# Chainsaw Milling on a Budget



## TheHomeliteKid (Oct 28, 2017)

Hi, I new here so I'm kind of learning how to navigate the site and figure things out. Anyways, I found some really nice logs in the bush near my cottage and I would like to mill them to make some money for college. Currently, my biggest saw is a Stihl MS270 running a 20" bar and at 50cc, I know that it is not nearly powerful enough for the logs that I want to mill. I understand that the minimum is 60cc? I know that in my area a Granberg MkIII 30" mill goes for about $330 which I am willing to pay but it is the saw that is the problem. I am not a mechanical idiot and have worked on many older saws so doing repairs to an older one in need of TLC would not be a problem. My question is, what would be a good saw, that I can acquire for less that $200 that would be capable of milling 28" diameter logs and what else should I know before making the investment in a mill and a saw? 

Thanks in advance,
TheHomeliteKid


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## BobL (Oct 29, 2017)

TheHomeliteKid said:


> Currently, my biggest saw is a Stihl MS270 running a 20" bar and at 50cc, I know that it is not nearly powerful enough for the logs that I want to mill. I understand that the minimum is 60cc?



I don't know where you get the idea that 60cc is a minimum. Even a 50cc saw could be used to mill successfully for long periods. It needs to be a decent solid saw and not one of these all plastic $99 pruning saws that you find in a big box hardware store. As long as it is well maintained, tuned a little on the rich side, chain kept sharp, and not asked to pull too large a bar i.e. no longer than a 20" bar or say 14-15" cut. 



> My question is, what would be a good saw, that I can acquire for less that $200 that would be capable of milling 28" diameter logs and what else should I know before making the investment in a mill and a saw?



In my book, a 28" diameter saw needs a 90cc saw and a 36" bar. Sure you could cut make a couple of cuts that are 28" wide with a 70cc saw but long term I reckon that is asking for trouble.


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## Brian72 (Oct 29, 2017)

If you want production to make money, I'd seriously suggest spending a little more on a cheaper bandmill. It's hard to give advice not knowing your budget or how much milling you plan to do but chainsaw milling isn't really cheap or productive. The big odd stuff is where a csm really shines but that requires a much bigger saw. I'm not trying to be negative. Just pointing out facts that I've learned so far. I'd say minimum of 70cc but bigger if possible.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk


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## rarefish383 (Oct 29, 2017)

Hey Kid, welcome to the site. I milled with a Homelite Super 1050 my Dad bought new in the early 70's, for several years. Hang out at farm and estate auctions and you never know what you will find cheap. A couple years ago I picked up an old Homelite 7-29 for $60. 129CC's with a 52 inch bar. I also tell friends to keep an eye open for me. A friend asked one of his customers at an agricultural center if they had any old saws to get rid of. They gave him a locked up XL12 and a running XL924. I bought a 30 inch bar for the 924 and it made a nice little milling saw. Good luck with your endeavors, Joe.


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## steve easy (Oct 30, 2017)

BobL said:


> In my book


How do I get in on said book Bob?.


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## BobL (Oct 30, 2017)

It's an audio book. Pay my air fare and I'll come and tell you all about it


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## cre73 (Oct 30, 2017)

BobL said:


> It's an audio book. Pay my air fare and I'll come and tell you all about it



You don’t require first class do you. I would consider that deal just to get a little of your knowledge first hand.


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## BobL (Oct 31, 2017)

Cattle class is fine!


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## rarefish383 (Oct 31, 2017)

BobL said:


> It's an audio book. Pay my air fare and I'll come and tell you all about it


Bob, how you looking this weekend? I've got a bunch of frequent flyer miles to burn. I can pick you up at Baltimore/Washington International. I've got an old cassette recorder. We can head to my favorite pub, order a couple IPA's, and get that book on tape. Then in my spare time I'll transcribe it to paper, we can split the proceeds, Joe.


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## rarefish383 (Oct 31, 2017)

Oh, I hope you talk fast, some of those IPA's my pub brews up are in the 9-12 percent range. After 3-4 of them I tend to quit hearing, thinking, seeing, or doing much of anything, Joe.


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## cre73 (Oct 31, 2017)

rarefish383 said:


> Bob, how you looking this weekend? I've got a bunch of frequent flyer miles to burn. I can pick you up at Baltimore/Washington International. I've got an old cassette recorder. We can head to my favorite pub, order a couple IPA's, and get that book on tape. Then in my spare time I'll transcribe it to paper, we can split the proceeds, Joe.



Hey I offered first, no butting in line. LOL


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## rarefish383 (Oct 31, 2017)

Oops, I thought it was an auction, Bob goes to the highest bidder. I was going to up the ante with a couple Octoberfests after the IPA's, Joe.


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## CR888 (Oct 31, 2017)

Bob's ours! Stop trying to take him, he's staying here. He is one of our greatest national assets & only knows how to mill Aussie wood species, his setups would be far too fast and strong in American wood it would be dangerous.


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## rarefish383 (Nov 1, 2017)

That all might be true, but when I was a kid, forty years ago, I drank Fosters because it came in a big can. If I can get Bob hooked on one of our micro brewery specials he may never come back. Plus, we have a game over here. Put a 12 foot log on a 45 degree angle, start your mill and lock the trigger, let go. Run twenty feet to the fire pit, sit in a wooden recliner, and down a 12% IPA, follow it with a Guinness, jump back up and grab your mill before it drops out of the cut. After a few rounds of this, you don't care what country, or hemisphere you are in, Joe.


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## Rosss (Nov 2, 2017)

TheHomeliteKid said:


> Hi, I new here so I'm kind of learning how to navigate the site and figure things out. Anyways, I found some really nice logs in the bush near my cottage and I would like to mill them to make some money for college. Currently, my biggest saw is a Stihl MS270 running a 20" bar and at 50cc, I know that it is not nearly powerful enough for the logs that I want to mill. I understand that the minimum is 60cc? I know that in my area a Granberg MkIII 30" mill goes for about $330 which I am willing to pay but it is the saw that is the problem. I am not a mechanical idiot and have worked on many older saws so doing repairs to an older one in need of TLC would not be a problem. My question is, what would be a good saw, that I can acquire for less that $200 that would be capable of milling 28" diameter logs and what else should I know before making the investment in a mill and a saw?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> TheHomeliteKid




There are some good deals to be had. Just make it a focus to browse the ads on craiglist or kijiji in the area where you live and surrounding areas that are within driving distance.
I have seen some very good deals like a mint poulan pro 655 for $300, looked like it was used ever so often.
Prices are cheaper for anything that is not husky or stihl.


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## BobL (Nov 2, 2017)

Thank you for all the kind words gentlemen. 

A few years ago I could have been sorely tempted by US micro brews. I visited the US (DC, CO and WA state) 3 times between 2006 and 2010 and tasted many a micro brew in that time, developed a taste for the Dogfish Head Brews plus a few others, and shipped back a few boxes of Stones Brewing and DFH beers, I still have one of the Stones IPA's in my shop fridge. In 2002 I also spent 9 months working in Belgium and managed to taste 500 different beers - many multiple times of course. I put all my ~1250 beer ratings on Ratebeer.com and ran out of enthusiasm and lack of different beers that tasted of something to try back here in OZ, of course many were tested multiple times. A result of all that is I am now diabetic, and have kidney probs so only have a beer on special occasions. I also have something completely unrelated called sarcoidosis. I've had so many blood tests the woman that draws my blood asked me if I had any left the other day. According to the doc the activity of my sarcoidosis means I should be in hospital or at least in a wheelchair but apart from feeling a bit tired I feel OK. I have not done any CSMing in the last year or so but hope to get back into it soon.

That's enough moaning from me. I do about a day a week of mechanical and electrical repairs for the local Men's Shed Community workshop. The most recent thing I did was fitted a VFD and electrical brake to a Radial arm saw. It used to take around 2 minutes to coast to a stop and now it stops in 4 seconds. Oh yeah and about once a month I still sharpen the Bandsaw blades for my Mates BSM.

I have been thinking about getting some of this CSM info down in a less scattered format than this forum. I have all the photos and diagrams on my laptop. I might leave it for if and when I can't do anymore in the shop - I hope that's a long way away and I don't forget it all by them.


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## CR888 (Nov 2, 2017)

Bob you certainly have more than enough knowledge to write a book that would be THE leading authority on all things CSM, from building them, setting them up, selection of saw and mods 4 CSM, chain, csm-ing itself, gee you could write a good 10-20 chapters. For those getting into CSM a book like that could well be ones most valuable piece of kit.


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## Rosss (Nov 2, 2017)

TheHomeliteKid said:


> Hi, I new here so I'm kind of learning how to navigate the site and figure things out. Anyways, I found some really nice logs in the bush near my cottage and I would like to mill them to make some money for college. Currently, my biggest saw is a Stihl MS270 running a 20" bar and at 50cc, I know that it is not nearly powerful enough for the logs that I want to mill. I understand that the minimum is 60cc? I know that in my area a Granberg MkIII 30" mill goes for about $330 which I am willing to pay but it is the saw that is the problem. I am not a mechanical idiot and have worked on many older saws so doing repairs to an older one in need of TLC would not be a problem. My question is, what would be a good saw, that I can acquire for less that $200 that would be capable of milling 28" diameter logs and what else should I know before making the investment in a mill and a saw?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> TheHomeliteKid



Just saw this on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Holzfforma...862484&hash=item2cbd72a4bf:g:jeEAAOSw4GVYU3PQ


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## TheHomeliteKid (Nov 3, 2017)

Hi, I probably should have replied earlier but school has been really busy this past week. I found an 044 Magnum on Kijiji in good running condition for $350. Should I?


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## gemniii (Nov 3, 2017)

TheHomeliteKid said:


> Hi, I probably should have replied earlier but school has been really busy this past week. I found an 044 Magnum on Kijiji in good running condition for $350. Should I?


It's not our money - go for it.


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## tylerbeach3 (Nov 24, 2017)

BobL said:


> I have been thinking about getting some of this CSM info down in a less scattered format than this forum. I have all the photos and diagrams on my laptop. I might leave it for if and when I can't do anymore in the shop - I hope that's a long way away and I don't forget it all by them.


Sir, you should! Seems to be a dying art. 
I just started milling, really, like this week. I love it. Ive always loved saws but the final product of milling slabs is much more beautiful than what I usually do with a chainsaw. Its fire wood, slash/chip pile, rounds thrown out of the way,ect...please share your knowledge, guys like me will not only totally geek out on it but buy your book too.


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## Hoodiegadoo (Nov 24, 2017)

BobL said:


> In my book, a 28" diameter saw needs a 90cc saw and a 36" bar. Sure you could cut make a couple of cuts that are 28" wide with a 70cc saw but long term I reckon that is asking for trouble.



This probably isn’t what you were hoping to hear but it is spot on advice. That being said if you found a 70cc saw that you can afford to help get you closer to the goal then go for it. Milling isn’t easy on saws or tight budgets. It also depends on the type of wood you’re milling. Furthermore, a properly sharpened chain is EXTREMELY important when milling with a chainsaw.


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## shanto52 (Dec 25, 2018)

Just check it 
https://gardenley.com/


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## tylerbeach3 (Dec 26, 2018)

shanto52 said:


> Just check it
> https://gardenley.com/



There must have been a problem with your link shanto. Was does electric pole saws have to do with csm? I “just check(ed)it”


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## Brian72 (Dec 30, 2018)

I'm seeing a lot of people buying the Holzfforma saws and I may get one out of curiosity. Guys seem to be very pleased with them. $300 for a 660 clone is probably a great way to get started with a limited budget.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk


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## pwoller (Dec 31, 2018)

If you are patient and look real hard you should be able to find an older saw for 200-400. For that sized milling a 395xp or an older Stihl like an 051 come to mind.


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