Portable

[CHARLIE]

Well, since I know a lot about nothing, and don't have a mindset to hinder me, I'll volunteer to be the one to determine the classes of mills.  It's just that y'all gotta abide by my decisions, ask no questions and eat mo grits! (DanG I like that!)

[Carl_Peterson]

I think this is a good thread.  The new guy has got no idea what a portable sawmill is and has to search through a hunderd brochures to find something that fits his spot.

There's gotta be an easy way to classify as to moveability.  Some mills may fit in multiple categories.  

For example, the Lucas, Peterson ATS, and Lewis are easily hand carried to the log.  The Peterson WPF is just a little bit more cumbersome to carry to the log, but may still be "Class 1".  

They all also can be efficiently used in a permanent or semi permanent site.  The Pete WPF overcomes its disadvantage in portability by gaining in its ability to productively saw as a fixed site "Class 2" mill.  The Pete WPF SemiAuto mill may still fit as "Class 1" (can be used and carried as an ultra portable) and also suits a fixed site perfectly as a "Class 2".

The Peterson ASM leaves the "Class 1" arena, and only makes sense in a permanent or semi-permanent position, or where there is easy vehicle access to the milling site.

So, I'm gonna make a few distinctions here.  "Class 1" requires the ability to hand carry the equipment to the log.

"Class 2" requires the ability to be easily moved from site to site by carrier vehicle separate from the mill itself.

"Class 3" signifies a trailerized mill which must be towed from site to site, but requires little setup for operation.

"Class 4" may be a mobile mill requiring substantial breakdown or set up time, ie "transportable".

"Class 5" may be something like the Twin Towers, that takes a lot of time to set up, but can be broken down in a matter of minutes.

"Class 6" may be something like the Empire State Building.  Took a long time to build, and nobody's figured out how to break it down yet.  Apparently a Flying Fortress made one attempt near the end of WW2 and failed.  Some things just ain't built the way they used to be.

Carl Peterson

[Arthur]

Carl

good definitions.  not too many might be all thats required.

[FeltzE]

2 more cents...  

A portable sawmill (excerpt from the feltze book of definitions): A sawmill designed and manufactured by one company to be moved from one sawing site to other sites during the normal operational life time of the machine. The sawmill may be completely self contained or may be modular and require some assembly or disassembly for transport or operations.

Stationary Sawmill (same reference) A sawmill which may be composed from the design and manufacturing of one or more companies that is designed to be set up and operated in a fixed location such as a building or sawmill site for the duration of the tennancy of the owner.


2 cent bonus... theory by feltze ... The classification of portable is much less important than the owners goals and expectations of the sawmill capacities such as size of logs, lumber, and through put vs. the portability aspect. ie. I could saw lumber on a mountain side with a chainsaw mill, carry the lumber out by hand milling only a minimum amount of lumber daily for a minimum capital expense or go through the myriad of levels of portablility to a modular large headrig mill that could be set up in a day or 2 trucking in the components on several tractor trailers, sawing 10s of thousands of ft per day...



Eric

[Quartlow]

I would be willing to bet you Breezewood would call my mill portable, But since its anchored to a concreter pad I'm gonna call it permanent. Oh you could move it but you have to tear it all down and trailer it. Much easer to bring the logs to me  

[Murf]

Maybe it's just the farmer in me, but to me 'portable' depends a whole lot more on what you have to tote sumtin' around with than anything else.

My next door neighbour has a 1/2 ton pickup truck, my 'pickup truck' is 5 ton with a 10 ton knuckle-boom crane on it.

There is a big difference between his 'portable' and mine......

[Arthur]

should the definition of portable be that defined in the dictionary or that which we want to fit to the definition for our own benefit???

If so what other definitions are subject to abuse???

[Jeff]

Trying to narrow the definition of the word portable to exclusively fit a specific application is like trying to narrow the definition for the word sawmill.

[TN_man]

Arthur,
I don't know that it is neccessary to distinguish between mills that are "portable" and those that are "transportable". Both are made to be taken to a jobsite whether carried or pulled. Usually, logs have to be manuevered by some means to some extent in either case. I think that people looking at the different mills to purchase can easily see the differences and thus the advantages or disadvantages of each and then decide which is for them. I don't necessarily feel that manufactures are trying to decieve potential customers, do you?

[FiremanEd]

I like the definition by the dictionary of Feltze, as  my mill 'must' be portable by zoning rules.

I figure that I bought in a state away were it was sawing logs, broke it down, loaded it, hauled it home, set up and was sawing in ohh,, about a week. So it's "portable".

I'm printing this thread incase the zoning nazies come snooping...  

[Arthur]

TN_man

Subject was started for a descussion to bring this question to a head.

Most countries have regulations when advertising which I personaly think that some manufactures bend as far as they can.

Most of the mills we manufacture are portable to the fact that one person can carry the parts of the mill from one location to another.  It will take a few trips but can be done by hand and within reasonable distance can be done in good time.

In PNG the village turns out and you can move the mill in one go some distance up the mountains.

We do however have one model which I consider to be transportable do to the fact that unless you can pickup 300kg and carry this on your own its not very portable. and thats only the power unit.

On the other hand our latest baby is only 90kg for the entire mill so the whole thing can be put on your back and carried by one person.  Mind you if you can only pickup 20kg then its not very portable is it.

[Ianab]

By the same definition the new Saw setup at the local mill must be portable...
They bought it at an auction someplace up in the Pacific Northwest where a fairly new mill was bought out and shut down. They sent my old boss and 3 other guys over to the US to dismantle it and pack it into containers for shipping back to NZ. It's now reassembled and running here in NZ. I believe the move took 3 months and cost around $1/2 million, but compared to the $3mil to get the same setup new they figured it was worth it.

However I'm still not sure if thats a class 5 or 6

ian

[SwampDonkey]

I think we need a multi-million dollar government funded study done by the sawmill manufacturers to determine the definitions. That way the government can class each of us into different tax brachets. If you fit into two or more portable sawmill classes than your tax should be higher than my handheld chain saw class. Oh, I forgot, you'se larger mill owners already paid that higher tax. Back to square one.

[FeltzE]

Ok I agree with the multi million dollar government study, I'll conduct the study, in 6 months review my findings (see if I've changed my mind) 6 months later ask my wife if I'm right.


Study complete .... pay up...

I don't agree that if you can break down the mill and set it up in a specified time makes it portable... I think it's the design factor (was it designed to be assembled and disassembled multiple times?) Design factors should allow for ease and speed of assembly without requirements for detailed realignments or multiple sub assemblies being re-assembled...

I pulled an old frick mill from it's moorings last winter, It was not a portable mill, it will however be reassembled one day in the future.

ERic

[EZ]

My guess is the government has not finish there study yet. Every year that I send in for a renewal of my fenders, they put me in a different class. Which of coarse cost a little higher. This year they have my portable sawing under lawn and gardening. Cant hardly wait for next year.
EZ

[SwampDonkey]

 


cheers