# What is the longest bar I can put on a Stihl Ms 360 Pro for use with Alaskan Mill?



## jacksonp (Jan 23, 2013)

Hey Guys title says it all - What is the longest bar I can put on a Stihl Ms 360 Pro for use with Alaskan Mill?
I know Stihl has their suggestions but I am wondering if the Mill situation changes anything. 
Thanks for the input.

Also - the wood is walnut and the log is 22 inches wide - is that especially hard to mill? Should I lay a warming blanket on it so that it isn't too frozen? It's almost -12 celcius here.
I need to cut it into manageable slabs so that 2 guys can lift it.


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## cutforfun (Jan 24, 2013)

I dont think your saw is going to do well milling 22 inches, milling is harder on a saw then bucking up rounds


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## BobL (Jan 24, 2013)

jacksonp said:


> Hey Guys title says it all - What is the longest bar I can put on a Stihl Ms 360 Pro for use with Alaskan Mill?


A more accurate question should be what is the widest cut rather than the longest bar. You can put a significantly longer bar on an alaskan (eg 36") provided you restrict the cut width to suit the powerhead.



> I know Stihl has their suggestions but I am wondering if the Mill situation changes anything.


Not really, by the time you add the mill you lose 6" of cutting width and that woudl be about right for for a 360.

22" wide will need a 28" bar.
How many logs do you have and do you intend to ever cut this size again?
I'd be looking at 75 cc saws to cut 22" walnut long term.


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## lumberjackchef (Jan 24, 2013)

Make sure your chain is sharp and at the the proper angles/ raker height for milling and you should be able to let the mill self feed. You don't want to push your 360 very hard in that wide of a cut. Just take it easy and slow and you should be fine. I agree with Bobl about the 75cc or bigger if you plan on doing this long term, as you will soon find out. I once milled a pecan log about that size with a husqvarna 61, or I should say I attempted to ,uninformed and under experienced with any milling at the time. That didn't go so well. Very slow!!! Keep the dust flying!


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## gemniii (Jan 26, 2013)

Your saw is WAY smaller than what I started milling with. By about 3 CC's 

Open up the muffler, retune it, sharp chain. About the only way you will warm the wood up short of moving it inside is to burn it.

I used my JD CS62 w/ a 28" bar to mill my first tree. It varied from 14" to about 20". 22" of frozen walnut will slow your saw down. If you are cutting 8' lengths plan on "touching" up the chain every slow pass. Use a spade or something to get the bark off. Unless you HAVE to have a 22" wide plank (which very likely will split while drying in the center) square the log off and make it 18" wide slices instead.

Be careful, it sounds like you may be descending into the pits of addiction. Pretty soon you may need bigger saws, sawmills, tractors and who knows what to feed a habit.


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