7 Best Chain Saw Mill Attachments
Buying a Chain Saw Mill
Chain saw mills, AKA Alaskan sawmills, are portable devices that allow one or two operators to rip-cut felled logs into boards or beams. Chain saws are great for felling trees, but unless you plan to chop every log into firewood, a chain saw mill is a great addition to your tool collection.
Owning a chain saw mill means you avoid transporting heavy logs to the sawmill or paying inflated prices at the lumber yard. If you’re an experienced chain saw user and like the idea of milling your lumber quickly and cheaply, consider these factors when shopping for a chain saw mill:
- Log size. Take your best guess at the length and diameter of the logs you need to mill. This will determine the size of chain saw, bar and mill you’ll need.
- Power. Check your chain saw’s engine size, measured in cubic centimeters (cc) of fuel that pass through the cylinder. The long, continuous cuts take a lot of horsepower, so it’s important your saw is up to the job. Get a saw that’s at least 50 cc for milling logs up to 12 inches in diameter. For larger logs larger, you’ll need more power — at least 60 cc. For logs 20 inches in diameter or more, you’ll need 70 cc or more.
- Bar length. Make sure your chain saw bar is at least four inches longer than the diameter of the largest logs you anticipate milling. You can’t use the full length of the bar when you attach the mill to your saw, so longer bars are usually a safer bet as long as your saw has the power to match.
- Mill size. Choose a mill large enough to accommodate your chain saw bar. If you’re milling logs large enough to need a bar 42 inches or longer, be sure to choose a mill large and heavy-duty enough to handle the load. The same advice applies if you’re using two chain saws in tandem with a double-ended bar. For extra-large logs, it’s possible to join two chain saw motors together with a single chain on a double-ended bar. This technique drastically increases cutting speed.
- Mill weight. If you’re working solo, choose a chain saw mill you can easily lift and use by yourself. Big milling jobs require a work partner; be sure the two of you can handle the weight of a large mill.
- The right chain. Don’t use a regular chain saw chain for milling logs. They’re mainly for crosscutting. You’ll get much better, smoother boards and beams if you invest in a proper ripping chain. These cut parallel to the wood grain, with the teeth ground at a sharper angle than crosscutting chain teeth.
- Guide rails. Nearly all chain saw mills need guide rails to work properly. These keep the mill moving horizontally so your boards or beams come out square and true. Most chain saw mills don’t come with guide rails, so you’ll likely need to buy a set separately
With these points in mind, read on for our seven favorite chain saw mills and why they made the list.
Best Chain Saw Mill Overall
The steel and aluminum Granberg Small Log Mill is remarkably easy to set up and use compared to other chain saw mills. Smart design and minimal tool requirements make it user-friendly.
Despite its small size, it lets you cut boards from 1/2-in. to 13 inches thick and up to 17 inches wide. That’s more than enough for most casual DIY lumber millers, at considerably lower cost than many others.
“This little chain saw mill is easy to use,” writes an Amazon reviewer. “It attached easily to the bar and the depth adjustment has a ruler to gauge the thickness of the slab accurately. With a rip chain on a 20-inch Stihl [chain saw] and some 2x4s as a rail guide to make my first cut, I was able to mill 10 six-foot slabs, 2-1/4-inches thick from a cedar tree on our property.”
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