Bailey's small log Alaskan mill

[Stegman]

Does anyone out there own one of these - http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=G777&catID= ?

I'm toying with the idea of getting one for myself for my birthday. I don't have the world's most powerful saw - a 42 cc Poulan - but one of the reviewers on the Bailey's site is using a 40cc Craftsman and says he loves the mill.

Don't really have a need for it, but it seems like it could be pretty fun to mill some lumber for various things around the house - including a ceiling that I need to finish in the room above the garage. I think it would look good with some rustic planks. Might be more work than I want to tackle, though.

 

[pen]

He must be doing some small softwoods then. Never used one, but right in the product description it says "We recommend chainsaws with at least 3.8 cubic inches (60 cc) of displacement for the smaller mills that run bars up to 20".

pen

 

[Jags]

Oh, they will cut...just really, really slow. And it will wear those home owner units out pretty fast, too.

 

[SIERRADMAX]

There's a guy close to us (West Greenwich, RI) that does portable milling. $300 minimum or no minimum $0.35 per board foor if logs brought to him. Check CL.

 

[Thistle]

Bought the 36" Alaskan mill in late '92.Used a New Old Stock McCulloch Pro Mac 610 to power it.61cc,around 4HP.No problem on logs 14" to 20",anything bigger was a struggle though Pulled a 24" B/C with authority when normal crosscutting,milling was a different ballgame.Used it until April 94 when it was replaced with new Poulan Pro 475 77cc 6HP (rebadged Jonsered 2077,same saw as old Partner 7700,parts interchangeable).Great beast of a saw,no decomp valve though & it was a real arm breaker to start as I got older with 180+ compression.Sold that saw last November,now its the 288XPW (best saw of the 3 by far,period).

Milling can be done with a smaller saw,but its very slow,much more vibration in your hands/arms & you'll burn up a light duty saw much faster.Just depends on what your checkbook & body will handle.

Those small log mills do look pretty nice though.I wouldnt mind having one for trimming & working with smaller stuff.They didnt have them years ago when I got into this pastime.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Stegman, I definitely would not recommend it with that saw. Perhaps someone did run a small saw with that mill but it had to be some very small logs and soft wood too. Perhaps if someone just wanted to cut a slab off the top and bottom of a log that was not over 12" or so it would work but not for making lumber.