A chainsaw planking milling bar contains the three essential qualities of any great tool: it’ll save you money, it’s portable, and it can increase the speed of your workflow.
However, it can be quite tricky to choose the best chainsaw planking milling bars from a market saturated with mediocre alternatives.
Which is why we’ve prepared this guide to ensure that you’re armed with all the necessary facts to make the right purchase.
So, relax and read ahead. You have a real treat to look forward to!
Here is a short comparison
[amazon table=”4907″]Quick View
- Top 7 Chainsaw Planking Milling Bars
- 1. Carmyra, Portable Planking Milling Bar
- 2. NAWODHH, Portable Saw Planking Mill
- 3. TTF, Portable Chainsaw Milling Planking Bar
- 4. Imony, Portable Chainsaw Planking Milling Bar
- 5. HiHydro, Portable Chainsaw Planking Milling Bar
- 6. RCTEC, Portable Planking Milling Bar
- 7. Granberg, MK-IV Alaskan Chainsaw Mill G778-30
- How To Choose The Right Chainsaw Planking Milling Bar
- Final Words
Top 7 Chainsaw Planking Milling Bars
1. Carmyra, Portable Planking Milling Bar
[amazon box=”B071W1BW64″]Despite being a lesser known brand, Carmyra has proven their ability to provide a quality product.
This milling bar can function with any chainsaw that uses 14 to 36-inch bars. The product weighs only 17-pounds, making it convenient to travel with.
The mill is made from industry-grade aluminum and stainless steel. The joints are constructed perfectly, using expert welding techniques to provide the planking bar with durability. It is capable of sawing 0.5 to 13-inch thick logs into lurches with ease.
It has 2 riser posts and each of them are marked with a scale. This allows you to determine your intended cutting depth. The handle, which is used to move the mill forward, is designed with a triple curve grip.
Unlike a homemade milling bar, this product can be attached to the chainsaw without a drilling bar.
It is constructed with double end brackets that can be moved using parallel sliding guide bars. The end brackets can be adjusted according to the width of the log, and thus help to keep the material in place while sawing.
However, some users have experienced issues with the assembly wrench.
- It can be used with chainsaws that use 14 to 36-inch bars.
- Doesn’t require a drilling bar to get attached with the chain saw.
- Features 2 adjustable end brackets to keep the log from moving while sawing.
- Provides double riser posts that also function as scales to measure log depth.
- Offers a nose guard to prevent injuries caused by a spinning sprocket tip.
2. NAWODHH, Portable Saw Planking Mill
[amazon box=”B07V69KBKK“]The product fights the biggest enemies of a metal structure: rust and oxidation, by using type 304 stainless steel and premium quality aluminum for construction.
This milling bar can be used to saw logs up to 36-inches in diameter. It is also able to saw through materials with 0.5 to 12-inch of thickness. With a weight of 14.2-pounds, the product is an ideal accessory for outdoor worksites.
The mill can be attached to the chainsaw without using a drilling bar. It also offers a mover handle, equipped with an ergonomic multi-curve grip, which increases flexibility of use.
The clamp pads are designed with a strategic screw construction. They use smaller, square metal bars at the center to ensure the chainsaw stays attached firmly even through the harshest operations.
The NAWODHH milling bar is compatible with most reputable chainsaw brands. It also provides an adjustable entry guide system to improve balance while sawing.
Each riser post multi-functions as a scale. This feature helps you to determine the amount of cutting depth in an exact manner. The tip guard is durable and provides security from the running sprocket blades.
The mill handle is placed efficiently and offers additional balance to the mover handle in operating the mill.
- Provides resistance against rust and oxidation.
- Features an ergonomic multi-curve grip for the mover handle.
- Offers an industry-grade tip guard to improve safety.
- Provides compatibility with reputable chainsaws that use 12 to 36-inch bars.
- Features an adjustable entry guide rail to improve balance while sawing.
3. TTF, Portable Chainsaw Milling Planking Bar
[amazon box=”B07JFGNHHS”]Professionals prefer this milling bar as a portable option while travelling, as it weighs only 13.85-pounds.
The product is compatible with chainsaws that use 14 to 36-inch bars.
It is constructed from aluminum and stainless steel, using a flawless welding to increase structural strength. You can saw through 0.5 to 13-inch logs with ease using the mill with an eligible chainsaw.
The mover handle is made from a combination of aluminum and steel, providing great durability to the part. It’s also equipped with an ergonomic padded grip to facilitate user comfort. This feature is one of the significant characteristics which makes the product the best milling bar for chainsaw planking.
It is equipped with dual end brackets, which are constructed with thickened front bars and elevated connect ports. The brackets can be adjusted through parallel guide bars to keep the logs in place while planking them.
From reviewing multiple user responses, we’ve determined the product to be effective for carpenters, woodworkers, and DIY enthusiasts.
The mill can be used to saw though a variety of wood logs and turning them into premium timbers. It also provides an adjustable mill handle for additional balance while operating.
- Constructed using flawless welding to increase structural strength.
- Capable of turning Oak, Cedar, Walnut, and Birch logs into quality timbers.
- Popular among professional woodworkers as a portable work tool.
- Features an adjustable mill handle for additional balance while operating.
- Offers a mover handle equipped with a padded grip to increase user comfort.
4. Imony, Portable Chainsaw Planking Milling Bar
[amazon box=”B07QXK6RT6″]This product is a great option for home repairs and personal projects.
The Imony portable milling bar can be adjusted to saw through 0.5 to 13-inch thick logs and is able to cut materials with a diameter up to 20-inches. It also weighs a mere 8.6-pounds, making the product one of the most portable options in the list.
The mill is constructed from aluminum and type 304 stainless steel (an austenitic stainless steel which is made from 18% chromium, 8% nickel and a low amount of carbon). This makes the product highly durable as well as resistant to corrosion and oxidation.
The Imony milling bar can appear a bit unconventional in terms of structure as it doesn’t provide a nose guard. However, it does offer a dust shield covering latter half of the entry guide rail. This feature protects you from wood dusts.
The mill is also compatible with a wide range of chainsaw brands like the Husqvarna 460 model, Oregon, etc.
It’s often praised by users for providing an assembly that doesn’t involve a lot of complexity. Though some customers had issues with the scale on the riser post.
- Weighing at 8.6-pounds, the mill is one of the most portable options in the list.
- Features a simple assembly that can be helpful for beginners.
- Offers a dust shield for protection against saw residues.
- Constructed from materials that provide durability and protection from rust.
- Capable of processing 0.5 to 13-inch thick logs and 20-inch diameter materials.
5. HiHydro, Portable Chainsaw Planking Milling Bar
[amazon box=”B07916Z9ZZ”]This product provides great structural strength without making an increase in weight.
How?
By using aluminum alloy 6061 T6 and stainless steel for construction. Even the guide rails are made of pure aluminum alloy while the steel parts are protected though a hard chrome plating.
You can use any chainsaw with a bar length of 18 to 36-inches with this mill. It has also been successfully used with 64 to 95 cc chainsaws like Husky 390xp, Stihl MS 391, Husqvarna 395, etc.
The 18.15-pound planking bar is able to saw logs with a depth of 0.5 to 13-inches. 2 riser posts with an imprinted scale allows you to determine your desired cutting depth.
The dual end brackets travel through full-length, parallel guide bars and can be calibrated according to the log’s width. These features lock down the material, which lets you saw it without any vibration or misplacement.
The mill is designed with a full-width tip guard, leaving enough room for the sprocket nose to spin freely while ensuring protection. It also provides a residue shield covering larger half of the entry guide rail.
- Constructed from a combination of stainless steel and 6061 T6 aluminum alloy.
- Features aluminum alloy guide rails and hard chrome plated steel parts.
- Offers a full width tip guard, providing flexibility as well as safety.
- Includes a dust shield, which covers larger half of the entry guide rail.
- Designed to lock down a log precisely, eliminating misplacement while sawing.
6. RCTEC, Portable Planking Milling Bar
[amazon box=”B07MBG3X6T”]The mill offers great compatibility in terms of saw bar length while providing a sturdy yet lightweight construction.
The compatible saw bar length ranges from 12 to 24-inches. Despite being constructed with industry-grade aluminum and steel alloy; it weighs under 16-pounds. You can also saw logs with a depth of 0.20 to 12-inches using the product.
The mover handle is equipped with a triple curve internal grip and a ridged external hold. It provides a direct method of attachment, which allows you to attach the chainsaw without using a drilling bar.
Both of the clamp pads (one for the base of the saw bar, other for the portion just behind the sprocket nose) are built through a multi-screw design and internal metal stamps. Both ends of the nose-end adjustment post are padded to ensure the safety of attachment.
The product also offers a full coverage nose guard and a dust shield.
Reviewing a number of professionals’ response, we concluded that the mill can effectively create beam, slabs, planks, lumbers, etc. out of the log, right at the felling spot. That means the mill can facilitate serious sawing power while being conveniently portable.
- Features riser posts with ingrained scales to measure cutting depth accurately.
- Provides a padded nose-end adjustment post to ensure safety of attachment.
- Includes a full coverage nose guard and a dust shield.
- The mover handle has a triple-curve internal grip and a ridged external hold.
- Offers a full coverage nose guard and a dust shield.
7. Granberg, MK-IV Alaskan Chainsaw Mill G778-30
[amazon box=”B06XH6VDWP”]Let’s talk about the Rolls-Royce of chainsaw mills.
Made in USA, the mill boasts 30-inch sliding guide rails. However, in terms of compatible saw bars, you can only use the ones up to 26-inches long. The product is also astonishingly lightweight, with a mass of only 8.62-pounds.
Granberg applies a manufacturing process known as “metal extrusion” to create “extrudates” from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, which are then used to create the structure of the mill. This allows the product to provide great structural strength without increasing weight.
The steel parts of the product are coated with zinc to resist wear and corrosion. The mill also uses hexagonal screwed clamp pads to ensure the chainsaw stays safely attached.
It can saw 0.5 to 13-inch thick logs.
The manufacturer uses CNC machining to produce end brackets from metal billets. Compared to the older brackets produced by die-cast manufacturing, the upgraded ones provide greater accuracy and ease of adjustment, along with reducing vibration.
Users have reported the mill to be effectively compatible with chainsaws like Stihl MS-310, Oregon, etc. However, they also advice to use the mill with a ripping chain and first cut platforms to get the best possible service.
- Uses aluminum extrudates to provide strength without increasing weight.
- Applies CNC machining to produce end brackets from metal billets.
- Features upgraded brackets for easy adjustment and reducing vibration.
- Offers hexagonal-screwed clamp pads to ensure safety of attachment.
- Steel parts are coated with zinc to increase durability and resist corrosion.
How To Choose The Right Chainsaw Planking Milling Bar
Range Of Compatible Saw Bar Length
We recommend purchasing a milling bar that provides a wide range of compatible length in terms of saw bars. Look for milling bars that offer compatibility from at least 14 to 36-inches. This way you’ll be able to incorporate various sizes and types of chainsaws with your purchased mill.
Adjustable End Brackets
When you purchase a milling bar, ensure it has minimum 2 adjustable end brackets.
These brackets are somewhat triangular in shape, and move using parallel sliding guide rails. They can be set according to the width of the log to keep the material in a fixed position through the process of sawing.
This feature will provide you enhanced balance and safety through any sawing activity using the mill.
Riser Posts With Ingrained Scales
We recommend purchasing a mill that has at least 1 riser post that multi-functions as a scale. This feature allows you to precisely determine your desired cutting depth.
However, the best chainsaw planking milling bar models in the market offer at least 2 scaled riser posts. This way, it becomes much quicker and more accurate to determine your intended cutting depth.
Also, ensure that the scales are marked properly, meaning they are not “off” by small increments like 0.25-inch or 0.45-inch. Otherwise, your calculated measurements will be wrong and may result in a sawed lumber that doesn’t exactly fit your blueprint.
Range Of Compatible Log Thickness
We recommend purchasing a chainsaw milling bar that provides a large range of compatible log thickness. For example, a milling bar that can be adjusted to cut at least 0.5 to 14-inch thick logs, can be used to process materials of various depths.
This feature can significantly determine the amount of usability and benefit you can attain from your purchased mill.
Construction Material And Weight
We recommend purchasing a milling bar that is constructed from a combination of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy/extrudates and stainless steel. This combination of materials will provide a milling bar that has great structural strength as well as being light in weight.
For example, the Granberg G778-30 weighs a mere 8.6-pounds yet provide a structural durability that is quite hard to beat.
Method Of Attachment
Most home-made milling bars require a drilling bar to get attached to a chainsaw. This can become a bit inconvenient and complex to operate for some users, who plan to use the mill on a daily basis.
Therefore, we recommend purchasing a milling bar that can be directly attached to your chainsaw without using a drilling bar. This feature will improve the convenience and speed of your workflow.
Final Words
Despite owning a chainsaw and having the skillset for felling a tree, many of us still need to spend a fortune to turn the logs into usable lumbers/planks by taking them to a milling factory for processing.
However, being able to purchase the best chainsaw planking milling bars can solve that problem for you. Apart from saving a ton of cash, you also get the satisfaction of turning felled tree logs into lumbers right on the spot.
And this guide is designed to help you accomplish just that.
We aim to deliver the knowledge you need for improving the quality of your work without breaking the bank.
I started this blog to provide an advanced guide and information to the people to choose the best product. Writing over every part of the tools. I try to cover every type of tool to review and information.