Alaskan III, bar size,and saw size

[gemniii]

After careful consideration I bought an Alaskan Mark III 36" that says it'll do 32" slabs.

I based my choice on the biggest trees I have on my land parcels.

However I note this statement:

Match the mill to the biggest log you’ll be cutting. Small logs are more difficult to mill with the larger mills.

Question for those with experience in this situation:
For my smaller logs (16" for example) should I plan on running a long bar, (w/ appropriate powerhead and oiler etc.) or short bar?

How much loss in cutting power is there as you go up in bar size?

For example a Stihl 660 w/ a 24" bar versus a 36" bar.

thanks

 

[mtngun]

If you are milling on the ground, a long bar can be a nuisance because it hangs up on brush. If you are able to prop the log off the ground, a long bar is not a big deal. Yes, the added friction will eat a little power, but that will be offset by the small log consuming less power than a big log.

I seem to remember that Bmorgan uses a long bar on big logs and then switches to a short bar with lo-pro milling chain for narrow cuts. He claimed the short bar/lo-pro combo improved the cutting speed enough to justify the switcharoo.

You could have the best of both worlds by running lo-pro on a long bar -- but lo-pro chain is weak and stretch becomes an issue on long bars. However, with a 36" bar, I suspect you could get away with it, based on what other AS members have posted (I haven't tried it myself). 42" might be pushing it -- but again, I haven't tried it.

If you want to try lo-pro bear in mind you will need an 0.050" gage bar which are harder to find and may cost more. You will find that long 0.063" gage bars are easier to come by and perhaps cheaper.

If I had to do it over again, I'd shell out for a 36" 0.050" gage bar, and try the lo-pro chain. I'd then stick with lo-pro unless stretch or breakage problems reared their head.

A 36" bar can mill 29" wide or slightly better -- you lose that much to the clamp and the nose sprocket (BobL has posted workarounds to maximize the cutting width, if you are motivated). If you want the full capacity of a 36" Alaskan, you'll need a 42" bar.

Good luck, and post pictures ! ! !

 

[Kicker_92]

I agree with mtngun, it's better to have too long of bar than too short. So long as you can get the logs up off the ground, you can either run the long bar, or switch to a short bar for the small cuts.

I have the 36" MkIII and use a 42" bar on the MS880, a 30" on the 385xp, and even a 14" bar on the 3400.

The rails stick out a long ways with the 14" bar mounted (for 6" cuts), but they don't weigh much and it balances well.

The only downside to having multiple bar lengths is maintaining a lot of chains.

 

[sleddude5]

I haven't had any problem milling narrower cuts with the 36" rails. Not a big deal really, in my opinion.

Jerry C

 

[gemniii]

MANY THANKS GUYS!!

So far this has been the best replied to thread I've seen. All you guy's were on topic, not pumping me to get a different saw, a different mill etc.

LOTS of lumber - no sawdust!
On Bailey's the write up for the LoPro ripping chain says

30LR is used on chainsaw mills with bars anywhere from 12" to 16" long.

which seemed like a really short milling bar. I guess I'll have to try a few links

 

[mikeb1079]

Question for those with experience in this situation:
For my smaller logs (16" for example) should I plan on running a long bar, (w/ appropriate powerhead and oiler etc.) or short bar?

one thing you may want to consider is picking up both a long bar and a shorter bar that would both fit the powerhead you're using. obviously, you'll want a long bar first, say 32-42", but having a shorter bar, say 20-24", may come in handy. shorter bars aren't too pricey (check baileys discount bars) and you could order up 2 or 3 loops of chain without having to spend much. typically, you're gonna know when you go out to mill what size tree you'll be dealing with, and you'd just pick the appropriate size bar for the job.
i mill with a 066 and a 32" bar currently, and i typically don't need more than 20" of cut. i made my jig to fit the 32" bar (non adjustable) or i'd have picked up a shorter bar already, while keeping the longer one just in case.

Small logs are more difficult to mill with the larger mills.

like sleddude said, you shouldn't have a problem running a shorter bar with the 36" alaskan, the rails will just stick out a bit. no biggie.
oh yeah, post pics!

 

[glennschumann]

I run a 36" mill too, and I have a 42, 36 and 24" bar for different size logs. The smaller bars are much more managable for smaller logs, and, most importantly, there is less bar and chain exposed when using the short bars on small logs. Using a 36" bar on a 16" log leaves lots of chain rather exposed close to ones body and arms, and, it also can catch on the ground / other logs. For safety's sake, I use the smallest bar possible, they are also cheaper to run.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[gr8scott72]

one thing you may want to consider is picking up both a long bar and a shorter bar that would both fit the powerhead you're using. obviously, you'll want a long bar first, say 32-42", but having a shorter bar, say 20-24", may come in handy. shorter bars aren't too pricey (check baileys discount bars) and you could order up 2 or 3 loops of chain without having to spend much. typically, you're gonna know when you go out to mill what size tree you'll be dealing with, and you'd just pick the appropriate size bar for the job.
i mill with a 066 and a 32" bar currently, and i typically don't need more than 20" of cut. i made my jig to fit the 32" bar (non adjustable) or i'd have picked up a shorter bar already, while keeping the longer one just in case.



like sleddude said, you shouldn't have a problem running a shorter bar with the 36" alaskan, the rails will just stick out a bit. no biggie.
oh yeah, post pics!

I use a 32" bar for most things and have a 60" bar for the big stuff. I don't have a problem with the 32" and feel it's ideal.

I did accidentally order 2 loops of Bailey's ripping chain for my 20" bar but found that it was too small for most of my logs so I never used it. If you or someone else wants 2 brand new chains for a 20" bar just let me know.

 

[BobL]

I currently have 10? bars between 16 and 60" long. The BIL mill has two sets of mill rails (54" and 64") and can handle bars from 24" up to 60", while my baby alaskan has a bar capacity of between 16 and 24".

Only my longer bars (42-60") bars were purchased deliberately for milling, all the others either came with saw purchases, were giveaways or I picked them up cheap.

I have plenty of spare rail material used in making the BIL mill so I can quickly cut any length mill rails I like. Although I have considered cutting some shorter rails to use with the shorter bars, I found it relatively easy to use the 42" bar with the 54" mill rails for logs as small as 18". As others have said the extra length rails with the aux oiler etc help balance the weight of the CS on narrower logs reducing operator fatigue. On the hard wood that I cut I think it also helps bar and chain cooling to have some bar/chain exposed on the outboard side. I also find it diagnostic to be able to watch the exposed and running chain while I'm cutting, ie check the aux oiler is lubing the chain properly etc. Spare bar is also real useful for getting around potentially interesting pieces like crotches and branches unions etc, I hate cutting too much of these off.

As Mtngun says, I get ~39" of cut from my 42" bars so I tend to use these bar for the majority of my milling.

Occasionally I do mill stuff that's smaller than 18" with my baby alaskan running lo-pro chain but I don't come across these logs very often at the tree loppers yard because smaller that 18" logs go direct into their big mobile chipper.

 

[billstuewe]

I have the 56" AK and use my 56" bar. 42" bar and 36" bar on it with no problem. Shorter bars/chain are cheaper to maintain/replace and so I use my long stuff only when needed. I also have a Logosol M7 and do about 90-95% of my milling on it with a 16" bar and picco chain, w/Stihl MS660. It is 50 ga. .365 pitch so I switch out my drive sprocket when I use regular 3/8 (.375) pitch. (This exercise also gives me the opportunity to grease the clutch bearing) I also have a 25" bar that I use Picco chain on. My 36" bar and greater are all regular 3/8 .63 ga. I use a Stihl MS660 on the 16,25,36,bars andShihl 084 on the the two long bars. Logosol is the only place I have found that carries a Picco sprocket for the Stihl 066/MS660. They are imported from Sweden and apparently not available from Stihl-USA
So the lesson learned seems to be that they will all work. Keep your chain sharp and it will cut wood.

 

[BobL]

I have the 56" AK and use my 56" bar. 42" bar and 36" bar on it with no problem. Shorter bars/chain are cheaper to maintain/replace and so I use my long stuff only when needed.

Good point! I didn't think of that,