NEED A LITTLE ADVICE ON PETERSON SAWMILLS.

dredgeslavedave · February 23, 2006, 09:50:08 PM

I WILL BE BUYING A SAWMILL IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. ONE OF THE MILLS THAT I AM THINKING OF BUYING IS THE PETERSON ALL TERRAIN SAWMILL. WHAT I AM WONDERING ABOUT IS HOW HARD IS IT TO PUT A LARGER MOTOR ON THE MILL AFTER YOU HAVE BOUGHT IT? I WAS THINKING ABOUT GETTING THE ATS 8" MILL WITH THE 13HP HONDA. THAT WOULD COST ME A LITTLE OVER TEN GRAND. THEN I WOULD BUY AN EXTENSION SO I COULD MILL LONGER TIMBERS. I THINK THAT THE 27HP KOHLER WOULD MILL A LOT FASTER, BUT RIGHT NOW I DON'T THINK I COULD AFFORD THE THIRTEEN GRAND FOR THE MILL, AND STILL GET THE EXTENSION. SO I NEED TO CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER. RIGHT NOW I THINK THAT LENGTH WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPEED TO ME. ANY IDEAS ON THE DIFFICULTY OF PUTTING A LARGER MOTOR ON THE MILL IN A COUPLE OF YEARS? ALSO HOW DIFFICULT WILL IT BE TO UPGRADE TO A 10" MILL DOWN THE ROAD? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP, DAVE.

Tom · February 23, 2006, 09:56:37 PM

I've heard several discuss this same dilemma. Perhaps Peterson will offer a suggestion.

Welcome to the forum/

Oh! Please take you Caps Lock off. Trying to read that "all Caps" has my eyes crossed.

dredgeslavedave · February 23, 2006, 10:00:15 PM

Thank for the quick reply Tom. I shot a e-mail to peterson. Look no cap locks! Thank you again, Dave.

jpgreen · February 23, 2006, 10:00:27 PM

Talk to Gitoverit. He's doing just that.

I wonder if Peterson will sell an ATS with no engine?

Dave, welcome to the forum.. 8) 8)

dredgeslavedave · February 23, 2006, 10:02:22 PM

Now that is an option I never even thought of. You guys are great! Thank's again, Dave.

Part_Timer · February 23, 2006, 10:07:34 PM

Welcome to the forum.

When I was thinking of getting mine they said that they would sell it without the engine. This would cut down on the taxes and shipping a bit. I would think anyway.

PM getoverit and captain. They can fill ya in. I know that getoverit found his engine the other day. He also found a string of good luck that Kirk would be proud of.

have a good one
Tom

DanG · February 23, 2006, 10:15:22 PM

Hi Dave, and welcome to the Forum! Think about it this way...if you buy the small engine and the extensions, then upgrade to the larger engine, you have bought 2 engines. If you wait and buy the extensions later, you have only bought them once. I can't see where buying the saw without the engine would do you much good. ??? :

getoverit · February 23, 2006, 10:25:43 PM

I just bought a 10" Peterson ATS with a 13hp Honda, and am in the process of upgrading the engine to a larger one. The 13hp will cut fine, it is just a bit slow, especially in hickory.

When you get a larger engine from Peterson, they have to put some extra safety gear on there. Besides the engine, there is also an electric clutch and some switches and other gear. This is why the total package of a larger engine from them costs so much.

They will sell you an ATS with no engine if that is what you want. I was gong to go this route but figured I could use a 13hp horizontal shaft engine for other things, and their price on that engine is hard to beat. It cranks on the first pull also.

I now have a 24 hp Onan engine that I am rebuilding that will go on my Peterson. I'm watching ebay to see if I can find a 3 groove electric clutch for it also. The way the ATS is set up, you could put just about any engine on it as there is plenty of room. I understand the need for a clutch... if the saw was to somehow walk out of the cutting groove and start walking the log, the electric clutch would at least shut it off. Personally, I think this would probably not happen, but you never know and I'm all for keeping all my arms and legs, so I'll opt for the safety of the clutch.

You can get new 27hp Kohlers on e-bay for around $1600, and Captain this link has them for around the same price too. Just make sure you get one set up with the key built into the engine. You dont want a remote start model. You can always find a good used engine and save even more. The only thing I'm not sure of is all of the other safety stuff they put on there if you get it direct from the factory.

If you have any more question on this, please PM me.

TinMan · February 23, 2006, 10:30:00 PM

There is quite a bit involved with changing from the 13 to the 27hp. I just got my mill yesterday and had the same question before I bought mine. Captain explained the pros and cons of it and seemed better just to get the 27 up front. Everyone has a different situation though. Im sure you will get lots of help here on the forum.

Welcome to the forum Dave ;D

Tracy

wiam · February 23, 2006, 10:37:17 PM

You can't go from an 8" to a 10". Totally different mill

Will

Husband · February 23, 2006, 10:56:16 PM

Just got in and saw this on the FF.
OK, the change over from the small motor to the larger one isnt all that diffulcult, it does however require "extra parts" to make things run smoother/safer. Such as e-stop, clutch, belt size, fuel tank. Most of this we can send later to fit on if needed. Honestly, as TinMan has said, much easier to do up front.
As for going from an 8"-10", sorry, cannot be done, two different mills totally. :'(
If you have any questions phone me on 1877 327 1471. It is the weekend here now but the phone will divert to my personal home.

Not to go off the topic and hi jack your thread, but for those who know Kiwi jake......it is his stag do tonight and I think he is a wee bit concern about who are his real mates at the moment 8) 8) 8)
Chris

dredgeslavedave · February 23, 2006, 10:58:06 PM

Thank' for all the quick help. DanG the reason the no engine option appealed to me is because I already have a 13hp Honda on my 6" gold dredge. getoverit thank you very informative response. In my book safety is always first. Your post helped me to see some of the pro's and con's of changing to a larger engine later on. Tracy thank you for your reply as well. That would be the easy way, and I may just go that way. Will in the paper work I got from Peterson they said you could change the blade size later on. I am not sure how. maybe a kit? Thank you to all, Dave.

jpgreen · February 23, 2006, 11:58:33 PM

I wondered if the dredger part was as "placer" dredging Dave.

Where you from?

I'm an old dredger from way back..

dredgeslavedave · February 24, 2006, 12:19:48 AM

Looks like I need to up date my profile. I thought I had put my location on it. I am from Toledo Oregon. I dredged on the kalamath river in northern Califorina last summer. Dave.

Captain · February 24, 2006, 12:22:21 AM

Just a quick recap...

Like Chris and others have said, the 13hp is direct drive with no clutch, no battery, and therefore no electric start. It also had no fuel tank, and the emergency stop on the handle has to simply shutoff the engine. The emergency stop on the larger engines kill the starter too, so it is much more involved.

Many people do not realize that they are getting all of the above changes between a 13hp and a larger engine; these upgrades purchased seperately are over $1200 alone. It is not just the difference between the engine price involved.

The upgrade story for blade size goes like this....
You can not just bolt on a blade of a different size. The blades are designed specifically to a gearbox that will work appropriately with it. Now, the 6" mill and the 8" mill are built in the same size frame...so if you wanted to change your 6" mill to an 8" mill at some time in the future, you can with a gearbox change. You could also change your 8" to a 6" with a gearbox change if you wanted to do something as rediculous at that. Having said the previous, the 10" mill is built with a physically larger frame to carry the 10" blade within. The blade will not fit within the 6"/8" frame, so an upgrade is out of the question. Hence the price jump to the 10" mill over the 6"/8" mill.

I know it is a stretch to get into the mill in the first place, but there is no substitute for HP and if you are going to use it much at all, the payoff in production is fast. Having said that, the 13hp in an 8" mill does an admirable job if you're not in a big rush.

Good luck,
Captain

jpgreen · February 24, 2006, 12:28:03 AM

Thanks for that explanation Craig. 8)

Hay- Dave, You dredgin' with McCracken up on that Klamath?

dredgeslavedave · February 24, 2006, 12:33:33 AM

Thank's captain. That must of been what I read in the paper work that peterson sent me. changing from a 6" to a 8" blade. It looks like maybe I should wait until I can afford a larger engine. I am not sure if I would ever need to go to a 10" mill or not. most of what I will cut will be 2x6 so the 8" should work just fine. And jpgreen yes I was dredging on the new 49ers claims with dave McKracken. Thank you again, dave.

jpgreen · February 24, 2006, 12:43:22 AM

I haven't talked to Dave since I went over to Cambodia.

Man with gold over $500 an ounce, I should dust off some equipment...

-sending ya a pm link of some pics of the dedges I've built..

dredgeslavedave · February 24, 2006, 12:49:19 AM

64 oz of gold last summer. The biggest nugget was 20.5 penny weight. just a tad over a ounce. Quite profitable, and fun at the same time. I did miss my wife for the two months I was gone. But she was all smiles when she saw all that gold. Dave.

jpgreen · February 24, 2006, 12:57:00 AM

This was the last 6" I built. It was a hog, and thought it was an 8".. :D

dredgeslavedave · February 24, 2006, 01:08:59 AM

Looks like a 8" floats frame and tripple sluice. Did you just cut it down to a 6" to be leagal in the creeks? Dave.

jpgreen · February 24, 2006, 01:11:32 AM

Nope, it was always just a powerful six.

Had an 18hp Vanguard on it with P350 Keene and Gast 2/diver compressor.

I still have the engine/pump/air package, but the dredge is now doing time in Alaska.

Fla._Deadheader · February 24, 2006, 12:45:34 PM

Y'all bring them dredges down to Costa Rica, and I will show ya some REAL gold. ;D ;D :D :D :D

Got a photo on my other computer, where the riffles are FULL and gold ran over the end of the sluice. 8) ;D :D :D