Testing a New Portable Chainsaw Mill using Logs from our Property

Excited to test out a new chainsaw mill for the first time with logs from our property. Will we get usable lumber? How well does the new portable chainsaw mill by Zozen work? Worth the buy?
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Music: XVKZSIX1ECXRAKDM

[@maddawgnoll]

Just a small tip. Lay your log high on the side you start cutting. With the downhill angle the saw will basically feed itself though the cut so your not having to work as hard

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks!

[@robb1165]

I would be on the fence about a ripping chain. They are sharpened to about a 10 to15 degree angle instead of the 30 degrees of a regular chain. They cut slower but smoother. And they need more feed pressure to cut without dulling. Older dry wood is even harder to cut than fresh wood. I would go with a skip tooth chain. Skip tooth to reduce the load on the saw. Those long cuts are hard on the saw so I would keep the mixture on the rich side. If you add more oil to the fuel as some recommend, it leans the air fuel ratio and the carb should be adjusted richer. Should let it idle a little to let it cool down every three or four feet of cut and a minute or so at the end of the cut. They sell Auxillary Oilers for the end of the bar that do require drilling a hole in the rather hard bar.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for all the info. I guess it will depend on how much we plan to use it and such. Have seen those auxillary oilers, looks like the thing to get.

[@judyriel3463]

Just bought one for my old man ,ya old,thinks he can do this,chainsaws weren't invented back then, he didn't hurt himself putting it together, guess I'll buy him the saw ,maybe a chain next year , the mill is exceptional, excellent hardware and a great locking system quit looking for different brand I've done that ,great buy and quality

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Amy and Bryan, I have viewed many videos where a chain saw mill was used and it is recommended to use a ripping blade instead of the common cross cut blade. The ripping blade seems to make it easier to cut through the log. Both of you stay safe.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

I think that's what we determined as well. It was our first time using one and also a brand new chainsaw, so a learning experience all around!

[@Hapotecario]

@@ColoradoMountainLiving I don't think this is correct. Ripping chains make the cut cleaner or without waves or dents. Ripping chains don't make executing the cut, easier.

[@AwakeningWARRlOR]

Wrong​@@Hapotecario

[@Hapotecario]

@@AwakeningWARRlOR I enjoyed very much your in depth explanation. Thanks.

[@davidparker7372]

Smart move with all the sawdust feeding your gardens! I'll chock he uphill sawing to your excitement to use that thing! LOL (I would have done the same) awesome informative video!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

haha sawdust should keep the weeds down.

[@ryangrimm9305]

I got my Zozen mill last fall, and have a few suggestions: 1) For any bolts or set screws that you will never remove, use a removable form of LOCTITE. This will prevent them from loosening, but can still be removed or adjusted should you need to. 2) On bolts, nuts and set screws that you WILL be removing for adjustments, I secure them with some blue painter's tape. Easy to remove, except might be a bit stiff in cold weather. 3) Keep a small ziploc bag of extra nuts and set screws to hand, with a bit of that blue painter's tape. Stick that in the same bag the tools that came with the Zozen miller came with. 4) While the scales on the vertical adjustment posts are nice, don't depend on them for accuracy. Instead, use your own tape measure to ensure you have the right cutting depths. 5) Last but not least, you can get extension rails as extrusions from supply houses like FASTENAL. Just measure to make sure you order the fight sizes, as metric and USA sizes are available. You can also get rail joiners etc. to fit the extrusions, with the possibility of making an absurdly large tool able to mill redwood trees....should you find a chainsaw capable of it. DON'T FORGET you should use ripping chain. You can buy it already sharpened for ripping, or you can look up here on KZbin how to modify your own conventional chain.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for all the tips- really good stuff here!!

[@sherry2836]

Well you certainly have the trees, you are a builder and wood worker and with the price of lumber I would say definitely worth it!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

I think it will be a great tool for us!!

[@1NationMediaUS]

I just put ZOZEN mill together this morning for 6X6 dock pylons. Got the ripping chain for my 550xp 22', because numerous amazon comments suggested it. I cant wait to try it. My mother in-laws lake dock was built by a rookie and it fell apart within 3 years after buying the home. Granted he built it 2 years prior. but still, on a lake that freezes and ice shifts, 4x4s are not the way. So we've got 19 acres up here in the Rockies (Boulder County) and we've been wanting to take down all the standing dead and fallen wood to mitigate. There's huge spruce and Lodgepoles to be milled aside from the fuelwood we use regularly. This summer is gonna be a BLAST!! FREEEE LUMBER BABY! I looked up 6x6x8, 10, and 12, depending on factors, they're all roughly $35 to $50 each! When you need 12 pilons it gets expensive. Saved mom about $550 on the pilons alone. NOW ITS FREE for you and me!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Very cool!! congrats!!

[@carljensen5730]

Great video. I had a 135 foot eucalyptus tree fall on my property and I kept some of the large logs. I purchased one of these chainsaw mills and I'm going to try it out soon. Thanks.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

So cool!!

[@velvetreynolds5458]

Looks good

[@ZafodB3]

Bryan, Granberg makes, and I'm sure you can find others brands as well, a ripping blade because the sharpen angle is 10 degrees, I think. Also, you can get a sharpening service to re-sharpen your used Oilomatics to the rip-cutting angle as well. This will ease the cutting a bit. I 2" slabbed a Black Locust with a Stihl Farm Boss and a 20 in blade in my Granberg Mini-Alaskan-Mill. Brutal and I now have a new respect for the cheap HF chainsaw mill that, maybe someday, I might buy. In the end I hoped to get a good Telecaster Slab but the wood is riddled with pocket rot but its dry now!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

It just came in the mail, so we'll test it out and see how it goes. Thanks for the info!!

[@tomfillmore9710]

That was great enjoyed watching that would be a very handy tool to have always wanted a wood mill put to cheap to buy one have a great week thanks for sharing

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidtom6120]

VERY NICE.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Andy97906]

the this helped me a lot. thank yall

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

You're welcome!

[@borisperez3129]

Good job. Character bugs and all 👍

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks! I think a ripping chain would perform smoother.

[@jdjeep46]

Nice video. I bought a Woodland Mills HM126 with the upgraded 14 horse motor. Very affordable and much easier than the chainsaw mill.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for the info!

[@gumbystown]

Yeah that's a lot of work for that little saw a lot I have done some Milling like that I have a Mill like that and it is a workout you should have a oil bottle so you can drop oil on your chain as you're going

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Right on. We saw that in another video. I think we'll get the hang of it; first time video's are a little awkward.

[@davemi00]

Nice.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks!

[@glennwisse6271]

You could also add a rope wench to poll the saw along on those big logs.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Nice idea!

[@Bernie5172]

good show folks

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks!

[@woodnyardjunkie]

If budget allows get a 661 cm so you have more hp and dont have to tune it. Will cut through more efficiently..90 cc vs 60 cc

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for the tip!

[@AwakeningWARRlOR]

Hopefully you're using a RIP chain and not the standard cross cut chain. Under the orange top cap there's a orange rectangular piece to be reversed depending if your doing winter or summer work, air flow to the carb.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for the tips!

[@glennwisse6271]

Very cool video. It seems that your log is very low. Much easier to mill with it up at chest height and with nothing in the way to step over.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for the tips!

[@cygnus1965]

Get a tuning screwdriver and dial the saw in a bit. Seems to be running a tad rich. Between that and the ripping blade I think you find it cuts a bit easier.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

ok thanks!

[@cygnus1965]

Then 2 mins later you mention tuning. Lol

[@donaldbassett8769]

HI GUYS great content Bryan get yourself some leg pertactin chaps

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Was just looking at a pair! thanks!!

[@charliemowry774]

Oiler,or just have some one pour lube on your bar tip, the limys use water 😊😊😊😊

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Good tip!

[@gumbystown]

I turned all of our outer cuts in the benches and put them around the property

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

NICE!! I like the sound. of that.

[@rock7282]

Try to keep your saw on the same angle and not rock it back-and-forth that way you won’t get scalloping out of your wood

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

thanks!

[@MrThenry1988]

Oragon ripping chain. Get one. Much smoother cut. Don't sesaw the saw back and forth. That doesn't make it faster. Get a winch. This will keep you from working it back and forth and you won't have to push as much. I make slabs galore with my granberg mill and a 660. Check out my last 2 videos. 5 minutes to go 6 foot is normal.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Awesome! Thanks for the tips!!

[@mosalim2166]

i just moved to a new place with some big trees fall on ground and i want to clear them but company quote me high price im thinking of this as option to get to make tables from logs

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

That's great! It's really not too expensive to try out, if you already have the chainsaw.

[@sinalco54]

Do you know what is the dimension of aluminium profile? I want to cut one big log but at the moment Zozen isn't selling extending kit anymore so I would like to buy aluminium profiles separately. I see that there are two sizes but from the video I can't be sure which ones they are.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Sorry, not off the top of my head. Didn't we go over the sizing in the video?

[@sinalco54]

I didn't hear you saying them :( @@ColoradoMountainLiving

[@danahopkins4090]

If you are looking for extruded aluminum like that in the video, get 8020 material, it's available from McMaster Carr.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks for sharing!

[@scottproquad]

Love your puffer jacket. Who’s it made by?

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks. think it's calvin klein

[@canamrider7195]

Is that saw a 362? From a chainsaw nerd, that saw is considered a bit small for such milling.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

its a 391

[@gerryschalkwijk5609]

use the ladder on each cut to extend the cut past the end of log

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

great suggestion!

[@glennwisse6271]

@@ColoradoMountainLivingthat would take forever. You’re doing it just finr

[@marvalus11]

Brian needs some chaps.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

yes he does!

[@ChuckBronson100]

Hi Amy and Brian, maybe I missed it but did you use a ripping chain on your new Stihl chainsaw? It will preform better. Great job.

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Not yet! We are getting one though. Looking at Grandberg- any recommendations?

[@ChuckBronson100]

@@ColoradoMountainLiving I would think there are lots to choose from but maybe what Stihl would sell or recommend. Love your projects.

[@dibiase9502]

Anyone here ever put the 12 inch extensions on both ends of the 36” mill, making it a 60” mill? A seller on Amazon says it will do this, just wondering if anybody has done it in real life. Thanks

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

interesting question!

[@ronkolacek9645]

Where have you guys been?

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

On a weather delay lol. Been COLD here!

[@stullstaxidermy]

Look up how to put a crank on it it’s a lot easier

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Sounds cool!

[@josehigino271]

Quantos dólares custa este ferramenta

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

About $120

[@user-nb6gc4sw1r]

Hello, sir.🇹🇭🙏 0:34

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

yes!

[@UsDiYoNa]

I like her hat

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks!!

[@garnettcoy]

wear those chaps bro

[@garnettcoy]

let your saw run for a while after your cut

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks!!

[@bizzylife2140]

Amy you have a striking resemblance to Sandra bullock thought I'd let ya know

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Thanks! Ive heard that a few time before 😊

[@ericbroussard4310]

Hello, god for cur a wood 👍. Good day for you 🙏

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Yes, thank you

[@greg2gotravel]

run through a planer

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

We were thinking that too!

[@WniGrup]

You let the log sit, unpeeled and exposed to the weather and payed the price. Wrong chain for the job eh?

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

Consider it a practice run :)

[@jackterry7664]

If you have nothing but time on your hands, go for it, otherwise buy lumber!

[@ColoradoMountainLiving]

haha. there's some joy in the creation though.