# Is a ms660 or 661 a good milling saw?



## TimberTramp420 (Feb 20, 2015)

So I want to purchase a saw for milling and was wondering if a ms660 would do the job, itd be bought brand new and put under a 4 year warranty and other than a dual port and richned tune nothing would be done would this be okay for milling of course with an additional oiler?


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## mdavlee (Feb 20, 2015)

How big of wood?


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## BobL (Feb 21, 2015)

How well do you trust your dealer? Technically, milling with a saw voids warranty and it will be up to the dealer to decide if its covered. 
You might be better off buying a used saw.


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## TimberTramp420 (Feb 21, 2015)

Id assume the warranty covers a general area of failures and of course you would have to say " i was just cutting firewood and it died" not i was milling full throttle for 4 hours and it broke haha, but are chainsaw mills efficient or is it too big of a job for them, woods usally 35 inches max


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## SDB777 (Feb 21, 2015)

@BobL - Are you saying you have never milled with a new saw(or freshly broken in), ever?

@TimberTramp420 - Thirty-five inch wood is fairly large, but it's only part of the equation....length of cut is just as important. That width, but 24 inches in length is a 'burp', but 11 feet....not so much. Recently made a cut in 33 tapering to 36 over the length of 11 foot 4 inches....it took 1-1/2 tank fuel, 2 tanks of bar oil and 23 minutes. I moved that chunk to the bandsaw mill and cut 2"x6"x11' - 10 of them(plus some 1" boards) using only 1 pint of fuel(sorry, no oil) and it took less than 12 minutes(but I had to move the pieces between cuts).
Of course, the efficiency of a bandsaw mill is always going to win when it comes to kerf thickness, and fuel being used. But it can only do that if the timber can be taken to the bandsaw! Time, probably going to go towards a bandsaw mill too....typically it's all about horsepower. Unless your chainsaw has 25HP happening!


Buying new has advantages....
#1: You don't have to worry about some turd selling you a $650 used saw that was used once(of course it was used one time for three days straight milling 'something' in Australia, in prehistoric rock formations, during the summer, with no oil).
#2: You can break in the saw, know every little thing about it, and it becomes your 'child' to be cared for.
#3: Well, everyone deserves a new saw!



Scott (screw used crap - BTDT) B


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## BobL (Feb 21, 2015)

SDB777 said:


> @BobL - Are you saying you have never milled with a new saw(or freshly broken in), ever?



The last time I bought saws was in 2009 when I bought a 441 and 880 that were about 6 months old. The 441 had only been used to cut up a pickup load of fire wood, but the 880 had never been used - it was as clean as a whistle I asked my dealer about warranty transferral which unfortunately does not exist in Australia. I was not that worried because I got the saws for half RRP. I also asked the dealer about milling and warranty and he said the saws would not be covered when milling anyway. 

We've been through all this before on the forum and it appears to be something left to a Dealers discretion.


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## Jumpsuit (Feb 21, 2015)

I have been party to several mills in decent sized white and red oak with an MS660 (without modification) with Granberg MK mill. The saw gets hot but doesn't complain. I'm setting up my Granberg mill with a craigslist 051 and from little piddly things I need off ebay it's nickling and diming me, perhaps the MS660 would have been more economical long-term..


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## mn man (Feb 21, 2015)

i can probably tune back in tomorrow after i use my brand new ms661 for a little bit of milling tomorrow... maybe even gopro it for you so you can see for yourself


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## Lutty440 (Feb 22, 2015)

mn man said:


> i can probably tune back in tomorrow after i use my brand new ms661 for a little bit of milling tomorrow... maybe even gopro it for you so you can see for yourself


Please do


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## Brentc (Feb 22, 2015)

Lutty440 said:


> Please do


I second that! I just picked up my 661r yesterday and I am waiting to receive my mk3 mill from mesupra. Would be nice to see a 661 milling. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SDB777 (Feb 22, 2015)

BobL said:


> The last time I bought saws was in 2009 when I bought a 441 and 880 that were about 6 months old. The 441 had only been used to cut up a pickup load of fire wood, but the 880 had never been used - it was as clean as a whistle I asked my dealer about warranty transferral which unfortunately does not exist in Australia. I was not that worried because I got the saws for half RRP. I also asked the dealer about milling and warranty and he said the saws would not be covered when milling anyway.
> 
> We've been through all this before on the forum and it appears to be something left to a Dealers discretion.




So you have, then why tell others not to do as you have done? You are still milling with the 880 correct? It didn't die as soon as it was bolted to the milling attachment? Stinks that warranties don't transfer in AU, but I am hoping that if you buy the saw new from the dealer you get something like a warranty....

And I'll agree with the last sentence completely......





mn man said:


> i can probably tune back in tomorrow after i use my brand new ms661 for a little bit of milling tomorrow... maybe even GoPro it for you so you can see for yourself




Good luck with the video'ing! Just be ready for the 'armchair millers' to bang on it. I personally love milling videos, and my YouTube channel has more then a few of them(sorry, no 066, 660, 661 though). When ya get it done, send me the link if I miss it here please?!?!?






Scott (GoPro's are fun) B


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## TimberTramp420 (Feb 22, 2015)

mn man said:


> i can probably tune back in tomorrow after i use my brand new ms661 for a little bit of milling tomorrow... maybe even gopro it for you so you can see for yourself


 what he said yes please


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## BobL (Feb 22, 2015)

SDB777 said:


> So you have, then why tell others not to do as you have done? You are still milling with the 880 correct? It didn't die as soon as it was bolted to the milling attachment? Stinks that warranties don't transfer in AU, but I am hoping that if you buy the saw new from the dealer you get something like a warranty....



The way I look at it, for DIY CS millers the best deal on a milling saw is anything quality with the least hours on it for the lowest price and preferably from someone you know. 
The 880 I bought had zero hours and was half price and that's why I bought it. The fact that it was never used was not important.
OK no warranty,at but then I could take the opportunity to modify it right away without voiding the warranty.
I agree that it was a very unlikely find that's not going to be available to everyone.
However, big CS are heavy and demanding to use so there are many out there that only see the odd bit of work and as a result have very few hours at WOT on them. 
I have in mind the 084 owned by a mowing contractor t.hat I know. He's had that saw since new (it still has the original B&C) and mostly it sits in his shed. I've seen what he cuts with it and it's very rarely more than about 12" in diameter maybe once every couple of months. I doubt it's done more than about 50 hours at WOT. At the right price that would make a very good milling saw.


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## mn man (Feb 22, 2015)




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## mdavlee (Feb 22, 2015)

Nice video. Get you a couple small wedges and put one in on the starting end and then another one a foot or so before you finish and it won't pinch the saw as bad at the end.


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## mn man (Feb 22, 2015)

yea... i gotta get that, the bigger granberg mill, and some way to get the logs off the ground... thanks though. when it gets warmer out i'll try to do more videos and even set up my gopro camera either on the mill or on my helmet.


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## mn man (Feb 22, 2015)

-5 degrees and like -20 wind chill so i didnt want to hang out there too long


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## hazard (Feb 22, 2015)

Your diehard!!! At least you probaly weren't sweating.

I am by no means ripping on your milling. In the video it looks like you are sawing uphill. Maybe it is just the angle that you are filming at.

Chris


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## mn man (Feb 22, 2015)

slight downhill angle... to hard to get traction in the snow with my little v6 to move the wood too much


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## mn man (Feb 22, 2015)

I had to stop cause the chain tensioner won't tighten the chain.... I tried all I can think of. Since I bought it less then a week ago I'll just have my dealer look at it/fix it so I don't make it worse


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## CR888 (Feb 22, 2015)

One difference in the two saws in question (660vs661) is the ability to set the carb a bit richer on the 660 for milling however l am not sure how much of a real world difference this would make compared to Mtronics. l agree with BobL, l have gained more knowledge from reading his posts on milling than probably the rest of the AS membership combined.


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