I thought I’d update the post for any who may search for a related topic.
I used a Timber Tuff Beam Cutter and had asked around about what saws could handle using the cutter. One good pro that runs a very successful shop for many years said I was sure to burn up non pro saws less than 70cc. I went over what I was cutting but he was firm in his answer. I talked with him a couple of times. Some others said the same thing but there were people who said it was ok to use 50-60cc saws.
I ended up cutting quite a number of beams from logs over last and this summer. Over time I got familiar with what power was needed to handle cutting with the Timber Tuff. I was cutting 6 x 6 beams which were actually 5 3/8. Most of the logs I was cutting were 9 to 12 inches in diameter. I’ll call those small logs. Anything larger than 12 inches I’ll call large logs. Note, the cutter and be adjusted to bigger beams but doing that introduces slop in the cutting, see below.
I used an 18 inch bar on a Poulan 42cc with a Carlton plain ripping chain. By plain I mean just teeth cut to 20 degrees which is one version of their line or ripping chain. I think it was an A1 or A3 .050 with all teeth filed the same.
The Stihl’s were fit with 20 inch bars .063 groove and used a full ripping chain by Carlton. That is, the chain had two ripping and two clearing teeth each at different angles. The rippers at 10 degrees the clearing at 25 degrees. Both Carlton chains did well with the full rip chain got a better cleaner cut.
When using the beam cutter I found the cutting angle made a big difference on the quality of cut and how tough it was on the saw. Cutting at a low angle around 45 degrees was easier on the saw and easier for the chain to cut through the wood. Low angle cuts can give a long spaghetti type chip. Cutting at a slightly higher angle the chip changes to about 1 inch which is better. Those did not plug up the sprocket area and the cut was smooth. At a high angle like 70 to 90 degrees the chip changed to small chips like you get when bucking. At that angle you might as well be using a bucking chain.
Saws used.
Over time I picked up some saws and got lucky with a few at a low price I could repair. I started with a Poulan 42cc. I used a 16 foot 2 x 4 as the guide for the Timber Tuff. That makes for a long cut for a saw. I cut one flat on a log then went down the other side of the guide board to make a two flats on the log 180 degrees. The log was turned to a flat side and the guide board remounted on the flat. Two long cuts were made from that setting to get a square beam of 5 3/8. So four long cuts which is pretty tough on a saw. At the time I first started cutting I did not realize I should be letting the saw idle before shutoff to help it cool down and is a factor in heat buildup in the saw. That later changed after a cut was made and idled the saw for cool down.
Poulan 42cc The Poulan worked but would build up heat, die out and would not start. After a long cool off it would work again. I slowly realized the cuts were too tuff on the Poulan and it would eventually burn up so I only used it for a couple of cuts at a time then stop using it. It became a spare used now and then.
Stihl MS271 50 Did very well with an 18 inch bar and standard chain but I stopped using it after getting bigger saws, 20 inch bars and proper rip chain. After getting bigger saws I thought 42 and 50 cc saws were fine for occasional beam making of a few beams with giving the saws a good cool off time. For making many beams I think 50cc and below too small. A great deal depends of if the wood is hardwood or soft wood and the diameter of the logs. All of the beams I cut were on spruce. Harder to cut wood ratchets up how hard it is on a saw. So for production mode where you are cutting beams for 3-4 hours at a time daily for enough to build with 50cc and below are out. If you’re cutting a few now and then they are fine.
Note: at this time I bought a second Timber Tuff Beam Cutter so I could cut with two saws.
MS290 55cc A little bigger a little better. The 290 was used with the Poulan 42cc at first. The 290 got a 20 inch bar with full rip chain. It did very well. I got the idea to cut with both to reduce heat on the saws. I would cut one slab the let the saw idle as I got the other mounted on the guide so about 30 seconds to a minute of idle time. I would alternate cuts so two with the Poulan and two with the 290. That worked but still over time the Poulan would heat up.
MS310 60cc I lucked out getting this saw with issues for $150. With a cleanup, carb cleaning and resetting of the coil it ran fine. It was outfitted with a 20 inch bar and full rip chain. The Poulan then went to spare and all cuts done with the 290 and 310. They worked very well.
MS390 65cc Another lucky find for $100. The 390 was fit with a 20 inch bar and full rip Carlton chain. The 290 went to spare.
I cut with those two for a long time before the 390 developed an intermittent coil wiring problem so that saw was out. There were some issues with getting the part so the 390 was out for a long time. It’s a nice saw.
So cutting was done with the bigger saws, 20 inch bar, full rip chain on smaller logs. No problems with heat. I thought the task of daily cutting was not a problem for these non pro Stihls 55 to 65 cc.
Method of cutting: When cutting I found cutting at a slow pace at one angle got a smooth beam face. Just changing the angle would get rough cuts on the beam face. The more the angle is changed the worse the beam surface. If I jerked the saw around like in bucking the cut was horrible. The bar would track to different depths relative to the flat, that is horizontal direction, the flat being cut. The cut sucked. So I tried to cut at low angles with a steady feed through the length of the log. That gave a great square cut. If I rushed the cutting the surface sucked and the heat on the saw rose. When cutting at high angles like 80 to 90 degrees it is not possible to cut at a slow smooth pace. The cuts stink and the saws have a tough time cutting. I would say a 70cc pro saw would be ok for bigger logs but even those will probably not give a smooth cut in a big log where the bar is buried at 80 degrees. You would probably have to have the beams planned.
The beam cutters attach to the bar with a screw mounted U clamp on the bar. The screw connects on the other end to the guide plate that goes over the 2 x 4. It’s not a solid connection. There is some slop. If you make a steady long draw down the log the slop is negated. If you wiggle and jiggle the bar the slop lets the bar cut in a new place screwing up the beam surface. With big logs and big saws the slop is a problem. You can’t do a smooth draw along the guide board. In general a simple cheap beam cutter is just not up to the job of giving good cuts on big diameter logs. Even if you are planning your beams the saws will have a tough time and it will be very tough on you. You have to force a big saw along at high angles. You have to stay on the force to keep the saw cutting smoothly and in line so the slop in the attachment is not a factor. If you are cutting a few big logs then fine but for producing a lot of beams you’ll burn out and burn out the saw.
Over last summer and the first part of this summer I cut about 80 beams along with clearing a lot. The cutting went very well as most were small logs. The bigger logs were very tough on me and the saws but there were not many. The cuts on them are also not very good. When used in my build the surfaces are a problem for accurate layout.
The lot of logs I ended up with were ok. There were a lot of poor surfaces though that are very difficult to deal with in a build layout wise. In general I would rate beam cutter of this type ok for getting a few beams for a project. I would not recommend one for a larger project like big shed or house. You could do it but the beams would have to be planned. It would be a lot of work hours wise and probably not worth it versus getting your beams from a band saw miller. It you were building a lean to type or pole barn type shed then the beams are ok. For a small shed the beams will be ok. You’ll have to be decent with layout and do some extra adjustment to out of square logs but that can be done. For example you should have two good surfaces for a post. The two that go outside will get sheating and have to be flat. The toher two sides will face in and not have anything attaching to them other than studs which can attach by adjustment so not a problem.
