Chainsaw Mill - recommendations?

[Woodslasher]

Well the ol 2095 is getting put back in service. View attachment 332604

she got a good going through. New seals, clutch bearing and grease where it applies. Need to dig through the wife’s pantyhose or however you spell it and get some extra filtration.

@Maintenance Chief gives me crap about this, but cut off a chunk of an old tube sock and use that. I was told to do that by an old logger that ran green weenies on his saws and I've found that it really helps on my 2100. I did have a customer laugh and tell me "that gives the term 'sock filter' a whole new meaning!", but if you can ignore the scoffers it'll work fine.

 

[sledneck22]

Took a video of my first cut. Worked pretty darn well. Saw ran out of gas after I ended the video and then it was time to head out for the fish fry. I’ll get more videos next time I get time to mill.

 

[Eduardo K]

Now you’re a pro. It nice to see it all come together.

 

[sledneck22]

I got time to finish milling that oak log today. Pretty fun to come away with such incredible slabs. Might be a little addicted in the early going.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Buy a band mill… I admire people who have the patience to mill with a chain saw. I ended up with a Granberg mill when I bought a Jred 920 years ago and sold it without ever using it.

I just mill for fun but would not consider doing it with a chain saw. Some of the walnut I milled last week.

 

[PA Dan]

Buy a band mill… I admire people who have the patience to mill with a chain saw. I ended up with a Granberg mill when I bought a Jred 920 years ago and sold it without ever using it.

I just mill for fun but would not consider doing it with a chain saw. Some of the walnut I milled last week.

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Thats nice! What band mill do you have?

 

[sledneck22]

My dad has a bandsaw and I could use it when needed but it’s not easily mobile. Plus the logs all got dropped on my home land so I don’t want to haul the logs when everything is staying on my lot.
Plus in the future I plan on milling some large slabs, 36-40 plus dia. For bar tops and tables etc. and they don’t fit well on the bandsaw.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Thats nice! What band mill do you have?

A Vallee Green Monster out of Quebec. The picture shows it when I set it up where it is currently sitting back in 2020. While I have a log loader on it I have not used it in well over a year, I load it with my tractor. The second picture shows part of what I have to mill.

 

[PA Dan]

A Vallee Green Monster out of Quebec. The picture shows it when I set it up where it is currently sitting back in 2020. While I have a log loader on it I have not used it in well over a year, I load it with my tractor. The second picture shows part of what I have to mill.

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Sweet set up!

 

[Wolverine]

Sweet set up!

 

[KS Plainsman]

The only reason I didn't go that route.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Cost is relative. Personally, I would rather spend the money on a band mill and produce an end product faster, with less waste and with a better finish.

 

[Wolverine]

Believe me, if I have that coin sitting around, I would too.

 

[KS Plainsman]

Cost is relative. Personally, I would rather spend the money on a band mill and produce an end product faster, with less waste and with a better finish.

You're right and I'm certainly not ruling it out forever. I'm building a house and shop in the next 6 months, so this makes more sense at this moment in time, in my life. I'd like to look into building a band saw mill, once I get where I'm going, to help with cost.

 

[junkman]

Norwood makes a mill that uses a chainsaw for the powerplant and has tracks like a band saw ,I think last I checked in the $1200 range you need to supply your own ladder for the tracks ,a 16 foot ladder I can do a 13-6 cut without sliding the log ,I have cut 16 foot beams sliding the log a little for the extra length.

 

[JB-PlantHeirloom]

I prefer a Procut trailer type setup, which was my first mill. Then I made my own chainsaw mill from scrap metal (not counting the gears and #35 chain) and mounted it eventually to a two axle trailer, with a winch to get logs on. I have not tested out my new setup yet, with my Chinese clone 660, but, previously my stuff with the Husky 385 came out looking planed without any hint of waves or roughness. Running a 32" bar with ripping chain I could slab 27" diameter logs. Which when doing oak wood is a heavy enough slab at 27x2x98 to make moving and loading it yourself a bit of a pain.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

I prefer the chainsaw mill for the mobility in areas of challenging terrain or remote locations. The slabs can easily be moved with a small atv or snowmobile. Ive even hauled my saw mill and slabs with a dog team.

The finish is oustanding with the right chain. If you're in good shape and using good technique, you can put up $8-10 grand of lumber in a month.

Dont give a sht about kerf waste, as Alaskan birch and white spruce are all i mill here in Alaska, not high value wood. Big deal......a 1/4" of kerf loss. No biggie to run a nice birch slab through a plainer for a good finish either.

Alaskan mills and Lewis winches are must-have equipment out here in bush Alaska. Will probably never consider a band mill. None of the powerheads work in -20 below zero anyways, which is a common winter temp that I chainsaw mill in.

Theres an overweight, fair-weather trust-fund baby up the hill from me, who fires up a full hydraulic woodmizer in the summer. He likes his set-up.

Anyhow, i recommend 100+ cc saws. 3120, 880, 881. Or even the best milling saw ever made.......the Echo cs 1201.

 

[thinair]

So you like the 1201 over the new 881?

 

[mainer_in_ak]

Yep, throttle lock, and a superior oiler on the 1201.

881 has no throttle lock and a very stingy oiler. About 3 oz of oil per 16 ft long rip.

1201 has larger crank, and better low-end torque.

881, if you hit a rock-hard spruce knot and the chain be too aggressive, it falls flat on its face....bogs to zero rpms.

1201 runs cool, 881, being a stratofied saw, heats up after a 16 ft rip. Gotta high idle is for at least 1 minute, to cool it. Definitely have to run a smidgen rich on both the high and low jet.

BUT, the 881 is the easy button. Excellent filter, cleanest clutch cover ive ever seen, never builds up gunk. Can swap to softer 880 rubber av mounts, for when rubber turns hard as a rock in 20 below zero winter. I have two sets of rubber av mounts.

Its light enough that I even buck firewood for about 4 hours at a time, before it feels heavy, a nice narrow powerhead. Balances a 36" bar perfectly.

I have milled enough wood with the 881 to build a 36x40 2-story shop, and a 26x16 ft cabin. I know it well enough. I guestimate about 22 gallons of 40:1 mixed fuel through it with no mechanical issues.

I like that the high speed jet isnt fixed like on a 3120, Important to tune saw right for 20 below zero.

 

[thinair]

Thanks for the great detailed response!

I'm curious if the 881 has the pin to limit max flow on the oil pump like the 661's