Stihl 661 on Logosol chainsaw mill without side cover?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
I would not want to deal with chisel ground chain for milling, but that's only because I didn't start with a Simington grinder before getting the mill.
 
I would not want to deal with chisel ground chain for milling, but that's only because I didn't start with a Simington grinder before getting the mill.
Might be a fun experiment. If it’s 20% faster worth the same finish would you run it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpaceBus
Madsens has some decent tips to learn off of about chisel grinding if you wanted to try it. There’s definitely more to it than what they have to share but it’s a start. It’s not very forgiving like round grinding/filing but it is another level if done correctly but hard to justify if cutting in possible dirty wood like when fire wooding
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P
I personally never noticed how smooth (or not) my firewood was. ;lol
 
Might be a fun experiment. If it’s 20% faster worth the same finish would you run it?
I would definitely be interested in giving it a try. The main thing I personally would be giving up by going to square ground chain would be kerf width. To my knowledge there are no high strength square ground 3/8 LP chains on the market, so my log scale will also be off by another 1/8" or so. However, maybe I wouldn't care because I would be using 20% less fuel? The grinders are so expensive, I'll probably never know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P
City came through and start the stream project so I’m done milling. For the foreseeable future so I won’t be giving it a go. Well…. I do have a full chisel chain on my 28” and 36” but no grinder. Even considered selling the mill and saw but a 90cc saw is just to fun to run when you just kinda but don’t really need it. For about 20 minutes.
 
I’ll miss the pictures of the live edge you’ve been slicing EbS-P. Some of the saw shops around here offer chisel grinding. I believe it’s about $5 but not sure. I wouldn’t guarantee how well they cut. It took a long time for me to get my chains dialed in. I’ve went through a couple grinders. There’s so many variables. Different stones, different diamond tip dressers. Hook, no hook. The simington is/was the lowest end chisel grinder. Silvey and madsens made very similar models that I’ve owned. Silvey also made a higher end model back in the day if memory serves me. I can’t remember the name of the best one but it was way more complicated but would allow better corner to corner without cutting into the side straps. Just about done getting all the adjustments done on my woodland mill and have some fir and cedar to practice on that will hopefully provide me with someplace out of the rain to work on my skidder
 
  • Like
Reactions: EbS-P
Just to aid anyone new to milling who may stumble into this thread, I believe you guys are discussing square chisel, not to be confused with “full chisel” chain, eg standard Stihl RS.

I’ve never milled with a chainsaw, but I’ve been hanging around this forum long enough to pick up some of your terms, and didn’t want other newbs to be confused.
 
Just to aid anyone new to milling who may stumble into this thread, I believe you guys are discussing square chisel, not to be confused with “full chisel” chain, eg standard Stihl RS.

I’ve never milled with a chainsaw, but I’ve been hanging around this forum long enough to pick up some of your terms, and didn’t want other newbs to be confused.
I’ve only differentiated cutter shape as full chisel and semi. Square referred to the sharpening method. Square ground full chisel vs round filed.

What differences are you referring too
 
I’ve always known it as full skip, semi skip and full comp which they referred to the distance between the teeth. But I don’t know. I’ve ran the three I’ve mentioned and settled with full skip for what I do
 
Shopping for chain and a 20" bar on Baileys Online. The Stihl ripping chain is $50 for a 20" loop (https://www.baileysonline.com/stihl-20-ripping-chain-loop-63pmx-72-drive-links-3614-000-0072.html) and the WoodlandPRO is $25. (https://www.baileysonline.com/woodl...op-63rp-72-drive-links-63rp72-wpl-63rp72.html). Have you gents used the WoodlandPRO? Do you think the Stihl would be twice as good? Last longer, hold an edge better? The WoodlandPRO 20" bar is $60 (https://www.baileysonline.com/woodl...inks-wppm-20-ss50-for-stihl-wppm-20-ss50.html). Any opinion you wold be willing to share? (Thank you).
 
I’ve always known it as full skip, semi skip and full comp which they referred to the distance between the teeth. But I don’t know. I’ve ran the three I’ve mentioned and settled with full skip for what I do
And then there is the cutter shape.
Shopping for chain and a 20" bar on Baileys Online. The Stihl ripping chain is $50 for a 20" loop (https://www.baileysonline.com/stihl-20-ripping-chain-loop-63pmx-72-drive-links-3614-000-0072.html) and the WoodlandPRO is $25. (https://www.baileysonline.com/woodl...op-63rp-72-drive-links-63rp72-wpl-63rp72.html). Have you gents used the WoodlandPRO? Do you think the Stihl would be twice as good? Last longer, hold an edge better? The WoodlandPRO 20" bar is $60 (https://www.baileysonline.com/woodl...inks-wppm-20-ss50-for-stihl-wppm-20-ss50.html). Any opinion you wold be willing to share? (Thank you).
I think I had a loop of woodland ripping chain. Recall it being a chain that needed sharpening;) cut good enough for me out of the box.

my two cents are get more than one chain (sharp is fast) and a a grinder no need to spend 50$ on a loop. When you are all set up and in a rhythm I don’t want to stop to sharpen.

I paid 85 for 25’ roll of archer 3/8 semi chisel full skip and cut good boards with it AFTER I sharpened to 10 degrees. Some call the archer junk it worked fine for me.
 
I didn’t know there was a semi chisel? Weird, l run chisel. 3/8’s on my smaller saws and 404 on my larger saws. Except my one handed topping saw that has a micro size chain. Heard Oregon stopped making 404 which is sad. Hand fallers around here are becoming scarce and less experienced. About $85hr for a local guy I know that’s in his early 60’s just running around cutting oversize and unreachables from the machines.
 
I didn’t know there was a semi chisel? Weird, l run chisel. 3/8’s on my smaller saws and 404 on my larger saws. Except my one handed topping saw that has a micro size chain. Heard Oregon stopped making 404 which is sad. Hand fallers around here are becoming scarce and less experienced. About $85hr for a local guy I know that’s in his early 60’s just running around cutting oversize and unreachables from the machines.

F611C05F-7D31-4772-A873-5C0829836F47.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nealm66 and Ashful
Shopping for chain and a 20" bar on Baileys Online. The Stihl ripping chain is $50 for a 20" loop (https://www.baileysonline.com/stihl-20-ripping-chain-loop-63pmx-72-drive-links-3614-000-0072.html) and the WoodlandPRO is $25. (https://www.baileysonline.com/woodl...op-63rp-72-drive-links-63rp72-wpl-63rp72.html). Have you gents used the WoodlandPRO? Do you think the Stihl would be twice as good? Last longer, hold an edge better? The WoodlandPRO 20" bar is $60 (https://www.baileysonline.com/woodl...inks-wppm-20-ss50-for-stihl-wppm-20-ss50.html). Any opinion you wold be willing to share? (Thank you).
The Stihl 63 PMX is worth every penny, because it cuts with a 1/4" kerf, but works with a 90-95cc saw. Stihl (or Oregon/Husqvarna/Other OEM chain) will last longer than anything made in a 3rd world factory with poor QC. My 3/8 LP ripping chain made in China for the Archer brand suffers from drivelink failure when used on my 24" bar, but is holding up on a 16" bar. To my knowledge Stihl is the only company making 3/8 LP ripping chain that will hold up to longer bars, and they make it specifically for Logosol for use on a Logosol chainsaw mill. Bailey's is also the best place to get it, Fox is too expensive and they suck at online orders. Not bad to do business with in person or for large orders, but a hassle for smaller stuff.
 
I’ve only differentiated cutter shape as full chisel and semi. Square referred to the sharpening method. Square ground full chisel vs round filed.

What differences are you referring too
Exactly that, you got what I was meaning.

Full chisel = tooth shape, not a sharpening method. But with most standard "full chisel" coming out of the box with a 30 degree tooth angle, calling the square-grind stuff you guys use by the generic "full chisel" might be confusing for those trying to keep up.

I know you guys know what you're talking about, but not everyone reading along does. That was all. Heck, half of the time I read my own old posts, I don't even know what *I* was talking about. ;lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpaceBus and EbS-P
Does the semi chisel cut better than the traditional round chain as a rule? Maybe not last as long in dirty type woods but better than full chisel? I know with full chisel, one good rock can ruin a practically new chain for production use. Also, can the semi chisel be chisel ground/filed?
 
Does the semi chisel cut better than the traditional round chain as a rule? Maybe not last as long in dirty type woods but better than full chisel? I know with full chisel, one good rock can ruin a practically new chain for production use. Also, can the semi chisel be chisel ground/filed?
From Madsens
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nealm66
Does the semi chisel cut better than the traditional round chain as a rule? Maybe not last as long in dirty type woods but better than full chisel? I know with full chisel, one good rock can ruin a practically new chain for production use. Also, can the semi chisel be chisel ground/filed?
I have a handful of semi-chisel for 20" bars that I received with a used 063 PRO, and they seem to cut only slightly slower than full chisel, for typical bucking in oak and ash. They're supposed t stay sharp longer, which may be true, I've personally not tracked that.

I usually run full chisel, but will throw a one of these loops of semi-chisel on the saw if I'm doing something where I think I could rock a chain (eg. flushing a stump), or working with logs that in which I noticed hardware (electrical hangers) when felling, just to avoid wiping out a good chain. I sharpen it using the same angles (30/60/10) as my RS chain, which may or may not be right, but works fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nealm66
I didn’t see the semi chisel in the madsens link but it’s ok. I can probably find some more info on it or just ask down there at madsens. They have new owners now. Really miss having a donut and coffee once in a while with old Ralph and the old guy that used to do there mods. They’d be in there almost every morning after Ralph retired and his kids were running the show
 
I didn’t see the semi chisel in the madsens link but it’s ok. I can probably find some more info on it or just ask down there at madsens. They have new owners now. Really miss having a donut and coffee once in a while with old Ralph and the old guy that used to do there mods. They’d be in there almost every morning after Ralph retired and his kids were running the show
Semi chisel and round are the same thing.
 
Weird. Maybe why I hadn’t heard of it. My neighbors were round filing chisel chain when they borrowed my 4’ mill and milled quite a bit up actually. They sent some loops out and had them ground to 10 degrees and if I remember correctly, said it improves it a little bit but not crazy amount. They weren’t sure if the guy that sharpened had much experience grinding to 10 though. My chains cut pretty good ripping. I messed with the angles till I had a happy medium for normal use as well although I’m not under the production pressure I used to be
 
Weird. Maybe why I hadn’t heard of it. My neighbors were round filing chisel chain when they borrowed my 4’ mill and milled quite a bit up actually. They sent some loops out and had them ground to 10 degrees and if I remember correctly, said it improves it a little bit but not crazy amount. They weren’t sure if the guy that sharpened had much experience grinding to 10 though. My chains cut pretty good ripping. I messed with the angles till I had a happy medium for normal use as well although I’m not under the production pressure I used to be
I've gone as far as 5 degrees, but find 10 to be the best blend of speed and cut quality. My ripping chain is round/semi chisel with a round grind. I've tried full chisel, but it goes dull way too fast, especially with logs that I've dragged through the clay/grass/dirt. I've considered getting a three angle file and using a jig to put a square grind on one of my full chisel loops, but I'm not sure there's really any time savings for me, especially sawing 90% softwoods. My Husky 460 with the rakers set way too low and a nice grind just flies through wood, and I can clean up six chains on my grinder in less than an hour. I get that my time is valuable, but by the time I've bought and figured out how to use a square grinder, I could have cut a lot of wood and sharpened a lot of round ground chain. I'm also not a professional faller and I'm not feeding my household with a chainsaw either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful and Nealm66
A sharp chain can't be beet !
IMG_2022-10-30_13-31-28.jpeg