880 or 881...?

[Moose McAlpine]

On 25/09/2021 at 16:24, Rough Hewn said:

I bought a new 880 recently, it’ll stay in the box forever I hope.

 

Why?

 

I bought a 395XP as a display saw because i like the design. But i wouldn't have it just sat in the box.

[AHPP]

2 hours ago, Ty Korrigan said:

I'll keep an eye on the oil/fuel usage rate.

Could you report on here please, ideally tagging me. I haven't done it on my 661 for fear of the oil running out before the fuel. Hugely unlikely I'd not notice but you can guarantee someone else will pick up my saw and cook a hundred quid bar the one time I forget to tell them.

[Rough Hewn]

 
Why?
 
I bought a 395XP as a display saw because i like the design. But i wouldn't have it just sat in the box.

It’s my other backup saw for double ended milling.
If I get it out, it means I’ve buggered another engine or something expensive on the other saws…[emoji106]

[Rough Hewn]

 
Why?
 
I bought a 395XP as a display saw because i like the design. But i wouldn't have it just sat in the box.

What’s a display saw? 🤷🏽‍♂️

[Moose McAlpine]

1 hour ago, Rough Hewn said:

It’s my other backup saw for double ended milling.
If I get it out, it means I’ve buggered another engine or something expensive on the other saws…

 

Ohh, i see.

 

1 hour ago, Rough Hewn said:

What’s a display saw? 🤷🏽‍♂️

 

It's the hallmark of a responsible adult consumer. 😂

[Rough Hewn]

 
It's the hallmark of a responsible adult consumer. [emoji23]

🤣🤣🤣spat me tea nearly! [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[Joe Newton]

On 25/09/2021 at 15:29, Ty Korrigan said:

I've come across an 880 in stock.

I'll not pay that price though (£1250 plus vat)

I'll get a better deal from these guys.

Or... should I go for an 881?

I'd use it for milling in the future but mostly it would sit on my shelf as they all seem to do until I get jobs like last Friday's oak.

@Luckyeleven managing to find the only nail with a 90cm bar on a 500i

500i runs the bar fine but much too dry, the oiler can't deliver enough flow.

  Stuart

 

The 880 that I've used was no faster than my 660 on a 30" bar. I think they only prove their worth on the really long bars.

 

I wouldn't even bother with the 660 for that though. Why do you need a bigger saw?

[Ty Korrigan]

26 minutes ago, Joe Newton said:

The 880 that I've used was no faster than my 660 on a 30" bar. I think they only prove their worth on the really long bars.

 

I wouldn't even bother with the 660 for that though. Why do you need a bigger saw?

Duel purpose but one of those has been solved by fixing the oiler on the 500i which suffered a lack of lube using a 90cm bar.

My interest was piqued by the site of that lonely 800 on the top shelf, a machine I had thought long sold out.

Milling was the other reason.

I occasionally work with @tomtrees I think he is called on here though he rarely visits Arbtalk.

Tom lives some 30km South East of me and runs a Peterson mill. He'll either collect logs or mills them at my clients.

However there are always some lovely logs just too impractical to extract economically unless in rounds which is a shame or too small for Tom to justify getting involved so milling seems the way forward.

Be a great learning experience too.

I do recall that wise old sage Mendiplogs saying that his 660 was better than the 880.

Also...and importantly, if I can win time on even a few jobs each year, ringing up just a bit faster like last Fridays oak, I can get home to my kids earlier rather ringing up by headtorch or going back the next day.

   Stuart

 

 

 

[Rough Hewn]

The 660/661 has a higher rpm about 13.5k, the 880/881 is about 12.5-12
So cutting smaller wood the 6 series will cut faster.
Until you get harder wood or wider wood.
A 6 series will pull 36-42” on 3/8,
The 8 series will pull 84” on .404
That’s what you pay for [emoji106]

[AHPP]

33 minutes ago, Ty Korrigan said:

Also...and importantly, if I can win time on even a few jobs each year, ringing up just a bit faster like last Fridays oak, I can get home to my kids earlier rather ringing up by headtorch or going back the next day.

 

A 661 over a 500i would save you five minutes at the very most ringing up that oak, maybe ten minutes over a 261. An 881 would be the same or even cost you time, walking to the van, psyching yourself up to carry the bastard, starting it without blowing a shoulder etc.

But say you had a five foot DBH stem tapering to three feet at forty feet. Now that is 661/881 territory and you could save maybe forty minutes over a 500i on just the ringing but also probably have the job flow better getting cookies off faster, say twenty minutes for round numbers. 

Two saws is the key, the shorter bar with a semi chisel chain for dirty bits, ripping/noodling cookies, including ripping/noodling them off stems. For me, that's a 25" on my 500i (semi is also a bit kinder on ropes, trouser legs etc when climbing) and 36" 661 with full chisel for ringing. And don't be shy about changing chains.

It's been years since I used an 880 and my memory's shit so I can't speak from absolute gospel first hand experience but I've been around them in use and I'd go with plogs and Saul's appraisal; they're no quicker, sometimes slower. It would be a truly exceptional arb job where 881 pros would outweigh the cons.

 

Plus a 550i and 661 team are the same bar mount and would go on a double end bar if you get into milling later.