iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Ripping Bar/Chain choice

Started by PA_Walnut, June 18, 2018, 05:34:31 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

PA_Walnut

I'm looking for a BIG bar and chain for ripping logs for quartersawing. (not milling, just cutting in half and slicing ends to cleanup).
Have a Husq395 and a 36" bar, but need something for logs in the 40" or so diameter range.

Oregon makes a 42", but according to Bailey's I can go 50 or 60" on a Cannon, but $$$$ at nearly $500, they are always "Unavailable."  :o

Any other good choices? Any reason not to choose Oregon's version?

Thx

I own my own small piece of the world on an 8 acre plot on the side of a mountain with walnut, hickory, ash and spruce.
LT40HD Wide 35HP Diesel
Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber
Kubota M62 Tractor/Backhoe
WoodMizer KD250 Kiln
Northland 800 Kiln

Lawg Dawg

Following this one, I've been wanting the same thing for my 394xp, good strong saw
2018  LT 40 Wide 999cc, 2019 t595 Bobcat track loader,
John Deere 4000, 2016 F150, Husky 268, 394xp, Shindiawa 591, 2 Railroad jacks, and a comealong. Woodmaster Planer, and a Skilsaw, bunch of Phillips head screwdrivers, and a pair of pliers!

100,000 bf club member
Pro Sawyer Network

Upstatewoodchuc

I just had to pick up a 72" bar and had about 3 companies in the entire world to pick from if I wanted one with a true husky mount instead of running an adaptor for stihl bars. I chose cannon, a seller on eBay had the bar I needed for $469, by the time I shipped it I was right on the $500 mark. I don't regret anything, cannon bars ooz quality, I usually run Oregon but if you're gonna spend the money on a big bar, just get the best you can and by the time you eventually get some wear on it, you can just have it reconditioned, it's an investment. On a side note, even with a skip chain, your 395xp and especially it's clutch will not like you getting into 42" and over bars. Yes they "can" do it, but these saws work way harder than they should over a 36" bar. I have a 394xp and the biggest I'll run is a 36", past that I break out the 3120xp and even that thing needs some technique to the cut if I'm burying my 72" bar in something...
Current collection: Husky 3120xp,  372xp, 365, husky 55, homelite xl12. Michigan 85 wheel loader, Ford 8n with loader and forks. Farmall super C, 1988 international dump truck, John Deere 440ICD dozer, 19ft equipment trailer, 40 ton TSC splitter, modified dieder splitter with 4 way.

YellowHammer

I run a 52" Forrester, .063, Stihl skip chain with Stihl 661 and it does fine.       I use it for ripping logs for quartersawing, as well as bucking the big ones.    

YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

PA_Walnut

Quote from: Upstatewoodchuc on June 18, 2018, 07:25:24 AMI just had to pick up a 72" bar and had about 3 companies in the entire world to pick from if I wanted one with a true husky mount instead of running an adaptor for stihl bars. I chose cannon, a seller on eBay had the bar I needed for $469, by the time I shipped it I was right on the $500 mark. I don't regret anything, cannon bars ooz quality, I usually run Oregon but if you're gonna spend the money on a big bar, just get the best you can and by the time you eventually get some wear on it, you can just have it reconditioned, it's an investment. On a side note, even with a skip chain, your 395xp and especially it's clutch will not like you getting into 42" and over bars. Yes they "can" do it, but these saws work way harder than they should over a 36" bar. I have a 394xp and the biggest I'll run is a 36", past that I break out the 3120xp and even that thing needs some technique to the cut if I'm burying my 72" bar in something...


I discovered about the same: not many choices. Problem with Cannon is that even with the price-tag, always seems to be backordered ay Bailey's. You mentioned that the 395 will struggle with a big bar, so what's the Stihl options? I have no brand loyalty to saws.
I own my own small piece of the world on an 8 acre plot on the side of a mountain with walnut, hickory, ash and spruce.
LT40HD Wide 35HP Diesel
Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber
Kubota M62 Tractor/Backhoe
WoodMizer KD250 Kiln
Northland 800 Kiln

PA_Walnut

 

Yellow, how long would you guesstimate that it takes you to get through a 40" white oak, 8 foot long? Thx
I own my own small piece of the world on an 8 acre plot on the side of a mountain with walnut, hickory, ash and spruce.
LT40HD Wide 35HP Diesel
Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber
Kubota M62 Tractor/Backhoe
WoodMizer KD250 Kiln
Northland 800 Kiln

Greyhound

Quote from: PA_Walnut on June 19, 2018, 06:30:34 AM
Quote from: Upstatewoodchuc on June 18, 2018, 07:25:24 AMI just had to pick up a 72" bar and had about 3 companies in the entire world to pick from if I wanted one with a true husky mount instead of running an adaptor for stihl bars. I chose cannon, a seller on eBay had the bar I needed for $469, by the time I shipped it I was right on the $500 mark. I don't regret anything, cannon bars ooz quality, I usually run Oregon but if you're gonna spend the money on a big bar, just get the best you can and by the time you eventually get some wear on it, you can just have it reconditioned, it's an investment. On a side note, even with a skip chain, your 395xp and especially it's clutch will not like you getting into 42" and over bars. Yes they "can" do it, but these saws work way harder than they should over a 36" bar. I have a 394xp and the biggest I'll run is a 36", past that I break out the 3120xp and even that thing needs some technique to the cut if I'm burying my 72" bar in something...


I discovered about the same: not many choices. Problem with Cannon is that even with the price-tag, always seems to be backordered ay Bailey's. You mentioned that the 395 will struggle with a big bar, so what's the Stihl options? I have no brand loyalty to saws.
Oiling is a key component of a milling saw and often is the limiting factor for "long" bars. That's why  you want to go with the biggest saw you can afford.  Not necessarily for the power, but definitely for the oiler.  Auxillary oil at the tip helps too.  I'd definitely try to get into a Husq 3120 or Stihl 880 if you can.  

YellowHammer

It goes about as fast as expected which is pretty slow.  But it a lot easier than having to double cut with a bar that won't go through the entire diameter of the log.  I did this 42" white oak recemtly, to cut it into halves for QSawing. 






YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

Upstatewoodchuc

Greyhound is right, you want either a husky 3120, a stihl 088/880, or if you don't mind old equipment, an old 090. If you were just doing a couple logs it'd be no big deal, but a husky 395 or stihl 660 isn't going to be very happy ripping down the grain of logs over 36" every day. Also the oiling is key, going down the grain is hard on em, drill your bars for an auction oiler, I even run one on my 36" bar despite the husky 3120 having an option to double your oiling output, it still helps to get oil on the downside of the bar.
Current collection: Husky 3120xp,  372xp, 365, husky 55, homelite xl12. Michigan 85 wheel loader, Ford 8n with loader and forks. Farmall super C, 1988 international dump truck, John Deere 440ICD dozer, 19ft equipment trailer, 40 ton TSC splitter, modified dieder splitter with 4 way.

Thank You Sponsors!