Watch this BEFORE buying a chainsaw mill.

Professional Homeowner Cole Taylor

[@coletaylor123]

Subscribe if you use a chainsaw mill 👍

[@samuelluria4744]

I will think about it....I mean....I _used to_ use a chainsaw mill.....nowadays, I almost always go freehand....

[@allyxample65]

Yes I’ve gag two blue max saws and so far they have ran better than my husky the only problem is the chin is soft so they stretch to much so I replaced the bar and chain with my husky bar and chain

[@samuelluria4744]

@@allyxample65 - Chi-Com says _WHAT?!?_

[@enchantedmountain5354]

When you say milling blade, do you mean ripping blade?

[@coletaylor123]

Hi Enchantedmountain, yes milling/ripping chains same thing

[@Hill_billy_fred]

I have been using a Sthil 271 with a 24” bar and rip chain for 3 years. It gets the job done just fine, let the saw do the job and not force it.

[@jebbkinney8516]

I've used my Stihl 310 on pretty big Douglas Fir and some smaller fir old growth running a 28" bar but use my 660 with 42" and bigger or on hardwood

[@enchantedmountain5354]

Thanks for sharing, which mill are you using?

[@annfinke5365]

This is one of the best videos I've seen about chainsaw milling and points out practical aspects for consideration. I have been thinking about whether to get a Granberg and I'm now thinking that what I probably need is to find a local with a mill (actually a neighbor has one) who would be willing to mill my timber for me. I will rarely be cutting timber that I would want useable lumber from (mostly now I am cutting firewood), and I can always get one later if it becomes a more serious endeavor.

[@johnk.3593]

I have a farmmac 660, it's a clone of the ms660. Haven't had that many problems with it. You're right about idling the saw before and especially after every cut, they need to cool down.

[@johnk.3593]

@@aerialrescuesolutions3277 when I say problems, I didn't say what they were. I also have one of those overpriced german saws. I can buy 5 farmmacs for the price of one ms660/661 and that german saw won't last any longer.

[@bobhan6395]

​@aerialrescuesolutions3277 Cole's chainsaw mechanic friend must be working on clones only. Professionals should get best brands they could get, new homesteaders or DIYers may need good clones which is better than a no chainsaw. All chainsaws are made in China or made with Chinese parts especially German manufacturers. How do you think they make such good clones?

[@KevinSouthwick-ue9js]

​@aerialrescuesolutions3277 lol where are all the problems you're referring to? For four times the price I'll pass.

[@FatherOfTheParty]

Great points. I have a bandsaw mill and it's great for logs that I can get to and transport with my tractor. On my property, I also have a lot of dead standing / downed trees that I either can't get to easily with my tractor or, they're simply too big for my tractor or my bandsaw mill. Slabbing out a 36" Honey Locust where it fell means I get access to wood that I would otherwise not.

[@giessjh6]

Right on with your point Otherwise it goes to firewood or rots

[@MrSprintcat]

Exactly

[@Skinnymoose]

Absolutely

[@samuelluria4744]

Jealous of your Honey Locust harvest. Great wood.

[@way2manyhobbies]

Best chainsaw milling video on KZbin! Every other video just shows milling. You teach the finer points of milling. Bandsaw miller's can learn from this video also. 👍

[@Suzuki_Hiakura]

Things to know before buying a chainsaw mill, and here I didn't even know that was a thing. Been looking into making or buying a bandsaw to cut boards, and the price is almost always too high for me. Good to know there is another alternative :D

[@soundsmith703]

Great information! I have been doing research concerning chainsaw milling. I am glad I came across your video. Great content, Thank you!

[@jeffrichardson8466]

So many questions have been answered in such a short time. Thank you

[@notRCrosleyHacked]

Thanks for the very clear and important video. I am a novice and appreciate the advice.

[@savyor1839]

Another big advantage to an Alaskan mill is that you rip the lumber where the tree was felled, and don’t have to transport heavy lumber to the mill. Not really an issue for industrial forestry who build roads for this exact purpose, but a boon to the small scale diyer, especially when you’re selectively felling trees

[@wkmac2]

Very informative and good information to consider. I'm at that place of Chainsaw Mill or Bandsaw mill and you gave me a lot to think about on Pros/Cons I've not seen elsewhere. Thank you Sir!

[@marlinblack6597]

Excellent advice, thank you. Much to consider.

[@gregorymackinnon7537]

Cole, just stumbled on your channel. I also have a Logosol F8, mainly use it for milling rough 6x6. Power head is the 661. You have some great points. Most of the time I do find the mill to be a main in the ass. But the fact that I can carry the mill to the tree is why I have this rig on the wood lot. Thanks again.

[@kensaunders2038]

I have a Holzfforma g070 105 cc power head. I've been using it for 4 years now. This is the first year i've had difficulty starting it. I have ordered tune up bits. It still has great compression. I've been using it primarily on sweet gum and pine, with the occasional red oak and am only running a 42" bar.

[@riverdigger2497]

Great video!! Bed rails are some of the best cheap guides!!

[@BRENDANTHERED]

What a great idea!

[@wildcatcomms]

Awesome video, thanks for putting this together. 👍

[@ebinmaine]

Excellent points made! Thanks for posting this.

[@spiritualbeancoffee1031]

Excellent info. Clearly delivered. 💜

[@monicahallman1490]

I like the 90 cc for my Ash trees! Good info bro!

[@RKSingh-pi4dq]

I am so happy you posted this Video. I would like to Buy a Chain Saw Mill This video tells it all.. THANK YOU

[@coletaylor123]

Hey thanks RK Singh, going out right now to mill up some American beech slabs

[@ivanremillard499]

Great video. First time I’ve seen anyone use an extension ladder that way, such a good idea 👍

[@harmonicresonanceproject]

I learned a lot here, certainly enough to keep me out of trouble.

[@GwH11]

Great video! Nicely done! Great info!!

[@brendan2599]

I've got a farmertec ms660. It was purchased as a bax of parts and assembled by myself. Some OEM STIHL parts were used in place of the kit parts. It's also a good idea to upgrade to a high flow oiler if you plan to use it for milling. There is a lot more kerf waste with a chainsaw mill than a band mill, but the portability can't be beat. I can just toss the equipment in the back of my truck, head to a site, or atop when I see a log I like, and get to work. You take the mill to the wood, not the wood to the mill. The final cut slabs are much easier to movw than an entire log. A bandsaw mill will use less fuel per cut and the amount of physical effort will be much greater for the chainsaw. There are a lot of tradeoffs on both sides and I guess if one were to do it as a business it would be worth having both in the long run.

[@jeremytaylor1773]

Thanks for this info! I would add that a chainsaw mill gives you the liberty to cut logs where they fall. This is a great advantage if the logs are located in a hard-to-access area. Personally, I'm in an urban area (Atlanta) looking into chainsaw milling because I don't want to buy a tractor and grapple to move big logs onto a sawmill, nor do I have the space to store a tractor or sawmill. I want to cut them where they landed and easily carry the boards. If someone's tree falls in their fenced-in yard, I can't get all that equipment in there. But with a chainsaw mill I can cut it where it landed AND they get free mulch! Is it tedious? Yes. But getting all the equipment required for sawmilling takes a lot of added time and manpower as well, so in my situation where I'm just doing this as a side hustle in an urban area, chainsaw milling seems to make the most sense.

[@charliebutcher2679]

I have both the chainsaw mill and a small bandsaw mill the max log on my mill is about 20 in.. Clearing on our farm i often run into much larger logs my granburg mill and 660 clone saw allows me to make a few cuts and then Mr Sawmill takes over from there!

[@rusticwood]

Great video Cole thanks

[@tb504david]

Thank you for the information cole much appreciated, you have gained a thumbs 👍 an my subscription cheers🎉😊😊

[@ringerson4x4]

I have both. I look forward to running my bandsaw mill every time I come up with a new project. I cringe every time I have to use my homemade chainsaw mill, mostly because I know how sore I am going to be for 2 days after. The bandsaw mill was considerably more expensive at &11,500, compared to the $100 it cost me to make the chainsaw mill. I already owned the 262xp so most of the expense was the 24” bar and ripping chain. The other big hurdle with a bandsaw mill is handling logs. Without a piece of heavy equipment it’s very difficult to feed a bndsaw mill.

[@Memry-Man]

I milled a 36 inch oak with my holtzforma 372, and 392. I was amazed how well the 372 did, but I wanted to get the 392 to put a 42 inch bar on.

[@martinadams6067]

That's great information. Thank you

[@ejsocci2630]

True truth and thanks for sharing this information.

[@douglasmcleod7481]

i have a chinese ms 660 paid 450 5 yrs ago and put about 400 into it . i got a granberg 36 inch bar and 4 ripping chains . most of my wood in the northwest is softer so i have no issues with the saw . i dont use it as much as id like but i maybe have 100 slabs cut to date . subscribed

[@billtaylor3270]

We have been working with a husqvarna 3120xp with a 33in bar and ripping chain for 15 yrs. Reg maintenance and proper startup shutdown were presently building a square lig cabin on our land as a hunt 🏕

[@craigcoghlan546]

Thanks you, bort up sume points that I hadn't even thought of. I'll change my tacked to a bansaw mill Thanks again

[@brandonbonds11]

Thank you for indepth information, I plan to build a wrap around deck on my property and the current lumber price was gonna be like 6,000, since I have 4 acres and a lot of decent trees to mill I believed it will be more cost efficient to mill my own wood, now I have a solid confirmation thank you

[@coletaylor123]

Cool project Brandon. Do you think you’ll use a bandsaw or chainsaw to mill your lumber?

[@kencalling2796]

Great informative video. Thanks

[@SoulForgeHomestead]

I dont have any experience with this, but i would also imagine that another advantage of a chainsaw mill is that you can mill the tree where it is at without having to move it. Once milled it becomes a lot easier to carry out the individual boards. Is that a fair use case?

[@davesantos2514]

I mill with an old Jonsered 80 that's been upgraded with a Jonsered 90 P&C (89cc.) It pulls great torque.

[@garymcmullin2292]

I started milling back in the early 1980's, bought a brand new Jonsereds 910E and a Grandberg Alaskan Mill 36 inches. Did my last milling in the late 90's. The most significant thing learned by me was the physical strain of milling, it is taxing on the body to the max. I never had a hiccup with that Jonsered, out here in the Pacific Northwest I collected Black Walnut, Big Leaf Maple and Sycamore. I had a bunch of black walnut that were years old logs, dry and hard. I always rested my saw with idling, a guy has to have some savvy using a saw or you will smoke them. I also ran 32:1 oil. I never even tore that saw down for maintenance of any kind until this past winter. Did so because now I am collecting vintage saws and the ones I had were the first ones I started restoration on. Piston and cylinder is in premium condition, carbon build up was under a mm thick. Seals are still good, rebuilt the carb and replumbed the fuel lines for the first time. JUst take care of the saw by not pushing it and feed it a good oil mix. Oh yeah, I tried a variety of chains but settled on standard link with about a 10 degree cutter, Never did have good luck with skip chain of any kind. Kept the bars and chains in excellent working condition. And I made and auxillary oil tank that mounted on the far end of the mill, fed oil to the bar groove through a hole drilled just behind the sprocket assembly, keeping that chain well oiled is essential, less power robbing on the power head and chains and bars go more miles. A good read for chainsaw mill enthusiasts if Chainsaw Lumber Making by Will Maloof (sp?) he was a Canadian and had some real good instruction to offer in the book.

[@coletaylor123]

Awesome story Gary. Thanks for sharing. I wish you straight boards and a smooth running saw in the future

[@gregorymacneil2836]

I have used chainsaw mills for 30 years - I use a Stihl 090AV (137 cc) which can cut anything including spikes because it’s a long stroke engine - I only use it for large timber that cannot be easily brought to a mill! It is great for 2”-3” live edge slabs on special logs. Cutting dimensional lumber with a chainsaw mill is not worth you time. You can get a Woodland Mills bandsaw for $3500 - and it’s a good mill!

[@butchssurvivorranch360]

Great 👍 video very informative 👏

[@7425398]

Cole this was an awesome introduction video to milling. I work with chainsaws for my job and am used to square sharpening with machine and round filing by hand. Just wanted to know if you sharpen your milling chain by hand or machine? And also if you were able to make a video that would be awesome!

[@coletaylor123]

I sharpen all my chains by hand… that’s a good video idea, I’ll need to make one from start to finish. Thanks for the feedback

[@daletustison8550]

Very good. Accurate. Thank you

[@sammylacks4937]

Great points , keep your chains sharpened.

[@haydns7463]

Cool! Good to know

[@RobertCro]

Lol, if your friend manages a chainsaw repair and hates having repeat customers, something is wrong 😂 He should be loving the fact that people keep breaking things that he gets to fix, beautiful buisness.

[@KevinSouthwick-ue9js]

Finally someone sees the obvious.

[@jasonpinnix1905]

We do a lot of building out of true ruff cut lumber . True 2x 2,4 ,6,8 ,10 ,12 we don’t use and type of steel hangers all old school look .

[@IceInMaWeiner]

Good video, actual information instead of the usual common sense stuff with these titles

[@levilam522]

I have a chainsaw mill, and holzforma, use it when logs are to big for my little bandsaw mill, cut logs into cants then put them on my bandsaw mill... so far the holzforma has been fine, just a few logs so far... wouldn't want to use a chainsaw mill for everything I cut...

[@peterellis4262]

I've burned a Stihl 070 clone milling :( It's worth paying attention to your manufacturer's engine speed recommendations. I have both a chainsaw mill and a bandsaw mill, and it just makes sense to have both with our situation - 20 acres of woodland.

[@aaronenglish7522]

Blue saws are amazing and a 3rd of the cost.

[@308dad8]

Well I reckon if this is correct I shouldn’t get a chainsaw mill. I ain’t spending $1700 on a saw. And time your done buying a saw for the purpose and chain for the purpose and the mill why not just buy a bandsaw mill and be done? I had thought to buy a 50cc saw and a mill and make beams and board of fallen trees on my place

[@heykevwhatyouup2]

The biggest thing I found since chainsaw milling is the amount of effort it takes to cut a slab the first upgrade I am going to do is install a winch ,

[@coletaylor123]

Heykevwhatyouup2 if you really need to push into the cut you may have a dull chain… what kind of chain are you using?

[@heykevwhatyouup2]

@@coletaylor123 I use a 10 degree tooth skip chain , I watched a lot of videos before buying my milling set up a the biggest surprise was the amount of effort is required to actually make the cut , the saw does slightly pull itself in but you have to work the saw to stop it bogging down I use a neotec 105cc saw with a 42 inch bar

[@karenlewis5666]

Keep the chain sharp and file/grind the rakers down some until you get the slight grab that allows you to almost hold back the saw rather than push the saw! My bar has a nose sprocket grease hole so I frequently lube it and that allows for periodic engine cooling. Stihl MS660 28" bar, 72cc clone. Dennis- Welches pond, Oregon@@heykevwhatyouup2

[@peterellis4262]

@@heykevwhatyouup2 While I agree it is physical effort, what you're describing isn't exactly normal, it means there's something wrong with your set up or technique. BTDT, and there's a really dramatic improvement when you get it right.

[@brandonbrooks1177]

Great stuff man thank you! Some of my logs diameter are to big for a smaller $2500 bandsaw mill? I'm stuck here!?

[@coletaylor123]

Maybe a 120cc class chainsaw with like a 6’ bar? I’d like to get a giant bar for slabbing out giant live edge stuff

[@AgnesMariaL]

A neighbour of mine decades ago built his house using only an alaskan mill for making his lumber. All the folks here saying you can't get accurate cuts for dimensional or it's not efficient just don't know what they're talking about! I want one, and will be using my 455 rancher with a 36" bar. Mostly I'll be doing posts and beams, though; anything smaller, like 2x4s or 1x? boards will just be cheaper to buy.

[@coletaylor123]

Posts add another level of complexity to cuts with a chainsaw to make sure both cuts are set up perfectly at a 90 degree angle, but it sure beats buying beams. I made ten 10’ 6x6’s for this barn and it helps to rip off two rounded faces on the log first instead of ripping 6” thick slabs with live edge on both sides. If I made 6” thick live edge slabs into posts again I would consider buying a skil saw beam cutter with an oversized circular blade to rip off the bark because making them with a standard circular saw or table saw is not easy!

[@bugoutbubba3912]

I wouldn’t recommend a chainsaw mill for anyone unless they need to mill wood in a hard to access wilderness. That meaning a hike to the middle of nowhere.

[@PierreDuhamel-lj1vb]

the aluminium ladder is a pretty smat trick...thank you

[@Raiarii14]

Hello Is there a big difference between standard ripping oregon chain and homemade granberg ripping chain with scoring teeth ? Regards 😀

[@coletaylor123]

Hi Raiarii, I’ve never used an Oregon ripping chain, but I have used Oregon standard cross cut chains. They are very similar to the Stihl yellow link chains with a 30 or 35 deg file on all teeth. Using a ripping chain with a 0 or 10 degree file will help keep your chain sharp for longer while milling and will typically make straighter, cleaner cuts.

[@cancelchannel3394]

My up front cost was $7000 for a 2022 woodland mills HM130MAX, with 2 track extensions and a lap-siding attachment 🥴

[@Raiarii14]

Hello, I am from Tahiti and really appreciate your video, may you tell me if is really better to make a granberg milling chain (I mean take out with a grinder the half of teeth every two) Regards Raiarii

[@coletaylor123]

Hi Raiarii, yes having a milling chain helps take the workload off your powerhead and makes cuts faster with less effort required by the saw. A milling chain also will stay sharper for longer than a crosscut chain will when ripping with the grain instead of cross cutting against it.

[@Raiarii14]

@@coletaylor123 I meant the difference between standard ripping chain and granberg ripping chain

[@billwoehl3051]

I have a log splitter that exhausts right in my face, going to add some pipe and aim it 90° from its current direction

[@pravicaljudem1814]

Just use an 2kw electric motor have higher torgue and silent.

[@xuanlongvu8590]

Ship về tới việt nam là bao nhiêu tiền hả shop

[@garengtutorial8923]

Keren bro mantappp

[@mischafriegang5333]

Ive milled probably about a hundred slabs with a farmertec 880. Best results have been with a skip tooth ripping chain. The saw has held up great minus a few pull strings

[@heyb6268]

If someone told me this was Ryan Kelly’s brother I’d believe it. Only colts fans would know what I mean haha. Thanks for the info!

[@stanleymason8155]

Lol that type of respirator won't help! A fan or fresh air respirator would be the correct choice if it's a concern for you.

[@kelmanadventures574]

Letting it idle isn't good for long periods of time. It's a 2 stroke and a 2 stroke that's meant to be at high rpms 99% of the time to run clean idling too much will clog your spark arrestor and foul your plug.

[@robert4027]

i mill with a well used 372 xp and it does great 28in bar. ive produced lots of lumber in last 2years on this thing. do i want a 10,000 dollars band saw ? yes but no thanks im doing just fine with out one

[@mitchellmitchell5268]

Resperator, milling chain..... 90cc. buy a bansaw bud

[@coletaylor123]

Thanks Mitchell, There’s permission right there, I’ll show my wife. Going to the store to pick up my new LT 40 wide super hydraulic!!

[@tomkelly8827]

After spending a few years doing both, I would say that milling with a chainsaw is pure foolishness unless you live far from roads or if you have a really unique tree to saw up for a special project. If your goal is to turn logs into lumber, bandsaw mill is a million times better. Don't buy one, rent one from a neighbour or hire them to cut your logs for you.

[@KevinSouthwick-ue9js]

Lol you're way is about twenty times more expansive. "Just get a massive bandsaw". What if I'm on the side of a mountain?

[@Skinnymoose]

How do I get the logs out of the woods to bring them to the bandsaw? Maybe I can hire an excavator at $1500 a day plus gravel to build roads on my property? Or hire someone with a skidder to just bust through everything?

[@cannibalchainsaw]

I kinda think the same thing. A saw big enough to mill with us gonna be well over $1,000 new, then milling chains and the mill itself. A Woodland Mills starts at $2500 and would be a whole lot easier and do a better job.

[@AgnesMariaL]

​@@SkinnymooseHorse. But the time to get the logs down to the mill, then to haul the milled lumber back up to the site just makes the Alaskan mill super economical and more sensible. We have a mill, but it's not portable and it's almost 2 kms away from the wood i want to mill at the site where I'll be building. Could move the mill, but don't have a spot to set it up.

[@samuelluria4744]

​@@AgnesMariaL - Agnes, it seems to me that you are in agreement with SkinnyMoose...(?)....

[@jesse75]

If guys are worried about their chainsaw, use Lucas two cycle oil, double the mix ratio. I also save all the used oil from my cars and trucks to use for the bar.

[@sikosis999]

a chainsaw mill would be hard pressed to produce high quality consistent lumber . . . there is simply no way to work the tree with one . . .could you imagine trying to roll a tree with one of those to catch grain and get real quality lumber . . . be a nightmare and near impossible i'd think. . . and forget precision cuts with one of those rigs. . . don't think it's a fair comparison beyond price point maybe between one of these rigs vs a proper mill, even the cheapy ones . . . yeah i think this is more a niche market and just can't see high quality lumber coming from it. . . you should reach out and do an equipment comparison and talk with the bama boys hobby hardwood . . . that'd be interesting and a good follow up to this.