# What saw should I get for milling?



## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Hi again everyone, I know I've been doing more than my fair share of posting lately, but I need your help! I'm in the market for a larger displacement saw. 70cc or bigger. Anything I can afford. Budget is about $300. 400 for something good. Suggestions? Not brand loyal, just need something that can slab some big maples. I've used a friends old dolmar 7200 and it was more than enough to slab a 3 foot wide garry oak. Each 6 foot slab too about 5 minutes to cut. So that's my benchmark for now. Suggestions?


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

You may have a bit of a problem locating a bigger, quality saw for that much money.. The two brands of saws with the best rep will be Husqvarna (372XP is in the 70cc size, $789 new) or Stihl (MS 441, $959 new). Both are professional saws with a lot of power. Both have a reputation of lasting a very long time with few issues. Jonsered CS2172 is also another choice ($799 new.) 

You may be able to locate an older Stihl 044, but even then, expect to pay $500 for one in good condition. The 044 is a great saw, I used one when I was on a USFS hotshot crew, we had 3 of them. Awesome saw, tons of power. I have a Husky 371 now, it's also a great saw. You may find a good used one near your price, too. 

Be wary of the cheap saws that are out there... they may not hold up well to your intended use. If you do buy used, Stihls seem to hold their value a bit better than Husky...

Good luck in your search!


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Thanks for the info dan. The more I look around the more I realize I'm probably going to have to shell out a little more. At least if I want a saw that will run well without a lot of work. Is there a trusted forum or website that has classifieds for that sort of thing? Craigslist is always a crap shoot and something about spending 500 bucks on ebay makes me uncomfortable..


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

http://www.chainsawsdirect.com/stories/452-How-to-Find-the-Best-Chainsaw-Forum.html

I found the above link searching for "Chainsaw forums", it may prove helpful. I would keep my eye out for a good used saw in either Stihl or Husky being sold by a private party. Commercial users use their saws hard. Many times they are pretty worn out by the time they sell. A lot will depend on how long you can wait for the right deal. Getting to know a local dealer may also be beneficial, sometimes they may know of used but not abused equipment that may be for sale.


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Found a guy selling an 056 ev super for 100 bucks. Says it used to run, should be an easy fix, blah blah craigslist ad. Maybe this is a good opportunity to rebuild an old saw? I'll meet him up today. My thought it that if I can pull the cord and turn it over that's good enough for me. Maybe it's electrical, maybe It'll need the be honed and have the piston replaced. My other option is 500 bucks for the same saw in working order... thanks for the link dan! I'll probably be browsing those links looking for leads on parts if I end up buying this saw.


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

I had an 056, it had a lot of power. For the power, it's a bit heavy, but for your uses, weight shouldn't matter. In the day, loggers around here used the heck out of the 56, it was the standard for those guys. I traded mine off to a buddy because I wasn't cutting anything over a couple of feet in diameter and didn't need to pack along the extra weight/power. It was a great saw, though!


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Welp I couldn't resist! There are more things wrong with this saw than right. But I paid 100 bucks for a slice of history. Haha so if I can fix this up for less than 400 dollars I'll be money ahead with a new saw! Now the search begins for all the missing parts...

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums...obile Uploads/20160412_163539_zpsgj5xbhpy.jpg

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums...obile Uploads/20160412_163552_zpsqbp3qcw6.jpg

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums...obile Uploads/20160412_163556_zps3gtkepc3.jpg

Missing the muffler+intake shroud, not getting any spark.


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

Makes my back sore just looking at it


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## Tamason28 (May 18, 2016)

After a lot of looking I purchased a used Stihl 660 from a pawn shop. I had been trolling fleabay for the same saw. Gotta be careful, there are people selling reconditioned with factory and aftermarket parts. When I inquired about what was factory and what was aftermarket, about the only factory part was the decals! Not even the engine! Anyway.... the Stihl has been a beast. Good luck with the rebuild, those old saws are awesome.


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## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

If you have to ask you shouldn't be milling


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Ibangwood said:


> If you have to ask you shouldn't be milling


I wish there was a dislike button for stupid comments like this.


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

By the way, just finished rebuilding the Carb for the 056 and reassembled it. After replacing the piston, honing the cylinder, replacing a handful of missing parts and spending several hours cleaning. Runs like a champ. 42" bar and chain. The entire milling setup cost me around 400 dollars. Going to mill a 4 foot maple this weekend.


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

That is awesome! I'm looking forward to see your mill in action. Don't forget to take pics!


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

jessesnowden said:


> I wish there was a dislike button for stupid comments like this.


AGREE!!!!

We as HUMANS weren't born knowing ANYTHING. We've ALL had to learn by....asking...watching...trying...hearing....feeling. To some it comes easy but others it just harder. Some are multi-talented as I BUT others have 1-2 talents that they are great with, the point is use your talent(s) to your best ability.

There are times I do think some have asked too many questions and I just stop reading or corresponding BUT I attempt not to make a statement as IBANG. The few times I did the Lord/Holy Spirit stirred me up and reminded me I'm Blessed with the ability to learn faster BUT I had to do one or all of the 5 above to learn what I know and I have to repent of my thinking or speaking the thoughts.

IBANG may have also said it not thinking with no intent of harm, just had never thought of things I mentioned above....he did learn sometime also.

Good luck with your milling....don't forget pics!!!


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Ibangwood said:


> If you have to ask you shouldn't be milling



Ding ding ding!!! Winner of the dumbest comment of 2016!!!!


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## WesTex (Jan 5, 2014)

T Tim left out at least one other learning source - reading. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ibangwood (Feb 25, 2010)

Yup I agree


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Update for this chainsaw rebuild:

Wish I would have bought a dolmar! 
Although I've really only spent 400 dollars total on this saw, but it's been such a headache trying to bring it back from the grave.

Parts that have been replaced:
Muffler
Pull chord
Air filter cover
Handful of missing screws
Spark plug
Piston + rings
Rubber vibration isolators

Repairs that have been done:
Honing cylinder wall
Cylinder gasket (twice, dont use RTV)
Carb rebuild (twice)
Muffler rewelded together
Ignition rewire, definitely the hardest fix

Each issue popped up one at a time. after I fixed one thing another broke. I've been trying to mill the same tree for almost 2 months. So far I have 3 slabs... I could have spent a paycheck and bought a brand-new dolmar 7910 instead!!! 

Oh well. This saw is a beast when it's running. It can pull a 42" bar through a dry black locust tree that's 3 feet wide. It has its issues but we'll get there! 

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums...obile Uploads/20160629_184806_zpstnf3xvdw.jpg

http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums...obile Uploads/20160629_184733_zpsbn8kkzfu.jpg


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## Dan3103 (Mar 24, 2015)

Sorry about all the problems... but wow! The results are pretty spectacular. Nice job!


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## jessesnowden (Mar 15, 2015)

Been a while since I've been on here. Since I've been doing mostly chainsaw work I went over to arboristsite to get some questions answered. After a long Battle the 056 is dead. Her last breath came when the retaining clip that holds the piston to the wrist pin popped off and was banging around in the chamber. It impeded in the cylinder wall and ripped a hole in the side of the piston as well. That's what you get for buying cheap-o parts from ebay...


But the good news is in my desperation I ended up finding a killer deal on a dolmar/makita 9010. For those who don't know (I didn't until I used Friends) dolmar is a German manufacturer from waaaaaay back. They were bought by makita in the 90's and produce products under both names. It's a 90cc saw and it kicks ass. If anyone is interested in buying a dolmar, buy it from the UK. I went to amazon.co.uk and paid 850 USD for the saw, 50 dollars shipping. That's it. Another guy on arboristsite found one from a different shop in the UK and paid roughly the same. They retail for 1,200-1,400 with the dolmar colors here in the states. Paint it green instead of red and save 600 bucks? Uh...yeah. 

Anyway, happy sawing friends. Just thought I'd share!


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