# Best chain for milling



## IMINTOGTOS

Looking to set up a Stihl MS660 for milling hardwood wondered if anyone had any experience using a rip chain, skiptooth or I think I've seen a staggered cut tooth made. It would be a 36" bar cutting locust, oak and cherry. HD


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## woodshop

IMINTOGTOS said:


> Looking to set up a Stihl MS660 for milling hardwood wondered if anyone had any experience using a rip chain, skiptooth or I think I've seen a staggered cut tooth made. It would be a 36" bar cutting locust, oak and cherry. HD



I found that the fastest chain when milling through wide stuff (more than 20 inches) of hardwoods like oak/cherry/walnut is standard round chisel skip tooth. I use Oregon 75JG. It is not the smoothest cut, for that you want to go with milling chain. But I found milling chain (at least the Baileys milling chain I was using) got dull faster, and was definitely slower and not as aggressive going down the log. Thus my switch to the standard chain, skip tooth version. Not only does it last longer, but there are less teeth to sharpen when it does start to get dull. 

Others on here will probably have slightly different take on this.


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## BobL

On harder Aussie timbers I mainly use Stihl or GB (re-branded EP Carlton) full comp chain. I have a couple of full skip loops that I use on softer woods. Over 2 or 3 milling sessions I grind them all to 10º top plate angle - it does slow cutting down compared to higher angles but not much, because nothing goes fast through most Aussie hardwoods - but it gives a better finish.

When cutting hard/wide slabs I manually touch up (1 or 2 strokes) the cutters after every slab. It's surprising how fast you get touching up 192 links for the 60" bar. On softer woods I might slab the whole log without touching up. I have found touching up regularly gives longer chain life since the cutter edge never gets badly rounded over so it never has to undergo a major sharpening.

My raker depths are reset after every couple of milling sessions (It depends what I cut and how hard the wood is) to 1/10th of my gullet widths. This seems to work well for the sorts of timbers I cut.


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## Griffbm3

This is a great post. I am set up to start milling Hemlock and Sugar Maple. Both are abundant where I cut, and after the storm, there is a lot of it down...

I have a 36" Alaskan and a 088 with .404 currently ready to go.

I look forward to trying different set ups with this. Thanks for the ideas.

Jason


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## BobL

Griffbm3 said:


> I have a 36" Alaskan and a 088 with .404 currently ready to go.



First thing I would do is swap the 0.404 for 3/8. 0.404 just turns more wood than necessary into sawdust.


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## woodshop

BobL said:


> First thing I would do is swap the 0.404 for 3/8. 0.404 just turns more wood than necessary into sawdust.



My thoughts exactly... no real need for that size when milling.


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## TedChristiansen

I have mainly used low profile chain (Stihl 63PMX) and have been pleased, though the bar length with this chain is 25 inches. I also have a 36 inch bar with 3/8" chain and the speed difference is remarkable, even when you discount the speed difference due to the longer bar. Low profile chain if kept cool is the fastest way to mill I believe. 

Regards,

Ted


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## Ollbuster

I thought the 880 mount bars were only 404 is this not correct?


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## glennschumann

Ted,

What size saw are you running with the low profile chain? I've heard that larger saws (044 and up) have tendency to break the low profile chain. I'm considering getting a loop of low profile for my 066/24", but I'm concerned about tearing it in half.


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## glennschumann

Ollbuster

You should be able to run any chain on an 088. Bars to fit an 088 with a solid nose would allow you to run any pitch chain (.0404 - 3/8 - 0.325). If you have a bar with a sprocket nose, you can change the sprocket to match the pitch chain you want to run. If you change pitch, you will also have to change the rim sprocket on the clutch drum (or the entire clutch drum if you have a spur sprocket) to match your chain.


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## timberwolf

A few guys mill with pmx and 066s no problems, Have not tried myself. .325 does work nicely though.

you can put 3/8 .063 on 088 no trouble, even just change the bar tip to go to 3/8 rather than buying a new bar. Getiing a .050 esp over 32 inches in 088 mount is more a problem, but there are work arounds.

Glen Beat me to the submit button, but I would not go to a hard nose tip for milling, there is scant little oil out there on a long cut and Friction would be killer.


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## Griffbm3

All right, I'll swap out the nose for my 36" bar for the 088 mount. Does anyone know the part number for the tip on the bar? It is a .063 for a 088 mount. Thanks in advance.

Jason


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## Mad Professor

glennschumann said:


> Ted,
> 
> What size saw are you running with the low profile chain? I've heard that larger saws (044 and up) have tendency to break the low profile chain. I'm considering getting a loop of low profile for my 066/24", but I'm concerned about tearing it in half.



I run PMX on a 066 16/24" bars. Cuts real well. Only have snapped 1 chain of many I've worn out and that was at the start of a cut when a vibration setup, should have backed off........I mill mostly hardwoods: ash, maple, cherry, beech. 

I run them right down until I loose a tooth so I think they can take a 066 fine if you stay 24" bar or less. You'll need a low pro 3/8 sprocket and bar combo.


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## ran3465

Ive tried several combos and found the most efficient to be baileys .365 ripping chain to be my favorite. I run it on 20 and 28" bars. When using my 42 I use Baileys .375 ripping. I have not yet broke the .365 chains running them on husky 394's, but you need to keep an eye on chain tension. The .365 takes a much smaller kerf and both chains carry good speed and leave a good surface. Alot of problems with very rough surfaces are due to improper sharpening and not being very consistent in the cut. It also seems to be the most reasonably priced ripping chain.


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## Rooshooter

I run Carlton 3/8 A3EP semi chisel ( which I convert to 3 skip ) on bars up to 42", on the 50 & 60" bars I run Carlton 404 B3EP semi chisel which I convert to 3 and 5 skip, I have tried Oregon 27RX ( chamfer chisel 5 skip ) and find it does not hold an edge in hardwood nor does the Carlton B3RM10 which is also a chamfer chisel.

The 3 skip is good for hardwood to 28", 5 skip over 28" I also drop the depth gauges abt .010" lower than recommended and slope them fwd 35-40o, I run 15 - 20o top plate angle.
As already mentioned the semi chisel does not leave as smooth a finish as the chamfer chisel chains, however it does hold an edge much better in hardwood, Also the extended skip cuts smoother and faster than regular skip chain.

I have attached some pics of the 3 & 5 skip plus another mod I do for crosscut where I remove every third cutter.

Saws I use for milling are 088 & MS880.


Laurie 

http://sites.google.com/site/sawchainsupplyqueanbeyan


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## TedChristiansen

glennschumann said:


> Ted,
> 
> What size saw are you running with the low profile chain? I've heard that larger saws (044 and up) have tendency to break the low profile chain. I'm considering getting a loop of low profile for my 066/24", but I'm concerned about tearing it in half.



Glenn,

I am running an 85cc Husky 385XP. The have only broken a couple of chains, but they were very worn, and I had some mill tuning issue that caused the bar tip to dive progressively with the cut. I believe this was the reason for the breakage. Since correcting this problem I have not broken any chains. The other thing that can cause broken chains is continuing to cut once the chain becomes dull. This forces the cutters to work harder and the tension in the chain to go up. Keeping your chain sharp will prevent this problem.

Regards,

Ted


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## DRB

glennschumann said:


> Ollbuster
> 
> You should be able to run any chain on an 088. Bars to fit an 088 with a solid nose would allow you to run any pitch chain (.0404 - 3/8 - 0.325). If you have a bar with a sprocket nose, you can change the sprocket to match the pitch chain you want to run. If you change pitch, you will also have to change the rim sprocket on the clutch drum (or the entire clutch drum if you have a spur sprocket) to match your chain.




+1 

I have done this for my 088. 404 to 3/8


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## Rodney Sinclair

Ted, when you change from the 63pmx over to the 3/8 chain, do you also change out your sprocket? 

It's good to see you back.

Rodney


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## TedChristiansen

Rodney Sinclair said:


> Ted, when you change from the 63pmx over to the 3/8 chain, do you also change out your sprocket?
> 
> It's good to see you back.
> 
> Rodney



Rodney,

Thanks for the reminder. I have a dedicated rim sprocket for the 36" 3/8 chain. Another point to mention is that a set of chains and a sprocket should be worn together and then replaced together. Running a new chain on an old sprocket will stretch the new chain and make it more susceptible to breaking.

Regards,

Ted


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