Saw size

[bryannewton]

What would be a good size saw for using an Alaskan saw in for oak and cedars

 

[wcorey]

Assuming you mean milling planks, the bigger the better. Unless you're milling really small stuff, to me 80cc would be minimum I'd consider, 95 is good, 120+ even better.

 

[bryannewton]

I plan on make planks probably no more them 24 in wide
Mainly 4x4 and 6x6 post and 2x4 and 2x6 and 2x8 boards

 

[bryannewton]

I currently have a husqvarna 450 rancher

 

[bryannewton]

Large Trees size where I am is probably 24 to 28 inches diameter some bigger but most probably 12 to 16 inches diameter

 

[wcorey]

Milling will beat a 50cc saw to death pretty quick I'd imagine.
Doing really any amount of 24" stuff you're talking 6 cube saws...

 

[bryannewton]

I figured that I might use it on smaller stuff I am just trying to see what size saw i would need then see if I have a family member to borrow the money from

 

[J D]

Milling is hard on any saw, & if you're regularly working at the saws limit it will be 10x worse. You need to accommodate the largest logs you will want to mill (& account for their irregularities). Additionally you will loose around 6" of bar to the mill.
To pull a 36" bar in 28" of Oak I would expect you'd need at least 90cc.
If the bigger trees are all cedar you might get away with +80cc, running skip tooth chain & plenty of bar oil.
I wouldn't recommend using the 450 for anything more than an edging mill... occasionally

 

[bryannewton]

Thanks for the info

 

[bryannewton]

What is the best clone out there in that size dont know if I can afford a name brand in that size

 

[U&A]

What is the best clone out there in that size dont know if I can afford a name brand in that size

Or an old 100cc that pops up on this forum often.


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

What is the best clone out there in that size dont know if I can afford a name brand in that size

The G660 has been pretty good for some people I know, prebuilt not the kit.
We purchased a graneberg mill for work years ago and it states right on the box "do not use a saw less than 70cc" . The 450 is good for cutting the logs to length.

 

[bryannewton]

Thanks for the info

 

[ToMang07]

I run a 046 magnum Stihl with a 24 or 36" bar and ran up to 34" Diameter pine without issues. Just keep the chain sharp.... a good rip chain is worth its weight in gold.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[bryannewton]

 

[jweier111]

I run a 046 magnum Stihl with a 24 or 36" bar and ran up to 34" Diameter pine without issues. Just keep the chain sharp.... a good rip chain is worth its weight in gold.

I'll second what ToMang07 said. I run an 86cc Jonsered 910e on my Granberg mill. Brand new Carlton ripping chains did OK on the mill the first couple of times I used them. But after having them sharpened by someone with a professional sharpener (who knew how to sharpen)...night and day difference. Chewed through 8ft of 24" wide black walnut like a hungry animal. We were pulling 5/4s slabs off in 4-5 minutes. I will add though that oiling is probably the second or third most important thing to have behind power and a sharp chain. If the saw doesn't oil the bar properly you are going to have problems. I had to modify a D025 mount bar to work on the old Jonsered mount (10mm Jons vs 12mm Stihl). It worked passably with the stock oiler holes on the bar. But after opening them up quite a bit with a drill press, it really rolled. If you are planning to cut hardwood with a saw under 100cc It's worth considering an auxiliary bar oiler even if the bar is under 48 inches IMHO. Granberg's setup is kind of pricey for what it is. Farmertec has a clone (what don't they clone?), that includes a winch kit for about half the total GB price. Or you can roll your own with some fittings and irrigation tube. Either way the biggest thing is to keep the bar and saw cool.