Logosol

[Lightning Performance]

I've seen mixed reviews on it. I figure one 60DL loop to test is worth it. If it works out then I'll make the 84DL loops the same. I'm thinking about offering mobile sawyer services starting at $.45/BF for softwoods and a bit higher for hardwoods. We will see how much faster this new 3/8 LP rips after my spinner and breaker get here.

If it works it works.
Seen many people running full chisel full comp chain that complain about slow cuts. They need to learn what a sharp chain is if your semi chisel or chipper chain cuts faster than full chisel anything.
If your going to test chain on the mill in softwood go big and go aggressive with a big power head. If you go with a tiny power head just cut yourself some hyperskip. Finding the right amount of cutters you can pull is a game... maybe a game of attrition when it comes to underpowered chainsaw mills. The commercial portable alaskan or Logosol type mills are mostly overpowered cutting most logs most times.
I found working over the saw itself to pull down low goes a long way in picking up speed and using a more aggressive cutter if you can pull it. Then you have to clear the chip without jamming it which requires some rpms well above where it feels like bogging is occurring. More cutter tooth face angle tends to take less power away to a certain point. It all depends on how many cutters and of what type you have in the wood. Testing chains with less is sometimes more. Worry about the quality second is my general rule. 10/10/60 cuts smooth and feeds nicely, leaves a nice finish but is painfully sloooow! on chain of any cutter type.

 

[SpaceBus]

If it works it works.
Seen many people running full chisel full comp chain that complain about slow cuts. They need to learn what a sharp chain is if your semi chisel or chipper chain cuts faster than full chisel anything.
If your going to test chain on the mill in softwood go big and go aggressive with a big power head. If you go with a tiny power head just cut yourself some hyperskip. Finding the right amount of cutters you can pull is a game... maybe a game of attrition when it comes to underpowered chainsaw mills. The commercial portable alaskan or Logosol type mills are mostly overpowered cutting most logs most times.
I found working over the saw itself to pull down low goes a long way in picking up speed and using a more aggressive cutter if you can pull it. Then you have to clear the chip without jamming it which requires some rpms well above where it feels like bogging is occurring. More cutter tooth face angle tends to take less power away to a certain point. It all depends on how many cutters and of what type you have in the wood. Testing chains with less is sometimes more. Worry about the quality second is my general rule. 10/10/60 cuts smooth and feeds nicely, leaves a nice finish but is painfully sloooow! on chain of any cutter type.

I don't think there will be anything faster out of the box than the Stihl 63PMX or the Archer 3/8LP. I've considered ordering the Carlton N1C, but that costs more and comes pre ground to crosscut profiles. I'm going to try the Granberg approach with half scoring cutters and half clearing cutters. Maybe even making every third cutter a scoring cutter. I think a couple of test loops in 60DL and a few in 84DL will be worth it. Perhaps the Granberg style doesn't make a difference with the short bar, but helps a ton on a long bar. Might be worth it to make some videos comparing Carlton 30RP vs the Archer LP vs cutter modifications if there ends up being any difference.

If I'm able to get some customers then profits will be invested into getting my 395 ported or sending in a new big saw and keeping my current 395 as a backup saw. The faster I can mill the more I get paid per hour.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I've decided it will be by the hour flat rate or the day for milling. They want either fast or smooth because you rarely get both in large hardwoods.

 

[SpaceBus]

I've decided it will be by the hour flat rate or the day for milling. They want either fast or smooth because you rarely get both in large hardwoods.

I'm thinking about charging a bit more for hardwoods. Unfortunately I have few, if any, mill sized hardwood trees on my property to see if they are any slower to mill.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I'm thinking about charging a bit more for hardwoods. Unfortunately I have few, if any, mill sized hardwood trees on my property to see if they are any slower to mill.

Bet your ass they are much slower to mill. Dry stuff is brutal to mill over 60 years old. Densely packed dry wood grain is the real deal milling.

 

[SpaceBus]

Bet your ass they are much slower to mill. Dry stuff is brutal to mill over 60 years old. Densely packed dry wood grain is the real deal milling.

Then I'll definitely charge a bit more per BF for hardwoods, just because of the increased wear and tear on the saw and chain.

 

[SpaceBus]

@Stihl Potlicker how did you get the log lifters to sit perfectly flat? All of mine are sitting high towards the end. The vertical legs are square, as verified with my speed square. I also emailed Fox Forestry, but I will probably have to call them to figure it out.

 

[SpaceBus]

Put together a loop of the Archer chain today and made three passes on a 6x6 Tamarack cant I had left over. Made some 2x4's and an ugly 2x6. The 3/8LP is definitely faster than the regular 3/8. I can see how it might be hard on the bar nose, but it is replaceable on my TsuMura bar. Definitely worth the increased speed through the cut. I did do a dumb thing and joined the chain missing one cutter. The chain cuts pretty ugly, but I think that's because my log lifters are not square and the chain is still new.

 

[SpaceBus]

I'm thinking about getting some 3/8 LP in crosscut profile for my 460. With a shorter bar it would be more bearable to use. I do have a lightweight TsuMura bar for .325 .050 and two loops with barely any use. Might be better to just convert the 460 to .325 and run that setup.

After looking into the part apparently I need special tools to swap it over. Might be worth having my local logging company do it for me.

 

[Stihl Potlicker]

@Stihl Potlicker how did you get the log lifters to sit perfectly flat? All of mine are sitting high towards the end. The vertical legs are square, as verified with my speed square. I also emailed Fox Forestry, but I will probably have to call them to figure it out.

any luck

 

[SpaceBus]

any luck

I've got the mill set up about as accurately as it can be done with so many pieces. Now I'm running into troubles with the cheap Archer chain I'm using. I've broken the 84dl loop three times with just a few passes each time. I ran the 60dl loop for several logs yesterday without any issues, until I hit a couple of screws. It's probably time to order some Stihl 63PMX loops...

 

[EbS-P]

I've got the mill set up about as accurately as it can be done with so many pieces. Now I'm running into troubles with the cheap Archer chain I'm using. I've broken the 84dl loop three times with just a few passes each time. I ran the 60dl loop for several logs yesterday without any issues, until I hit a couple of screws. It's probably time to order some Stihl 63PMX loops...

That’s to bad. What is your 84 bar hard nose or sprocket? How about the 60?

My 156DL of 3/8” full skip archer off the roll had no trouble pulling a 31” cut trough poplar. It was too grabby and the clutch was getting hot after the third cut and it started to stall out as the chain dulled.

Have it filed to 10 degrees now waiting to tackle the next job.
Evan

 

[SpaceBus]

That’s to bad. What is your 84 bar hard nose or sprocket? How about the 60?

My 156DL of 3/8” full skip archer off the roll had no trouble pulling a 31” cut trough poplar. It was too grabby and the clutch was getting hot after the third cut and it started to stall out as the chain dulled.

Have it filed to 10 degrees now waiting to tackle the next job.
Evan

I have a 24" 84dl Tsumura sprocket nose bar and the actual driver broke where it connects to the cutter. That means breaking out two tie straps and getting a "butterfly" off the roll. The 16" bar is just a plain 60dl Husqvarna OEM bar, but the chain seems to have no trouble with it. I'm probably just going to pony up for one or two 84dl loops of the Stihl 63pmx since the archer is doing fine on the 16" bar, which works for most of what I'm working with anyway.

Could over tensioning the chain cause breakage? Maybe I'm just overdoing it.

 

[SpaceBus]

Could the bar nose steering have something to do with the chain breaking? I wasn't using it until yesterday, and the chain didn't break when I cut a 6x6 tamarack cant into some 2x's and a 4x4 about a month ago (wasn't using the bar nose steering for those cuts).

 

[SpaceBus]

Does Stihl make a 3/8lp non safety semi chisel chain? I would even be willing to buy that and convert it once I get a real grinder.

 

[EbS-P]

Looks like this is non bumpered yellow chain

https://m.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/saw-chains/rm/

So it’s 2xrm The x picks your gauge.

I don’t remember what gauge you are running. X=6 is 0.063

 

[SpaceBus]

Looks like this is non bumpered yellow chain

https://m.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/saw-chains/rm/

So it’s 2xrm The x picks your gauge.

I don’t remember what gauge you are running. X=6 is 0.063

After comparing it to the 63pmx I don't think that chain will work. The 63 is clearly designed with big powerheads in mind.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have two 84dl loops of the 63pmx in my shopping cart on Bailey's, but I'm waiting to hear back from the East Coast Logosol distributor, maybe they still have some chain in stock.

 

[EbS-P]

I did see where Stihl states 11 tooth tip for .325 and 10 for 3/8. That’s just enough different on a new bar that it might cause some binding?

https://m.stihlusa.com/WebContent/C.../STIHL-Saw-Chain-Selection-Identification.pdf

 

[SpaceBus]

I did see where Stihl states 11 tooth tip for .325 and 10 for 3/8. That’s just enough different on a new bar that it might cause some binding?

https://m.stihlusa.com/WebContent/C.../STIHL-Saw-Chain-Selection-Identification.pdf

It could be the tip. My Husqvarna bar appears to have a fatter tip and that could be why it doesn't have any issue with the 3/8lp.