FarmerTec 660 "Kit" - What's the latest on quality?

[eric4]

Wow, lots to chew on... maybe I'll just go the cheap route with a gasket delete (if suitable), timing advance, intake/exhaust grinding, and muffler drilling.

Then down the road, if the saw needs it, deal with cir-clips, needle bearing, piston, rings etc.

Is there a 42" bar that y'all would recommend, that is 3/8 .050? Seems like the longer bars are .063...

 

[Wanab]

Yeah I'll have to get a scale. Maybe I'm just crazy but the FT felt heavier than the popup. Idk maybe I'm just smoking rope haha.

I am with you bro. I thought the Hyway was lighter too...

 

[MustangMike]

Wow, lots to chew on... maybe I'll just go the cheap route with a gasket delete (if suitable), timing advance, intake/exhaust grinding, and muffler drilling.

Then down the road, if the saw needs it, deal with cir-clips, needle bearing, piston, rings etc.

Is there a 42" bar that y'all would recommend, that is 3/8 .050? Seems like the longer bars are .063...

I think you have a West Coast dilemma like I have an East Coast dilemma! I have 2 Stihl Light 36" bars and they are both .050 because my dealer could not get them in .063!

So now, my 18" and 20" bars are .050, my 24" and 28" bars are .063, and my 36" bars are .050!

I guess if all my bars of the same length are the same width, I'm OK!

 

[Skeans1]

Wow, lots to chew on... maybe I'll just go the cheap route with a gasket delete (if suitable), timing advance, intake/exhaust grinding, and muffler drilling.

Then down the road, if the saw needs it, deal with cir-clips, needle bearing, piston, rings etc.

Is there a 42" bar that y'all would recommend, that is 3/8 .050? Seems like the longer bars are .063...

Cannon


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[StihlMagnum440]

I know the OEM 460 pistons are lighter than the AM ones, and it is likely the same for the 440 pistons. So, a OEM piston will likely give you the smoothest operation and best durability, but they are expensive.

If you have to run better oil at a better ration to have a big bore kit work, I'll take that exchange (I run the better oil/ration any way). Any time you improve the performance of any engine you should run be best lubrication possible.

IMO, the value of the kits is an economical way to learn saw building and porting, and a good resource to bring dead saws back to life that would not be worth bringing back to life with OEM parts. Tank handles are one of the best examples of this, and the plastics.

One of my hybrids has AM case and bearings, but OEM crank, cylinder and piston. No problems so far,

Around here, 044 and 440 parts are very hard to come by compared to 460s and 461s.

The other problem with the 440 kits is the carbs are not adequate for the big bore kits, and OEM carbs are not cheap!

Bottom line, if you have a good OEM 066/660 cylinder you can buy a Meteor piston and a kit and end up with a darn nice saw.

Just read about 200 or more reviews of Farmertec built 660s on Amazon...ooh boy!!! Some were hilarious. A lot of those people should not own chainsaws...what a perfect storm. Disasters galore and some saws that should not have left the Farmertec factory.

You covered the pros of the kits and I agree 100%. I am happy with my kit. Glad the Chinese have come out with them. As much as everyone knocks Chinese AM stuff in general (car parts etc) the Chinese AM availability has really made life a lot better!

MustangMike, this is technical but you can figure what I am getting at: I am wondering if the new piston and any other top end changes they are putting on the 462 will make more porting and squish options that result in greater performance available...you know...more power @ 13 lbs. Haha.

 

[StihlMagnum440]

Just read about 200 or more reviews of Farmertec built 660s on Amazon...ooh boy!!! Some were hilarious. A lot of those people should not own chainsaws...what a perfect storm. Disasters galore and some saws that should not have left the Farmertec factory.

You covered the pros of the kits and I agree 100%. I am happy with my kit. Glad the Chinese have come out with them. As much as everyone knocks Chinese AM stuff in general (car parts etc) the Chinese AM availability has really made life a lot better!

MustangMike, this is technical but you can figure what I am getting at: I am wondering if the new piston and any other top end changes they are putting on the 462 will make more porting and squish options that result in greater performance available...you know...more power @ 13 lbs. Haha.

A home made bandsaw is the way to go after just a few boards! These guys here have the skills to do it...a Honda or any knock off and two boat trailer tires for a simple inexpensive build.

Chainsaws were made to cut trees not cut boards. Make a bandsaw mill. Sell some boards or build something to pay for the mill.

To each their own but work smarter not harder. In very few cases a chainsaw mill is practical.

How long does it take to mill a 1000 BD ft with a chainsaw mill? How much wood is wasted? How tired are you when done? How much noise with those open mufflers vs nice quiet 4 cycle? Total the real costs in your energy, fuel, noise, sweat, aggrevation....

If anyone is on the fence...forget the chainsaw mill and build a bandsaw mill. We do not see chainsaw mills around here. You can do it.

I would put an electric motor on the mill if near power for a very quiet saw. Have your mill frame set up to move easily. We did it for years and so have many others!

 

[StihlMagnum440]

Cannon. I know a little bit about logging and milling having grown up on tree farms in Maine. I highly recommend that you guys all at least check out what is involved in building a simple log band saw. We would never think of chain saw milling except in very rare circumstances (that never happened).


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[StihlMagnum440]

I think you have a West Coast dilemma like I have an East Coast dilemma! I have 2 Stihl Light 36" bars and they are both .050 because my dealer could not get them in .063!

So now, my 18" and 20" bars are .050, my 24" and 28" bars are .063, and my 36" bars are .050!

I guess if all my bars of the same length are the same width, I'm OK!

. If you do much milling this is a mill we built for not much money. The yellow shields were built with wood and it had a Honda motor and boat trailer tires. You will not loose $$ on this while you own it. If you build one...it will sell for way more than it cost to build and that is after you have cut a billion BDFT. Just saying...you guys have the skills and for not much more upfront $ especially if you have access to cheap steel from friends or what not. Just showing an option that guys on here are fully capable of doing.

 

[MustangMike]

I like the chainsaw mills because I don't have heavy equipment and I can mill in the woods and carry the boards out. Ditto going over septic systems.

 

[MustangMike]

MustangMike, this is technical but you can figure what I am getting at: I am wondering if the new piston and any other top end changes they are putting on the 462 will make more porting and squish options that result in greater performance available...you know...more power @ 13 lbs. Haha

I have no idea!

 

[Jason628]

. If you do much milling this is a mill we built for not much money. The yellow shields were built with wood and it had a Honda motor and boat trailer tires. You will not loose $$ on this while you own it. If you build one...it will sell for way more than it cost to build and that is after you have cut a billion BDFT. Just saying...you guys have the skills and for not much more upfront $ especially if you have access to cheap steel from friends or what not. Just showing an option that guys on here are fully capable of doing.
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The predator engines from harbor freight are decent. I have one of their generators and a friend of mine has one on their wood splitter. I see a lot of people use those engines for various things like drift trikes, go carts, etc. There are even after market parts for them if you want to soup them up. I may have to research this band saw thing. I think between my friend and I, we probably have 90% of the parts to build it.

 

[StihlMagnum440]

I like the chainsaw mills because I don't have heavy equipment and I can mill in the woods and carry the boards out. Ditto going over septic systems.

I moved the bandsaw mill around in the yard with my 12.5 HP old Cub Cadet. I hauled it down the road with my old S10 pick up that had a four cylinder (running on three). I lined the power head up over the axle and put bolts in holes we made for locking power head to frame. The power head could be slid off frame EZ enough but just no need to. Would go over a septic field with no damage but you could always just lay 1/2 sheets of plywood down (never did). We do not have many septic systems in the woods in Maine.

 

[StihlMagnum440]

The predator engines from harbor freight are decent. I have one of their generators and a friend of mine has one on their wood splitter. I see a lot of people use those engines for various things like drift trikes, go carts, etc. There are even after market parts for them if you want to soup them up. I may have to research this band saw thing. I think between my friend and I, we probably have 90% of the parts to build it.

Do it! If you do not get it right at first then you can improve it. We did not have a centrifugal clutch at first and would have to quickly flip a lever to have a pulley clamp down on belt to engage motor to trailer boat tire pulley (cut 1000s of BD ft that way though). We got the clutch so that made life easier. It had a regular hand winch to lift power head and I about broke my hand when the stop did not fully engage so lever spun around from winch freewheeling from weight of power head and smacked my hand...hard! We got another hand winch that worked differently and locked itself. Way easier to lift power head with new hand winch and no busting hand. The blades can be re sharpened using a regular 4 1/2" hand grinder. Worked with a Woodmizer guy that would just throw blades out after they went full because he charged enough to cover it. We got a deal on bunches of bandsaw blades from a place. You can do it if you have the wood. Go for it.

 

[StihlMagnum440]

I have no idea!

. Probably Mastermind will do it if it can be done...guy is quite the engine builder. Here is a mill logging slip. The measurements are on the small end of 8'6" logs. I used to write the diameter on end of logs for my own tracking and figure how many bd ft loaded on truck...plus I use to put the number big on the logs to influence the mill yard scaler. One inch difference for a small chunk out of the small end of a log made a good sized $ difference I got for BD ft difference.

 

[MustangMike]

Everyone has different circumstances, but I've milled wood where you will not get a bandsaw mill, including on the far side of rock walls, up or down steep marrow paths, etc.

 

[Jason628]

Finally got a genuine stihl...




(for my 4 year old)

 

[StihlMagnum440]

Everyone has different circumstances, but I've milled wood where you will not get a bandsaw mill, including on the far side of rock walls, up or down steep marrow paths, etc.

If you are happy and it works for you then that is all that matters. For a tree farm etc a bandsaw mill is the way to go. Pure heaven when you get a big log on and cut up 250' BD ft. in little time. I tried chainsaw milling and a definite no way. Of course I have winches etc to grab trees from anywhere. Stone walls...I would just drive over it with AWD forwarder. Glad your chainsaw mill allows you to make slabs etc.

 

[MustangMike]

My whole cabin upstate is Post and Beam Ash that I milled with the chainsaw (with a Beam Machine).

They are 6.5" square, the cabin is 20' X 24' - 2 stories high.

Plus, I made all the appropriate furniture for it!

 

[MustangMike]

Here is a pic from Oct 2014 of the cabin "in process" that shows the milled post and beam (8 - 12' posts, 2 - 17' posts, 4 - 20' beams, 2 - 27' beams, and one 27' ridge beam (9.3" X 3.25"). Note: the overhang is 1.5' on each end.

 

[eric4]

Just ordered a GB Titanium 42" bar 3/8 .063, for my g660, as well as a 48" budget chainsaw mill! Plan to make an auxiliary oiler, and perhaps adapt a winch...

What's a preferred ripping chain in 135DL? Looks like some brands that make a suitable chain are Granberg for $60, Forester for $25, Archer for $45, Woodland Pro $45, Carlton Carbide $80