Stihl 044 for milling

[80series]

Hi everyone.
I'm wanting to have a go at milling. I have an early (1989 ish) Stihl 044 10mm. It runs great, is all original and has 150 compression.
I have 22 and 28 inch bars.
I just want to have a go as where I live in New Zealand I have access to some decent timbers that get washed down local rivers.
I'll upgrade if I really get into it.
Is an 044 up to the job? I'll go no bigger than the 28 bar.
Thanks folks.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Hi everyone.
I'm wanting to have a go at milling. I have an early (1989 ish) Stihl 044 10mm. It runs great, is all original and has 150 compression.
I have 22 and 28 inch bars.
I just want to have a go as where I live in New Zealand I have access to some decent timbers that get washed down local rivers.
I'll upgrade if I really get into it.
Is an 044 up to the job? I'll go no bigger than the 28 bar.
Thanks folks.

You'd be well served on a tool that old to update the rubber hoses/lines and go over the entire tool first. Seals will be an issue if they have hardened over time. Other than that rings are about the most important thing to be in good working order milling. Unknown issues will show up quickly milling.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Hi everyone.
I'm wanting to have a go at milling. I have an early (1989 ish) Stihl 044 10mm. It runs great, is all original and has 150 compression.
I have 22 and 28 inch bars.
I just want to have a go as where I live in New Zealand I have access to some decent timbers that get washed down local rivers.
I'll upgrade if I really get into it.
Is an 044 up to the job? I'll go no bigger than the 28 bar.
Thanks folks.

The thing to remember about milling is the 28" bar doesn't give you more than 22" of cut or so in a mill. So standard references about what size bar a saw can handle don't apply the same to milling. On the other hand, milling runs the saw at full revs without rest for a lot longer at a time than cross cutting does, so as Lightning says, unknown issues will show up quickly milling and there are limits to how much you want to tax a saw. I would think on 12-22" diameter logs the 044 shouldn't be stressed too much if everything is in good shape on it and you keep your chains sharp. Worst thing I've done over the years is let chains dull too much and persist anyway in milling at really slow rates just to get a log done rather than stopping to resharpen the moment performance has diminished much at all. Has been hard on my saws and hard on my bar rails. That being said, I've yet to toast a single one of my saws milling with it, even pushing my 64cc Makita way beyond reason milling some big logs with a 36" 3/8 lopro bar.

 

[Lightning Performance]

The thing to remember about milling is the 28" bar doesn't give you more than 22" of cut or so in a mill. So standard references about what size bar a saw can handle don't apply the same to milling. On the other hand, milling runs the saw at full revs without rest for a lot longer at a time than cross cutting does, so as Lightning says, unknown issues will show up quickly milling and there are limits to how much you want to tax a saw. I would think on 12-22" diameter logs the 044 shouldn't be stressed too much if everything is in good shape on it and you keep your chains sharp. Worst thing I've done over the years is let chains dull too much and persist anyway in milling at really slow rates just to get a log done rather than stopping to resharpen the moment performance has diminished much at all. Has been hard on my saws and hard on my bar rails. That being said, I've yet to toast a single one of my saws milling with it, even pushing my 64cc Makita way beyond reason milling some big logs with a 36" 3/8 lopro bar.

Sharp cutters, a good ear, 32-1 and never push it. If he learns basic maintenance needs to be done on the air filter every tank full it should do fine tuned fat with a 28 full comp or skip sequences are likely better for a beginner but they cut slower ime. Getting all the ducks in a row first is how we do and do.

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Sharp cutters, a good ear, 32-1 and never push it. If he learns basic maintenance needs to be done on the air filter every tank full it should do fine tuned fat with a 28 full comp or skip sequences are likely better for a beginner but they cut slower ime. Getting all the ducks in a row first is how we do and do.

I have been saved by my inefficiency, and resting my saws a lot while milling. I use the ladder guide every cut to make sure I haven't gotten out of level, and the time it takes to reset that gives my saw a rest between cuts. I likely would have burned out the Makita by now otherwise. But part of me wants to so I can upgrade it to the 79cc kit. I made big custom air filters for my 87cc Stihls but got carried away with PVC pipe size (2" elbow to foam filter) to the point I can barely get my hand inside the handle to hold the throttle. Need to rework that design with a smaller elbow.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I have been saved by my inefficiency, and resting my saws a lot while milling. I use the ladder guide every cut to make sure I haven't gotten out of level, and the time it takes to reset that gives my saw a rest between cuts. I likely would have burned out the Makita by now otherwise. But part of me wants to so I can upgrade it to the 79cc kit. I made big custom air filters for my 87cc Stihls but got carried away with PVC pipe size (2" elbow to foam filter) to the point I can barely get my hand inside the handle to hold the throttle. Need to rework that design with a smaller elbow.

Nothing wrong with 64cc. I have an 84cc kit in one. It will run fine 64 just slower so use less cutters. They make cheap big bore kits for these. If it runs as good as the OEM 50mm be happy. Mine came and has no issues but I bought it years ago and returned two with bad plating. The pistons are junk so don't over rev it. Replace all the small parts including the rings. I snapped the rings by squeezing them

 

[Coralillo Lo Pro]

Nothing wrong with 64cc.

True. With the 87cc Stihls both working as rebuilds should finally, not much need for me to have a 79cc saw when 64cc is a nice next step down from them. (I've seen too many people knock the cheap 84cc kits as harder to get well tuned results with than the OEM 79cc kits.) Want to get rid of both the 455 Ranchers at some point in favor of something light of equal power like a 261.

 

[Captain Bruce]

Sharp cutters, a good ear, 32-1 and never push it. If he learns basic maintenance needs to be done on the air filter every tank full it should do fine tuned fat with a 28 full comp or skip sequences are likely better for a beginner but they cut slower ime. Getting all the ducks in a row first is how we do and do.

Help me. 32:1? Is that a recommendation given the assumption that the over-sized (28") set-up, will definitely be run? This is cryptic? Thanks

 

[singinwoodwackr]

Help me. 32:1? Is that a recommendation given the assumption that the over-sized (28") set-up, will definitely be run? This is cryptic? Thanks

That is the mix oil ratio