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Choosing the Best Cannon Bar for Chainsaw Milling

Choosing the Best Cannon Bar for Chainsaw Milling

Chainsaw milling has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Whether it’s a desire to create beautiful live-edge furniture, mill lumber, or salvage trees, we have seen a growing demand for chainsaw bars specifically used for milling. One of the most common questions we get is “what bar do I need for chainsaw milling?”, so we have decided to break it down for you here. 

The Cannon SawMiller and the Cannon SuperBar are our two most common chainsaw bars for milling. The Cannon SawMiller Bar is a double-ended bar – which means there is a mount pattern on both ends of the bar. The Cannon SuperBar is a standard chainsaw bar with a mount pattern on one end and a replaceable sprocket tip on the other.

The Cannon SawMiller was designed specifically for chainsaw milling and offers the following benefits:  

-Wider belly which is better for chip clearance and cutting speed.

-Thicker bar, which results in less flex or bar “sag”. Because of the thickness, the Cannon SawMiller is only available for .063 gauge chain.

-It can be rotated from end-to-end, as well as from top-to-bottom to even out wear patterns.

-Comes in a “Universal” mount (G1 Mount), so the same bar will fit all medium-to-large Stihl, Husqvarna, and other chainsaws with specific adaptor plates or bushings. (see photo below)

See this article on our mount patterns.

-Provides the ability to use two chainsaws, or one chainsaw and a helper handle with roller on the other end (must have a sprocket or roller at both ends of the bar for the chain to go around).

-The helper handle with roller provides the ability to tension the chain at the end of the bar opposite to the chainsaw. 

-Bars come standard with auxiliary oiler holes for easy attachment and use of auxiliary oiler kits.

-Available in standard lengths of 44” all the way up to 96”. However, we can custom build longer bars in lengths up to 144”. 

Available Lengths:

Please note: The Cannon SawMiller bar is measured in overall length, so users should expect to lose approximately 15” of cut once attached to a mill and chainsaws.

44” – CDE-G1-44-63

50” – CDE-G1-50-63

56” – CDE-G1-56-63                  

66” – CDE-G1-66-63

72” – CDE-G1-72-63

84” – CDE-G1-84-63

96” – CDE-G1-96-63

Chainsaw Power to Bar Length Guide

Adaptor Plates

The Cannon SuperBar is another great option for milling and offers the following benefits:  

-Has a replaceable sprocket tip and does not require a second saw or helper handle. 

-Can also be used for cross-cutting.

-Available in various lengths up to 84”. The Cannon SuperBar is measured in cutting length, but users should expect to lose approximately 7.5” of cut from the bar length once a chainsaw mill is attached.

-Can have auxiliary oiler holes added/drilled into the bar. Please inquire with us about this if you are interested.

-Can have holes drilled to attach a helper handle without a roller. Please inquire with us about this if you are interested.

-Available for .050, .058, and .063 gauge chains.

-Available in mount patterns specific to Stihl, Husqvarna, or other makes and models of chainsaws.

See this article on our mount patterns.

Please use our Bar Finder to find the correct bar for your chainsaw. If you are interested in the Cannon SawMiller, then select “Double Ended Milling Bars for Slab Cutting” as the application. If you are interested in the Cannon SuperBar, please select “SuperBars for Professional & Heavy Duty Cutting” as the application. 

Other Things to Consider When Chainsaw Milling:

Chain – We recommend using a .063 gauge, 3/8” or .404” pitch ripping chain.

Mills – Great options are the Granberg Alaskan Mill, Logosol Big Mill, New England Pine, or the Panther Mill

Other things you will need – PPE, Wedges, and Chain Files, such as Granberg 12 Volt Sharpener or Oregon bench grinder.

Some great resources for milling tips: 

http://www.madsens1.com/sa__mill_faq.htm

Granberg FAQ

Bar Mounts and Adaptor Plates

A Guide to Cannon Bar Works’ Chainsaw Bar Mounts and Adaptor Plates

Cannon Bar Works Ltd. manufactures chainsaw guide bars in many different mount patterns to fit almost all makes and models of chainsaws. In total, Cannon Bar Works has 9 standard chainsaw bar mounts, two of those being “Universal” or “Combination” mounts. Cannon also offers adaptor plates and bushings for a couple of the larger mount patterns to allow them to fit on other makes and models of chainsaws. Below is a breakdown of each mount pattern and any adaptor bushings/plates available for the mounts:

C1 Mount

Cannon’s C1 mount is a “Combination” mount and it is equivalent to Oregon’s A041, K041, A061, A064, A074, A095, and K095 mount patterns and the Stihl 3005 mount. This mount fits most chainsaws on the market that are under 60 CC. The C1 mount will fit on all chainsaws that take our H5, H6, and S5 mounts listed below.

This mount is available in Carver Bars, Pruner Bars, SuperMini Bars, and SuperBars.

Bar lengths available in this mount range from 8” up to 32”.

All bars C1 mount bars come with an oil hole gasket cover.

Fits: Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Dewalt, Dolmar, Homelite, Husqvarna, John Deere, Jonsered, Makita, Maruyama Pole Saws, McCulloch, Olympyk (Oleo-Mac), Partner, Pioneer, Poulan/Poulan Pro, Redmax, Sears, Shindaiwa, Stihl, Skil, Snapper, Solo, Stanley, Tanaka, Toro.

H5  Mount

Cannon’s H5 Mount is equivalent to Oregon’s A095Mount, mostly fitting Husqvarna saws under 60 CC. The H5 Mount is very similar to the H6 mount, but it has a slightly narrower tail. It is also similar to the C1 mount, with a very similar slot, but only the forward two adjusting and oiler holes. 

The H5 mount is unique to SuperMini Bars and is available in 12”, 13”, and 15”. 

Fits: Cub Cadet, Dolmar, Homelite, Husqvarna, John Deere, Jonsered, Makita, Maruyama Pole Saws, McCulloch, Olympyk (Oleo-Mac), Partner, Pioneer, Poulan/Poulan Pro, Redmax, Sears, Solo, Stanley.

H6 Mount

Cannon’s H6 Mount is equivalent to Oregon’s K095 Mount, mostly fitting Husqvarna saws under 60 CC. The H6 mount is very similar to the H5 mount, but it has a slightly wider tail. It is also similar to the C1 mount with a very similar slot, but only the forward two adjusting and oiler holes.

The H6 mount is unique to SuperMini Bars and is available in 16”, 18”, 20”, 24”, 28”, and 32”.

Fits: Cub Cadet, Dolmar, Homelite, Husqvarna, John Deere, Jonsered, Makita, Maruyama Pole Saws, McCulloch, Olympyk (Oleo-Mac), Partner, Pioneer, Poulan/Poulan Pro, Redmax, Sears, Solo, Stanley.

S5 Mount

Cannon’s S5 Mount is equivalent to Oregon’s A074 Mount and the Stihl 3005 mount, fitting Stihl saws under 60 CC. It is also similar to the C1 mount, but with an open tail and only the rear two adjusting and oiler holes.

The S5 mount is unique to SuperMini Bars and is available in 12”, 14”, and 16”. 

Fits: Stihl and Olympk (Oleo-Mac)

G1 Mount

Cannon’s G1 mount is a universal mount, and only available in the SawMiller Bar. The G1 mount fits directly onto chainsaws with 14 mm bar studs, such as the MS 880. Every SawMiller bar comes with two sets of adaptor bushings – one set of bushings (CBW-87577) to bring the 14 mm slot down to 12.1 mm and fit most Stihl saws calling for the Stihl 3003 mount(all saws that the S1 mount fits), and one set of adaptor bushings (CBW-87575) that bring the 14 mm slot down to 9 mm and fit most Husqvarna, Jonsered, Dolmar and Redmaxsaws that call for the Oregon D009 mount(all saws that the H1 mount fits). There are also adaptor plates available for purchase, which serve the same purpose, but are more durable and harder to misplace. 

Bar lengths available in this mount range from 44” up to 138”+.

Fits as-is: Dolmar, Stihl 

Fits with CBW-87577 adaptor bushings: Stihl saws with 12.1 mm bar studs

Fits with CBW-87575 adaptor bushings: Dolmar, Husqvarna, Jonsered, Makita, Partner, Shindaiwa, Solo saws with 9 mm bar studs

Adaptor Plates available for the G1 mount:

H1 Mount 

Cannon’s H1 mount is equivalent to Oregon’s D009 mount, fitting most Husqvarna chainsaws over 60 CC.

The H1 mount is available in Carver Bars, Pruner Bars, SuperMini Bars, and SuperBars.

Bar lengths available in this mount range from 12” up to 84”.

Fits:Dolmar, Husqvarna, Jonsered, Makita, Partner, Redmax, Shindaiwa, Solo

P4 Mount

Cannon’s P4 mount is equivalent to Oregon’s D176 mount, fitting many Echo saws. 

The P4 mount is exclusive to the SuperBar and available in length of 16”, 20”, 24”, 28”, and 32”.

Fits:Echo, Fairmont, John Deere, McCulloch, Poulan/Poulan Pro, Redmax, Sears, Skil, Tanaka

S1 Mount 

Cannon’s S1 Mount is equivalent to Oregon’s D025 mount or the Stihl 3003 mount and fits onto most Stihl saws between 60 CC and 91 CC. There are many adaptor plates available for the S1 mount to allow it to fit on other makes of chainsaws.

The S1 mount is available in Carver Bars, Pruner Bars, SuperMini Bars, and SuperBars.

Bar lengths available in this mount range from 12” up to 60”.

Fits: Stihl

Adaptor Plates available for the S1 mount:

S2 Mount

Cannon’s S2 Mount is equivalent to Oregon’s D033 and Stihl 3002 mounts. The S2 mount also fits the same chainsaws as Oregon’s E031, E086 and E099 mounts. 

The S2 mount is exclusive to the SuperBar and available in lengths from 16” – 84”.

Fits:Dolmar,Stihl

Mount Cross-over Guide:

Don’t know what mount your chainsaw fits? Try our BAR FINDER.

CBW-30000 Oil Hole Gasket

Introducing the New CBW-30000 Oil Hole Gasket

Cannon Bar Works Ltd. would like to introduce the new CBW-30000 Oil Hole Gasket that will now come standard with all C1 mount chainsaw bars. 

Cannon currently offers the SuperBar, SuperMini, Carver, and Pruner Bars in the C1 mount, which is a combination of multiple mount patterns and fits on the majority of chainsaws on the market that are under 60 CC. Because the mount is able to fit on multiple saws, there are always mounting holes and oiler holes that are not being used and the possibility for some oil to leak out.

Some of the newer saws on the market, such as the Husqvarna 550XP, do not come with outside bar plates or solid sprocket covers, and this causes excessive oil to leak. 

Cannon’s solution to this issue is the CBW-30000 Oil Hole Gasket, which fits over the bar studs, alongside the mount of the bar, and stops oil from leaking out of unused oiler holes. This gasket will now be supplied with all C1 mount bars and additional gaskets will be available for purchase through any Cannon Bar Works Dealer. 

Chainsaw Power to Bar Length Guide

Chainsaw Power to Bar Length Guide

CHAINSAW POWER in Cubic Centimeters.                            SUGGESTED BAR SIZE in Inches.

Less than 25 cc                                                                                  10  to 12”

26  to  35 cc                                                                                         12  to 16”

36  to  45 cc                                                                                         14  to 20”

46  to  60 cc                                                                                         16  to 24”

60  to  75 cc                                                                                         18  to 28”

76  to  90 cc                                                                                         20  to 32”

91  to  100 cc                                                                                       24  to 36”

100  to 115 cc                                                                                      26  to 50”

More than 116 cc                                                                             28  to 84”

This power to bar length guide is to be used a general reference only.

Please check your owner’s manual or contact your saw manufacturer to determine the minimum and maximum, lengths of bars that can be used on your specific saw.

Cannon is not  liable for saws damaged as a result of using inappropriately long or short bars.

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