# Can I use a 32 inch bar and ripping chain on a 455 Rancher?



## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Hey Lj's!

*Neighbor just had her walnut tree cut down, Guess who got the majority of the wood.! Yep! ME!*

The heartwood on this black walnut is 30 inches in diameter!

I have a 455 Rancher and my longest blade is 28 inches, with ripping chain for milling logs.

Thinking about purchasing a longer bar but keeping this power head. I can get some 1 inch tubing to widen my Panther mill, it's freshly cut and dripping , should I cut it sooner or later?

*Looking for chainsaw milling expertise here to assist me in making an informed decision.*

Thanks for your thoughts and advice.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Great score Tom, Good luck on finding an expert.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Thanks Jim,

Learned a lot from Dallas and my local chain saw repairman. The guy is now the owner and manager of the Ace Farm and Fleet. I remember when Bob aka Grizz cut down a walnut and had it milled.

I was sad that I saw them cutting it down, but asking them what they were going to do with the wood it ended up in my my parking area.

Hope to honor the tree.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Doc - I would say yes: the Rancher you have is 55.5cc.
the Husky is a good machine, I have one that is 50cc with a 18" bar
and I put a 24" bar and chain on it. if the wood is green, you should not
have any problems with stalling….. if it is dry, you have to go at full throttle
and half the cutting speed. but too slow and not enough pressure, 
you will burn the blade and the teeth will turn blue very quickly. (which means it is ruined).
when you see smoke from the cut, STOP right away and examine everything.
but - sacrificing a new blade or two is a small price to pay for such a large gift !!
my suggestion is that you go rent a 36" chainsaw just for a day to get the big stuff done.
have fun and enjoy your new stash !!

.


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## TZH (Oct 20, 2009)

Doc, I second what John Smith is saying.

I had a 440 Stihl Magnum that I put a 32" bar with ripping chain on. Kicked the living crap outta me, but I sliced off several green cottonwood rounds using that beast, and it worked great. I also used it on some black walnut rounds that a good friend brought back to Colorado from Missouri. I won't tell you how difficult that was because they'd been dead for a very long time.

If I had any advice whatsoever for when you go to work, it would be to stand the logs on end, and mark the approximate locations of the cuts you want to make with chalk. I guess I could have eye-balled those cuts, but the chalkline helped these old bones stay on the lines pretty much.

Good luck, and what a score!!!!

TZH


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## Fresch (Feb 21, 2013)

Get a bigger saw, I have a 28" bar on a makita 7900 (79cc) with a 73jgx Oregon skip chain and it is slow going and can bog it down. You should also add xtra drip oiler down at the nose end. Cut it green, got allergies, face mask, long sleeves.
How big is your planer?


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

typically youd want at least 70 cc's for a bar that big.
not saying a 455 cant turn it, but it might be real slow.


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## PropmakerLA (May 16, 2018)

I used to own a tree svc and we only ran 16in bars on Husky 357s 359s. 24in bars on 372s. 28in bars on 385s and 32in bars on 395s. Anything bigger than a 32in bar was run on a 3120 or 088.
The 455 rancher is a decent saw, but it was not a pro grade saw. Asking it to pull a 32in bar would be way too much INMO.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

John,

Just got back from seeing clients. Thanks for your suggestion, but I live in a small town and there may be a rental saw but most of the folks around this town are farmers who either own it or know someone who does.

Thanks-for the technique recommendation that was helpful


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Tomsteve and Propmaker LA,

Sounds like I may be asking too much for a saw under 70 cc. Thanks


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Tomsteve and Propmaker LA,

Sounds like I may be asking too much for a saw under 70 cc. Thanks


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## joey502 (Mar 30, 2014)

I agree that the saw it under powered for that length. The 455 is similar in size to the ms371 i use for noodling bowl blanks. I would not expect good results from my saw with anything over the 20" bar on it.

Have you looked around for someone with a portable mill you could hire? Small farming towns seem to always have a few guys capable of milling lumber.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Joey302,

I did mention that I'd talked to someone, without committing on it.

I have done pretty well with the 28 inch bar.

But that is the only use for the saw and it's limited.

Thanks for your thoughts,


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Are you mindful that the first few slabbing cuts will reduce the log to a smaller diameter?


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Mr. Ron,

Thanks, have considered several options. Log shrinkage as well as how it is processed.

Have a recent conversation with a guy who has a portable band saw mill.

We'll see?


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

A friend, now departed unfortunately, actually fitted a 36" blade to his chainsaw and chrome plated the bar.

This saw was a one of creation. You can't just buy a saw like this. It is a Stihl 066 magnum. This saw was built and chromed out by a dealer in Ca. It had a custom built 36" bar. these saws were built from 1987 to 1996.

From memory he had a ripping chain fitted and experieced no problems with it stalling or bogging down.

I think I have a picture of him with it somewhere if you are interested.


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## Fresch (Feb 21, 2013)

It's 91cc so almost 2x what he has.


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## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

> Have a recent conversation with a guy who has a portable band saw mill.


I'd say that's your best bet. It shouldn't be terribly expensive, and there's a lot less waste from a bandsaw blade than a chainsaw chain.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Fresch,

That's like using a moped to mill. LOL! And I am as I said a woos!


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

jerkylips,

If all goes well it will be in my back area out of direct sun and drying peacefully, vs. me and trying to move the logs that are 32 inches so I can mill them, blah, blah, blah.

And as my friend Benji Reyes said when I started down the chainsaw mill path. "Tom, just buy the wood and make things." LOL!


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