395 or 3120 for milling

[huskyhank]

I think I need a new milling saw. I'm using a 2100 now and I'm stuck on Huskys so please leave other brands for another discussion.

Ignoring price, would you pick a 395 or a 3120 for running an Alaskan 36" mill with a 42" bar in hardwood? I'm looking for answers based on performance and durability of the saw used for milling only.

Or another way to ask might be -- "if a 395 scores a "10" what score would you give the 3120?" Again, this is for milling hardwood with a 36" Alaskan.

Many thanks

 

[logging22]

3120. my .02

 

[BobL]

3120. My .02

+1

 

[gr8scott72]

If price doesn't matter, then, duh, bigger is better!

 

[huskyhank]

Price matters -- but I have tabs on a real nice 3120 for a pretty good price.
If I was buying new at full retail I would not be asking this question, I'd just order the 395.

So the 3120 is that much more powerful?
(I've never run one.)

With the 395 scoring 10 what's the 3120?

11

12

?

 

[Brmorgan]

Well, it's got almost a third more displacement than a 395 for starters. And you know what engine nuts say about there being no replacement for displacement! If you were working in softwoods, I'd say that it might not be as big of a deal, but in hardwoods the 3120 will win by a mile. At the least you could probably also step your sprocket up an extra pin from what you'd run with a 395 too. My 395 has milled a fair amount of lumber, but I have to say that if I had a 3120 it wouldn't see much use.

 

[BobL]

Price matters -- but I have tabs on a real nice 3120 for a pretty good price.
If I was buying new at full retail I would not be asking this question, I'd just order the 395.

So the 3120 is that much more powerful?
(I've never run one.)

With the 395 scoring 10 what's the 3120?

11

12

?

Don't expect major differences in cutting performance at 36" in north american hardwoods.

My guess is for 42" bar in 36" hardwood and everything else optimized it will be ~11 maybe 11.5?

However, if you were go to 60" diam the 3120 will be approaching ∞ because the 395 will hardly be cutting at all

 

[excess650]

The 3120 will definitely should have more grunt. My own mid 90s 3120 has the back, higher rpm limited coil, so will turn more revs than one made post 2000 or so.

I've not run a 395xp, but would expect it to be on par with a stock 066 or 660. My 066 with big bore (99cc) definitely has more grunt than my 92cc 660. The 3120 will eat them both for breakfast when milling hardwood more than 24" wide.

If I were to buy a 42" bar, it would definitely be for my 3120. The 36" is plenty for my Stihls on the mill.

Check the serial number on that 3120 to see when it was made. The coil can be changed to raise the rpm limit, but the H jet is fixed on all but the frst 3120s, so must be removed from the carb to be changed.

 

[gemniii]

Take into consideration how far you have to carry it.
If your milling "at home" the bigger the better, but if you have to carry it a mile "bigger may not be better".

 

[irishcountry]

I have a 395xp with a 36" GB bar for milling its cuts well based on the timing of cuts from others on here I seem to be running about the same I would say it would be comparable to a Stihl 660. I seen a 3120 in the dealers store it is a beast looks quite a bit bigger than the 395 Just my opinion and i've never ran a 3120 but like someone else said no replacement for displacment. I have never had any trouble in cuts burying the bar except in some willow that had some crazy twisted grain but I would imagine the 3120 would cut faster/better. For me the 395 works as I don't mill all the time but it really is a single purpose saw only used it as a firewood saw on a couple of huge ash and I could have used my 455rancher just would have taken a bit longer so guessing if it is just for milling use and not something your gonna lug around to cut firewood too the 3120 is the way to go!! just my 2 cents

 

[BobL]

I've not run a 395xp, but would expect it to be on par with a stock 066 or 660. My 066 with big bore (99cc) definitely has more grunt than my 92cc 660. The 3120 will eat them both for breakfast when milling hardwood more than 24" wide.

What HH want's to know is quantitatively how much better the 3120 will be than a 395. ie 10%, 20% 30% etc

Like I said, in straight stock form, I will be surprised if it would be more than 20%, even in 36" hardwood. But until someone does some timed cuts I guess we'll be shooting the breeze?

Most people I know are slightly disappointed when they go from stock 90 cc to stock 120 cc power heads. They seem to think they should get 50 to 100% increases in cutting speed but forget that once there is sufficient power available, cutting wood with a CS is a chain limited process.

A bigger difference between the saws will show up in really big wood, because at some point the smaller cc saw just plain runs out of oomph while the bigger one keeps going.

There are of course ways to make both saws a lot faster and the bigger saw will generally gain more from these improvements. A simple gain by the bigger saw would be to just drop the rakers, however this can reduce the quality of the finish.

 

[huskyhank]

BobL is right - I wonder if going to a dedicated 3120 milling saw is worth it. I doubt that a 3120 will be much fun for felling or bucking until the wood gets huge. If the 3120 is not going to walk all over a 395 on my mill I'm inclined to buy a 395.

I have the one big saw now and I'd like to have another so I can leave one on the mill and have the other for felling and bucking. A 395 will be lots more fun to use and I suspect will out cut a 3120 in the size trees I'm interested in.

My 36" Alaskan will take a 42" bar to get its full capacity or about 33" which is plenty enough for me. I'm pretty sure that a larger bar and mill is where the biggest saws really shine but I don't see one of those in my future.

I milled some red oak today that has been laying for about a year - a byproduct of construction clearing. But its still heavy and wet and pretty tough. The 2100 cut nicely on this log which was 21" on the butt end and 16" at 9 feet. The second log is 16-14" at 9 foot length. There's a third piece but its hanging over a bank and I can't get it back up alone.

Retrieving that log may not matter as I am on the edge of getting access to all the wood I can cut. Actually more than I can cut - which leads me to seek improvement in milling by buying a bigger saw.

 

[SilverBox]

I'd hate to even consider using my Husky 394 for felling and bucking. Its heavy and powerful, both of which wear you out fast and lead to mishaps, kickbacks from a 28+" bar on a powerful saw are no joke and can scare the bejesus out of you... Unless your dropping some really monster trees, then you might need that big of a saw. I've found that a smaller saw and a midsized to bigger saw is all I need for felling and bucking. Right now I use a Stihl MS250 for limbing and smaller stuff (less then 10"). I use my Solo 681 with a 28" bar for bigger stuff, but it makes me tired very quickly, maybe 20-30 min of sustained use and I'm ready for a breather, controlling a 20 lb saw with 7-8 hp is tiring, my 394 I don't even consider felling or bucking with as its even more powerful and heavy then my 681.. I also take out my Solo 651 with me for midsized stuff. I try to avoid getting out a really big saw unless I'm taking down really big wood..

Dealing with a 12 lb MS250 making 3-4 hp feels like a feather after you get done using a big saw.. . I can run it thru tank after tank of gas and never really get all that tired.

I'd buy the 3120, I don't think you'll be using the 395 much for felling or bucking. Get the biggest saw you can and mill away. Or step up your game and get a small bandsaw, they aren't all that much more then a granberg alaskan and a new 3120.

 

[gr8scott72]

I'd hate to even consider using my Husky 394 for felling and bucking. Its heavy and powerful, both of which wear you out fast and lead to mishaps, kickbacks from a 28+" bar on a powerful saw are no joke and can scare the bejesus out of you... Unless your dropping some really monster trees, then you might need that big of a saw. I've found that a smaller saw and a midsized to bigger saw is all I need for felling and bucking. Right now I use a Stihl MS250 for limbing and smaller stuff (less then 10"). I use my Solo 681 with a 28" bar for bigger stuff, but it makes me tired very quickly, maybe 20-30 min of sustained use and I'm ready for a breather, controlling a 20 lb saw with 7-8 hp is tiring, my 394 I don't even consider felling or bucking with as its even more powerful and heavy then my 681.. I also take out my Solo 651 with me for midsized stuff. I try to avoid getting out a really big saw unless I'm taking down really big wood..

Dealing with a 12 lb MS250 making 3-4 hp feels like a feather after you get done using a big saw.. . I can run it thru tank after tank of gas and never really get all that tired.

I'd buy the 3120, I don't think you'll be using the 395 much for felling or bucking. Get the biggest saw you can and mill away. Or step up your game and get a small bandsaw, they aren't all that much more then a granberg alaskan and a new 3120.

I use my 394 with a 32" bar almost daily for felling and bucking. Love that big beast. Then the 346 comes out for the smaller stuff. That's my little light saber.

 

[huskyhank]

Good points, SilverBox

The big saws wear me out too.

But a 395 is about 5 pounds lighter than my 2100 or a 3120 - so its gonna be a lot easier to handle. I am thinking of a mid-sized saw like a 372 to go along with whatever big saw I buy. But one at a time. Right now I have a big saw (100cc) and a little saw (45cc). Something in the middle is attractive. Its a pain switching on and off the mill. I'd like to leave a saw attached and have another for other cutting and back up for the mill.

I'm still kind of leaning toward a 395 over the 3120 but I'd like to hear all opinions. I'll make the jump to a 3120 if I can figure it will benefit me. But I like the lighter weight of a 395.

 

[gr8scott72]

Good points, SilverBox

The big saws wear me out too.

But a 395 is about 5 pounds lighter than my 2100 or a 3120 - so its gonna be a lot easier to handle. I am thinking of a mid-sized saw like a 372 to go along with whatever big saw I buy. But one at a time. Right now I have a big saw (100cc) and a little saw (45cc). Something in the middle is attractive. Its a pain switching on and off the mill. I'd like to leave a saw attached and have another for other cutting and back up for the mill.

I'm still kind of leaning toward a 395 over the 3120 but I'd like to hear all opinions. I'll make the jump to a 3120 if I can figure it will benefit me. But I like the lighter weight of a 395.

Like said, unless you're backpacking the mill in somewhere, the weight doesn't matter too much as most of the time it's sitting on the wood.

If I was going to have a dedicated milling saw and could get a 3120, that would be it.

 

[huskyhank]

Scott,

You sound like me. I seem to gravitate to either a BIG saw or a little one. Today bucking that not-so-big oak I was pushing pretty hard on my 2100 with a nearly new and very sharp chain. When I'm cutting a tough tree like that its hard to want a smaller saw right then. Maybe a mid-sized saw would have cut just as fast but I don't think so. And I am sure it won't cut it on the mill.

My back is not so great (I probably ought leave this work alone) so a lighter saw has LOTS of appeal. But if I'm bent over longer with a small saw I don't think that's any better than getting it over with faster with the big saw.

I dunno - its fun to talk about this stuff anyway.

 

[SilverBox]

Good points, SilverBox

The big saws wear me out too.

But a 395 is about 5 pounds lighter than my 2100 or a 3120 - so its gonna be a lot easier to handle. I am thinking of a mid-sized saw like a 372 to go along with whatever big saw I buy. But one at a time. Right now I have a big saw (100cc) and a little saw (45cc). Something in the middle is attractive. Its a pain switching on and off the mill. I'd like to leave a saw attached and have another for other cutting and back up for the mill.

I'm still kind of leaning toward a 395 over the 3120 but I'd like to hear all opinions. I'll make the jump to a 3120 if I can figure it will benefit me. But I like the lighter weight of a 395.

Yeah but a Husky 357 with a 24" bar is in the middle . A 395 is basically a lighter 2100 .

 

[1947wdx]

Jumping in kind of late to the discussion as usual is seems...

I have both a 394 and a 3120. I've used both while cutting some sugar maple a few weeks ago. While not 100% 395 vs 3120, it's close...

• 394
  • Muffler mod
  • 36 inch bar
  • 404 chain sharpened at 5 degrees (Bailey's milling chain.)
  • Running with the Logosol "Big Mill Timberjig"

• 3120
  • Stock
  • 36 inch bar
  • 404 chain sharpened at 5 degrees (Bailey's milling chain.)
  • Running with an Alaskan mill

The 3120 (stock) had my alaskan mill on it and did most of the milling that day. I actually used the bar/chain from the 3120 on the 394 to make the first cut as the 28 inch bar wasn't long enough to span the crotch I was milling.

In this case at about 30 inches of cut, there was no contest. The 3120 just kicked ***! While the 394 wasn't a dog, it was definitely slower. (Sorry I don't have more precise times.)

In 15 to 24 inch pine I can hardly tell the difference. Both saws cut real well.

So... Long story short, BobL is right. In small wood, no difference, in big hardwood, 3120 all the way...

 

[woodsrunner]

Lots of good responses to your original question. I don't know if I'm qualified to give you an answer since 1) I haven't used a 3120 to mill with and 2) I tend to look at things from an outlaw point of view most of the time. But I will give your some of my experiences on the 395 and tell you a little about my dilema.
I have a 395 that I mill with. I run a 42 inch bar on it. When it's on my GB mill that gives me about 36 inches of cut. That 36 inches is all the 395 wants when it is buried in oak. You have to have a very sharp chain and feed the saw very uniformly at that full width capacity to not be overloading it in oak. In cherry or other softer woods not a problem. ( I find oaks such as red oak or white oak or live oak to be hard on chains and harder to cut than other species.) BTW, I don't run the "milling" chain much any more, I've found Stihl 36 RSC cuts just as well and is simpler to come up with, stays sharper longer and cuts easier. IMHO.
So If you think you will be running right up to the very maximum capacity of your mill a lot I would go for the 3120 IF the price is right. If your are only occasionally going to be at that max capacity then then 395 will do what you need to do IMHO. If you seriously think you will be needing to go to a larger bar than the 42, then definitely look to the 3120.
I always try to look at value and utility when I have one of these situations. (I have alot of these same kind of decisions to make every day on the farm and at work.) I'm always looking at the utility of a purchase and the cost and what the "return" will be.
FWIW, I went thru this same scenario a few months ago and decided to go with a double powerhead setup on my 66 inch bar. I am pleased with that approach. It works well and best of all for a skinflint like me I didn't have to buy another saw. I run my 395 on one end and my 385 on the other end.
I felt like the 3120 didn't have as much utility for my other saw duties and the 385 and 395 handle those other chores well, so it worked for me. YMMV.

BTW, It's your money and your decision so you have to decide what will work for you and satisfy you. I had an urge to go the double powerhead route from the very beginning and had a lot of people tell me it would not work. That was all I needed. I find it pretty satisfying to work out a unique approach for solving a problem, especially when someone says I can't do it.

Scott