The Forestry Forum

Good morning 
Is a Detroit 6061-A suitable for powering
a circle mill ?

Thankyou 

You betcha she is.

I love those old green leakers, one of the most reliable ways of turning fuel into noise ever made. Plenty of sawmills have been powered by them over the last 90 years, parts are easy to come by, though good 2 stroke mechanics are getting scarcer... plenty mechanics can play with them but dialling one in properly is part art form and it overwhelms a lot of 4 stroke guys who work on the principle that fuel injection is a voodoo art best left to specialists.

I run a Detroit 6071 in my 60"circle saw and I couldn't be happier. It was old (1939 I was told) when it was put in this mill (built in early 70s) and it only had one small problem in the 37 odd years I've owned it. This mill did sit idle or lightly used for much of that 37 years. It will still do a 2ft. cut in a hardwood log no problem. It uses surprisingly little diesel. A good muffler is a must. I've run it in 110 degree weather and no heating problems. It does not seem to me to be straining at all unless taking full cuts. No noticeable RPM fluctuation even in heavy cuts.

Quote from: handhewn on October 16, 2021, 07:31:28 PM
I run a Detroit 6071 in my 60"circle saw and I couldn't be happier. It was old (1939 I was told) when it was put in this mill (built in early 70s) and it only had one small problem in the 37 odd years I've owned it. This mill did sit idle or lightly used for much of that 37 years. It will still do a 2ft. cut in a hardwood log no problem. It uses surprisingly little diesel. A good muffler is a must. I've run it in 110 degree weather and no heating problems. It does not seem to me to be straining at all unless taking full cuts. No noticeable RPM fluctuation even in heavy cuts.

Not much trouble with the e.c.module either I expect :D.