Is 272xp enough saw for milling

[EbS-P]

From Amazon I was going to get the plug. But you guys convinced me to get the oem decomp and while I am at the dealer I will pick up the oem coil for the 660. I think I would figure our how to start it without the decomp but as you said the pull rope is a weak point on these saws and pulling it hard would for sure shorten its life.

Since there has been some recent posts. Anything to report back?

 

[Nealm66]

Is that a 72” with regular skip chain?

Full skip, chisel. I use a chisel bit grinder. Cut’s good. Yes, 72

 

[Diabel]

Since there has been some recent posts. Anything to report back?

Nothing to report. I have not touched any of my saws for close to a year. I have been so swamped with other projects……
This coming weekend (weather permitting) I plan to do some property clean up so the 261 will see some action.

 

[SpaceBus]

I've milled eight or so tiny logs this year, I'll have to take some pics and make a thread for my current stash. Chain starting to get dull, so I can show what it looks like out of the box, fresh, and starting to dull (but I'll probably just keep on cutting for a while). All in all I would guess about 200 bdft of 4x4's and a few 2x6's. Plus some straight edge slabs I'm going to use for my chicken coop extension/spring green house.

 

[Nealm66]

Here’s a quick couple pics I took yesterday. What a beautiful day. Wished I would have remembered a hat though

 

[SpaceBus]

First pic is a dull chain on tamarack, second pic is a sharpened chain with fir log, and the third pic is a brand new chain with fir.

 

[Nealm66]

That tamarack looks cool

 

[Nealm66]

Like for an exposed beam if a guy could get away with it would look sweet

 

[SpaceBus]

Like for an exposed beam if a guy could get away with it would look sweet

It's my favorite so far, but I've only milled spruce, fir, and tamarack. It's significantly harder than the spruce, which is noticeably harder than the fir. My chain only got dull because I had to drag some of the logs through the mud to get them to the mill. Most of this is going to be used on a green house made of mostly rough cut 4x4's. I'm saving the tamarack for the horizontal beams since it's the strongest in deflection, and also looks cool. It's also rot resistant like cedar, but it rarely grows straight enough for more than a 2x4 or 4x4. Good for firewood too, pretty close to birch in density. A local told me the bark has "flint" in it, but I think he was trying to say there's a high mineral content in the bark. Which is not surprising since it typically grows in swampy/wet boggy clay areas. Honestly I try to leave tamaracks standing unless I have to build something where one is standing or it is dying/dead. We have several in the lowest point of our property and they look spectacular in the fall.

 

[SpaceBus]

Some of the fir I mill has some really pale reds/pinks, and the standing dead stuff sometimes has some really nice fungus related figuring. I save fungus stained pieces for non-load bearing purposes. The reds seem totally random, and I've had fungus stained red fir as well.

 

[Nealm66]

I’ve cut some tamarack down but never ripped any of it. Mostly resi tree work around here but I cut some in Idaho for Columbia helicopters and I think I even cut some down in Arizona one summer for a logger in the kiabab when I was bored one week visiting my sister. Never knew it looked so good

 

[Nealm66]

Maybe it was Utah?

 

[SpaceBus]

Maybe it was Utah?

Probably Utah. That might actually be a different species of Tamarack further out west, but I'm not sure. I never hear about anyone milling tamarack.

 

[Diabel]

I was looking for something the other day. The blue beast reveled it self.😃. Took it out and it fired on a third pull (not fired for about a year). Let it idle, reved it few times for about 5min. Shut it off and it started right up for the second time. Maybe it was not warm enough for the coil to act up.

We had a major wind storm go though our area on May 21. I lost 15 trees. Lots of clean up. I might put the dogs back on the 660 and buck some 26” sugar maples with it.

Will go back into milling in jul if the coil is ok. Btw will pick up oem decomp valve today as I will be stopping by stihl dealer.

 

[Nealm66]

Helps to keep the rpm’s up when your milling or even sawing large material, to keep things a bit cooler. I had a 395 that worked just fine cutting timber but the coil would heat up on the mill and it never failed someone would want to stop me and ask questions and then it wouldn’t start so I got rid of it. My 385 doesn’t care much for milling either, more of a clutch problem. I’ve used my little 372 for finishing cants and it does really well

 

[EbS-P]

I’m getting close to max capacity for a sustained cut. Next couple slabs will be 38” at the butt end. I richened it up last summer but it now runs right at the edge of stalling at the butt end. Going to tune up a about 2-300 rpm and keep the chain sharp. Still 100% China stock.

 

[Nealm66]

You must be in really good shape. I know well how heavy those slabs are. I know the 066 was a good saw. Not as balanced or smooth as a comparable husky but had the edge on power. Would have never switched away from stihl but after 15 years I just needed some change

 

[EbS-P]

I’m a 40 y

You must be in really good shape. I know well how heavy those slabs are. I know the 066 was a good saw. Not as balanced or smooth as a comparable husky but had the edge on power. Would have never switched away from stihl but after 15 years I just needed some change

I’m a 40 year old professor. Haven’t seen the gym in years but try to stay fit. The first few were only 1” thick. I’m going to try for a 2.5” table. Won’t be able to carry that out. Think smarter not harder. Three people on one end and strap the other to an appliance dolly. We might have a shot. They are almost 11’ long.

 

[Diabel]

Yesterday i replaced the decomp valve (as suggested here….just in case), put a 20” bar on it (the g660) and bucked about 8 big logs with it. Had the saw on and off multiple times. It started on the first or second pull every time.

As mentioned above, it might be a completely different story when milling. Will not get to it until July.

 

[SpaceBus]

Yesterday i replaced the decomp valve (as suggested here….just in case), put a 20” bar on it (the g660) and bucked about 8 big logs with it. Had the saw on and off multiple times. It started on the first or second pull every time.

As mentioned above, it might be a completely different story when milling. Will not get to it until July.

I'm glad the decomp valve worked out! No way am I starting a big bore saw without one.

 

[Diabel]

I'm glad the decomp valve worked out! No way am I starting a big bore saw without one.

Yeah, putting in just a plug would not work with me well.

 

[Diabel]

Interesting observation. As I was bucking the logs yesterday, sometimes I would switch to the 261 (for smaller pieces). Going back and forth I could really notice the vibration level on the g660. Very noticeable compare to the 261

 

[SpaceBus]

Interesting observation. As I was bucking the logs yesterday, sometimes I would switch to the 261 (for smaller pieces). Going back and forth I could really notice the vibration level on the g660. Very noticeable compare to the 261

Another reason I like to use the smallest saw possible for the job.

 

[Nealm66]

The 66 mounts were never great. About 6 months and it was always time to either swap the top end or buy a new one. I got so I just bought a new one because the mounts were usually shot and the side cover was done. Couldn’t hardly give my old ones away because nobody wanted something so big for home use.

 

[EbS-P]

Nope it’s not smooth. I took my muffler off to inspect and thought I had everything tight. I did not re lock tite . The bolts back out and I cracked the mounting holes in the muffler in a tank. Oh and I found one internal bolt missing.