Why I Bought the Granberg Alaskan Mill Instead of a Bandsaw Mill
A log may be too large, heavy, or remote to haul to a sawmill. The Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill brings the mill to the log, turning fallen or salvaged timber into slabs, beams, and usable lumber right where it lies.
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Visit www.granberg.com for Alaskan Mills, EZ Rail systems, Edging Mills, ripping chains, winches, guide bars, and related milling equipment. Enter promo code DFJAY when ordering to enjoy 10% off your entire order.
Canadian logger and inventor Will Malloff is commonly credited with developing an early bar-mounted “walk-about” chainsaw mill. Granberg acquired rights to an early design in the 1960s, and founder Elof Granberg simplified, strengthened, and manufactured it, successfully bringing the Alaskan Mill to a broader market.
The mill clamps directly to the chainsaw bar and holds the chain parallel to a reference surface. Because the top of a log is round and uneven, the first cut requires a rigid, straight guide. The Granberg EZ Rail system establishes that first flat plane. Each following cut rides on the newly milled surface to produce slabs of consistent thickness.
Our complete Granberg setup includes:
G778-48 48” Alaskan MKIV mill
G478 Alaskan Winch
G702CL Quick Release Clamps (2-pack, for tool-free depth of cut adjustment on mill)
G988 11” Clamp Bracket with Rollers (Eases milling on bumpy or gnarly logs)
G1010 10’ EZ Rail Kit - quickly sets up for the first reference cut
G555B Edging Mill - to create 90° cuts to reference cut
G1012XT Precision Grinder - Bar Mounted 12V Power Sharpener with spare grinding wheels
2 G7290-114DL Spare Ripping Chains (in addition to the one included with our Stihl chainsaw) - ⅜” pitch, 0.50 gauge, 114 driver links
Safety Gear, including boots, gloves, wrap-around chaps, helmet, face shield and ear muffs
Chainsaw milling keeps the engine under a heavy, sustained load, so powerhead size matters. Smaller logs may be handled with saws in the 50- to 70-cc range, but longer bars and wider logs match better with professional saws of 70 cc or more. Logs approaching or exceeding 30 inches generally call for a saw in the 90-cc class, so we chose the Stihl MS 661 CM with 36” bar and ripping chain - a professional powerhead set up well suited for milling.
A conventional crosscut chain is sharpened to cut efficiently across wood fibers. A ripping chain normally uses a shallower filing angle of approximately 10 degrees, allowing it to shave lengthwise through the log with less chatter and a smoother finish. Granberg ripping chain also uses specialized scoring and clearing cutters that help reduce feed pressure and power demand.
The Alaskan Mill is portable, comparatively affordable, mechanically simple, and can cut logs wider than many entry-level bandsaw mills. It is particularly useful for oversized timber, remote locations, storm-damaged trees, urban salvage, and valuable figured logs that might otherwise become firewood or mulch.
The tradeoffs include slower production, a wider kerf, substantial fuel and bar-oil use, mountains of sawdust, and increased wear on the saw, bar, chain, and clutch. Accurate first-cut rails, stable log supports, plastic wedges, a razor-sharp ripping chain, and steady feed pressure make milling safer, straighter, and more efficient.
The Granberg Alaskan Mill does not try to replace a production sawmill. It solves a different problem: turning a log that is too large, too remote, or too valuable to move into usable lumber right where it lies.
Visit www.granberg.com for Alaskan Mills, EZ Rail systems, Edging Mills, ripping chains, winches, guide bars, and related milling equipment. Enter promo code DFJAY when ordering to enjoy 10% off your entire order.