anyone have any experience with this saw. It's a toss up between the stihl 661 or the 390 For milling purposes mostly
Nixon can you elaborate as to why... power. torque oiling... I think Shawn Curry uses a 660 on his mill but he might be only stihl
Yeah I've milled quite a bit of wood with my 661 and I'm happy with it. But it's probably a toss up like you said. Features, price, color, etc. I prefer inboard clutch.
hey I own husky 560 rancher and 260 pro.. had a (stolen jonered) with heated handles I'm a good saw good price guy.. but I do like double rings
The 390 is prone to bearing problems at times . The 661 can have issues with restarting when hot . I think milling would tend to magnify those problems . The 395 is just built heavier ,more displacement ,probably ble to oil a long bar better and is proven as a milling saw . Just my opinion ,not gospel .nothing wrong with any of the original choices ,both good saws !
I've never had a hot start issue with mine. It's probably my easiest starting saw. I do let it idle for a min or 2 after completing a milling cut to allow the saw to cool down. I'm no "saw expert", but I know a thing or two about chainsaw milling it's proven itself to me as a milling saw. Oiling ability doesn't matter much if you cut your bar oil with diesel or ATF. I don't have any decent pics of my entire stash at the moment but I've probably been thru a couple thousand BF.
Not condenming the 661, I own one . Great saw . But some do have that problem . That's why I had the imho disclaimer .
Nixon, thanks for answer wasn't trying to start a great debate... just saw that you had both and was curious your opinion
Get as many opinions as you can get . Whichever way you decide. It's not going to be an inexpensive purchase .
That log that's set up in the pic here. How long would it take to make a cut through thag log? And is that maple?
Yes red maple. That log was about 6' long, and the cut was about 15" wide. I milled that tree Jan 2 of this year, so my memory of it may not be fresh. I think I did a real good job on my chain that day. I'd say it probably took about 2 mins, maybe a little less. The other 2 logs were 8' and halved down the middle as well, on a single tank of gas. I like to cut them in half first and then make my slabs; that way I get most of the mill thickness adjustments out of the way in the beginning and just slab away.
I have a buddy that keeps telling me to get a mill. I have tossed around the idea. BUT I am not a wood worker and don't really have the room to dry stuff so I don't see the point other than a hobby, which I am not lacking in.
Very little ,my neighbor runs a saw mill . I do a fair bit of noodling . But that's not close to the same .
I've milled with 385s and 390s. A 395 is a better choice. I used my 046 over the 661 last time I milled. 661 I'm not sold on yet. 390 got the worst mileage when milling of any saw I ever used. I used to keep track of all of that stuff. 088 was pretty even with a 395 for fuel usage and speed in 30" and narrower wood. All of these were modded saws as well.
