50" is what I'm thinking. I haven't found one yet that I can afford at this time. I hop to get one more saw finished up and sold an I'll be ready to pick.
90cc vs 120cc
- Thread starter mdavlee
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50" is what I'm thinking. I haven't found one yet that I can afford at this time. I hop to get one more saw finished up and sold an I'll be ready to pick.
Timberframed
ArboristSite Guru
Don't mean to throw a wrench in here. I mill up to 55" hardwood in an ICS 633 GC (Oly Mac 101 cc's) on a Panthermill with a 7 pin. Took 33 minutes to cut 38"-42" x 30' long best time in Red Oak. Can't seem to get any better than 6" a minute most of the time. When needed it switches back in minutes to cut concrete/stone openings which is profitable. Around here anyway.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
I dont CSM but have worked in sawmills and the timber industry my hole life and have used the 3120 and 880/088 one or two times over the years and can say a 88 will make me sweat a little here and there...But dam! running a 3120 make's me wish I got an education! haha....Now That is only IMHO some guys love the 3120...stock for stock the 088/880 IMO is a better saw hands down with its 121.6cc next to 118.8cc.... Care less if a ported whatever saw makes more power Im talking stock saw's....The husky guys seem to be all "no holds bar" down on Stihl on this Site so about time some truths where told and one could be the 3120 on its own is a good saw yes true, but next to a 880 is a big pig of a thing!.....
i may make an *** of myself here but i'm gonna assume your talking about a 9,600 rev limited 3120. i swear a 3120 with that green coil is the biggest piece of **** on this planet. lets start by not comparing them while bucking, IMO a guy who does anything with these big saws other then milling is a mad man. there are many other options available that can handle whatever is left on this planet. i laugh when i see a guy buy a 120cc saw then put a 20-25" bar on it
. anyways i'm speaking from my experience about the application mike is going to use this saw. the 088/880 doesn't have any advantage except for the side chain adjust. they are about on par when it comes to power but the 3120 will oil something fierce gushing oil out around the bar rails even while milling. i used to have an auxilery oiler from when i was running the 395 on the mill for a bit but sold it to a buddy cause it was way to much oil with the 3120's. i wouldn't hesitate to use a 60" bar without a auxilery oiler running a 3120 judging by what it does for me on a 36". i am always looking for new ways to make milling easier and while i do miss the side chain adjust of the 084, i don't miss having to press that manual oiler when things dried up. i have used all of these saws and you can see what i have chosen. if i had to go buy a new saw right now and had no options to mod it i would pick an 880 just cause the 3120 with the green coil is almost unusable. once that is swapped out, look out stihls. the big pig thing is also incorrect. when you put them side by side the 3120 is wider but the 880 is longer. the 3120 don't feel heavy to me but i guess i'm used to it. if i was an actual mad man and fell/bucked with these big saws i'd have a hard time choosing what one. i know what i want in the mill though. funny thing is that nobody can argue with me cause i hate all these big saws. i have built my opinion with a mind of equal hate towards each of them 
I count the outboard sprocket on the 880 as a distinct advantage over the 3120. Being able to swap between 8 and 7 pin sprockets is a bit easier than needing to keep two different sets of chains with different raker depths.
I've milled with both saws in Ozzy hardwood and found the extra oil output by the 3120 was (as with most saws) mostly wasted by coming off at the drive and bar nose sprockets and I had to fit an Aux oiler if I didn't want to damage the bar. I've tried using a much stickier oil but that doesn't penetrate the bar groove as easily so that has its iproblems.
BTW there is a relatively easy fix for the front chain adjustment adjustments on the 3120 when it is placed in a conventional alaskan mill.
Even better is to ditch the conventional bar clamps altogether and drill holes in the bars and bolt them onto the mill uprights.
But I'd still rather use a side adjust mechanism.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
i just use a swiveling screwdriver. works great for me. no need to drill my mill. we can agree that you milling ozzy hardwoods will be alot different then me milling cedar, alder, fir etc........ the oil i use makes it's way around the whole bar. the whole chain is actually wet with oil when i check in between cuts. also i don't mill with different chain. i think of ways to make it easier not harder. i don't even take my saw out of the mill unless i need to switch to my spare saw. i don't have time like that to waste when i'm out there trying to produce as much as i can with the time i have. i do miss the side adjust chain tensioner though. i have actually owned 2 084's and will own another. i promise you that. the 088's and 880's i have milled with were my buddy's so don't have a ton of experience with them although i would love to own one. i'd like to have 1 of each to tell you the truth. i could trade one of my 3120's for an 084 right now if i wanted. my buddy has one and when he tried my 3120's milling he fell in love. he wants to trade me so bad but i would rather keep all my 3120's so i have parts for years to come. another 084 will come to me for cheap if i'm patient.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
i understand man. IMO a 3120 is NOT suitable for milling stock but they work great for me the way i got them setup. there's only a .01% of 1% chance you had one with a high speed adjustment. the fixed jet would do what you described. thankfully both mine have a high speed adjustment.
Timberframed
ArboristSite Guru
If I had either a Stihl or Husky prolly remove the oil pump drive gear so as not to have to **** with filling it and save it from burning up and for another day. They don't really assist in milling anyway on long bars. The saw I mentioned above isn't even equipped with one but was designed to run wot 24-7
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
Well I got an 088 on the way.
Way to go mike. Got yourself a proper mill saw. I wanna add something here too. This is to the owners of 3120's who are considering milling with them or have and think they are a turd. All i can say is they are
. I have to admit that husqvarna really ****** up with that saw. Fortunately the issues can be fixed. The green coil is the first and biggest concern. They feel doggy because they are limited to an extremely low rpm to begin with. They are more then capable to hold 9,600 in the cut which is where the problems come. They hammer off the limiter all the time and i hate it. The higher limit setup or unlimited setup is way better. Mine will hold around 10,500 in the cut so with a 9,600 limit they are restricted from their full potential right from the factory. The next thing will be the carb, either reaming the fixed jet or getting the carb modded fixes this. The later is a better option for me as i mill at all different elevations. After those 2 issues a muffler mod and you got yourself an awesome mill saw. I still hate them with a passion though. I wish i could mill with a 346. To be honest if i had 3 084/088's i would be milling with those. I chose 3120's because i got lots of parts and know even if one dies i won't be dishing out nearly $2000 just to get a new saw.I had a 3120 with the 12k coil. It ran strong but I didn't really plan on milling at the time I had it and lost interest in a race saw out of it. I'll see how this 088 will work out. I may buy a mill since it will be lighter than what I can build. The mill I have now with a 394 on it is 39 lbs.
CS Milling on the flat and weight is a handicap since you have to push it along. Mill on a slope and weight is your friend - a big friend since you don't have to push as much or at all. I have seen people add rocks or cookies to weight their mill when milling on a slope. My aluminium BIL mill is still 70 lbs with a full load of fuel and oils, the 076 and 64" rails with 60" bar and chain. My mainly steel project mill is 78 lbs with the 880, and 42" bar and chain. The heavier the mill is the more it will self feed even on very shallow slopes.
Weight is a bit of a "swings and roundabouts" matter. a few seconds of more OOMPH at the begging and end of the log OR providing more push all the way through the cut.
ptjeep
Addicted to ArboristSite
Can't wait to see some vids of the 88 in action. Are you going to leave it stock?
jstare
ArboristSite Lurker
This thread has been really useful, I am trying to decide the same thing with what saw to get for my milling. Still can't decide but I think it will be a Husky, I just like them better in general.
jstare
ArboristSite Lurker
Just got my first 880 on Friday. I have a 36" Alaskan on its way now. I had to do a little cutting with it this weekend and that convinced me to put the mill on it and leave it there! I am SO out of shape!
Just picked up a nice low hours 394xp that I will be using for milling, it will get left on the mill setup too when my 36" mill comes. I bought a 371xp as well for cutting logs to length and other cutting tasks. These big saws are just too big for everyday jobs.
