new to milling, using Logosol M8

[tpoirier]

Hello.  I am new to the site and new to milling and relatively new to chain saw work - I've always used them but mostly to cut small batches of firewood.  I picked up a larger Stihl to use with a Logosol M8.  Initially I picked it up so I could cut my own board and batten siding from pine on my property but I'm seeing a lot of uses for it.  I do have a few questions....

It seems like I go through a lot of gas, more than I'd expect.  I'm currently cutting small jack pine, 8' lengths and 8"-14" dia. and it seems like I'm going through about a tank of gas at least every log and a half.  And bar oil as quickly as the gas.  Does that seem excessive?  Running the saw on a mill is a different kind of use and this is a much larger saw than I've used in the past so I can't fall back on previous experience.  If this is normal are there after market gas tanks with a larger capacity or some other way of not having to stop to gas up so often?

Also, as I'm cutting boards I'm dropping a couple wedges behind me as I go to keep the board from dragging on the bar as I'm cutting.  It would seem like you could make something that attaches to the bar holding the end of chain guard that has a couple metal rods holding a small diameter roller that would automatically be pulled along behind the saw keeping the board up off the bar - does something like this exist and are there after market goodies like this I should be looking at?

I don't anticipate cutting much hardwood or pine bigger than 15"-18" diameter.

Looking for any tips, tricks, or advice anyone wants to throw my way, thanks!

[tpoirier]

A couple of follow up thoughts....

I haven't been using the string to pull the saw forward, it seems like there must be a burr or something, the string always breaks.  Instead I've been pushing the saw forward by hand.  Is there a reason not to do this?

Also, right after I got the Logosol a friend told me about the Woodland Mills systems.  Their HM122 seems like a good deal.  What are the pros and cons of chainsaw vs. bandsaw?  I'm looking at giant piles of sawdust and thinking I'm wasting a lot of wood which wouldn't happen with a bandsaw system?  I got the Logosol because they seem to be well regarded and a friend of a friend has one that let me come out and see it in action and showed me a small cabin he built of wood me cut on the Logosol and it looked great.

[Hackeldam Wood Products]

Look up my older posts I used a Logosol for a few years. Yes you use a lot of gas. You should touch up the chain every other tank so a big tank would not do much good.

Use paracord on the winch should work smooth.