# best chain for a portable chainsaw mill?



## Gregooosh (Dec 26, 2012)

I'm going to purchase and small mill for my chainsaw, was wondering what the best type of chain to use was? The saw I would be running is an stihl 044. I have a ripping chain that I assume would work. Not sure of the of the angle on the teeth, but it's definitely looks square, probably around 10-15 degrees......Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## mad murdock (Dec 26, 2012)

I ran 3/8 .058 ripping chain for about 4 years, it worked well enough on my 372 husky. I recently refit with a .050 bar and the stihl picco ripping chain, big increase in feed speed and reduction of waste with 30%less kerf per cut, which also means more boards per log!


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## BobL (Dec 26, 2012)

Your choices start with 
full chisel versus semi-chisel
Several varieties of skip versus full complement
Various pitches and gauges.
Then customise from theres with various top plate filing angles

For my smaller milling saw (041) I use pico chain (0.050" gauge) full comp semi chisel. As I also use this as my all purpose bucking saw I leave the TPFA at 25º and use a 6.5º raker-cutter-wood angle.

With my bigger saws I use 3/8", full comp, semichisel with 10º TPFA and use a 6.5º raker-cutter-wood angle. The 050 chain


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