Hi All,
Firstly im going to apologize if this has been discussed before. But searching I couldnt find anything relevant.
Im researching a chainsaw sawmill and im ready to make a chainsaw purchase. Im looking at the Husqvarna brand since I have a few places near me that sell them. From what I have read so far the more power the better, so what am I looking to buy. Do I really need a 60cc chainsaw? Could I do a 50 or a 55cc? I would be cutting mostly oak for my upstate house and after I get it all dried in im sure I would be cutting anything nice regardless of the hardness.
Thank you for your time and patience.
If your going to be running a chainsaw mill, you will want something alot bigger then 60cc, probably in the 90cc+ size. Like a 390, 394, 395 is going to be what you want, lots of hp and torque.
If your main species for milling is Oak, I would strongly suggest nothing smaller than 90 cc. You will quickly burn out anything smaller.
I guess I would ask what size bar do you plan on running. If you just want a small chainsaw mill like maybe 20in I would think a 60cc would be ok. I have a 120cc saw on a 48in and 60in mill and i feel that is underpowered. It works but it definitely taxes the saw.
Im looking at a 24" bar, the mill will be mostly for planking. anywhere 6" to 12" wide and as long as I can find. Let me also explain I will be using a portable sawmill until I can build something a little more robust in a few years.
Make sure the dealer you buy from is competent enough to work on you saws when you need parts or for fixing them. I have two dealer's close to me and I drive 30 miles to do my business.
Quote from: Ed_K on August 20, 2018, 08:55:45 AM
Make sure the dealer you buy from is competent enough to work on you saws when you need parts or for fixing them. I have two dealer's close to me and I drive 30 miles to do my business.
After dealing with car dealerships I feel that way with just about everything. I would like to learn enough to fix it myself one day. Just not sure that will ever happen.
The term "upstate" carries little or no meaning to us. It will help if you complete your profile. Local conditions and members near you will appreciate the context. Welcome to the forum. Regards, Clark
Quote from: sealark37 on August 20, 2018, 09:09:54 AM
The term "upstate" carries little or no meaning to us. It will help if you complete your profile. Local conditions and members near you will appreciate the context. Welcome to the forum. Regards, Clark
Thank you I will get on that right away.
395xp. 40:1 mix and lots of idle time for cooling. Never ever let it run out of fuel. You can abuse your chain, your bar etc. But not your powerhead.
A 24" bar is too much for a 60cc saw crosscutting, never mind ripping. Torque and lots of it is required for milling, even with that it is still hard work for the operator and the saw. For small occasional jobs this setup works but if you are building a house you will quickly be looking for something more.
Some good sharp full skip chain will help out some too, full comp will have 36 teeth on a 20" chain and full skip will have 28 on a 24" chain.
Quote from: sawguy21 on August 20, 2018, 11:01:31 AM
A 24" bar is too much for a 60cc saw crosscutting, never mind ripping. Torque and lots of it is required for milling, even with that it is still hard work for the operator and the saw. For small occasional jobs this setup works but if you are building a house you will quickly be looking for something more.
Yeah, it seems I really need to rethink this one a little better.. A 60cc just isnt going to cut it it seems...
Rip sawing hardwood with a chain saw is not for everyone. I had an acquaintance who did it quite well. He was an expert filer and used the largest chain saw made. Sometimes they put 2 chainsaws on 1 bar.
Quote from: moodnacreek on August 20, 2018, 12:44:23 PM
Rip sawing hardwood with a chain saw is not for everyone. I had an acquaintance who did it quite well. He was an expert filer and used the largest chain saw made. Sometimes they put 2 chainsaws on 1 bar.
I did woodworking for a bunch of years and im hoping I have what it takes.. But I need to get this all squared away and come up with a serious plan
When chainsaw milling, horsepower is everything, I started milling with a husky 394xp (94 CC's), and it handled a 24" and 36" bar decently, but I quickly had need for even more, so I bought a husky 3120xp (120 CC's), the extra power will not only make your saw last longer and the cuts quicker, but you will have a better finish on the wood because it can keep a consistent chain speed without bogging! I was milling silver maple at a customer's house and had to use my husky 365 (72 CC's) to mill a piece that was a bit over 20" because my 394xp had a coil die and my 3120xp was setup with a 72" bar on it, I must say I probably took years of life off my poor 365 doing it. Sure the saw cut it, but it literally took 5x as long as my big saws would and it was so hot I thought the plastics would melt. When milling mix your oil and gas richer, and always allow your saw to warm up fully before starting, and even more importantly to idle for at least a minute if not two after completing a cut so that the saw can get down to a normal temp. -Pat
Are you gonna plane this lumber after or use it rough? Will it be exposed or hidden?
I burned up a brand new xp550 a year ago on a chain saw mill on 2 small walnut logs bigger is a must
I really think it's cheaper to by and run a small bandsaw than a chainsaw mill. If you figured in milling time its not even close. Steve
I agree with lady lake to a point. If you are just milling small logs you could get a decent little used manual band mill for what it costs to set up a big chainsaw mill properly. Figure 2 grand plus for the saw. I paid around 400 for a 60in bar and if I remember correctly about 275 maybe more for the Granberg Alaskan mill. Add in a couple chains and tax and I bet its pushing 3 grand or more. The only benefit is the width it enables me to slab. I bought it specifically for large slabbing large logs and avoid using it as much as possible.
Quote from: bklynjames on August 20, 2018, 09:06:29 AM
Quote from: Ed_K on August 20, 2018, 08:55:45 AM
Make sure the dealer you buy from is competent enough to work on you saws when you need parts or for fixing them. I have two dealer's close to me and I drive 30 miles to do my business.
After dealing with car dealerships I feel that way with just about everything. I would like to learn enough to fix it myself one day. Just not sure that will ever happen.
i typically just cruise the threads and read what others post and what theyre doing, but wanted to offer a bit i hope may help.
when buying a new saw, chainsaw milling may void any warranties.
70cc is minimum even for a smaller bar. i have yet to read someone say,"wish i would have bought a smaller saw." but have read,'wish i would have bought a bigger saw." :)
find the book,"chainsaw lumber making" by will malloff. lots of great info in there.