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Need some expertise from some experienced guys with 100cc saws

Started by bornwithnoname, January 21, 2015, 09:13:01 PM

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bornwithnoname

Ok so i posted over in the sawmill section already and was debating the husky 395xp vs the 3120xp and now am convinced i want the more cc's and hp. But someone said they would get the stihl ms880 over the 3120xp because it will last longer and most likely have less problems... i have a stihl dealer one town away and all of my family and everyone i know locally run stihls unless they are homeowners with home depot saws. so if anyone that has long term experience with those saws and has good or bad to report any input would help thanks. i have the money to buy either but the husky will be about $300 less i know this is like the age old ford chevy thig but im not into brands only the best product for my application... I know they are both good saws but i just torn on witch to buy. 

clww

Many Stihl Saws-16"-60"
"Go Ask The Other Master Chief"
18-Wheeler Driver

ohiowoodchuck

I'm having doubts about my 3120xp. It didn't have to many hours on it after it blew up on the original owner. Husqvarna dealer rebuilt it under warranty, he used it for about four more hours then I bought it. I've put about three days worth of work on it plus a couple large tree jobs. I took it out of the truck a couple weeks ago to buck up some large white oak for firewood and when I started it, the saw was idling with the chain moving really fast. I tore it apart and the carb diaphrams look questionable. I suspect the crank seals are out of it, but I haven't got the carb rebuilt because I'm waiting on a kit.
Education is the best defense against the media.

Andyshine77

Well the 3120 has a fixed jet carb, and you always want to run milling saws rich to keep heat down. Now you can send the carb off and have a high speed needle installed for about $30. Or you can buy an 880, remove the limiters and go to work.

I like the 880, but both saws have been around a long time and are quite durable.   
Andre.

celliott

3120 also has a push button oiler like on older saws, in addition to the automatic oiler.
Chris Elliott

Clark 666C cable skidder
Husqvarna and Jonsered pro saws
265rx clearing saw
Professional maple tubing installer and maple sugaring worker, part time logger

bornwithnoname

Quote from: clww on January 21, 2015, 09:19:44 PM
What are you going to be cutting with this saw?
oak, pine black locus, cherry, elm... and hopefully lots of other species some day but the sizes will be from 20in buts to 48in but most will be around 30-36

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 21, 2015, 10:02:05 PM
Well the 3120 has a fixed jet carb, and you always want to run milling saws rich to keep heat down. Now you can send the carb off and have a high speed needle installed for about $30. Or you can buy an 880, remove the limiters and go to work.

I like the 880, but both saws have been around a long time and are quite durable.   
i will take that as another vote for 880 then

Quote from: ohiowoodchuck on January 21, 2015, 09:55:01 PM
I'm having doubts about my 3120xp. It didn't have to many hours on it after it blew up on the original owner. Husqvarna dealer rebuilt it under warranty, he used it for about four more hours then I bought it. I've put about three days worth of work on it plus a couple large tree jobs. I took it out of the truck a couple weeks ago to buck up some large white oak for firewood and when I started it, the saw was idling with the chain moving really fast. I tore it apart and the carb diaphrams look questionable. I suspect the crank seals are out of it, but I haven't got the carb rebuilt because I'm waiting on a kit.
hmm maybe another vote for 880

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 21, 2015, 10:02:05 PM
Well the 3120 has a fixed jet carb, and you always want to run milling saws rich to keep heat down. Now you can send the carb off and have a high speed needle installed for about $30. Or you can buy an 880, remove the limiters and go to work.

I like the 880, but both saws have been around a long time and are quite durable.   
more and more im thinking the 880 is the way to go... how hard is it and safe is it to take of the limiter?

Quote from: celliott on January 22, 2015, 08:43:44 AM
3120 also has a push button oiler like on older saws, in addition to the automatic oiler.
yea that is one of the features i saw on that saw that i really liked i don't think the stihl has that but i will be putting a aux oiler on the saw when its in the Alaskan mill and dont really need that feature

Andyshine77

The push button oiler on the 3120 is just an override, it sets the automatic oiler to it's maximum setting, it does nothing if you have the oiler already maxed out.

You have to remove the carb to delete the limiters, It's a simple process, and from that point on you have a fully adjustable carburetor..   
Andre.

ohiowoodchuck

I'm having the worst time getting a carb kit also. It's been two weeks and I have one ordered from two different places. I called the nearest full service husqvarna dealer today and they said 10 days or longer for a kit. I'm glad I don't make a living with it as I go hungry real fast.
Education is the best defense against the media.

Andries

My experience is with the Stihl 660 and 880.
The 880 is mounted on an Alaskan Mill and gets a lot of work done at the log cabin and timber framing place that I work. I own the 660 and had it on an Alaskan for a while - until I got the LT30.
My brother and FIL run Huskys and I've used them a fair bit as well.

My vote goes to the Stihl. They cost more, but if you're looking at long term value or re-sale value holding, they are well worth it.
Best wishes with your decision making.
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

Andyshine77

Quote from: ohiowoodchuck on January 22, 2015, 06:52:13 PM
I'm having the worst time getting a carb kit also. It's been two weeks and I have one ordered from two different places. I called the nearest full service husqvarna dealer today and they said 10 days or longer for a kit. I'm glad I don't make a living with it as I go hungry real fast.

Dealers do this some times, the wait until they have enough items to cover shipping. I find it faster and easier to simply order parts from online retailers. What carb kit are you looking for? http://www.jackssmallengines.com/Jacks-Parts-Lookup/Model-Diagram/husqvarna/23036/491
Andre.

ohiowoodchuck

I got one ordered locally and another ordered through a large small engine parts store. The carb is a wg7a there's only a few revisions of it. It was put on three saws the 3120xp the 088 stihl and I believe a 999 Olympia. It was the go to carb in the two stoke racing go kart days. It's just a old design with not a lot of uses anymore.
Education is the best defense against the media.

celliott

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 22, 2015, 06:49:48 PM
The push button oiler on the 3120 is just an override, it sets the automatic oiler to it's maximum setting, it does nothing if you have the oiler already maxed out.

You have to remove the carb to delete the limiters, It's a simple process, and from that point on you have a fully adjustable carburetor..
I didn't know that, I thought it was a manual oiler in addition to the auto oiler. Thanks.
Chris Elliott

Clark 666C cable skidder
Husqvarna and Jonsered pro saws
265rx clearing saw
Professional maple tubing installer and maple sugaring worker, part time logger

HolmenTree

This is one use I had with a 084 carb I put on my 064 over 27 years ago..


  

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

bornwithnoname

Man everyone is making me want to get the stihl i guess since i just got a check for $3900 what the hell why not... the thing is the saws going to be like 4x the cost of my truck which was $450 i guess my priorities are a little diffident from most normal people but i suspect a lot of people hear don't think im crazy because everyone here also seems to be addicted to making sawdust too  smiley_beertoast

ohiowoodchuck

I'll give you three reasons to buy it. 1. If you don't spend it somebody else will. 2. You can't take it with you. 3. What's the point of working if you can't buy what you want. Hope that made you feel better and less guilty of the purchase.
Education is the best defense against the media.

bornwithnoname

Quote from: ohiowoodchuck on January 22, 2015, 07:52:46 PM
I'll give you three reasons to buy it. 1. If you don't spend it somebody else will. 2. You can't take it with you. 3. What's the point of working if you can't buy what you want. Hope that made you feel better and less guilty of the purchase.

"whats the point of working if you cant buy what you want." exactly I say that all the time im young so if i treat the saw well it will last a long time so.. either tomorrow or sat i will go order a ms 880 because i am pretty certain my dealer wont have one in stock im getting really excited word of mouth is starting to spread in my small town that i save trees from the fire and mill them up i already have a pile of about 10 to cut right now two were dropped off today. soon i will have a stack of wood. defiantly made me feel less guilty the thing is this is the most expensive thing i have bought in my life so i don't want to have any regrets but i don't now. You never know what will happen, i like making sawdust, cuting anything wood, wood working and making stuff, so that's what im going to do! Thanks everyone for your opinions and i will keep you updated and maybe soon i will post a picture with a huge smile on my face and a huge new saw in my hands.

CX3

I sweated the purchase of a log cutting saw almost 7 yrs ago.  Glad I did it, ive made a few green bananas with the little baby.  Good Luck. 
John 3:16
You Better Believe It!

mad murdock

Quote from: bornwithnoname on January 22, 2015, 08:21:21 PM


i like making sawdust, cuting anything wood, wood working and making stuff, so that's what im going to do! Thanks everyone for your opinions and i will keep you updated and maybe soon i will post a picture with a huge smile on my face and a huge new saw in my hands.

8) 8) 8)
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

bornwithnoname

Quote from: CX3 on January 22, 2015, 08:34:18 PM
I sweated the purchase of a log cutting saw almost 7 yrs ago.  Glad I did it, ive made a few green bananas with the little baby.  Good Luck. 
Hopefully i will make some green bananas because i just spent a pile of them on the ms880. I am super excited i ordered it with the 41in bar...

So when i was in the shop the guy behind the counter was setting up a saw for some one who just bought one. He said to them some guy called and is going to buy a 880! he said thats a 120cc saw witch cost almost 2 gran. i was over in the corner just looking at some other saws and i said that's me, they all look and sort of smile and look confused... i said im the one buying the 880 then they were all like are you serous why would a person need a saw that big! then i explained to them i have a csm and showed them some pictures of logs i have pilled up but they still thought i was insane a 18 year old  buying a saw like that.  They asked me why wouldn't i just call someone with a portable sawmill i said some day im going to be that guy with a portable band saw mill now i will have 2 portable csm.  I cant wait till wensday that's when im probably going to pick it up

HolmenTree

Reminds me when I bought my first brand new Stihl 090AV when I was 21 years old. I was quite the celebrity at the local Saskatchewan prairie town Stihl dealer. :D
We were though situated on the timberline of the world's largest forest....the Boreal Forest, you can drive for hundreds of miles through it and not see civilization whats so ever.
Most people who have driven the hundreds of miles to cross Saskatchewan through the bald flat prairie in the southern half never knew about the forest. ;D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

sawguy21

 Know what you mean, I have driven across southern Saskatchewan too. :D I sold a Husky 2100 with a 42" in Edmonton, you should have seen the looks it got.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

bornwithnoname

Got the saw in my hands today.  I own a 880 now! the blizzard delayed the delivery it was suppose to come on Tuesday but it didn't arrive until Thursday and i was busy working but was able to pick it up today. I went out early this morning to pick it up and got about 1/4 mi from my house and my truck started having problems I was able to turn around and get a few hundred feet from our drive way and it died. So my dad towed it home and I went to work. I called the dealer and asked if he would stay open a little late so i could pick it up. The guy who was working was the mechanic and was in total awe of the saw because he had never seen or sold one. Im pretty excited  :) :) :) I want to cut some wood with it but all the logs are under snow and there is supposedly more coming. I will put up some pictures in the mourning and want to thank everyone for persuading me to buy it and giving me valuable advice. 8)

ehp

make sure you get that carb set right if your putting in on your mill, I would go and block some smaller logs  or whatever you want to help break the 880 in first , Around here lately the stihl dealers have had alot more problems with the 880 with the main problem being breaking the crank , dealer besides me has sold 4-880 in the last couple months , 3 of them broke the crank but everyone of these were guys trying to run 48 inch plus long bars . I was not there so cannot say if they were doing something wrong to the saws or not but I do know that every new 880 that goes out now gets 2 tanks of fuel put threw it before leaving the dealer

JohnG28

Might be a good idea to run it at 40:1 instead of the suggested 50:1, or even lower ratio if you choose. Most people running more oil see less problems and greater longevity.  ;)
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

HolmenTree

On the subject of edgers I don't use one. I just take  2 slabs off the log 90° to each other with the slabbing rails. Then if I want 2x6" for example I'll rip off 6" cants , then stand them on edge and rip off 2" with the mill .
Years ago I had a homemade mill permanently set at 2"on my Stihl 066 to take off 2" lumber, with a second man helping we could keep both the 090 and 066 mills working. I was running 3/8 Picco chain on the 066. We could do a 1000 b.f.  of 2"x6" a day starting with felling, limbing, bucking and milling  the trees right on the spot where the trees were felled.

Here I'm milling up 16 ft 10"x14" timbers for my chainsaw speed cutting competition last year....-40 below wind chill. :o
In a couple of weeks will be doing it all over again. :)


  

  

  

  

  

  

  

    

  

 

Making a living with a saw since age 16.

cbla


bornwithnoname

I'm definitely going to break her in easy as i can. right now i have VP ethanol free fuel in it 50:1 ratio do you guys think i should put a little more oil in it? My dealer really recommended it and threw in 5 gallons of it and some winter bar oil for free which was awesome.  I still need to decide on what chain to run on it i have the 41in rollomatic stihl bar with .404 .063 gauge what ripping chain is the best the granberg, oregon, or woodland pro? Its not 40 below here luckily! I do plan on milling but Im waiting on a new carb float for our snow blower we have a small jd tractor but that's broke too and Im sick of shoveling and I dont have the 48in csm yet i could put it on our 36 though. The saw is a beast though it cut through the over 3ft honey locus no problem I decided to take a couple cookies of the but because it has such a flare.

bornwithnoname


bornwithnoname


cbla

that Honey Locus will make some nice boards. enjoy the new saw

HolmenTree

Very nice MS880 unit you have there b.w.n.n. Maintain it well and it may last you into middle age ;)

I have a few recommendations on ripping chain. I use full skip .404 chisel chain and it works very well for me in spruce which is a softwood. I round file and square file them and find the square filed [chisel bit ] holds the best edge and cuts faster....but takes alot longer for me to file free hand over the round file method. I don't recommend you to square file if you have no experience with it.

I've talked to chainsaw millers in Australia who cut some of the toughest hardwoods on earth, and they say the chisel bit square filed ripping chain holds an edge very well in their hardwood.

All the ripping chain sold by Oregon , Stihl and Granberg[Carlton chain] is semi chisel and round filed. So if your cutting alot of dirty barked logs or are urban trees with a good chance of having metal in them, then the semi chisel chain may be your best bet.
Forget about the Granberg scoring cutter design chain....way too much difficult maintenence with all the different settings and hit a nail and it doesn't hold up well. Plus the  scoring cutters are too hard to file and only a 12Volt hand grinder in the field can be used.

The nice thing about the .404 square ground chisel bit chains is they are factory ground at 15° top plate angle and are close enough to the 10° spec of ripping chain. Which you then can easily file to 10° with the 7/32" round file.
But try milling first with the factory square grind and be surprised how long it stays sharp and how fast it cuts. When it finally gets dull put the 7/32" file to it and you will still have a very good milling chain. 
Try a loop of Stihl 46RSLF or Oregon 68CJ. Both are square ground chisel bit full skip chain, in .063- .404

Here's my milling chains : Stihl .404 full skip round filed chisel and some Oregon .404 square filed full comp chisel bit.



  

    

Making a living with a saw since age 16.

JohnG28

Not to critique you in any way, but just remember to be careful young lad!  ;) I remember 19 all too well, and big toys tend to get you in more trouble when your younger sometimes. Hope not to come off as insulting your competence, just a reminder. A small saw can bite bad, so one that size really can even more and even faster. Hell, I can't say I've even run a saw size.   :D As for the oil, if the dealer gave you a bunch of canned premix then use that up first. When that is gone then look for ethanol free gas and mix to your liking,  32:1 would be better for milling. More than likely you can open up the H side of the carb to its stop and you won't be too rich, possibly even to lean, especially for milling. And there's a catch 22 in there as well, if you defeat the limit caps then you just voided the warranty on an expensive tool. However, if I recall correctly a guy here burned up a new 660 a year or two back milling and it was not covered by warrant due to milling not being the intended use for the saw, or something to that effect. So, watch to do? That I will let you decide. But for what you're going to do, might be best to get it dialed in for each application. I.E., pull the caps so you can adjust for more fuel when ripping. Or don't,  but if you burn it up or have a crank failure,  you WERE NOT using it for anything other than felling and bucking!  :D :D  Good luck and enjoy your new toy....or saw!  8)
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

HolmenTree

Good advice John. I strongly believe with the H speed turned out max in richness to the limiter is safe enough for milling. Don't forget there's a limiter on the ignition module too.

I advise b.w.n.n. to use up the canned fuel even if it's 50:1.
40:1 would be safer but I have no idea what oil is in the fuel or if it can be bought readily enough.

Main thing is keep the chain sharp with periodic touch ups  before it does get dull. Never push a dull chain .
When it slows down touch it up.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

 

  

  

 

On the subject of stay sharp capabilities of the .404 chisel bit square ground chain I talked about earlier.

In these photos of all the milling I did on this cold day.......my Husqvarna 395XP-36" with the Oregon square ground chisel chain did all of this milling without a touch up with the file.
Right off the roll and milled these frozen timbers with a bunch of wide  planks thrown in for extra measure. Amazing how long that chain stayed sharp. Of course it could've been sharper with a little work, but it did just fine with it's superior cutter design.
I was only able to cut about 6 feet with the Stihl 090AV because I couldn't get it to run right in the -40 below windchill temps. It had the 36" Stihl full skip round filed chisel .404 [46RSF]

There's a square filing jig on the market called a Atop, expensive at over $200 but does a great job I heard. Only trouble is it only sharpens 3/8" full comp chisel bit chain.

Here's my Oregon .404 square ground chain.



  

 


Making a living with a saw since age 16.

bornwithnoname

Quote from: cbla on January 31, 2015, 05:24:20 PM
that Honey Locus will make some nice boards. enjoy the new saw
Thanks I will and still need to decide how many slabs vs dimensional lumber to mill out of it.

Quote from: JohnG28 on January 31, 2015, 11:31:14 PM
Not to critique you in any way, but just remember to be careful young lad!  ;) I remember 19 all too well, and big toys tend to get you in more trouble when your younger sometimes. Hope not to come off as insulting your competence, just a reminder. A small saw can bite bad, so one that size really can even more and even faster. Hell, I can't say I've even run a saw size.   :D As for the oil, if the dealer gave you a bunch of canned premix then use that up first. When that is gone then look for ethanol free gas and mix to your liking,  32:1 would be better for milling. More than likely you can open up the H side of the carb to its stop and you won't be too rich, possibly even to lean, especially for milling. And there's a catch 22 in there as well, if you defeat the limit caps then you just voided the warranty on an expensive tool. However, if I recall correctly a guy here burned up a new 660 a year or two back milling and it was not covered by warrant due to milling not being the intended use for the saw, or something to that effect. So, watch to do? That I will let you decide. But for what you're going to do, might be best to get it dialed in for each application. I.E., pull the caps so you can adjust for more fuel when ripping. Or don't,  but if you burn it up or have a crank failure,  you WERE NOT using it for anything other than felling and bucking!  :D :D  Good luck and enjoy your new toy....or saw!  8)
I take no offence and  I certainly respect the saw and will try to be a safe as possible I have chaps and am looking at getting a jacket with Kevlar in it my mom was verrrry concerned when she saw the saw. As for the ethanol free gas my dad said i should go the the airport and get some 100 low lead aviation fuel does anyone have experience running that in their saw and is it worth it? In the near future I plan on getting a high flow air filter called max flow and i want to mount a tachometer on the mill so i can know what speed she is running while milling. the other thing i have seen is some one fabricated an exhaust pipe that directs the flow away from the operator... I plan on running 2 tanks through it using the saw lightly before i do any adjustments.

bornwithnoname

Quote from: HolmenTree on January 31, 2015, 11:12:11 PM
Very nice MS880 unit you have there b.w.n.n. Maintain it well and it may last you into middle age ;)

I have a few recommendations on ripping chain. I use full skip .404 chisel chain and it works very well for me in spruce which is a softwood. I round file and square file them and find the square filed [chisel bit ] holds the best edge and cuts faster....but takes alot longer for me to file free hand over the round file method. I don't recommend you to square file if you have no experience with it.

I've talked to chainsaw millers in Australia who cut some of the toughest hardwoods on earth, and they say the chisel bit square filed ripping chain holds an edge very well in their hardwood.

All the ripping chain sold by Oregon , Stihl and Granberg[Carlton chain] is semi chisel and round filed. So if your cutting alot of dirty barked logs or are urban trees with a good chance of having metal in them, then the semi chisel chain may be your best bet.
Forget about the Granberg scoring cutter design chain....way too much difficult maintenence with all the different settings and hit a nail and it doesn't hold up well. Plus the  scoring cutters are too hard to file and only a 12Volt hand grinder in the field can be used.

The nice thing about the .404 square ground chisel bit chains is they are factory ground at 15° top plate angle and are close enough to the 10° spec of ripping chain. Which you then can easily file to 10° with the 7/32" round file.
But try milling first with the factory square grind and be surprised how long it stays sharp and how fast it cuts. When it finally gets dull put the 7/32" file to it and you will still have a very good milling chain. 
Try a loop of Stihl 46RSLF or Oregon 68CJ. Both are square ground chisel bit full skip chain, in .063- .404

Here's my milling chains : Stihl .404 full skip round filed chisel and some Oregon .404 square filed full comp chisel bit.



  

 

I have no experience with square ground chain but my grandpa does he use to use it when he logged up in Maine he also said it cuts way faster but is harder to sharpen so maybe i will ask him if he could show me how to sharpen with it. I read a web page where someone used a triangle file in there granberg sharpening jig that the slightly modified i do have one. Like you said i will be almost only doing urban trees until some day i can afford a small wood lot. So i think i will end up getting the full skip semi chisel and i could use a grinder to sharpen it witch i plan on getting some day im thinking about getting a bench one sine 90% of my milling will either be done in my yard or my grandpas yard because i get most of my trees dropped off.

I think i could just add some oil to the 5 gallons to bring it up to 40:1 i would have to add 10:1 for 5 gallons right?

Everyone thanks for the continued advice and support, and Holementree thanks for all the advice and pictures seeing others work inspires me to do more!



ohiowoodchuck

Higher octane fuel is not going to hurt anything. I just run 93 in mine, I get mine where each grade has a different hose. I threw in my stihl mix and a additive from Briggs and Stratton.
Education is the best defense against the media.

avery

I worked on chainsaws in a shop for several years. In my experience I found Stihl to be a well built machine. Stihl has my vote.

JohnG28

I wouldn't bother to add oil to your premix, it will be good to use as it is. I don't think you will have any problems. I'd stay away from leaded fuel. The exhaust will contain lead and be dangerous. Puregas.org you can find stations with ethanol free gas near you.
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

Andyshine77

I recommend a fuel mixture of 32:1 in every saw, especially in milling applications. 32:1 is 4oz of oil per one gallon of fuel. 100 low lead will work fine, but I don't care to breathe in lead exhaust myself.     
Andre.

beenthere

Gee.. the first 30 years of my life we burned nothing but leaded fuel. Now of a sudden it is dangerous?
Why are we not dead?
I even chewed on lead paint as a kid. Maybe there is an explanation that I don't want to know.  :o :o

And in the science lab, we played with mercury. Rolled dimes in it to make them real shiny. Dropped it on the floor and it scattered in many rolling droplets. Took awhile to gather them back up and into the mercury bottle to put back on the shelf.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Andyshine77

Quote from: beenthere on February 02, 2015, 12:00:47 AM
Gee.. the first 30 years of my life we burned nothing but leaded fuel. Now of a sudden it is dangerous?
Why are we not dead?
I even chewed on lead paint as a kid. Maybe there is an explanation that I don't want to know.  :o :o

And in the science lab, we played with mercury. Rolled dimes in it to make them real shiny. Dropped it on the floor and it scattered in many rolling droplets. Took awhile to gather them back up and into the mercury bottle to put back on the shelf.

Ingesting Mercury or lead is the problem, handling in or being around it every now and then likely wont have any effect. Take into consideration Tomas Midgley, JR, the man who invented leaded fuel, was poisoned buy his own invention, which lead to his death at the age of 55.
Andre.

Ianab

Large scale mercury poisoning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease

Metallic mercury isn't actually too dangerous. It's vapour or organic mercury compounds in food that will get ya, usually as a long term accumulation.

Lead is almost as bad. Again it's not lumps of lead that are the danger, so you can handle fishing sinkers and bullets without dying. But ingesting it as dust, in food, or as an exhaust gas is certainly bad. 

Now years ago this wasn't understood, and people DID get sick from it.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

bornwithnoname

 Everyone dies some day but you guys convinced me on no leaded Fuel I try not to do things that cut time off if i can help it  ::)
Quote from: Ianab on February 02, 2015, 01:47:36 AM
Large scale mercury poisoning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease

Metallic mercury isn't actually too dangerous. It's vapour or organic mercury compounds in food that will get ya, usually as a long term accumulation.

Lead is almost as bad. Again it's not lumps of lead that are the danger, so you can handle fishing sinkers and bullets without dying. But ingesting it as dust, in food, or as an exhaust gas is certainly bad. 

Now years ago this wasn't understood, and people DID get sick from it.
Quote from: Andyshine77 on February 02, 2015, 12:16:07 AM
Quote from: beenthere on February 02, 2015, 12:00:47 AM
Gee.. the first 30 years of my life we burned nothing but leaded fuel. Now of a sudden it is dangerous?
Why are we not dead?
I even chewed on lead paint as a kid. Maybe there is an explanation that I don't want to know.  :o :o

And in the science lab, we played with mercury. Rolled dimes in it to make them real shiny. Dropped it on the floor and it scattered in many rolling droplets. Took awhile to gather them back up and into the mercury bottle to put back on the shelf.

Ingesting Mercury or lead is the problem, handling in or being around it every now and then likely wont have any effect. Take into consideration Tomas Midgley, JR, the man who invented leaded fuel, was poisoned buy his own invention, which lead to his death at the age of 55.
Quote from: JohnG28 on February 01, 2015, 10:18:34 PM
I wouldn't bother to add oil to your premix, it will be good to use as it is. I don't think you will have any problems. I'd stay away from leaded fuel. The exhaust will contain lead and be dangerous. Puregas.org you can find stations with ethanol free gas near you.

bornwithnoname

Quote from: beenthere on February 02, 2015, 12:00:47 AM
Gee.. the first 30 years of my life we burned nothing but leaded fuel. Now of a sudden it is dangerous?
Why are we not dead?
I even chewed on lead paint as a kid. Maybe there is an explanation that I don't want to know.  :o :o

And in the science lab, we played with mercury. Rolled dimes in it to make them real shiny. Dropped it on the floor and it scattered in many rolling droplets. Took awhile to gather them back up and into the mercury bottle to put back on the shelf.

been there sounds like something my dad or grandpa would say but there seems to be alot of people against the leaded fuel i have 5 gallons of the vp stuff it cost like $70 (i got it free thou) which i think is pretty darn high $14 a gallon  smiley_confused especially with the gas prices now so low i will have to really be thinking about what to get for fuel when i run out. The saw is pretty expensive and I am a believer of buying top quality because it pays of in the long run. From what i understand ethanol is bad but what is really  bad is leaving it in engines for a long time right? i have heard good testimony's of additives being added to lessen the affect but if everyone is thinking i should spend the extra bucks on the fuel i will take the advice from the experienced. My grandpas saw he uses is 20 something years old and he uses it frequently and he doesn't run any special fuel in it... I don't know what do you guys think?

mad murdock

bwnn-I would either use non-ethanol premium, and if that were not available where I was, I would then use 100LL aviation gasoline.  the 100LL would be my preference over 10% ethanol regular gas mix that you get at most pumps nowadays.  the 100LL can have a tendency to lead foul plugs, so during heavy use, I would make a habit of removing the spark plug and cleaning it out with a pick at least once a week. 100LL is shelf stable for a long time, that is the good thing about it, as well as it has less of a tendency to attract water, over "mogas" (auto fuel).
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

HolmenTree

Along with good premium gas don't forget a good mix. I run Stihl Ultra full synthetic at 40:1 [small bottle in photo].
Or the old reliable Premium[big bottle] I've used in my older saws like my 066 that's 23 years old and still has never had its cylinder removed.

Lower photo: I've used this Husqvarna fuel works great in the saws or blower I don't use much that sit .
95 octane and has a 2 year shelf life after opening.


  

 


Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Here's the 92 octane Stihl Moto Mix I have . Mixed with full synthetic Stihl Ultra at 50:1. I add a little extra from the small bottle to make it 40:1
Sure wouldn't be cheap milling lumber in a MS880 . But good fuel to leave in saw if left to sit for a while, shelf life good for 2 years after opening.
I run it in my 395XP, 338XPT and leaf blower that I don't run all that often. Never have to throw out stale gas.



 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

bornwithnoname

Quote from: mad murdock on February 02, 2015, 06:24:10 PM
bwnn-I would either use non-ethanol premium, and if that were not available where I was, I would then use 100LL aviation gasoline.  the 100LL would be my preference over 10% ethanol regular gas mix that you get at most pumps nowadays.  the 100LL can have a tendency to lead foul plugs, so during heavy use, I would make a habit of removing the spark plug and cleaning it out with a pick at least once a week. 100LL is shelf stable for a long time, that is the good thing about it, as well as it has less of a tendency to attract water, over "mogas" (auto fuel).

I cant get any ethanol free gas from a pump only the prepackaged stuff witch is expensive and some people are concerned with the lead gas fumes so i think either i will wear my 3m respirator witch i sometimes wear because some woods slightly irritate me...  I do also want to mod the exhaust to point it away from me I am fairly good at brazing because i built a lugged steel bike frame. i could also increase the exhaust diameter a little from stock does anyone have any thoughts on porting the 880? specifically so the exhaust doesn't flow towards the wood and back to my face or would it be better to rig a remote throttle and a winch?

Quote from: HolmenTree on February 02, 2015, 06:33:43 PM
Along with good premium gas don't forget a good mix. I run Stihl Ultra full synthetic at 40:1 [small bottle in photo].
Or the old reliable Premium[big bottle] I've used in my older saws like my 066 that's 23 years old and still has never had its cylinder removed.

Lower photo: I've used this Husqvarna fuel works great in the saws or blower I don't use much that sit .
95 octane and has a 2 year shelf life after opening.


  

 




I have had lots of recommendations  to increase the mix in the fuel to a higher ratio like 32:1 or  40:1 and i will do that. the 880 is going to eat through the 5 gallons of fuel fairly quick (about 14 tanks) it all depends on how much wood I can mill per tank I will see the 880 has a 44oz fuel capacity i have 5 gallons of premix ($70) witch is 640oz so the cost per ounce of fuel is about 11c so each tank is about if i did my math right $4.84 witch isn't bad i guess if i look at it that way. I will see how many average bf i get per tank and then i can better evaluate if the expensive fuel is worth it... its starting to look like it is. It looks like i might be buying the premium bar oil too because the tank in the saw is 23oz and the cost per oz is going to be around 16c (if the oil was $20 a gallon) so a tank of bar oil will be $3.68 plus what ever i put in the aux oilier i don't know the capacity on that yet.

brettl

Quote from: HolmenTree on January 31, 2015, 11:56:53 AM
On the subject of edgers I don't use one. I just take  2 slabs off the log 90° to each other with the slabbing rails. Then if I want 2x6" for example I'll rip off 6" cants , then stand them on edge and rip off 2" with the mill .
Years ago I had a homemade mill permanently set at 2"on my Stihl 066 to take off 2" lumber, with a second man helping we could keep both the 090 and 066 mills working. I was running 3/8 Picco chain on the 066. We could do a 1000 b.f.  of 2"x6" a day starting with felling, limbing, bucking and milling  the trees right on the spot where the trees were felled.

Here I'm milling up 16 ft 10"x14" timbers for my chainsaw speed cutting competition last year....-40 below wind chill. :o
In a couple of weeks will be doing it all over again. :)


  

  

  

  

  

  

  

    

  

 

Great post. Great to see you asking and listening to all these helpful post op. I hope you stick with your goals and make them happen!

HolmenTree, you mention Picco CHAIN on your 066 in the quoted post. I was under the mistaken impression that Picco was somehow weak or otherwise iincompatible with larger saws. Did you have to do anything special to use the Picco? What was it's advantage in milling? Thanks

mad murdock

Logosol recommends stihl's 63PMX ripping chain on any milling saw up to a 661/395XP size and a bar length of 47" maximum. Any more cc's or bar length and you have to step up to 3/8" or .404" chain. I have used bothe 3/8" and the picco(63PMX), and the picco is hands down better for my purposes and milling. 30% less sawdust, less hp to pull the chain through the wood and faster feed rate in the cut, not to mention an extra board on average per log due to narrower kerf.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

HolmenTree

brettl , all of the above as mad murdoch mentioned.  On my old 066 I have a clutch drum with spur sprocket in 3/8 Picco pitch. I don't have the part # off hand at the moment but I ordered it from Bailey's years ago  and  should still be available.

I ran the setup in 16" on the 066 as the widest lumber I was milling off the precut cants was 12". A few odd 14" but mostly 10" and under widths.
I tried the little Picco chain on 36" b/c but it was almost impossible to keep it tensioned properly. That chain milling that big stretched like crazy eventually causing in time enough kinking up of the drive links to side links thatv the chain was useless.
My use of the Picco was to get an extra piece of lumber or 2 off the cants. I left the heavy milling to the 36"-.404 chain to get the slabs and cants cut.

I haven't milled with the new 63 PS chisel chain yet. It should be a pleasant surprise over the old Picco semi chisel.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

s grinder

bornwithnoname,You might be able to buy VP Racing gas at a marina ,since your down the cape,a lot of the high performance cigarette boats run it. I don't what part of the cape your from but i think Hyannis and Falmouth marinas might carry it,still be cheaper than buying it by the quart.PS good luck with the saw

j-jock

I have a couple of Husky 2100XPs that I have used for milling for almost 30 years, and they are still working like new.  I use 100:1 synthetic mix, and the carbs are fully adjustable.  My guess for an earlier failure in this application, is that the carb needs to be fully adjustable because most newer carbs have the saw running way too lean.  The saw needs to be kept out of the sawdust, and let the chain do the cutting.  If you force the cut in an attempt to speed it up, you will get uneven cuts, and your saw will run much hotter because it is bogged down and not pushing enough cooling air through.
Bob
When it comes to keeping old 2 cycle engines running, it seems that luck is more important than skill.

so il logger

Quote from: j-jock on May 04, 2015, 06:02:35 PM
I have a couple of Husky 2100XPs that I have used for milling for almost 30 years, and they are still working like new.  I use 100:1 synthetic mix, and the carbs are fully adjustable.  My guess for an earlier failure in this application, is that the carb needs to be fully adjustable because most newer carbs have the saw running way too lean.  The saw needs to be kept out of the sawdust, and let the chain do the cutting.  If you force the cut in an attempt to speed it up, you will get uneven cuts, and your saw will run much hotter because it is bogged down and not pushing enough cooling air through.
Bob

100:1 fuel/oil mix?? I run 40:1 in falling saws and 32:1 for ripping

HolmenTree

Back in the 1980's quite a few of the Husqvarna dealers  up here in Canada praised the old Optimol  100:1 blends , probably  the same in the States.
Sure didn't  hold well with Stihl, as at the time 50:1 was just started to get accepted with them.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

so il logger

Yeah lol I wouldnt think it would hold well at all.... Or hold together well?

mad murdock

The only brand of 2cycle oil that i would have confidence in mixing as lean as 100:1 would be Amsoil's product. They have a proven track record of first rate products.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

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