Stihl MS880 Magnum ?

[BobL]

That damn Laurie fella. I drove to Queanbeyan for a few days to buy some stuff off him and help him sort 2000 bars he bought from GB. Slabbed a Redgum with him and ended up ordering a 60" GB mill for my 3120...

Sheeet...... If I'd know you were in the market for a big mill I would have told you about the never used 56" Granberg I have going for sale at the moment. Pity freight is a killer for shipping anything west - east.

What size bar are you planning to run with the GB?

PS" I get all my chains and bars from that "damn Laurie fella."

 

[Cheese]

Guess that makes sense, just the class lines. I know you guys are limited in exactly what you can get down there.

Also, you guys be safe. Not sure where you are, but on this side of the world they make it sound like all of you are on or near fire.

Cheers!

 

[MCW]

Sheeet...... If I'd know you were in the market for a big mill I would have told you about the never used 56" Granberg I have going for sale at the moment. Pity freight is a killer for shipping anything west - east.

What size bar are you planning to run with the GB?

PS" I get all my chains and bars from that "damn Laurie fella."

I'm the SA distributor/reseller for "that damn Laurie fella"

Have already got a couple of 60" bars for the 60" GB mill that I've ordered (I've got over 200 bars in stock at present). Unfortunately GB can't supply any for at least 2 months. Out of the 2000 bars (2.7 tonne worth!) we sorted out (excess stock according to GB) there are 100 odd extra long GB bars. Most over 50" so get in touch with Laurie if you want any Bob. He's selling them for AUD$3 per inch with good freight costs. I only got a heap of chain from the USA instead of Laurie because GB ran out of stock and Laurie couldn't supply what I wanted. GB are also saying that their next lot of chain stock they get in will go up by 45-50%. Even with the weak Aussie dollar it'll be worth importing chain from the US if GB's prices do go up by that amount. Even Laurie is looking at the US to import chain despite being a GB/Carlton distributor!
Thanks for the Granberg offer too Bob but being a distributor I get pretty good prices on GB stuff.

Also Lindsay I think you made a wise choice with the 390. Here's a photo of my 3120XP with 42" bar next to my Dolmar 7900 with a 20" bar. An 880/3120 is WAAAY to big a saw for day to day use and I'm a reasonable sized guy. They are fun to use though, just not for that long. The smile on your face soon disappears!

 

[MCW]

Guess that makes sense, just the class lines. I know you guys are limited in exactly what you can get down there.

Also, you guys be safe. Not sure where you are, but on this side of the world they make it sound like all of you are on or near fire.

Cheers!

I'm fine where I am mate but parts of Victoria are doing it tough. Australia as a whole is OK but where the fires are its very, very bad. 181 confirmed dead at the moment - they are predicting 200+ In the really bad areas it looks like an atom bomb has gone off.
Not trying to change the meaning of this thread but have attached some photos below...

Notice the koala getting a drink. Wild Aussie animals normally won't allow you to even get close, that'll own drink from a bottle.
Also note the molten aluminium that has run out of the cars in the first picture - probably rims and engine parts...

 

[keith66]

we have 880 and the only thing we use it for is for stumps. we call it the 2man saw because its so heavy. by the way i hope all you aussies are very far away from the fires!

 

[BobL]

Most over 50" so get in touch with Laurie if you want any Bob. He's selling them for AUD$3 per inch with good freight costs. I only got a heap of chain from the USA instead of Laurie because GB ran out of stock and Laurie couldn't supply what I wanted. GB are also saying that their next lot of chain stock they get in will go up by 45-50%. Even with the weak Aussie dollar it'll be worth importing chain from the US if GB's prices do go up by that amount. Even Laurie is looking at the US to import chain despite being a GB/Carlton distributor!
Thanks for the Granberg offer too Bob but being a distributor I get pretty good prices on GB stuff.

Cheers MCW - I've already got 2 x 60" bars - a GB and a Stihl, which should tie me over for a while. I'm trying not to get too many different size bars so I don't have to have too many different chains. Anyway I have beein trying to standardized on the 24/30/42/60" set but couldn't resist 2 more special bars from Laurie so I have bought another 30" for my 066 and a 44" for the the 880 from him, and I have to keep reminding myself that this is only a hobby!

Great pics by the way. I have been in Melbourne all week at various business meetings - lots of 1 minute silences and passing the hat around for donations for the bush fire victims. Deadly stuff.

 

[MCW]

Anyway I have beein trying to standardized on the 24/30/42/60" set but couldn't resist 2 more special bars from Laurie so I have bought another 30" for my 066 and a 44" for the the 880 from him, and I have to keep reminding myself that this is only a hobby!

I know what you mean Bob. I've got that many different lengths of chain hanging around I'm starting to forget what bar its for. I also seem to be trying out and testing more of my stock than I'm actually selling! Luckily its not my main income...

 

[Lindsay]

Thanks for posting the pics MCW. Some of the photo's that are around are unreal.
Where about 10 km as the crow flies off one of the complex's in east gippsland (dargo area). Although it's died down due to the cold weather if we get another 48 celsius (117 fehrenheit) day and north wind I think it will ark up again. In the 2006 fires we had some American fire fighters staying in town and they where shocked at just how bad they are over here.
But as MCW said the whole country's not on fire.

 

[rxe]

I have an 880, and whoever said it was their least used saw was right - but when you do need it, it is the tool for the job.

A friend wanted a very large oak tree slabbed up for firewood - 4 foot at the base, tapering to about 3ft at the first branches - so lots of cuts with a 48" bar. You don't feel the weight, just let the saw fall though the wood. Of course, you need to drive to the site - you're not going to walk far with that saw.

I don't think I would have the strength to fell a tree with an 880. Holding it sideways and accurately would be very hard indeed.

Don't regret buying it though!

 

[Seanjeppson]

Does anyone on here know where mods for the 880 mag can be purchased? such as muffler, coil, carb.... I have a new 880, and it is a gutless pos,, my 66 will out cut it all day long. doesn't have a enough power to cut threw elm, without pluging up the chain every 5 secs.. I cut up a 48" elm about 40' long with my 66 and a 25" bar faster then the 88 with a 48" bar could cut 2 logs. another guy I know was always talking up his 88 and brought it out and was no better. very unimpressed with the 880 magnum

 

[showrguy]

biggest thing you need for that saw is an unlimited coil or one limited much higher than stock, which i think is 11,500 rpm..
equally important is opening up the muffler so it can breathe..
mine was a turd (to me) in stock form also, so it made a trip to the doctor's office for surgery..........search, "mastermind meets the ms880"..
mine had the cast muffler, i have another one with the stainless muffler....they are different in more than one way..
welcome to the site...

edit; you may not want to hang out here very much........could get expensive... sure is fun though..

 

[Seanjeppson]

Thanks for the reply. Yes it is a turd, we have had a tree service for 50 years this year, and have ha many big saws, a homelite 3100, a 084 an now the 880. The 3100 is a beast. Best big saw by far. Was hoping the 880 was going to be similar, not even close. Maybe with some surgery as you say it will wake up

 

[sawfun]

A stock 880 is almost not worth having as a used old Mac is better, however a properly ported 880 is the saw it should have been from the factory. Still, on bars over 60" I would rather have a big old gear drive.

 

[Seanjeppson]

Ya, the 3100 we use to have was a gear drive with a 60" bar. Cut like butter!!

 

[sawfun]

Yup, my 090G with a 72" does the same.

 

[MCW]

Yup, my 090G with a 72" does the same.

I run a 3120 (Australian version with 12,000rpm limiter) and honestly thought it pulled a 60-72" bar pretty well, even in dead Australian hardwood. Then a mate arrives one day and sinks his 090 into a massive Redgum log with a 72" bar and .404" Stihl 46RS and I was actually quite blown away by the torque of the thing. My 3120 with that length bar wouldn't stand a chance and I gained a whole lot more respect for those old saws.

 

[sawfun]

I have never run a 3120, but a logger that has told me the 880's a best at 36 - 50 inch and the 3120's are better at 60 inch and above. My stock 088 and 880 would not pull a 60 inch bar buried in anything. It would just stop both saws. I haven't run them since having themported with that long a bar. My non "G" 090's sure love 60 inch bars though. The harder you pull the better they run. It really loads that big cylinder I'm thinking.

 

[MCW]

I have never run a 3120, but a logger that has told me the 880's a best at 36 - 50 inch and the 3120's are better at 60 inch and above. My stock 088 and 880 would not pull a 60 inch bar buried in anything. It would just stop both saws. I haven't run them since having themported with that long a bar. My non "G" 090's sure love 60 inch bars though. The harder you pull the better they run. It really loads that big cylinder I'm thinking.

I've run Australian versions of both the 3120 and MS880 side by side with long bars and in all honesty you'd be clutching at straws to pick any difference in performance. They are both overweight boat anchor fuel hogs

 

[Stihl 041S]

I run a 3120 (Australian version with 12,000rpm limiter) and honestly thought it pulled a 60-72" bar pretty well, even in dead Australian hardwood. Then a mate arrives one day and sinks his 090 into a massive Redgum log with a 72" bar and .404" Stihl 46RS and I was actually quite blown away by the torque of the thing. My 3120 with that length bar wouldn't stand a chance and I gained a whole lot more respect for those old saws.

Hey Matt!!!
I ran my MM Ported Oh-Nine-Oh today.
I just don't care.
Really pulls.
But I couldn't find my 16" bar for the 090 anywhere.....
Hope all is well.

 

[splitpost]

the lowdown on the new 880 read thishttp://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/new-ms-880-coil-swap.194391/