pics of manual to hydraulic for woodmizer

[DansSawmill]

heres some pics of a upgrade i just did. been running the hydraulics off a gas motor on a seperate skid for years, just went and upgraded from a 2 spool valve assembly to a 5 spool and put a elect / hyd pump on.... now i can continue to add more hyd componets.
it was a LT30HG24....
its not used a lot now, working a full time job to get retirement up, but its paid for itself several times over.
cost ? aprox...
$250 elect/hyd pump
$150 steel
$ 100 cyl ( some from junk yards, a wonderfull place to wander )
$40 5 spool valve assembly ( surplus center)
$150 in hoses
its not as pretty as the woodmizer upgrade, but when i first started it , they didnt have the upgrade. plus i can now continue adding
log loader and clamps right now, next will be some toeboards
filter is outside, cause i got a big one and didnt have room for it  8)
dan

[Dave Shepard]

That is a nice clean installation there, paint it orange and it could pass for factory! I run two manual mills, and I would like to upgrade them. I will use 3-phase electric though, as it is cheaper. Here is my solution to no hydrualics at the moment:




Dave

[Plowboy]

Great job, I sent you a message with a few more questions.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Nice job. You happen to have the part # for that ($40.00) 5 spool valve ??

  I would LOVE to find one for that price. Been looking at Surplus Center.  ???

[woodhick]

Deadheader,  on the valve assembly I beleive that surplus center has sold out of them.  I bought one and was going to order another and they were out.  Don't have the number with me as I am at work.

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Cheapest I ever saw was an Italian job, at $100.00  ??? ???

  That's whats on Homey.

[woodbowl]

Good job Dan! It sure makes a big difference to switch from manual to hydraulic. I did the same thing to my Woodmizer about 10 years ago.

What type of switch did you use to contact the motor? Is the valve and the switch together as one unit? I used the regular manual Prince banks and grouped 5 together,  used a starter switch to activate the solinoid then operated which ever lever is needed. If you need to add more banks, it's cheap, quick and redundant. When a switch goes out, I just replace the switch and don't have to go into the ele/hyd bank.

The only thing I haven't done is to build the loader. I should have done it a long time ago.  :-\  How is yours holding up? It really looks stout.

Here is a pic of my unit. If you look real hard you can make out the starter switch. It is located on the very last lever handle. The extra pump on the left is not connected in the photo. It doubles the volume of fluid and the operating speed.

[DansSawmill]

plowboy... sent my reply.
the contacts for the solinoid on the pump  came with the spool, i'd bought the spool years ago and had been using it with a northern hydraulics pump and gas motor on a skid.. i just ran a long hose to the spool on the mill. but with gas prices the way they are and the motor getting old, it was time to move it all into one.
dan