Portable Chainsaw Mill

[widefat]

Thanks for all of the input!

 

[ericm979]

Baileys also sells ripping chain, in their house brand. It's hardly more expensive than their regular cross cut chain.

I bought some loops when I was ripping large rounds of Eucalyptus into chunks so I could fit them in the tractor bucket. The ripping chain was ripping that about twice as fast as good sharp Stihl cross cut chain. It also seems to stay sharp longer.

 

[Buggs67]

Thanks

 

[Garandman]

I currently have a Stihl MS271 with 18” bar. Recommendation is at least 60cc and a %24” bar because you lose some to the mill clamps.

So - what saw? I can easily sell the 271 or keep it as a backup.

 

[terryknight]

70+cc. i use a 92cc. run a 36" bar. it gives me about a 31" cut. did some milling last monday.

 

[ericm979]

60cc is not enough for a 24" bar even for normal cross cutting. Milling is much slower than normal cross cutting or cutting along the grain ("noodling"). Ripping chain makes it a little faster but its still slow.

 

[Garandman]

Bidding on a used Stihl MS461 on eBay. The 462 is $1139 new. Local guy is asking $900 for a 461 with 25" bar. I'm thinking a good used one is worth $700-$750?

 

[newbury]

Bidding on a used Stihl MS461 on eBay. The 462 is $1139 new. Local guy is asking $900 for a 461 with 25" bar. I'm thinking a good used one is worth $700-$750?

I bought my first 660 on Ebay in about 2009 for $500. I checked out Arborist site to get some recommendations of Ebay sellers. That took me a couple of months. But I managed to get one that was rebuilt by someone with a good reputation. The main thing is can you wait for a deal or do you need it NOW?

Also - a lot depends on the bar a good bar might be worth $75, a beat up one may be worthless.

 

[Garandman]

I bid $700 shipping included for a good one. But it had an 18" bar. Someone else bid $710 or $715 which didn't work for me.

I'm in no rush, found someone with a bandsaw mill that will saw logs for me so probably won't do much with the Alaska mill. For my bridge projects just have to flatten the top, so one pass.

 

[Garandman]

Did a test run with the Alaska Mill today. Cut down a 16” dia tree and cut three 10’6” logs. Then used this 12” for a test, as that’s about the size of the bridge supports we will use, and I’ll need to flatten the tops for nailing.

Didn’t buy any special frame or use an aluminum ladder. Just screwed a plank to the top to use as a guide.

The Alaska mill works well. I’ll definately raise the work when doing it for real. I just used one wedge in the end, going to need a couple more. I was using a Stihl MS271 (50cc) with an Oregon ripping chain. For any log much bigger than this, you’d definitely want more power, but if you take your time and let the saw do the work it’s sll good.

You end up with a flat face, as advertised. I’ll try the edging mill tomorrow. EDGING MILL - G555B *Previously Mini Mill* - Granberg International