Which milling saw?

[Flyrod]

First, I won't be able to afford a saw like a Stihl 088. I want to get a saw to use with an Alaskan Mill and I have sort of narrowed it down to a Husky 288xp([email protected]) or a Husky385xp([email protected]). I assume that the 288 probably has more torque because of larger displacement. When looking at recommended saws they always use displacement rather than horsepower, so would the 288 be a better choice than the 385? This would be used for moderate milling, not to try to make living with. I want to be able to mill woods that my local mill would not consider milling, like Black locust, Elms and Mulberry, I intend make laminated bows out of these woods along with general woodworking projects.

 

[Walt Galer]

Howdy,

I am afraid you may be heading for problems. First and foremost is the fact that sawchain is not designed to cut wood grain-end-on. This cutting is very slow, and the chain dulls almost immediately. You can modifiy the chain to rip a couple different ways, and this will improve matters a little bit. If you rip at a 45 degree angle to the log, it will improve matters a lot. (This is difficult if not impossible with a milling frame on there due to lack of adequate clearance for the length of the cut at this angle).

Before you go to buying special equipment, you might look around locally for someone with a small mill (bandsaw type or circular) to do the ripping for you. You can afford to buy a lot of help, for what that special equipment is going to cost you.

Regards,
Walt Galer

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi There, from the sounds of it, you can easily get by with a "Beam Machine", its only about 40$ and attaches to your saw bar. It's a channel iron thing that rides on a 2x4 nailed to the log.
Walt is right about the angle at which a saw can enter the wood for max. efficientcy. Lumbermaking with a saw is very demanding on the saw and will generally shorten the life of a saw due to the bugdust and associated heat of having a saw run full out for long periods of time.
Now I may be hauled over coals for saying this, but I wouldn't use a Husky for milling. Stihl will stand up much longer in this application. Do yourself a favour and get a Stihl 066 Magnum.
You can purchase a Beam Machine at: www.leevalley.com
John

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Talk to Kevin at The Milling Masters. He will give you all the info you need. As far as John's statement about the Stihls lasting longer I dont think there is a difference. Husky has a better air system than Stihl and I think it would help in a milling situation but I am talking out of my a@@ since I have never used one

 

[tundraotto]

im interested to find out why stihl would last longer than a husky saw in a milling application. what would cause this as far as i understand it husky pro saws outlast the stihl pro versions on average?

 

[Mike Jones]

Flyrod:
I would agree with John on the saw size. Brand is your choice, but I have a chainsaw mill with a Walkerized 066Mag, 43" bar and soon I'll be using stihl full chisel full skip chain. I'm currently using the lucas ripping chain, but not real happy with the performance. Walt is correct about entering the log at an angle. Mine is setup to enter at about 30 deg. and have no problems with logs up to 36 inches in diameter. I dont have any experience with the alaskan mills, but have heard quite a bit about them. Maybe someone on here with one can help you out. Good luck with what ever you decide.

Mike

 

[tundraotto]

flyrod - forgot about your question RE: 288 or 385

288 is an older model that does not have air injection - which i consider perhaps huskys greatest new innovation in their saws. on a prolonged "cut" that you are talking about this would be a huge advantage to have.

the 385 is the same hp and has a lot of torque - believe me. its just a more efficient design than the older 288 - which is also an awesome saw if just not for the fact that its almost bulletproof. the 385xp is also .5# lighter (which i would guess would not make any difference in a sawmill - but would certainly help in getting the timber for the sawmill).

you can get the 385xp from madsens1.com for about $700 if you haggle a little bit. (saw+bar+chains).

 

[Kevin]

Hello Flyrod, I`ve been milling with an Alaskan MKIII and a Husqvarna 262 (62cc) saw for three years and it works very well but it depends on the type of wood, the size of the lumber being milled and the size of the saw.
You won`t have any trouble with the 288 or 385 if you mill no larger than 14"-16" wide rips.
Once you get above that your saw will really work hard.
You might also consider the mini mill which will remove the bark from the side of the log which will reduce the stress on your saw.
I`ve milled with a 24" bar on my 262 and it worked fine.
Having a good full skip ripping chain and keeping it sharp is a necessity.
It`s lots of work and you`ll need a mask but it`s very rewarding and the quality of the lumber is as good as any lumber milled on a bandsaw.
I have since purchased a 066 for the big stuff and the only reason I switched to Stihl was due to the side mount chain tensioner which is a must for milling and the clear gas tank is a real plus.
If you plan on milling 20" or larger lumber you would be better off with a larger saw and additional oiler for the bar.
What I do is remove the top slab with the Alaskan, switch to the mini mill and remove both side slabs then with the Alaskan I`ll mill the cant which is considerably smaller than the initial log and is much easier to mill without the bark.
Have a blast!

Thanks for the plug Huskyman.

 

[Flyrod]

Thanks everyone for the info. I had planned on buying a mini mill in addition to the alaskan to reduce log size. I guess I should think about getting a 395 instead of the smaller saws.

 

[Kevin]

Think about that side chain tensioner.
If your chain needs tensioning you`ll have to remove the mill to do it.
If you get lazy and run a sloppy chain you`ll bugger up your chain and bar.

 

[Flyrod]

Kevin, The reason I have been trying to keep from considering a Stihl saw is, my local Stihl dealer does not have a very good reputation and he is known by some pretty derogatory names by the guys around here. The nearest Husky dealer is the local lumber yard and he has a bunch of high school kids working for him, so it is not much better, my old Husky dealer went out of business. I wish Jonsered made a bigger saw because I have a good dealer down the road. Anyway, thanks for the advice, and I am listening to it.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Flyrod Jonsered makes the 2095 which is the exact same saw as the 395XP. If he is a good guy dont worry about that saw, it will have plenty of milling power

 

[Kevin]

That`s pretty much the reason I don`t own any Jonsered products.
When I went in to inquire about buying the Jonsered chainsaw mill the manager got a knot in his face and said ... whadaya want that for!
With that remark he lost a customer and several thousand dollars.