What's a better buy for the same money?

[elliott]

I have the finances to buy either a Stihl 880 or a Ripsaw. They cost roughly the same. What are some opinions about which one to go with?
I'm building some corrals soon and if I use 2x10's I'll need a minimum of 2,000 linear feet.
I'll be milling mostly lodgepole pine, some aspen and an occasional fir if it's big enough.
I'm only going to mill down timber or dead standing. Nothing alive will be cut down to use. Most of the lodgepole isn't too big. I can cut through a decent sized logdepole with a 20" bar. Same for the aspen, although some of the aspens look a little bigger.
I have a Stihl 029 (56cc) to run the Ripsaw with. Is this saw big enough? Ripsaw's website says it is, but I want to hear from you guys. Thanks.

 

[flht01]

...
I have a Stihl 029 (56cc) to run the Ripsaw with. Is this saw big enough? Ripsaw's website says it is, but I want to hear from you guys. Thanks.

I have a ripsaw that I run with a stihl 361. Very seldom do I need all the horsepower the 361 will make, most of the time I run about 3/4 throttle. With that in mind, I think you'd be ok with your 029.

As much as I'd like to have an 880 on a really big csm, I think I would look for a used 066 and put together a 36" csm. That should leave you enough cash left over to pick a used ripsaw to run on your 029 giving you the best of both set-ups.

The ripsaw really works nice cutting up cants but I prefer using the csm to cut the log down into cants. The ripsaw can make a 14" cut, more than enough when cutting boards from a cant, but can be a little small when making the initial cuts on big logs.

You might want to do a search for threads by "woodshop" for a lot of good info using a csm/ripsaw combination, he's the guru on that set-up. Lot's of good reading on this site, welcome aboard.

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Elliot, I reread your post and based on the size trees your talking about you would probably do just fine without the csm. I have cut logs in the 20" dbh range without using the csm but don't make a habit out of it. Most of the logs I'm cutting are 24 to 30" dbh on average and I feel like the csm makes it a lot easier to square them up.

 

[CaseyForrest]

If I had the money Id buy a ripsaw. You can use a normal sized powerhead, you waste less wood per cut etc etc.

 

[woodshop]

I have the finances to buy either a Stihl 880 or a Ripsaw. They cost roughly the same. What are some opinions about which one to go with?

Like flht01 says... a 56cc saw is plenty of power for the little Ripsaw bandmill. As for whether you should buy an 880 or a Ripsaw, that depends less on the merits of either of those, and more on exactly what you want to do with your mill. I use a csm (Husky 396 with 36" Granberg) to get logs down to 14 inch wide cants, and then slice them into lumber with the Ripsaw, which has a 14 in max wide cut. If I could ONLY mill with either, and not both, I would have to keep the Ripsaw, if only because it is a little faster than my csm (if cutting similar width with both), wastes less of my log with its bandmill blade than my 3/8 chainsaw with milling chain, and does give me sightly smoother finished boards than my csm does. Downside of the Ripsaw is that it does have only a 14 inch wide cut. If you have a large diameter log, you CAN slice slabs off and whittle it down to where the Ripsaw can start making lumber... I have done that with logs up to 20" dia. However, a csm is better for that job. Thats why I use both. Of course you say you are doing mostly pine... a Ripsaw will breeze through softwood like that, even dead and dry stuff. If your logs are not that large, and you can only afford one mill, I would choose the Ripsaw for the above reasons. Search threads for Ripsaw, and you will find lots of info. Feel free to ask specific questions though.

 

[Judson]

another new member from NW colorado!!! What ranch do you work on out here? I have a CSM with an 80 cc saw that works pretty good on stuff that has been on the ground for a little while. The speed of the ripsaw would really shine thru on wood that is already started to dry.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

I have the finances to buy either a Stihl 880 or a Ripsaw. They cost roughly the same. What are some opinions about which one to go with?
I'm building some corrals soon and if I use 2x10's I'll need a minimum of 2,000 linear feet.
I'll be milling mostly lodgepole pine, some aspen and an occasional fir if it's big enough.
I'm only going to mill down timber or dead standing. Nothing alive will be cut down to use. Most of the lodgepole isn't too big. I can cut through a decent sized logdepole with a 20" bar. Same for the aspen, although some of the aspens look a little bigger.
I have a Stihl 029 (56cc) to run the Ripsaw with. Is this saw big enough? Ripsaw's website says it is, but I want to hear from you guys. Thanks.

Howdy and welcome, Elliott!

My opinion is if you are milling mostly smaller timber (less than 20"), the ripsaw will be the most economical. You really don't need an 880 unless you are running a bar over 36", especially in softwood. Maybe you can pick up a inexpensive used 50-60cc saw to go with the Ripsaw and still be in it for less than a 880, CSM and all the stuff that goes with it.

BTW- what are you corralling that you need 2x10 for? I've never used anything larger than 5/4 x 6's.

 

[elliott]

Thanks for the info fellas. I know I don't need an 880, but I just thought if I was going to buy big, I might as well buy the biggest. I'll never be short on power that way. I also like the efficiency of a bandsaw, and by the way it sounds, that may just be the way to go.
Judson - I work for the Hideaway Ranch. We're up on Lynx Pass. If you're familiar with that area, it's **** Palmer's old place. The new owners bought it a few years ago and we're in the process of building an empire. Where are you?
AWB - These are shipping corrals for cattle. I'm using 2x10's as the rails because I want the corrals to be solid. Not solid as in immovable, but solid as in no gaps between the rails. So, six 2x10's put up so that there are no gaps between them would give me a sixty inch, solid wall. Make sense?

 

[CaseyForrest]

The more I think about it a Ripsaw would make more sense for me than an 880. Since I already have the 660 and CSM, and the price for a ripsaw is about the same I can get an 880 for.....

I may have to give that some thought.

 

[oldsaw]

With the wood you are likely to see, an 880 would be kind of a waste, as I think someone else had said previously, a used 066 would be the far better choice. I've logged in that area, and there aren't many big trees since you are so high (I used to go above Estes). In your situation, the Ripsaw is probably a very cool idea. In my neck of the woods, I would have to have one in conjunction with the Alaskan. I'm going tonight to look at a pile of logs from 18-36" in diameter. I really like 18-24" logs, less so when you get over 30" with the CSM, and also in the "handling" department. They are hard to move and end up being flatsawn where they lie in my equipment free world.

I thought I had some good advice for you until I saw your location. Usually I would tell you to get a Ripsaw after the chainsaw mill, but in your situation, the Ripsaw seems like the real deal.

Hope I didn't confuse you more.

Mark

 

[Judson]

I'm in town in Steamboat. I have a pretty good idea where you are there on lynx pass. Sounds like a big job with either the ripsaw or the CSM. And as far as big trees go, there are some big ones around here, I cut a tree for firewood 2 weeks ago that was 30" or so and there are plenty that are bigger.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't know if it's important to you or not, but my guess is that the Ripsaw has a better resale too, that is if you ever want to sell and move on up to a bigger bandmill.

Rob