J D

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So there's a 36" Mill in the post & now I need to decide if I run it on a 385 or a 390... & when I get a 36" bar should I order full comp or skip chain, chisel or semi-chisel? The key thing here is that the 385 is ported, has a MM & stacks of compression. It runs noticably stronger than the stock 390 but I'm not sure if that makes it a better candidate for the ongoing stresses of milling... Any advice or suggestions appreciated
 
Initially a bunch of redwoods (I believe the one's we have here in NZ grow faster & aren't as hard) & after that some Macrocarpa, Poplar & Pine. Log diameters of 18”-36"
 
I would be interested to know how the consistent throttle associated with milling would effect longevity of a ported saw. I mill with my 385( or used to) Seems like i use a full chisel skip tooth rip chain,but ill look when i get home .
 
I would be interested to know how the consistent throttle associated with milling would effect longevity of a ported saw. I mill with my 385( or used to) Seems like i use a full chisel skip tooth rip chain,but ill look when i get home .
My understanding at present is mods may or may not help depending on what they are. MM pretty much always a good thing, porting ok if it's done to improve torque, more compression not so good (creates more heat).
Would be keen to know what your setup was, what you were milling & how well it worked.
Cheers
 
My understanding at present is mods may or may not help depending on what they are. MM pretty much always a good thing, porting ok if it's done to improve torque, more compression not so good (creates more heat).
Would be keen to know what your setup was, what you were milling & how well it worked.
Cheers
We use it for all woods, have done maple and ash, most recently i did a bunch of pine. I honestly don’t know who made the chain, I bought it when I bought the bar, which was used, the chain was new. Both came from the local Husqvarna dealer. Looks like I was wrong, itnis semi chisel, every 3rd cutter is a full cutter. Not sure how well pics have come out. It works well, but it is slow compared to a real mill. Dont do much but when i want something special i am not at the behest of the local guy with a woodmizer. And it is an excuse to own twin 390’s ECA20D5D-AC40-4E3B-901A-DD4241FC7890.jpegF8FE2038-C635-49AA-9B82-F0D8D14E3A97.jpeg77AA0C44-3700-4D62-9F4E-4A8D55F6185D.jpeg3B7A03ED-0565-4235-9984-9E59AAA9812B.jpeg7E0E6EA4-CDD2-43AA-8272-3E2321CBF279.jpeg
 
Thanks for the pic's... that's an interestingly modified chain, I'd love to know the rational for grinding it that way. Have you tried a full comp chain for comparison? I would think twin 390's would pull full comp well & improve your cutting time a bit
 
Thanks for the pic's... that's an interestingly modified chain, I'd love to know the rational for grinding it that way. Have you tried a full comp chain for comparison? I would think twin 390's would pull full comp well & improve your cutting time a bit
Ive never seen a rip chain that was not similar to that.
 

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