brag on your mill

[plowboyswr]

Let me start by sayin that I'm new to this forum and new to the sawmillin end of wood workin. I've been lookin at mills for quite some time now and been doin a lot of readin ( especialy on here) now I want to know what are the features on your mill that you couldn't do without. I have checked out the sponsers sites and will continue to search for the right fit

[123maxbars]

I have a woodmizer LT35. The Hyd turner and clamp are things I really appreciate about my mill. Saves alot of time turning and clamping logs. The loader is also nice but I had a Kubota for that job. 

[bandmiller2]

Welcome plowboy,depends  on what your going to do with the mill, strictly hobby or some cut for hire.In my mind a hydraulic turner/clamp is right at the top of the list.If you have hyd. for the turner you might as well use it to feed and raise and lower the band head.You always want to get a bigger better mill than you think you need that includes more power. Frank C.

[cypresskayaksllc]

1. its not hard to fix and 2. the 2 plane clamp

[isawlogs]

 If there is one thing on my mill I would not do with out .. yes, I have an lt40HD, I would not do without the HD. 

[POSTONLT40HD]

Welcome PLOWBOY and Merry Christmas!

Be careful....that saw milling will get in your blood.

[Banjo picker]

Debarker...Banjo

[Ohio_Bill]

Welcome Plowboyswr ,   I think features have more to do with production expectations . If you are only going to saw a few thousand board feet a year then a very basic manual mill would be just fine and cheaper to buy and maintain . However if you want to do several thousand board feet a day then more power and hydraulics are a must .  I have owned  3 mills all have been Woodmizers . I started with a LT 15 and  now have a LT 40 super . I  am a 62 year old that saws by himself  so I am very thankful for log handling help from the hydraulics  . 

Hope this helps .

[shelbycharger400]

well..to brag... i built it , a few parts were machined by a buddy.  Not pritty welds or paint ect,  but officially it runs, i need to do a few things, but made first cut today after wedging a log between the bunks,  finished the saw dogs today , will saw tomorrow.   i can clamp logs as short as 1 ft long up to 8 ft few inches.   its different to here the chain run at 7,000 rpm est (yet to put a tach on the engine for rpm)   powered by a 12.5 hp briggs,  electric clutch,  36 in chain bar, engine didnt dog down full bar loaded.

[DeepWoods]

I have a Norwood LM 2000.  While it is only a manual mill and can be a lot of work, I went with the most horse power I could get with the mill.  I have never regretted the extra HP when I didn't need it and always appreciated it when I needed it the most.  I'm sure the day will come when 23 HP won't be enough, but I will have to work pretty hard to get a log that big on the mill before that happens. 

[red oaks lumber]

fully hydralic mill  the best feature is the ride along seat

[Bandmill Bandit]

“I went [with a] LT40HD Wood-Mizer because off-bearing is just a lot less stress on the body and I find maintenance to be easier because you don’t have any real tough reaching to do to get at things. Have not regretted the decision to date. I found that operator visibility from the various positions available on Wood-Mizer mills was much better than any other mill I tried, due to the cantilever head. Service is awesome too. Never had a problem with straight sawing at all. Timber King really needs to get over that one already and find something that really is a genuine advantage in their mill.”

That is what I posted in another thread. Nothing has changed.

Good luck in your search.

[plowboyswr]

Thanks for all the replies so far as for what I'll be using the mill for thats hard to say mostly personal use but if the jobs come up i wouldn't turn em down! And must say that I've allready been bit by the bug ready to start sawin

[zopi]

The up/down assembly on the lt15....no guesswork...if the mill is aligned correctly all you have to do is hit the correct hole for near perfect accuracy.

But would trade that for hydraulics...

[redbeard]

I will stick with Timberking after sawing for Six years on a B-20 and having top notch tech support. I will definitely buy another TK when the day comes.

[Norm]

One of the best options to get is the debarker. Hydraulics is a close 2nd.

[glenn molenaar]

Welcome, I'm still dreaming of owning a mill, looks like we are neighbors. I'm just outside of Wentworth. I've been reading posts here a couple times a day. Great site to learn from.

[paul case]

Well maybe ya ought to come look at my mill and see what I like about it. I am only about 25 miles from Carthage.

Probably that thing has paid for itself in the first project and made me a living ever since. PC

[Piston]

Okay so it's not too mill specific, but the one thing I will never be without is a tractor with grapple and forks to deal with logs and mill scraps.   It really does make a difference.  A lot of milling is how you move the material. 

However, I reaaaaaaallly want hydraulics....

[thecfarm]

plowboyswr,welcome to the forum.Ever been around a mill before? Took me about 10 years to decide what I wanted. You will probably never see mine in person,it's a Thomas. Built by a machine shop here in Maine. I like it because I can move the bunks and cut a 2 foot piece of wood. I bought it with the longer track,cut 20 foot logs if I wanted too. I think I have a 18hp Honda on it,I forgot.It's only for my own use,all manual. It's a very simple mill. Something that can sit for a year and the motor is the only thing that may give me a hard time. If I was doing it again,I would probaly go with an electric mill. Tell us your plans for the mill. Do you have your own logs? Mine suits me just fine,what little I use it.

[JP135]

I have a Woodmizer LT15. It is a manual mill. It's rock solid and there's not too many things to break. It does a great job. I really like the Woodmizer company - great tech support when you need it; authorized dealers all over the country; very popular brand with sawyers; all their products have an excellent reputation and are well engineered, and I personally appreciate the Christian ethics of the company. If you're cutting for yourself, the LT15 is a great way to go.

I started doing work for other people within a week of getting my saw. Nothing huge, but by being fair and charging a little less, I've built up a couple of solid little accounts. I work two or three hours every day milling, sometimes more. The manual sawmill is still fun, but I really need to move up to something with at least basic hydraulics or a winch for loading, and power feed. And while I'm dreaming, hydraulic clamps and power up/down would be nice too. I'm beating myself to death pushing that carriage through the log and pulling it back to start again. If I put in more than three hours in, I really pay the price with joint and muscle pain.

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum plowboyswr.

I would not be without the debarker or the hydraulics. 

The debarker extends "blade life" 4 to 5 times and the hydraulics extends my "back life". 

About the only times we use a peavey or cant hook is to roll a log from the pile to the loading arms. 

[plowboyswr]

As far as log handling equipment i've allready got that covered. I dairyfarm with my dad and brother so there are several tractors, bobcats, and even a forklift at our disposal. We've about 200 acers of timber mostly oak, walnut, black locus,and hedge. We've been cuttin hedge posts for years so I'm no stranger to a chainsaw and skiddin logs. I keep lookin at em and thinking that would make some beautiful cabinets! We had one that the wind took out last year that was 32" on the small end, 42" on the big end, and 35' to the first branch just as strait as any oak or walnut would hope to be. Now I know that it would take one heck of a mill to handle that, but a feller can dream can't he. And I've been lookin at mills for about 9 or 10 years now. Watched some TKs in action and some WM. And paul i may have to take u up on that demo. Seen lot of things that i liked on various mills and somethings i didnt

[tcsmpsi]

I wouldn't say I couldn't do without, purt nearly any/everything.  But, there are a couple things about my mill that I do like considerably.  I like the plain weight/heft of its compenents.  I like the simplicity of its design and function.  I like the mesh design of the wheel covers, as I can always see what's up in there, no clogging up of sawdust and such, helps keep all components in side cool.  I like the spacing and 180 degree application of the clamps, and that it throws sawdust on the offside.   And, of course, I like having the factory a little over an hour away.

[JP135]

I wouldn't say I couldn't do without, purt nearly any/everything.  But, there are a couple things about my mill that I do like considerably.  I like the plain weight/heft of its compenents.  I like the simplicity of its design and function.  I like the mesh design of the wheel covers, as I can always see what's up in there, no clogging up of sawdust and such, helps keep all components in side cool.  I like the spacing and 180 degree application of the clamps, and that it throws sawdust on the offside.   And, of course, I like having the factory a little over an hour away.

Yours is a LogMaster?

[SamB]

My  TK1220  is a solid little sawmill which serves my needs very well. It gets used in cycles and may sit idle for weeks or months at a time, but it was paid for the day I brought it home. A quality machine to mill some lumber where high production isn’t an issue and a smaller investment is appealing. A roof over the mill and a couple cant hooks.

[tcsmpsi]

I wouldn't say I couldn't do without, purt nearly any/everything.  But, there are a couple things about my mill that I do like considerably.  I like the plain weight/heft of its compenents.  I like the simplicity of its design and function.  I like the mesh design of the wheel covers, as I can always see what's up in there, no clogging up of sawdust and such, helps keep all components in side cool.  I like the spacing and 180 degree application of the clamps, and that it throws sawdust on the offside.   And, of course, I like having the factory a little over an hour away.

Yours is a LogMaster?

Yes.



 

[paul case]

My mill has a BIG mouth, or is that throat?  The ez boardwalk mdl 40 will handle that log you are talking about.
I think most folks could agree that a manual mill is a good place to start, and if you enjoy it and find enough work to justify it move up to a bigger mill. If not almost any manual mill will come in handy or at least don't cost a fella that much to try. PC

[Ianab]

We had one that the wind took out last year that was 32" on the small end, 42" on the big end, and 35' to the first branch just as strait as any oak or walnut would hope to be. Now I know that it would take one heck of a mill to handle that, but a feller can dream can't he.

When the logs get bigger you need to look at a swing blade sawmill. Peterson or Lucas. Sure they are (mostly) manual, but they are very light weight. You don't even bother moving a big log like that, just take the mill to it, set it up and start sawing. My mill can handle logs up to ~60", but you can drag it around on a little utility trailer behind a quad bike.

A different sort of mill from the ones you have probably been looking at - but a very versatile machine.

Ian

[countryjonez]

i love my lt10!! not fast not easy,but pound for pound its a tough little mill for a great price. anyone looking to saw that doesnt mind some work will love this mill and the price tag.

[wormy]

i have a 95 woodmizer lt40 hd got it at a good price because it is an older modle but it is solid as a rock and has all the hydrolics. it would be hard for me to go with a lesser mill now because i like spending my time sawing not loading and turning logs.

[Sixacresand]

I agree with CountryJonez.  The LT10 does a great job for the money.  I like having a sawmill on the farm and not  be in the sawmill business.

[logboy]

We had one that the wind took out last year that was 32" on the small end, 42" on the big end, and 35' to the first branch just as strait as any oak or walnut would hope to be. Now I know that it would take one heck of a mill to handle that, but a feller can dream can't he.

When the logs get bigger you need to look at a swing blade sawmill. Peterson or Lucas. Sure they are (mostly) manual, but they are very light weight. You don't even bother moving a big log like that, just take the mill to it, set it up and start sawing. My mill can handle logs up to ~60", but you can drag it around on a little utility trailer behind a quad bike.

A different sort of mill from the ones you have probably been looking at - but a very versatile machine.

Ian

I'm with Ian in that I'm one of those evil swingblade sawyers with the funny blade that pivots from horizontal to vertical.     But hey, we don't have to edge our boards.  If you want to cut all sizes including the really big stuff without a lot of fuss then try a Lucas or Peterson.  They won't nickle and dime you with a lot to go wrong or maintain. Get the slabber with it and you can cut table tops.  Big logs are niche market if thats what you want to do, and a lot of my business is the big stuff others cannot cut.  I just landed another job tonight slabbing a 60" x 40" burl for a guy.  A surprising amount of my business is from guys that own a bandsaw or even big commercial mills who can't cut the big stuff.  Heaviest log I slabbed was a 38" diameter 19' WO for another forum member.  The biggest diameter I have cut is 60" (max I can cut) at the fork and 48" at the butt.  No need to rip it into quarters or in half with a chainsaw first, or use any heavy equipment to move it down the road, or rotate the cant either.  Set the mill up around it and saw it until its gone. 

 

[Piston]

Logboy,
That is pretty impressive...

 

[Celeriac]

I will speak up to say that I like my trailer mounted Mobile Dimension 128. It's an oddball, being a circular mill that edges. By design the mill lends itself more toward cutting dimensional lumber, but it does fine cutting 4/4,etc. If one were cutting a lot of grade cherry and walnut it would not be the right mill. Conversely, I did take my mill down to the camp to cut White Pine for a barn project. The mill really did well. The finished lumber was much better than what the other sawyer cut with his WM. 

I think that if you are serious about buying a mill that you should look around locally to see what is available on the used market. Buy something reasonably priced and in decent condition. If it's too expensive you'll feel guilty about not using it. If it's a wreck you may get discouraged early on. I picked up my mill at a local farm sale for a good price. Most likely nobody else knew what it was  It has seen a hard life and I'm still working the bugs out. But it has been a worthwhile education.

[shelbycharger400]

It has seen a hard life and I'm still working the bugs out

kinda sounds like any piece of equipment..new or used!

[Woodwalker]

I wouldn't say I couldn't do without, purt nearly any/everything.  But, there are a couple things about my mill that I do like considerably.  I like the plain weight/heft of its compenents.  I like the simplicity of its design and function.  I like the mesh design of the wheel covers, as I can always see what's up in there, no clogging up of sawdust and such, helps keep all components in side cool.  I like the spacing and 180 degree application of the clamps, and that it throws sawdust on the offside.   And, of course, I like having the factory a little over an hour away.

[/quote

I wouldn't say I couldn't do without, purt nearly any/everything.  But, there are a couple things about my mill that I do like considerably.  I like the plain weight/heft of its compenents.  I like the simplicity of its design and function.  I like the mesh design of the wheel covers, as I can always see what's up in there, no clogging up of sawdust and such, helps keep all components in side cool.  I like the spacing and 180 degree application of the clamps, and that it throws sawdust on the offside.   And, of course, I like having the factory a little over an hour away.

Mine is a Logmaster  also and it's a solid built piece of equipment. It's built with off the shelf parts. About the only thing on the mill you won't find at NAPA is the 36" CNC cut steel band wheels. The only drawback is that I have to take a two hour drive to go visit and look at the new mills.

[mandolin]

Plowboy, if want a small mill to cut just for you or your friends, for the money you can't beat a Hud-Son. I've had a 228 for 4 years and I love it. Its all manual. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment

[Magicman]

First Welcome to the Forestry Forum plowboyswr.  I would not want to eliminate any of my sawmill's features.  The hydraulics are the workhorses that easily and quickly do the log handling, the Debarker cleans the saw path and keeps the blade from quickly dulling, the Setworks insure uniform and accurate lumber.

That being said, do not hesitate to explore the used sawmill market.  I did.  Also, take Paul Case up on his field trip offer.  It will absolutely be time well spent.

[plowboyswr]

Thanks to all the replies and all the feedback I enjoy reading everything here on FF still trying to absorb all the info and knowlage thats contained here. Glad I found this site. Mm I fully plan on taking paul up on his offer soon as I can find the time. We have a big project going on here at the farm so I cant seem to get away just yet. But I keep reading and learning!

[TWCCO]

Thanks to all the replies and all the feedback I enjoy reading everything here on FF still trying to absorb all the info and knowlage thats contained here. Glad I found this site. Mm I fully plan on taking paul up on his offer soon as I can find the time. We have a big project going on here at the farm so I cant seem to get away just yet. But I keep reading and learning!

LOGMASTER LM-4 51 hp cat diesel, full hydraulics,36" x 24' log capacity.....cuts like butter !

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, TWCCO.