Alaskan Mkiii Chainsaw Mill

Might look into "skip-tooth" chain if you don't have it yet. Less drag on your horsepower, and more sawdust clearance.

 

More teeth in the wood equals more drag on the saw, and lower chain speed. A skip-tooth may not cut as 'aggressively,' but allows chain speed to be maintained.
"Aggressive" can be achieved simply by filing down the rakers (guage teeth).
But it will bog down the saw unless it has the horsepower to pull that much wood. There is no free lunch.

Ripping chain has the cutters filed at nearer zero degrees, maybe 5º-10º, rarther than the 30º of crosscut chain, but I never felt it was very much better in practice.

 

I like full skip chain. I prefer (full skip) chisel bit chain in green hardwoods (or green wood in general, including pine / spruce / cedar varieties). I prefer (full skip) chipper chain in dead woods, brush fields, dirty woods (almond wood) as it seems to hold up a little longer, and it also seems decent for a non-specific ripping chain. Chisel bit looks like a "7" and can be 'angle-file filed' or round filed. Chipper chain looks sort of like a "?" (question mark) and you use a round file to sharpen. Using an angled file (3-sided file) to sharpen chain takes a little practice, and I'm way out... I try and stick to the round file versions these days.

I run chisel bit on my 28" bar and chipper bit on the 36" bar;

Taking the rakers down too far will bog out the saw as mentioned. It'll also make it 'grabby' in small limbs, etc.; had a limb in a walnut orchard get 'yanked' by my low rakers... whacked me in the shins and into the motor head at the same time. Poked a Quarter (change piece) sized hole in my oil tank (the front of the case on a Sthil 044) - nothing that my pride would heal or some JB-Weld wouldn't fix, but it was exciting none the less when a 3" x 6ft stick whacks your shins at about 30mph - or what ever it launched at from nearly 14,000 RPMs...

So why does full skip seem so attractive? It's simple to me, less teeth to sharpen...

Note: full skip chain as well as other 'professional' chains do NOT have 'anti-kickback' measures... you should pay attention to what you're doing when using it (goes without saying right?).

I asked the guys at the shop if I could get some full-skip for the 'pico' sized chain I have (small yard saw)... unless I change out the bar and the sprocket, that's not an option... so... I deal with the powder dust that the extra safety chain seems to help promote...

Speaking of chips (not bull chips, but in part may be)...

One knows that big chips generally equal a sharp chain??? And dull chain tends to make dust? I don't recall specifically, but this was always when I knew I need to either switch chains or take the 30m or so to sharpen up. When I worked in the woods, I carried 3 to 6 chains in my kit, depending if I was in the brush or timber (more chains in the brush).

Sharpened the saw once while cutting wood, and my grandfather commented "could stand behind you with mouth open, swallow those chips and then cr@p 2x4's (not indicated if nominal size, FWIW)...

 

"Square-filed" chisel chain was the fastest and finest cutting chain for me in my professional woods days, but as said it takes a good eye and steady hand to get the angles right. And holding your tongue just right.

I went back to round filing because the local shop was ordering special chains and chisels just for me.