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I get a huge amount of emails and phone calls
concerning double ended sawbars using 2 chainsaws on 1 bar.
I did extensive testing some years ago on this issue
and most people think that they will double the amount of
power so they can cut faster. This is a wrong assumption as
you are still using only the power equal to 1 chainsaw.
I used several combinations for my testing, 2 - Stihl
090's 2 - Stihl 088's 2 - Husqvarna 3120's, tachometers,
lumber cut, speed of cut, fuel used, oil used, cost of 2
saws, special sawbar and the replacement cost of the special
sawbar. I used the above combinations for several months at
the same time I ran my regular Procut sawmill cutting beams
large and small, and lumber.
I found that unless both saws are running at exactly
the same r.p.m. there is not much advantage. The saws
transfer power from saw to saw, in other words 1 saw running
a little faster is actually driving the other saw because
they are interconnected by the same sawchain. It only starts
to help a little in very large logs, but be advised it
definitely is not worth the extra costs associated with
running 2 saws. You would have to cut a huge amount of
lumber to even make back the extra initial cost, plus the
operating expense and that is selling the lumber, plus the
extra man on the other saw.
I have asked several customers that were previously
running an Alaskan sawmill with 2 chainsaws to check this
out themselves. These customers had an extra regular sawbar
and rip chain available and they ran 1 saw and bar on the
Alaskan sawmill they had at the time, and what they found
amazed them. They had been using the double saw for quite
some time and they found they could have saved themselves a
huge amount of cost in fuel and oil and an extra saw. They
ended up selling the extra saw and the double ended sawbar
and just using 1 saw and regular sawbar because they found
not much difference in the amount of lumber they had cut.
They did this for a period of time and it was not much
slower in cutting speed but they had saved themselves a lot
of cost, plus using the other man on the saw. They even
checked using a helper handle with another man on a single
saw and the results nearly matched the double ended 2 saw
run.
I have also had several customers that built my
Procut sawmill from the plans check this out also, and the
results were the same. Not Worth The Extra Cost Of
The Chainsaw and Special Sawbar never mind the operating
costs and the maintenance of 2 chainsaws.
All of this was done several years ago and I wish I
had kept the records to the above in a safe place, but it
was so long ago and they are no where to be found after 2
very big changes of location in the last 20 years.
So my advice to you. Unless you are going to cut very
large logs say over 36" it just is not worth it. You would
be far better off putting the money for the extra saw and
sawbar and the operating costs into a bandmill or circular
sawmill of at least 25hp or better that can cut those very
large logs. I know the initial costs of a sawmill of this
size is probably out of the reach of most people that just
want to cut their own lumber. You still have the option of
building Procut that will expand to cut a log UP to 36", but
be advised that you can cut a log this size but it is rather
slow with the chainsaw. This is still the most affordable
option though, unless you have around $8000 or better
sitting around for the bandmill or circular sawmill.
I wish a happy and productive sawmilling day to you
all
Allan at Procut
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