Granberg Chainsaw Alaskan Small Log Mill, G777- Portable Sawmill Timber Attachment Machine Tool - Wood Case Cutting Holder Equipment Guide Kit - Bars with 16-20 Inch - Lumber Milling Wedge Tools

This is easy to assemble and fairly easy to use. It does require some practice to get the hang of it, but that really only affects how fast and easy your cuts are, not how they turn out. If you're using a guide for the first cut, you can't really screw it up unless you go out of your way trying to.Some tips:-Make or buy a guide rail system. This is a must for your first cut, no matter how small your log is, you have to make it straight or all other cuts after that will be off. I made rails using 2x4's and use lag bolts to secure it to the end. You can buy the rails from granberg, but they are expensive.-There are lots of videos on youtube of people using the system in different configurations. Take some time and watch a bunch of them, get to know some do's and do not's by watching other people. Lots of good ideas out there.-Use wedges, even for small logs. The clamping force of gravity slows you down and squeezes the blade and that's bad for lots of reasons.-Get a small torque wrench. You don't want to over torque the screws holding your saw bar in place, you could bend it. 10-12 lbs max according to the instructions, so you have to have a wrench that goes that light.-Debark your logs. Cleaner and easier on your chain.-MOST IMPORTANT: Get a ripping chain. I did my first two logs with a standard crosscut chain that came with my Stihl. It worked, but it was a long, slow and very tiring process. I got the ripping chain and it was slightly faster, but a hell of a lot easier (for me and my saw.) I ordered mine from Granberg's website. They give you step by step instructions for how to order it so you get it right.FYI for chainsaw beginners, these are rough cuts, if you want finished boards, you will need to run them through a planer a couple of times.

Once I got the hang of this, I love it. We have a fair amount of Black Cherry trees that run their course and die off. The logs pictured were from a triple trunk tree cut down and I saved the larger sections. There are some mills around but I never had the desire to haul them to get cut. I bought the Alaskan Chain Saw Mill on a whim and struggled getting a flat cut until I figured out that a ripping chain just has to work at it's own pace. These average 6' long and the widest was about 16" which used every bit of the bar on my Stihl. Depending on how wet the log is I can get 2-3 pieces cut before needing to swap chains. It's a slow process but there's nothing like completing a cut and turning the finished board over and seeing the raw beauty of the wood.Once you lock the thickness height nuts down it's locked. There is no give in the structure of the mill and it's light enough to pick up with one hand. Great device.

I purchased this to slab a maple tree using my Stihl Wood Boss chainsaw. The item arrived on time and as described. Assembly and attaching to the chainsaw are simple. You should have a small ratcheting torque wrench, as the bolts that clamp the saw bar and hold the depth platform in place call for specific torque settings.Using rails to get the first cut, slabbing a log is straightforward work, although it's a good workout. It also pays to build a saw buck to hold your logs about 2' off the ground -- your back will thank you (ya' I have a tractor and can cheat using it to lift large logs).I used both 10 degree ripping chains and 30 degree cross cut chains. Ripping chains give a smoother surface, but are a bit slower - just keep them good and sharp.I used this on Stihls with 18" and 36" bars, and it worked perfectly on both. I tried cutting a 30" slab with the 18" bar, cutting from both sides, and it doesn't work very well, so use a saw bar longer than the logs.I also bot the Granberg winch. It works great too, and if you have a lot of slabbing to do, is a sound investment.

As many reviewers have said, the mill takes a while to set up and learn the process. After that it works really well.I received a log mill with an opaque safety guard, not the clear one as pictured in the description. It's a fairly significant difference which blocks your view of the tip end of the saw. I have a small saw so I need to know I'm making a full cut. I replaced it with a piece of PETG plastic scrap I had on hand.

How easy is it to put together? Well my 7yr old assembled it completely by herself in about 30 minutes with her 1/4" drive ratchet and 1/2" socket, mostly going off the illustrations since she couldn't comprehend some of the words within the instructions. To be fair to anyone who says it wasn't an easy to assemble unit, she does have much higher than average mechanical ability for her age and some significant experience with hand tools. Figure an adult who has equal mechanical ability plus the ability to actually read all the instructions should take 15 minutes maybe. Quality of the parts I would rate as very high as to be expected on a premium brand product, which is why I chose the Granberg Alaskan G777 over one of the less expensive ones. The supplied hardware all appears and feels to be good quality. The set bolts to hold it to the bar are significant as are the plate they thread into, which is only welded on the ends which would make it not as bad to cut off and replace if ever needed and seems to have been done on purpose. The welds are clean and all other welds look very solid and run full perimeter of other joints Looks like it can take some heavy use with little to no wear and any wear parts would be easily replaceable.