what size chainsaw to keep near the bandsaw

[Gadrock]

I have almost completed my restoration of a newly aquired older LT40. And now as all the associated other tools are being assembled a big question emerges.

So ...what size chainsaw do most people keep near their sawmill...just to handle those everyday close at hand things?

David Gaddis


Carry on

[dgdrls]

Jonsered  2145  18" bar

I mill with a Lucas

DGDrls

[bandmiller2]

If you have power a good electric chainsaw is very handy, if not any saw you have, I wouldn't buy one special. Frank C.

[Magicman]

I have an old Stihl 028 upfitted with an 18" bar and 7/32 chain.

wwsjr had a Stihl 170 that we used while sawing the Goodwill project.  It did an excellent job and is less than $200.

[lyle niemi]

small saw cuts small wood, big saw cuts all wood..lol

[highleadtimber16]

I use my little Stihl 192 16" bar (I suggest a 12" bar) everyday at the mill. I have my stihl 461 in the truck for the bigger stuff.

[Dave Shepard]

Electric can be really handy, especially if you are making a lot of cuts. When I cut the 47' logs on my mill, it was so hot the gas powered saw wouldn't start the second time. Because the logs were longer than the mill, I had to cut every slab and board. It was really nice to just pull the trigger and not have to start the saw.

[wetdog]

Anything is good as long as its small, light, cranks good, and not too expensive to replace as some of them get ran over by tractors or get logs rolled on them. Mine is an old Husky 55.

[Ocklawahaboy]

Since I mostly saw for fun, out of my disposable income, my one saw is a 20" husky.  I use every inch of it at the mill, on a regular basis. 

[backwoods sawyer]

I take two saw with me if I am not splitting a big log, a 034 stil with a 32" bar, but my go to saw is a little 20" easy start husky, when climbing around a big log on the mill a lighter saw helps withe the balance and usualy will do any thing you need.

In the production mill all we used were stil 24" electric chainsaws (good for cutting a stuck cant out of any of the five edgers) and a pole saw for jam ups on the decline chain(got used a lot), plenty of power and they start the first time you pull the trigger,

keep extra chains on hand as trimming a guide path on over sized logs the chain will catch some metal sooner or later.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Stihl 170
Husquvarna 365 skip tooth 24" bar

[Ianab]

Think it depends what you are going to be cutting. If it's 12-18" logs, then no need to have a big saw on hand. You might want to end trim, or lop off some stray limbs etc. Something nice and light, 40-60 cc would be fine. It it's got a sharp chain, and starts reliably, it will do the job.

Larger logs? You will want something with a big more grunt if you are going to quarter or whittle down oversize logs to fit the mill.

[mmartone]

I'm not braggin but... I like my 372xp with the 32" bar and skip chain, it can reach whatever. I have bigger and smaller saws but I just like that one.

[scully]

I usually have 3 saws 18"20"24-32" bars ,I use the small one most of the time but the bigger ones come in handy ! I had to rip a 46" dia. cherry log once to get it on my LT40 . If you are going for 1 saw I would get one that can drive a 20" bar . It may be a bit big sometimes but IMHO will pay off big the times you need it .

[Gadrock]

What I was seeking is your fav saw to have near the mill.

It kind of was a question on what size most other wanted close by at the mill...not bunking, limbing, felling etc

carry on

[ladylake]

A Echo CS400, most important it starts great, also it's light cuts great, handles nice, just over $200 from fleebay. The only downside is they need to be tuned before running them as most are set too lean. Steve

[Peter Drouin]

I think we all use what we have mine is a Dolmar 79 with a 24" bar. Sometimes you have to cut the log down and a big saw works well.

[bandmiller2]

The ends of many logs have imbedded dirt and grit from dragging and handling, I commonly trim the ends to eliminate same. I use an 18" bar but a 20" would be better, also handy for butt swell. Frank C.

[Chuck White]

I only own one chainsaw and it does it all "for me" around the mill.

I have a Stihl 021 with a 12" bar.

It's reliable, starts easy and it's light-weight!

[WDH]

Makita electric.  So nice not to have to put gas in it and so nice not to have to crank it. 

[Sixacresand]

Husquvarna 4??, 18".  Cranks with 2 pulls, idles if I take my finger off the throttle, not too heavy.  I had thoughts of installing a inverter on the mill so I could power a electric chainsaw and/or a leaf blower for cleanup.  The GaMtnMan sent me plans on how to wire a second battery to a Lt40.  That may might be a good time to install the inverter. 

[stanwelch]

Stihl 026  18" bar.
  I saw alone on my MANUAL LT15 and keep the saw on a low table at knuckle high
Very handy to cut slabs to smaller size for easier handling

[schmism]

Id say one of the old "farmboss" saws would be a good choice.  usually around an 029 / MS290 which is a 54CC engine

FYI

021 - 35CC
026 - 48cc (likely listed as a "pro" saw)
029 - 54CC

my 039 ins kinda an oddball at 64CC  and i run an old 010av with it at 37cc 

i run a 12" bar on my 010 and bounce between a 20 and 24" bar on my 039 unless its pulling sawmill duty.

[drobertson]

I use a 362 sthil, 20" bar, its not too heavy, cranks easy and has the power needed for trimming larger butt ends.  Ideally, two saws would be nice, a small nub trimmer and a bigger one for larger cuts.    david

[barbender]

Sixacresand, it will take quite an inverter to run an electric chainsaw, won't it? I'm trying to remember how many watts a circular saw (15 amp) takes, around 2000 I think. I would would expect an electric chainsaw to use similar amperage. To the OP, I usually have my 346 Husky around the mill.

[mikeb1079]

a husky 346 is an excellent mill saw but pretty much any 50-60cc pro saw would be my recommendation.  yeah the pro saws are more expensive but with care it would probably last you a lifetime.

[DanG]

I always kept my Echo CS300 and the Echo CS670 handy to the mill.  The 300 is an ultra-light climbing saw and I much prefer it for small stuff the 14" bar will handle.  The 670 has a 32" bar but it is heavy for an old guy.  If I get back to sawing, I'll get an electric saw and blower.

[ladylake]

I use my Echo CS400 all the time around the mill,  I have 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90cc saws but only bring them along if I going to make some big long hard cuts.  That CS400 will cut through a 20" WO fast, not near as fast as a 70cc but fast enough if it's only a couple of cuts.   Steve

[terrifictimbersllc]

I carry MS-200T 14", MS-460 20", and MS-660 36".   Length and power are used more often for trimming off log flare and bumps to allow clearance, than for cross-cutting.  Having more than one saw is a good thing too when one develops problems and it is important to keep moving.  If I milled at home and had plenty of time one 20" saw somewhere in the MS-260 to MS-460 range would be fine.   I use the MS-200T whenever possible, it's a pleasure whenever this little bumblebee does the job. 

[caveman]

We keep either the little Echo CS 4400 or the Husquvarna 359.  Both start easily but the Husky cuts a bit quicker. I do not think that it really matters what saw you have near the mill as long as it starts easily and cuts adequately.  It is often difficult to prevent your helpers from cutting into the sandy ground and dulling your chain.  The main purposes for us to have a chain saw by the mill is to cut off dirty ends of logs and to cut up slabs to burn out stumps while we are sawing.
Caveman

[dboyt]

Husq 365 with 24" bar around my Norwood.  I run into a lot of logs with flair butts that need trimming, and that takes a long bar.  It is a bit heavier than I would use for just trimming stubs and cutting slabs, but a good all-around saw.  I use the same saw out in the woods for logging.

[shelbycharger400]

Run the biggest you can afford,   several times I've had to do freehand ripping when the log was too long on the mill.

[kevin19343]

I have soooo many chainsaws I've probably forgotten a few, but generally I'll use my Echo CS3000 or my Stihl 020T at the mill.  Small, lightweight and most of all, reliable.

[rph816]

We keep 3 stihl's around with 16, 20 and 36" bars.  The 20 gets used most often.  The saw I keep at my place is a craftsman 42cc 18" saw that starts easy, runs good and has never let me down.  18-20" is a great size for most anything a bandmill will handle.  The Stihl MS660 Magnum with the 36" bar breaks down the logs that are too big for the mill, but if you don't come across too many of those 20" will do just fine. - Ryan

P.S. it's no joke backing over a stihl with the skid-steer ...

[scully]

Sorry, I have used all the big names . Right now Dolmar does it for me ! The 6400 is the best 5hp range saw I have ever used . As for bar sizes on it 18 to 32 inch . That help any ? I supoze they all have there merits ,but I would get a pro grade saw as opposed to a bargin outlet homeowner grade .

[backwoods sawyer]

but I would get a pro grade saw as opposed to a bargin outlet homeowner grade .

heavyer bar and chain longer life motor make the pro worth the extra cost. when climbing around a log on the mill, or trimming a hang up enough to clear, guide, carraige the lighter well balanced saw is ideal. But having the longer 32" saw to reach in can trim some spots that the shorter bar dont reach, advantage of the shorter bar is there are less teeth to sharpen when you nip a piece of metal, keep the rpms down when cutting in those tight places.

[JB Griffin]

350 husky 18" or 365 husky 20"
workin on my first stihl a 038 might use it when I get it done.

[diesel pap]

i have a 359 husky and 025 stihl that needs work. magic man said a 028. i have a 028 wb thats in a box that my dad bought many years ago new. it was the best all around saw i ever used. we wore it flat out and i tore it apart to rebuild but didnt follow thru. i put it in a box because my dad gave it to me before he died in 92. i would like to find parts and rebuild it.

[Magicman]

I rebuilt my 028 with a used jug, piston, bearings, etc. that I got from FF sponsor Scott at Chainsawr.  Chainsawr

[isawlogs]

 Saw size matters little around the mill, your logs should be cut to length and delimbed, that being said, all won't be so. Some will have some protruding knots that will take the use of a saw to deal with, how big a saw to cut a knot depends on how much faster you cut the knot. Almost any size will do, as long as you are comfortable with the saw you use, some like a bigger saw, some like then smaller, I have many saws here to choose from, my go to saw is either a 034, or a 036 with 18 to 20 inch bar, but I have gone on sawing jobs with a 250 or the 170, ( Stihl ) and they have done the job. All they will do is some times cut the end of a log that is to dirty to clean, too crooked to saw or cut off a knot\limb for the mill to be operated safely.

[Finn1903]

Depends on the size logs you will be milling.  My Stihl 028 super with an 18" bar and chain is the one I use the most, but I have pulled out the 440 for big oaks.  The 028 will go through about anything, just takes a little longer.  I recently picked up a 361, great saw that pulls a 20" bar and chain.   

I always take my saw, the 028, with me on mobile jobs.  The customer usually has their own saw, but, my saw is a good backup if their saw turns out to be inoperable.  At that point the mill is idling and we have to get the blade back to work.

[JustinW_NZ]

My go to mill saw is a stihl ms-250 with 18" bar
nice and light to get around things while on the mill.

I use something bigger for logs off the mill.

Cheers
Justin

[WDH]

too crooked to saw

I have been there  :D. 

[sawdusty1]

Husky 350

[isawlogs]

 Danny, I have cut logs too crooked for the mill , I have also cut ''logs '' too small for the mill.   ;)  Have had to trimm logs too big for the mill.

[DGK]

I have 4 Stihl chainsaws, 260, 460 & 660. The one used most at the mill is the 260 with an 18' bar.

[21incher]

I use my Stihl MS 290 with a 20" bar. Since I switched to Baileys narrow kerf chains it allows me to trim down oversize logs to fit my mill without bogging down.

[Brucer]

I use either of my 70 CC saws with 24" bar, because that's what I have. Those saws are perfect for bucking logs in the yard but 90% of the time are way more than I need at the mill. In fact, I don't usually keep them near the mill unless I'm going to have some long slabs to buck in half.

I'm planning to get a small Stihl this season just for parking by the mill. The odd time I need something bigger I'll just fetch one of the big saws -- which is what I do now, anyway.

In the end, you've got to figure what will work best for your particular operation.