Alaskan Mill Troubles...

[Hank]

Hi all. I recently picked up a Stihl MS660 running a 36” bar and ripping chain to go with a Granberg Alaskan Mill. 
 

So far I’ve run it through some unseasoned 14” oak and it hasn’t been performing particularly well. It seems to run out of steam at the slightest push into the log and generally struggles to get through the whole thing. Another thing, the planks I’m milling are only about 1.5m long and in that time it goes through about a tank of petrol. I know milling is fuel intensive but that seems quite a lot...

 

The chain is sharp and the saw appears to be running well ... until I start milling. I’m also using wedges to avoid any pinching. 

 

Any help appreciated!!

[Rough Hewn]

Check your depth gauges.
A 660 should fly through that.

[trigger_andy]

5 hours ago, el barto said:

Hi all. I recently picked up a Stihl MS660 running a 36” bar and ripping chain to go with a Granberg Alaskan Mill. 
 

So far I’ve run it through some unseasoned 14” oak and it hasn’t been performing particularly well. It seems to run out of steam at the slightest push into the log and generally struggles to get through the whole thing. Another thing, the planks I’m milling are only about 1.5m long and in that time it goes through about a tank of petrol. I know milling is fuel intensive but that seems quite a lot...

 

The chain is sharp and the saw appears to be running well ... until I start milling. I’m also using wedges to avoid any pinching. 

 

Any help appreciated!!

How are you determining the Saw is running well? It might need tuned? Another consideration is dirt in the carb blocking the jets gave me bother with my 066, stripped and rebuilt with a gasket set and a can of carb cleaner did the trick. Or just buy a Chinese carb.  

[Stephen Blair]

In the fuel tank there is a filter on the fuel hose, it’s called the ‘ clunk ‘ as it always falls to to the lowest part of the tank where the fuel will be so it can work at any angle.

 That’s what I’d check first and also if the fuel cap is leaking or the breather for the tank under the air filter protective cover.  I’d start there then work my way to the carb.

  If it’s an older saw with older caps there is a sprung V shaped piece of metal to stop the cap getting lost, it’s on a wee chain, it can get caught up on that.

[billpierce]

Post some pics of your bar and chain. My bet is the bar needs a fettle or there is a issue with the chain

[gobbypunk]

Hi it may be obvious but have you checked the air filter ,on my old 880 the one that got stolen the air filter was always getting full of sawdust making it hard to start and under powered as with most things look for the most obvious first a good clean fresh fuel and then see what happens,good luck hope you get it sorted

[Wonky]

I would put on a crosscutting chain and see how it fares crosscutting, as well as checking the spark plug, maybe pop a new one in while it’s out. Then also making sure the air filter is clean.
Ripping is slow, I’ve always lowered the depth gauges a bit more and sharpened the teeth every 2 or 3 cuts. The finer the wood waste is the slower the cut is the more fuel you will use. The chippings should be a little like bran [emoji6]not fine flour..[emoji848]
Ripping is like crosscutting, in respect to if you have to push on the bar/saw your chain needs attention [emoji6]
On my setup I have to hold the saw back as it will want to eat to much and will bogg, but it is setup a bit aggressive..but the chippings still come out like flour if the chain is dull.[emoji106]

[Rough Hewn]

Solid advice [emoji106]

[Hank]

Thanks for all this guys. Interesting about the depth gauges, will give that a go.

 

The bar and chain look ok. I filed the bar to get rid of the grooves and the chain moves freely through it. Incidentally should the chain be tensioned different for ripping than for crosscutting?

 

The air filter is clean - haven’t put a new spark plug on yet but that was high on my list of things to do.

 

My reason for thinking the saw is running ok is because it’s very responsive on the throttle and sounds good. I could be wrong tho... I’m not saying by any means that’s a foolproof test of whether a saw is good but I think it’s positive at least. I’ve yet to try a crosscut chain on it (don’t have one).

 

Thanks again.