Milling Ash with the Holzfforma G388, G444, and G660

[@billgreene7456]

It's always great watching Cy work and solve problems...he never seems to get flustered orfrustrated. I can count on his channel for sincere evaluations and homey wit.Very entertaining to me because I enjoy cutting and using chainsaws.

[@nospam3409]

Thanks for the video! I'd probably sharpen and then time the G660 again just to see how much of a difference it made.

[@twintwo1429]

Been looking at a lot of chainsaw vids lately, over a year to be honest. I keep coming back to you, mister . Real man in a real world, and great work ethic. Thanks uncle Cy.

[@JoeWayne84]

Roll the logs onto a tarp on ground and pressure wash them day before with a zero tip might help ya with chain sharpness lasting as long as possible.

[@IgotHeliFever]

Beautiful slabs Cy! but awfully hard work ! That's why You have 2 of my old saws as I just couldn't do that kinda stuff anymore!! : ) : ) Great job My Friend!! : ) : )

[@cziprick]

I know the log is dry but that looks like flour coming out. Bet that Ash dulls the chain mighty quick!

[@peterellis4262]

Thank you for doing the comparison for us ;) I wonder how much difference the width of the cut made in terms of the saw's cutting speeds. Would the 388 still be marginally faster if it had as much of the chain in contact through the cut, or was the apparent difference in cutting speed due to having less drag? Any way you look at it, all three saws were getting the job done ;)

[@moochythecat3435]

Cutting more powder than chip... I think the chain needs a different grind... but the power-head is working great....

[@yendis1168]

Is that a custom mill? Looks heavy Duty. I Got a cheap one from Amazon and had to reinforce it in a few areas.

[@ruralrules3341]

Great video mate! You could always put a stainless nut on the end of the gas line above the filter. No more bogging👍 have a great week💪

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

I am.planning to do an update video over the saws that I have soon. When will depend on what help I can get.

[@jouman450]

G388 - fuel filter floats up to the tank cap and then it gets no fuel. Just take the cap off and press down the filter with a screw driver.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

That would explain the bogging. I wonder why the other saws don't do that? length of the gas line maybe?

[@alexbrappp5427]

Hows the g660 doing? I'm looking into one!

[@edob3421]

hello, congratulations for your work and for the videos! I wanted to ask you what is the maximum width of the boards that can be obtained with a 105 cc chainsaw, based on your experience. thank you

[@jwhodson]

My 660 loves a sharp chain for sure. I sharpen every 10 min or so of run time. Makes a huge difference also on my back i dont have to push much at all.

[@96cr]

I wonder if the saw was trying to seize up? Maybe pull muff and look for scoring?

[@jerryhayden8720]

I put overdrive gears in the transmission of a very powerful large motorcycle once and it got better mpg when I was cruising but the power wasn't nearly as good on top end because the leverage went the opposite direction. Do as you wish but I'm not going to put in a higher ratio sprocket unless I'm going to be cutting some very soft wood. Definitely not hardwood. I don't want to stress the motor. Make that dude last. Just my two cents.

[@karlschupp8552]

Great video! Helps me to get off my butt and get my own milling project going. Ever thought about scrounging some parts off eBay and making your own wider mouth bandsaw mill? Maybe an electric one?

[@fudgymcfudgerson6291]

im here from the future to ask... Did you get that milling project going?

[@habbestad77]

Hi, looking into buying one of theese. Very good video's . Which one is the most fuel efficient one? Which has the latest technology? And if you had too choose your favourit allrounder which will it be?

[@e954rr2]

Love the wheels

[@Gruuvin1]

I like your bumper music. Where'd that come from?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

It's called Basmadi I got it o. Epidemic sound. Link in the description.

[@foghornleghorn3478]

Well howdy cy I have milled a few big slabs buy saw myself I do own a saw shop and have a question about your chain 1is it the hutzl chain two its not clearing out or is it even biting in the cut rakers high or ? The reason I say this is the quality of the saw chips they which on the video looks to be more dust then anything good video sir and great times

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

The Chain is brand new and is the one that is shipped with the Laser 36 inch milling bar I was using. This Ash log is very dry after sitting for nearly 5 years, good chance the outter inch or 2 was so dry it broke up into dust. Most people mill green, I know I do, but when I got this log I did not have a saw big enough to mill it, (oh how times have changed LOL). Now that being said by the time I got to the G660 the chain was indeed in need of sharpening (I think I mention that in the video). And as a side note these saws do not come with bars or chains unless you order them as an extra, also Farmertec has started making their chains with German imported steel, first one I have gotten has gone through 4 tanks on the G444 and is still sharp.

[@envyeverytime8141]

Please sr can you helpme I want to buy one of 42" saw cant you tell me one holzforma to work well thanks

[@twintwo1429]

A thought: if a chain is not sharpened properly, it could track towards or away from the jig frame. This might cause overload and hence, bogging. Uncle CY, is there any device to help with uniform chain tooth sharpening? This is one thing I haven't been able to get adjusted to. But I sure have learned to maintain, repair ,and service numerous chainsaws. Too much for my little brain, PLEASE HELP.

[@dustydave9347]

Very good comparison. Didn't you get the 070 clone as well. I know it's a different pitch but I wonder how it would fair against those 3.

[@harrisonp3727]

Nice cutting

[@donpetrey8007]

Are you running a ripping chain as to not load up the saw to much.

[@Robb403]

That looked like a back breaker. But, those are nice slabs. Have you ever seen the chains with the carbide tipped cutters that rescue workers use to cut through pretty much anything? I'm sure a whole chain is probably expensive. But, I wonder if adding a few of those cutters to a ripping chain would make it work better and stay sharp longer?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

Yea those chains are usually 3 to 5 times more expensive. But I dont know if I can get them with a RIP grind. Something to look into.

[@gastonpazos8495]

Hello how are you? recently acquired a chainsaw similar to the G388 model, in my country it is marketed with a different brand in appearance is the same, do you recommend it for milling semi-soft woods, oregon, cypress and the like? it comes equipped with a 24 ", greetings.

[@wesn573]

I bought the g388 because of this video! I will use it for bucking firewood and milling mostly madrone. Any advice after running this for a while? It arrives today and I am very excited. I have a 32" bar for milling running a 10 degree edge. Think I should run an aux oiler etc?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

With a 32 inch bar yoi should be OK. I don't recall if the 388 has an adjustable oiler, if it does max it out and you will be good. An oiler on the mill is still a good idea though. When you do mill with it try to let it idle for a minute or so after a cut before shutting it off. It helps the motor cool down a bit more slowly so it doesn't crack any castings by cooling from a high temp to dead cool too fast. Good luck and do enjoy the saw.

[@kevinpilkington6527]

I prefer non ethanol gas for my saws and with heavy oil mixes I take out the muffler screens...Beautiful Slabs, great footage of video. Thank You!

[@JoeWayne84]

Thanks for the video, What chain or you using or do you prefer for a smooth/relative fast cut

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

The bar and milling chain were brand new for this video. But yes it was a milling chain. 10 degree cutters.

[@Bub1time]

I finally purchased this saw and its been working great so far. I'd like to buy and bigger bar for it. Would only stihl bars fit for oiling or can i use say a Oregon 343RNDD009 .063" Gauge 3/8" Pitch 34" Power Match Bar? I'd even be willing to find other aftermarket bars for it but just not sure which will fit for oiling purposes.

[@ronreynolds5580]

Hey im looking to do the same thing, what bar did u go with?

[@ivanmarmeladof3813]

OEM Stihl saw 36" bar cost more then whole Farmatec saw together with bar and chain, lol

[@sundial6919]

Be nice if sawdust bellowed out behind the cut

[@joelnorn154]

For a chinese was sounds good. Seem like lots of dust instead of chips . Oak and dull chain?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

Very Dry Ash and the chain was very sharp. Milling always lets off a lot of dust with the chips in dry wood.

[@Ecthelion_2nd]

Did you sharpen the chain between cuts?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

Between saws yes.

[@Vitas_1214]

Can you please share what is the oil mix ratio for g660, Thank you!

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

I run 40 to 1 in mine. I have heard others run Sthil oil in a 50 to 1 mix and have no problem.

[@leakso1]

Hi cy, all the way from Northern Ireland. So, I've just ordered a g660, you have had yours for a while now, so with ur knowledge, is there any parts you would change from the start on the g660 knowing what you know now. Mine will be used for some arborist work, but mostly for milling. I have ordered a 25"bar and also a 36". Is there any parts you would change on it if u were to buy another. Thanks for ur videos and time u take to make them. Ur one of my favourite creator's on KZbin. David

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

My G660 came with problems that were caused by a load shifting while in transport, otherwise it was fine. Its a rare thing that they come with that kind of damage. So I wouldn't worry too much. Mine has been going strong for about a year now with no need to replace anything except the stuff that got broken in transport. My recommendation is to just go ahead and use it and fix problems as they arise like we do with any chainsaw.

[@leakso1]

@@DIYwithUncleCy that's great to know cy. I can't wait to get the beast.

[@MarcMayrand]

Did you have to change the chain drive link count when you switched to an 8 toothed sprocket? I currently have the G666 with the 28” bar from holzfforma. I want to go to a 36” bar to use on my mill. Also what do you recommend for break in fuel ratio and how many tanks?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

I did not have to change DL count, but I believe its just that I got lucky. It does pull the bar in very close to the sprocket. I broke all of these in with 3 tanks of 40 to 1.

[@jamespond3097]

How can you stop the slabs cracking whilst drying out? I have cut two slabs and they both cracked beyond help.

[@ripntearslayer9101]

Either as a log or right after milling (definately when still wet) apply Anchor Seal to the end grain. This slows the drying process to a point in which the fibers of the wood can adjust to the drying. It almost, if not completely, eliminates the checking and cracking

[@jamespond3097]

@@ripntearslayer9101 Thanks, I applied a load of grease to each end on the last lot, I will give that anchor seal a go next.

[@davidjanuszewski5020]

Are you using Ripping-chains, if not , why?

[@viclrice]

I’ve been watching these G660 vids for almost a year, Cy’s being the best. Finally decided to get one for milling, which I’ve not done before (just bucking firewood with my Husky 455). I got the Oregon 363RNDD009. It does not fit. The slot is too narrow for the mounting studs. Is this a large vs small mount issue? I can’t seem to find a bar spec regarding this slots width. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

Any bar that will fit an MS 660 should work. The G660 is a large mount. I bought the Lazer 36 inch milling bar and chain on eBay and it has been a real champ.

[@viclrice]

Thanks much Cy. I think I needed a bit better research. Looks like replacing the 009 with 025 gets me the large mount version of the same bar. Not obvious from the Amazon listing. However I’m definitely checking out the Lazer option. Thanks again. I really enjoy your vids.

[@floydbeard5073]

Did you order any of your Holzfforma come from Ebay and how did it take you to receive any of your Holzfforma shaw's thanks.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

I deal directly with Holzfforma. Well at least their website. LOL . Haven't bought from them on eBay have on Amazon. They are generally shipped from china so 2 to 3 weeks. My understanding is they are opening up a US based warehouse to alleviate that problem.

[@floydbeard5073]

@@DIYwithUncleCy okay was was just wonder Huzlt has a Ebay business page also and I was reading the description and the notes to call the is custom to ask for price of there checking I wasn't sure if something has change or what I have never had to pay custom's for over seas items.

[@milkman2591]

@@floydbeard5073 I've bought 3 or 4 saws direct from the huztl.net site and several orders of various parts. They have a customer service message interface on the site. Some countries charge for importing goods, in the us we dont have to.

[@ramoutdoors6415]

Good vid Cy! Couple questions. Is that ur home made mill and is it 3/4" tubing? And how long is the mill? I goin to mill a coule oak logs purty much the same size if not a little bigger. Many thanks! Richard from Kansas;)

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

The Alaskan mill I made is from 1 inch square tubing. The brace on top is 3/4 tubing. I made it 48 inches but only have a 42 inch bar as the largest. Been running it recently with a 36 inch bar. I do have a video on my channel of the build of the mill too.

[@ramoutdoors6415]

@@DIYwithUncleCy I will see if I can find it and thank you very much!!!! Richard from Kansas;)

[@Ecthelion_2nd]

I would say that the tooth count on the sprocket fewer teeth will be faster. More teeth is higher speed lower torque, fewer teeth is lower speed higher torque.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

You are correct on torque and speed. However the torque of a 90cc is far greater than that of the 70cc saws. All 3 are tuned to 12500 max rpm and even at with the 8 tooth sprocket on the 660 with the 36 inch bar buried I am pretty sure it is pulling the same torque as the other two.

[@Happy-Hunter89]

Good comparison video. I'm a little surprised the G660 didn't do a whole lot better. I started chainsaw milling with my Stihl 441, and I quickly realized I wanted more power. I purchased a G660 for this purpose, and have been very happy with it as a milling saw. Did you sharpen between cuts? I notice my speed decrease a bit after every cut when slabbing trees with bark. Thanks for the video, it's stuff like this that help people figure out the chainsaw milling process. When I was just starting there wasn't much in the way of help online, I ended up figuring most of it out on my own.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

This log was about as dry as a log can get, and it is Ash. Dry ash is extremely hard. I made note about the sharpening in the video.

[@gregrupar135]

Is that a rip chain? The chips don’t look like it

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

This tree was cut down in 2011. Milling is taking place in 2019. The factt hat this log had 8 years to dry out made it incredibly hard and though the chain is a rip chain , dry wood is a lot harder than a log that sat for, say 2 years. So tends to be more difficult to cut. And there was No way to make it cut clean like I can with a greener log. So the dust was powdery even with a sharp rip chain. This is something most guys that mill with chainsaws never discover because they don't normally slab logs that have been drying for that many years. Also if it were pine or another softer wood the resulting chips would have been chunkier not so much the case with Ash.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

In the video I said I have had the log for 4.5 years, which was true, but it had been down since 2011.

[@ronreynolds5580]

What do you use mostly for daily milling?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

The G660.

[@ronreynolds5580]

@@DIYwithUncleCy thanks, ill go get 1 then. It seems cheaper on the .net website, do u have an affiliate link?

[@HaftardsGuideService]

Looked like it was dusting out and not getting a good cut

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

You have not read the com.entys have you. LoL

[@wyattmalloy7828]

Wish I could have one but I can't afford one

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Hey Cy, I was thinking about the ash log being dry and you confirmed it. Have you considered a winch assist? A friend of mine suggested to me to continue to use my modified aluminum ladder as the metal on metal reduces the friction? Looked like it was a bit of a struggle when you got to the widest portion? Thanks for your demo and thoughts on the milling.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

I have a winch for mine but wanted to do the test by hand. Yea winch makes a big difference and yes the wide part was a bear.

[@3208catbird]

Ash is hard wood and heavy! It's windy and hard to tell in your demo, but I'm not sure your getting chips. Looks more like saw dust. Are your rakers filed down enough? There's a fine line between too much and too little of a bite. A sharp saw can start running hot and bog, cutting dust.

[@garymcmullin2292]

you cut times depend on how much of the bar is in wood, that is why the 388 appeared to be a faster saw, it was engaged with less wood. That 388 bog down was lean out...this comment too late now but check carb adjustment and for air leaks. Your carb adjust on the 660 was a bit lean too, better they four cycle a bit when in the cut, keeps 'em cooler and will allow better engine performance as a result. If you are using a skip tooth chain you may want to rethink that. I had a trip down that path because I read it somewhere back in the 80's. I ended up with regular chain and instead of square ground cutters for ripping I actually found best cut with some angle on the cutters, but much less than crosscut angle. Yeah I know....flies against all the conventional wisdom of chainsaw milling. Your cut will be a bit rougher from chain wandering around but the saw will not work as hard and you will not have to push as hard on that mill.

[@jimlyndoe2927]

Cy I enjoy your videos. I can't help but notice how dull your chains are.There should be long ribbons of wood coming out of the saw not dust or Bull Durham when ripping. I wish was there to give you a hand. Could show you the difference between sharp and dull. A good sharp chain would make your job a lot easier. Thanks for the videos.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

I garentee you that the saw was sharp. What you may fail to understand is that ash when dried for so long.is harder than most would think. Therefore it does not let off chip's like pine or even maple or walnut.

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

Even oak is softer

[@benscoles5085]

cross cut = chips,.. rip cut like Cy is, starting at the end of the log = chips and dust (you will not get ribbons using this technique),.. cut length wise, starting from the bark side down through = ribbons...

[@toolspayless]

Pretty dusty looking job?

[@johnscott2849]

Are you using a ripping chain?

[@DIYwithUncleCy]

Yep. Lazer 36 inch bar and ripping chain. It is a very dry log and Ash is hard as all get out when dry.

[@johnscott2849]

To me ash is the hardest wood around here to cut. Slows my saw every time I cut it.

[@moline800hdyup4]

Try cutting locust..sparks will fly it's hard as concrete

[@intheshell35ify]

Too much dust man, where's the hash browns?!?

[@glholden30]

Y

[@PaulyV56]

Sawdust. Sorry.

[@moochythecat3435]

Chain needs more depth of cut... the rakers are too high...