Woodmizer hydrostatic

[DoubleD]

I would like to hear if somebody tried it and how was your impression about it

Thanks

Davide

[Bibbyman]

I doubt if anyone on the Forum has one.  I think they were aimed at the Amish trade.

[fishpharmer]

I did not know what it was, so though I would search the WM site.

Here is what I found:
http://www.woodmizer.com/us/sawmills/options/hydrostatic.aspx

[Dan_Shade]

the head moves very fast.  I wouldn't want one without accuset on it, though (which I don't think is available)

[ARKANSAWYER]

  I have sawed with one and it was different.  The thing had alot more power for moving the head down and back so the board return was very good.   I do  not saw with the computer much any way so that did not hurt me none.  Never have seen one with many hours so I do not know what the long term ordeal would be dealing with the hydrolics and hoses would be.

[Chico]

I've sawn with hydros Last fine fast  as far as a setworks you should be able to adjust the speed on them but once you get used them it'll be like everything else Hydros are quick and save a lot of arm mmovement imo
Chico

[DoubleD]

Thanks for the answers so far

One more question: is it only available as walk behind head?


Thanks

Davide 

[Bibbyman]

Thanks for the answers so far

One more question: is it only available as walk behind head?


Thanks

Davide 

I'd think it'd be because you'd have to run the hydraulic hoses in the cable track.  Maybe that wouldn't work too well.  Maybe Sparks can explain better.

[pineywoods]

Woodmizer had one on display and demo down in Mississippi a while back. A small hydraulic pump (think auto power steering pump) mounted on the head and belt driven off the kohler. 2 control valves and 2 hydraulic motors, one for up-down, one for forward-back. The thing was blazing fast, they had the ride-along seat on it. I liked it, the control handle could be used as a speed control, ie the further you pushed the forward/back lever, the faster it went, definitely plenty of power for the drag-back. Not much of a practical way to add command console or setworks

[Mikey H]

Hey Davide,

It is only available as a walk behind. There are no setworks or Accuset available at all. Yes, it was originally aimed at the Amish but we missed!  They want hydraulic, not hydrostatic.  The head movement is amazingly fast when the blade is engaged.  It can go from 1 inch above the bed to 35" in about 7 seconds.  It's not so impressive when the blade is not engaged, because the hydrostatic pump works as hard as the engine revs.  The log handling functions also move very quickly when the blade is engaged, not so fast when it's not.  The controls for both the head and the bed can be "feathered" so they've got some finesse to them. 

The few dozen people that have one are located south of us (Indy), so cold weather is not a concern for them.  I've heard rave reviews from them and I'll try to get one of them to answer you, but I'm not sure that will happen.  None of them strike me as the computer type!  One of them is a 3-time Wood-Mizer owner that basically said, "Where have you been all my life?  I love this thing!"  But, if you're north of us, I'd steer clear. It's going to work VERY slowly at 5 degrees above zero or colder until all the fluid gets warmed up.  Bad experiences by our Wisconsin and Ontario reps are the main reason you don't here much about the LT40HDD51-H from us any more. It is only available with the 51HP Cat.  Hope this helps!

[Bibbyman]

Thanks Mike. And welcome to the Forum.

The log handling functions also move very quickly when the blade is engaged, not so fast when it's not. 

Follow up question  based on what you said above...  I thought the log handling hydraulics were still ran by the 12v DC pumps like any other WM hyraulic mill.  Is that not the case?  How would you run the bed hydraulics from the pump on the engine?

[Mikey H]

Follow up question  based on what you said above...  I thought the log handling hydraulics were still ran by the 12v DC pumps like any other WM hyraulic mill.  Is that not the case?  How would you run the bed hydraulics from the pump on the engine?
[/quote]

My memory might be bad.  I'll check it out tomorrow (not my memory, the saw). I do remember being amazed at the up/dn head speed when the engine is rev'd up.  You're right about the bed hydraulics being 12 volt.  I remember watching our blade guys operate it a few times and could have sworn the bed operated quicker when they left the blade engaged.  More 12v juice to the two hyd pumps?  Maybe. I'll check it out. More later!   

[Mikey H]

Thanks Mike. And welcome to the Forum.

The log handling functions also move very quickly when the blade is engaged, not so fast when it's not. 

Follow up question  based on what you said above...  I thought the log handling hydraulics were still ran by the 12v DC pumps like any other WM hyraulic mill.  Is that not the case?  How would you run the bed hydraulics from the pump on the engine?

I talked to Burl about this just now and he gave me two answers.  The first one was, "Good catch Bibbyman, I was just testing you!"  The second one was, "It depends on the condition of the battery. So if a battery was low, then yes, leaving the engine rev'd up would make the bed hydraulics run faster, but that has nothing to do with having a hydrostatic head."

So in other words: MY BAD!     I guess I was so jazzed up about how fast the head was moving that I hallucinated the bed going faster.  But I'm glad I can count on you to keep me right!

[ScottAR]

I am to understand hydrostatic cannot be added to the yanmar?

Let me down easy now.   

[Mikey H]

I am to understand hydrostatic cannot be added to the yanmar?

Let me down easy now.   

I'm typing as easy as I can.  I'm assuming you mean building a new mill with the Yanmar. Right? We don't have a kit to "add" the hydrostatic drive to an existing mill. 

Nobody has ever asked for the hydrostatic with a Yanmar.  I won't say it CAN'T be done, but it's highly unlikely.  Once in a while we'll make a mill configuration we don't normally build.  But, we only do it  for someone willing to give us a non-refundable deposit. You'd be the only one in the planet with one! If you're seriously interested, I can ask. 

[pineywoods]

Did a memory refresh (looked at my pics).  Not one pump but two. Both variable displacement types-reversable. No separate control valves needed. Looks like somebody cannabalized a zero-turn lawn mower. Good thinking there guys. Hooking up a remote console and setworks of any kind would take considerable back-yard engineering, but it could be done.

[DoubleD]

Hi Mike welcome to the Forum and many thanks for your exaustive answears 


Davide

[ScottAR]

I'm not serious enough to bother anyone...  yet...

I really like those yanmar engines...