Stihl 032 AV

[West Coaster]

Hi guys,

My first post on the forums and I've already got a lot of great info from lurking around.

I was given an old stihl 032 av in great running condition and just wondering what I can do with it in terms of CSM. I'm not expecting to do much, just something new to try more than anything. I have some experience with saws, but none milling.
When I look at the grandbergs, the small 20" Alaskan is the natural choice.

But then I saw this and it has me thinking.....

Stihl 032 AV with New 28" Bar & Chain - YouTube

If I were to put a bar that large on my saw, which I know is a bit much, how do you think it would perform with a 30" Alaskan.

Thanks for helping out the newbie!

 

[Joe46]

Seriously not very well. I have always gone by the rule of 6" of bar per cu.in of saw. 7" on bigger saws. Your 032 while a good old saw would be happy with a 20" bar for firewood, limbing, ect. Milling is hard on saws. You want to mill? Get a bigger saw. Others may disagree.

 

[West Coaster]

So maybe not even bother with any type of milling with this saw, even on the smallest size Alaskan?

 

[mikeb1079]

joe is probably right. a 20" bar will be much much better suited to milling with that saw. not saying that you couldn't do it tho

 

[jessejames]

the little engine that could

big saws are nice, but use what youve got.
I started with a very old 031 milled my first logs with it. built an alaskan type rig out of 2x10.
Eyeball milled a 30" red cedar with it. cut from both sides along a chalk line.
i agree a 20" bar is about the limit.
milling with such a small saw sure teaches you the importance of really sharp chain.

 

[andrethegiant70]

Small, old, and possibly cranky saw

Everything is relative, and we've certainly heard of folks milling with smallish saws. If was a more modern saw, say an 026, and parts were prolific, I'd be better disposed to tell you it would work ok as a stop-gap measure 'till you could get something bigger.... but if money is a problem, you might just have to run what you have. On the other hand, if you have choices, getting a bigger saw (the bigger the better) would be the way to go.

I like the Alaskan's... they're cheap for what you can do with them, but I would get something a bit larger than you need rather than smaller. On the other hand, if you're sure you're just going to mess with smallish wood (12-16 inches) I really like the Grandberg small log mill. It maximizes the effective length of the bar, is less complex, and is more compact. I've made some nice coffee tables using that mill, it's a very efficient rig. Anything larger than that, I believe it makes more sense to go with the 36in Alaskan.