Have we had a 'First go at Milling' thread recently?

[TuscanPhil]

Cheers @gobbypunk, sorry I missed your reply the other day!  I've bought a hand-winch but have not yet had chance to try it out - need to work out an 'end stop' to pull against.  Thanks for the suggestions regarding furniture but I don't quite follow your comment about a flat shelf on the underside?

[TuscanPhil]

 

A question for those still reading.....

I want to get a longer bar for my Homelite and to use on my 'domestic' (for home use only) milling- it can take up to a 36" so that's what I'm looking to buy.  Bit of a 'double edged sword' though - the 36" bar gets me an extra 6" on what I've already got, but it also comes with a sprocket nose (correct term?) so should take less power than my 30" hard nose bar.  I win by needing less power (or working the saw less hard) but lose by losing the sprocket distance, so I'll probably only gain about 3" at best.  BUT, my Homelite bar is probably quite well worn and hence will have slop from side to side with the chain.  A new bar and new chains (and new drive sprocket) will be much 'tighter' and have less wobble and hopefully work my saw less hard and give better milling results.  Whatever I decide, I can't get a 'new' bar for the Homelite (Bar Mount - D096 or D196), so I need to modify the bar mount from another bar - choice between an Oregon bar and a Rotatech bar - it will only be used for milling and the odd bit of cross cutting any large felled trees that present themselves to me (I'll certainly NOT be doing the felling!!  Far too scary and I'm not trained.)  The Oregon bar looks 'fatter' so should sit flatter - if that makes sense, whereas the Rotatech bar looks slimmer.  Oregon takes 115 links and the Rotatech takes ?? drive links.  Is the number of links very important?  Clearly I realise the right number for the bar else it won't fit -but does it really make any difference (other than sharpening time) about the number of links?

As they all say - what would you do? Or what would you recommend?

[topchippyles]

1 hour ago, TuscanPhil said:

 

A question for those still reading.....

I want to get a longer bar for my Homelite and to use on my 'domestic' (for home use only) milling- it can take up to a 36" so that's what I'm looking to buy.  Bit of a 'double edged sword' though - the 36" bar gets me an extra 6" on what I've already got, but it also comes with a sprocket nose (correct term?) so should take less power than my 30" hard nose bar.  I win by needing less power (or working the saw less hard) but lose by losing the sprocket distance, so I'll probably only gain about 3" at best.  BUT, my Homelite bar is probably quite well worn and hence will have slop from side to side with the chain.  A new bar and new chains (and new drive sprocket) will be much 'tighter' and have less wobble and hopefully work my saw less hard and give better milling results.  Whatever I decide, I can't get a 'new' bar for the Homelite (Bar Mount - D096 or D196), so I need to modify the bar mount from another bar - choice between an Oregon bar and a Rotatech bar - it will only be used for milling and the odd bit of cross cutting any large felled trees that present themselves to me (I'll certainly NOT be doing the felling!!  Far too scary and I'm not trained.)  The Oregon bar looks 'fatter' so should sit flatter - if that makes sense, whereas the Rotatech bar looks slimmer.  Oregon takes 115 links and the Rotatech takes ?? drive links.  Is the number of links very important?  Clearly I realise the right number for the bar else it won't fit -but does it really make any difference (other than sharpening time) about the number of links?

As they all say - what would you do? Or what would you recommend?

Evening phill you might be best speaking to RobD  chainsaw bars uk. He is on arbtalk quite a lot and most helpful 

 

Chainsawbars - Selectors for chainsaw guide bars, chains ...

CHAINSAWBARS VIDEOS

Edited March 20, 2021 by topchippyles

[Rough Hewn]

 
A question for those still reading.....
I want to get a longer bar for my Homelite and to use on my 'domestic' (for home use only) milling- it can take up to a 36" so that's what I'm looking to buy.  Bit of a 'double edged sword' though - the 36" bar gets me an extra 6" on what I've already got, but it also comes with a sprocket nose (correct term?) so should take less power than my 30" hard nose bar.  I win by needing less power (or working the saw less hard) but lose by losing the sprocket distance, so I'll probably only gain about 3" at best.  BUT, my Homelite bar is probably quite well worn and hence will have slop from side to side with the chain.  A new bar and new chains (and new drive sprocket) will be much 'tighter' and have less wobble and hopefully work my saw less hard and give better milling results.  Whatever I decide, I can't get a 'new' bar for the Homelite (Bar Mount - D096 or D196), so I need to modify the bar mount from another bar - choice between an Oregon bar and a Rotatech bar - it will only be used for milling and the odd bit of cross cutting any large felled trees that present themselves to me (I'll certainly NOT be doing the felling!!  Far too scary and I'm not trained.)  The Oregon bar looks 'fatter' so should sit flatter - if that makes sense, whereas the Rotatech bar looks slimmer.  Oregon takes 115 links and the Rotatech takes ?? drive links.  Is the number of links very important?  Clearly I realise the right number for the bar else it won't fit -but does it really make any difference (other than sharpening time) about the number of links?
As they all say - what would you do? Or what would you recommend?

Oregon everytime.
And as Les has said, get in contact with Rob.D
[emoji106]

[TuscanPhil]

9 hours ago, topchippyles said:

Evening Phil you might be best speaking to RobD  chainsaw bars uk. He is on arbtalk quite a lot and most helpful.

 

39 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

Oregon everytime.
And as Les has said, get in contact with Rob.D

Cheers both - thanks for the positive steer towards Oregon.  I'm aware of @Rob D and the excellent service he supplies - but as with any/all of my milling, it is on a relative shoestring and I can't ignore the price I can get the bar from elsewhere.  I know that he (sometimes / always?) gives forum discount, but I can't see him giving a discount of £30 or so on a £100 purchase - happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

[Rough Hewn]

Cheers both - thanks for the positive steer towards Oregon.  I'm aware of @Rob D and the excellent service he supplies - but as with any/all of my milling, it is on a relative shoestring and I can't ignore the price I can get the bar from elsewhere.  I know that he (sometimes / always?) gives forum discount, but I can't see him giving a discount of £30 or so on a £100 purchase - happy to be corrected if I'm wrong.

What size engine has your saw got?
You can put longer bars on saws using skip chain or hyperskip.
[emoji106]

[TuscanPhil]

4 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

What size engine has your saw got?
You can put longer bars on saws using skip chain or hyperskip.

Mine's an 84cc and takes up to a 36" bar according to spec

Edited March 21, 2021 by TuscanPhil
added bar specs

[TuscanPhil]

I currently have a hard nose 30" and a sprocket nose 18"

[Rough Hewn]

I currently have a hard nose 30" and a sprocket nose 18"

Can you mount a stihl bar on it?
Yiu could go 48” with skip or hyper skip.
[emoji106]

[TuscanPhil]

From what I've read on Homelite forums, I need to modify a D009 mount, that's same as on a Husky 576XP from my reading, so I'm looking for bars/chains to fit that saw when using 'product selector' guides on various websites (such as Rob D's).  I don't think the Stihl mount can be modified to fit (or at least I've not read anyone doing it.).