# Minimum chainsaw for serious milling?



## MarkWilliams (Jun 6, 2017)

I have recently come into possession of a tree farm where I can realistically take 20-30 trees out per year.

I cannot afford a bandsaw mill right off the bat, especially since I am still seeing the viability of doing this consistently. If I were to use an Alaskan mill to start off with, what would you think would be a solid chainsaw to start with that I won't need to fight with? I think the vast majority of trees I'd be pulling out would be in the 24" range but I may go up to 36" just to make sure I don't find myself in a pickle.

Any thoughts, comments, experience?

Thanks alot!

Mark


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## Cowboy18 (Aug 21, 2017)

MarkWilliams said:


> I have recently come into possession of a tree farm where I can realistically take 20-30 trees out per year.
> 
> I cannot afford a bandsaw mill right off the bat, especially since I am still seeing the viability of doing this consistently. If I were to use an Alaskan mill to start off with, what would you think would be a solid chainsaw to start with that I won't need to fight with? I think the vast majority of trees I'd be pulling out would be in the 24" range but I may go up to 36" just to make sure I don't find myself in a pickle.
> 
> ...



Been there done that, still there doing that sometimes.


What I mean is I started with a 24" Husqvarna using 5 "Milling Chains" and the Alaska II Mill with 14' track.
That works, and I still use it to cut logs down that are to large for my 20" Max Harbor Freight Bandsaw Mill.
So it is a good investment long term because it has it's uses even after you buy a mill.
However, if you don't know how to sharpen chains, it's going to get expensive PDQ.
You will need Milling Chains, and I am still using my original 5, but only because my partner was a logger in the Great Northwest.
He happens to be the best chainsaw sharpener I have ever seen. When he sharpens a chain, it don't spit out sawdust. It spits out a Rooster Tail of half inch wood shavings. It's the damndest thing I ever seen. 
90% of the logs we cut are Hardwood Mesquite, they're hard on any kind of saw or blade.
Cutting 5 or 6 boards out of a single log, may take two men most of a day. The time increases with every pass, and the quality of the cut fades with every pass. If you're cutting Pine or a softwood, you might double or possibly trible that production. It's very hardwork, and you'll be on you're knee's most of the time.


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## Cowboy18 (Aug 21, 2017)

To me the number one benefit of the Alaska mill is this. You can mill a log in place without hauling it.
That has definitely been a God send on occasion.


On the other hand, with my HF Mill. I can mill 6 to 10 logs a day by myself if need be. With consistent quality and far more useable boards.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I don't own a mill but .....*

I have had portable mills come out and saw on my property. The hard thing about a mill, is loading it and moving the logs around. If you don't have a tractor with forks, you'll have a problem in my opinion. My loader will lift 1500 lbs on the forks, but if you can position the load closer in, it will lift more.










The other thing is .."How long do you need the boards?" Most of my projects will use lengths less than 7 ft, maybe 8 ft at most. If you can use shorter lengths, this will decrease the weight of the logs you need to move. When the log millers came, they cut the logs while I moved them to the mill with my loader. That sort of teamwork worked real well. It will help a lot IF your mill is right at ground level, like a Harbor Freight, rather than higher up like a Woodmizer. 

What I'm getting at is, get the Harbor Freight mill and not an Alaskan chain saw mill. It will go faster and you won't have to sharpen chains etc.... JMO.:|


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

I own a (Christmas) tree farm, so I am cutting soft woods. if I were you I would buy into stihl, and minimum 3 1/2 cu in engine and 20-24" bar. husky would be my second choice.


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## MarkWilliams (Jun 6, 2017)

Thank you! Right now I am just looking at how much to invest right off the bat. If the chainsaw mill is going to be too much of a hassle for anything more than a few trees, I may need to skip ahead and just start looking at reasonable bandsaw mills.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

used saw mills come up now and then. guys buy them and cut what they need to then sell them.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

Good luck. I have a Husky lawn tractor and love it. Stihl or Husky for a chain saw. Like the info given about the saws and chains. Learned something.


> "How long do you need the boards?"


I need them for a long time. I'm making a table out of them.:w00t:


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> I have had portable mills come out and saw on my property. The hard thing about a mill, is loading it and moving the logs around. If you don't have a tractor with forks, you'll have a problem in my opinion. My loader will lift 1500 lbs on the forks, but if you can position the load closer in, it will lift more.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Do you have a ballast box on your tractor when you are moving heavy logs?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Yes and No*



Catpower said:


> Do you have a ballast box on your tractor when you are moving heavy logs?


I have beet juice in the tires, about 1000 lbs plus and I can hang a box scraper off the 3 point if needed. I don't do this but every 5 to 10 years, so it's not a regular thing. I do way more snow plowing than log milling ...... :frown2:


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

woodnthings said:


> I have beet juice in the tires, about 1000 lbs plus and I can hang a box scraper off the 3 point if needed. I don't do this but every 5 to 10 years, so it's not a regular thing. I do way more snow plowing than log milling ...... :frown2:



I was just wondering, I have a 5520, I think it will pick up 5-6000 lbs, I have a self leveling loader on it, with fluid in the rear tires I would have to roll forward or backwards it I needed to turn the front end with a full load on the bucket.. They took it is and checked it all over, then checked all the 5 series tractors they had and none of them would turn with the buckets loaded. They called Mo Deere to find out, why and the engineers asked if it was properly ballasted, the service damager told them it has fluid in the tires the engineers asked are you sure it is ballasted right, he said yes what should it be, they told him to read the installation and owners manual on page such and such, besides fluid there needs so be 3400 lbs on the 3 pt.

If I pick up anything real heavy that is taxing the loader without the ballast box it will balance the whole load on the front axle, the rear tires just barely touch the ground

Moral of the story is if you lift and move a lot of heavy stuff, it is real tough on the front end of the tractor with out a ballast box so move more of the load to the rear axles, they were designed too carry the heavy load 

I move a lot of heavy equipment, and that self leveling loader if like a rough terrain forklift I love it


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## Cowboy18 (Aug 21, 2017)

TimPa said:


> I own a (Christmas) tree farm, so I am cutting soft woods. if I were you I would buy into stihl, and minimum 3 1/2 cu in engine and 20-24" bar. husky would be my second choice.



Stihl is my favorite saw for tree trimming or even logging. But not for Milling. The stihl will Mill just fine, but it's far more high maintenance, more stops and starts. The Husky will run all day, hot or cold. I didn't learn that from no commercial. It's like the difference between a well tuned M4 verses an AK47.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

Cowboy18 said:


> Stihl is my favorite saw for tree trimming or even logging. But not for Milling. The stihl will Mill just fine, but it's far more high maintenance, more stops and starts. The Husky will run all day, hot or cold. I didn't learn that from no commercial. It's like the difference between a well tuned M4 verses an AK47.



good to know... those 460 and 660 are beasts, but if they are high maintenance for milling then I agree. I have noticed that husky has improved their ventilation/air filtration over stihl. do you have an Alaskan mill? home made or ??


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## Cowboy18 (Aug 21, 2017)

TimPa said:


> good to know... those 460 and 660 are beasts, but if they are high maintenance for milling then I agree. I have noticed that husky has improved their ventilation/air filtration over stihl. do you have an Alaskan mill? home made or ??



Yes I have Two a "Side Cut on a single rail", Then the horizontal track Alaskan II. Both have their uses. Then my trusty HF Mill.
Between the three of them I can cut whatever I need to make my stuff.


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