what size saw for milling

[Johny Walker]

just looking @ getting a mill, would a ms461 be big enough to run a 25" mill.

 

cheers.

[geoff]

Pushing it really, but it would do it on a skip chain, better off with a larger saw Imo .

[billpierce]

chainsaw milling is like a form of torture that is worse the smaller the saw you have. have you considered a GB double ended bar (check chainsawbars.co.uk) rob reckons you can run a 461 with say a 361 on the other end which would make a big difference.

[Johny Walker]

chainsaw milling is like a form of torture that is worse the smaller the saw you have. have you considered a GB double ended bar (check chainsawbars.co.uk) rob reckons you can run a 461 with say a 361 on the other end which would make a big difference.

 

 

wouldnt that need 2, operators tho, ?

[agg221]

25" mill or 25" bar on an Alaskan mill? A 25" bar will give you an 18" cut and it will be OK (not the fastest but OK). 25" cut would mean fitting a 30" bar, which would be very very slow. I did once in desperation fit my 044 to a 36" bar and run a 2ft or so cut up the middle of a spruce with it. Next time I will use an axe and wedges as it will save several hours of my life.

 

Alec

[Johny Walker]

24″ MILLING KIT ? STIHL 044, 046, MS440, MS441, MS460, MS461, 065, MS650, 066, MS660, MS661 | Alaskan Mill ? Mobile Chainsaw Mills

 

your thoughts

[agg221]

24″ MILLING KIT ? STIHL 044, 046, MS440, MS441, MS460, MS461, 065, MS650, 066, MS660, MS661 | Alaskan Mill ? Mobile Chainsaw Mills

 

your thoughts

 

It will not be the fastest, but it will work fine - ie if you want to mill the odd log for your own use and enjoy the milling process in itself (warning, it gets addictive!) then it's a good option, but if you would rather spend the time using wood than milling it, or you are thinking of offering milling as a service, you would need to take a different route with a much bigger saw.

 

I should have mentioned - 18" is the max width if you leave the dogs on, take them off and you will get 20" through it. If you don't already have the grinder then you will get more value out of that than just milling.

 

Alec

[Johny Walker]

It will not be the fastest, but it will work fine - ie if you want to mill the odd log for your own use and enjoy the milling process in itself (warning, it gets addictive!) then it's a good option, but if you would rather spend the time using wood than milling it, or you are thinking of offering milling as a service, you would need to take a different route with a much bigger saw.

 

I should have mentioned - 18" is the max width if you leave the dogs on, take them off and you will get 20" through it. If you don't already have the grinder then you will get more value out of that than just milling.

 

Alec

 

 

so i could get a 36" mill & run a 25" bar, then if i do more i can up it to a36" bar , iv got 2, 461, & a 661.

[agg221]

so i could get a 36" mill & run a 25" bar, then if i do more i can up it to a36" bar , iv got 2, 461, & a 661.

 

Yes - the outer bracket on the mill can be slid along the rails to give you the right width for your bar - the 'mill length' is actually the length of the rails, so 36" is the furthest apart you can put the uprights. These are 1" square, so the maximum capacity is 34". You have to bolt the mill inside the sprocket nose of the bar so you lose about 5". This means that with the dogs off the biggest cut you can get on a 36" bar is about 30".

 

If you have a 661 then it's worth going for the 36" mill - if you ever want to then you can get a 42" lo-pro bar to get the most out of it.

 

Try it with the 461 and the 661 and decide which you want to use. Even on the 25" bar my money is on the 661

 

Alec

[Johny Walker]

Yes - the outer bracket on the mill can be slid along the rails to give you the right width for your bar - the 'mill length' is actually the length of the rails, so 36" is the furthest apart you can put the uprights. These are 1" square, so the maximum capacity is 34". You have to bolt the mill inside the sprocket nose of the bar so you lose about 5". This means that with the dogs off the biggest cut you can get on a 36" bar is about 30".

 

If you have a 661 then it's worth going for the 36" mill - if you ever want to then you can get a 42" lo-pro bar to get the most out of it.

 

Try it with the 461 and the 661 and decide which you want to use. Even on the 25" bar my money is on the 661

 

Alec

 

cheers:thumbup1: