Chosing a saw mostly for milling

[oakandmaple]

I’m looking for advice buying a bigger saw.

 

It will spend more than half its hours milling mostly 16 to 24 inch oak and ash at least for the next few years and a few days logging up 20-30 inch ash. 

 

Thinking of a 661 or 500i?

 

 

 

[Mark_Skyland]

Go for the 661 over the 500.

[Muddy42]

I agree to go bigger than the 500i.  I helped someone mill with one once with a 36 inch bar and skip chain.  It was struggling and I worried about doing some damage - it felt like putting a heavy trailer with a racing car. 

 

Milling is seriously hard word and suited to the biggest displacement and heaviest engines you can find to dissipate heat.  If doing more than a few boards (which it sounds like you are) I'd also look at the 120cc models (088,880,881,3120s).  Remember you loose 4-6 inches in the cut due to how the mill is mounted. Plus hardwood tends to have curves, branches and wiggles that you need a few more inches to go round easily.  See-sawing the mill around obstacles results in a poor finish. Finally remember a lot of the saw features are not important in a mill (chain brake, anti-vibe, chain catcher, felling spikes) because the saw is surrounded by the mill, so there is nothing wrong with using older or semi-broken saws.

 

For milling I used to use a 660 but now have a 088 with a 36inch bar and .404 chain.  The wood that I cut sounds very similar to you.

 

[Bob_z_l]

I read your post again. 

Milling up to 24" Oak, yes 661 all day. 36" bar and Chinese mill  would do it. 

And be able to quickly change the rig to log up the 30" stuff.

 

I ended up removing the dogs to maximise the cut as said by @Muddy42

That then starts to be a faff when you swap to logging up so ended up with 2 saws. 881 and a Panthermill for milling only and 661 for logging and small 18-22" milling jobs. 

All depends on how much milling you are doing.  Ripping chains for the mill make better finish and skip chains for easier time on the saw but are not really good for logging up. 

It's a tough call, all based on how much you are doing. 

[gobbypunk]

Get the Biggest saw you can and just use it for Milling leave it set up on the mill as much as you can as others have said its a faf ,if I was going to to buy another set up it would be The Panther Mill and an 881 but then you could probaly get a good used or entry level Band Mill for similar money and save your Back .

[Muddy42]

Like the OP I also use my 088 milling saw for logging up thick wood.  As a compromise, I have ground down my felling spikes so you maximise the width in the mill, but they still provide a bit of leverage when logging, protect the exhaust and importantly include the chain catcher.  You don't really need pointy spikes unless you are felling.

 

Also I just use 30 degree hand filled crosscut chain.  I have tried 10 degree ripping chain but I just changed them back to 30.  If your sharpening and milling technique is good (no forcing the cut or see-sawing) there is very little difference in finish. Plus it feels to me like 30 degree chain powers through knotty bendy bits better.

 

My mill is a chinese eco mill.  I'm not going to lie, from the start, its cheap cr@p and the adjustment is hopelessly inaccurate and slips in a maddening way just as you tighten a bolt.  I ended up making pairs of 1/2/3/5/6/7 inch blocks.  If you rest on these whilst tightening the bolts, it works fine.

[oakandmaple]

Thank you all! Very very helpful.

[topchippyles]

661 is a good saw but maxes out around 28" wide planks. 881 if you can afford it.