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add ons worth the price????

Started by bikedude73, September 16, 2009, 07:09:29 PM

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bikedude73

the debarker and or set works pay worth their price??

ellmoe

   For me, the setworks are a definite yes, the debarker, depends on the condition of the logs you will be sawing. Most likely a yes on the debarker, too.

Mark
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

Magicman

Definately yes.  The setworks means customer satisfaction because you can saw accurate and consistent lumber.  Faster for you also.

The debarker lets the log/lumber dull the blade instead of dirt.

I'd hate to have to saw without both..... 8)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

LeeB

If you plan on sawing for money everything that will make you saw faster and better will make you more money.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Bibbyman

If I had to choose just one or the other,  I'd pick the debarker.   
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

backwoods sawyer

If I had to choose one over the other, it would be the set works because it will help you to produce a more consistent product. You can run with out a mud saw, and still cut accurate lumber, you just have to take more care in handling the logs to keep them clean, and put the dirty side to where the saw is exiting the log thru it rather then entering the log thru the dirt. However, if you can afford them both you will be glad to have them. Of coarse we would all like to have the newer bigger model with all the bells and whistles. ;D
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

Magicman

Wow Bibby, that would be a tough choice.  I probably know why you picked the debarker.....speed and blades.   My experience is that both would easily pay for themselves, so aren't we glad that we don't have to choose?    ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bibbyman

Are we talking Simple Setworks or Accuset 2?  I'm not sure what they charge for them nowdays but the the Accuset 2 is a lot higher than a debarker.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

bikedude73


Bibbyman

Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

bikedude73

Yes Bibbyman I have done all the options on there.  I am very into doing this for a sidejob.  I want to do the research and make a good choice thanks for your help.....

Magicman

Quote from: bikedude73 on September 16, 2009, 08:45:34 PMI want to do the research and make a good choice

You are going to do just fine....... 8)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bibbyman

I can remember back to when I was in your shoes.  I looked at a couple of brands (not as many back then) and settled on Wood-Mizer.  Then started with what was their basic mode LT25 (now replaced by the LT28).  It took me six months to get Mary on board with the idea.  She knew about farming, milking cows and such but nothing about timber or sawmills.  I worked up to the LT30 manual mill and then finally to the LT40 manual mill.  She just wouldn't go for the jump to hydraulics.  There were few options back then so that wasn't something to ponder about.

When in late 2001 we ordered the mill we have now, we knew what we wanted.  We didn't have to go through all the analysis process.

Here is another point..

"Insist on a money-back guarantee. If you find out you bought something you really don't want, you'll be far happier dealing with a company that will give you a full refund."

This is from the WM web site.

http://www.woodmizer.com/us/sawmills/general/tips.aspx

I've known of cases where people have bought a mill and soon found out that they should have done something different.  Usually, they've bought a manual mill and then decided they should have got a hydraulic.  Wood-Mizer refunded the price of them mill on the upgraded mill.  There is some time limit and I'm not sure what that limit is but you can ask.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

gmmills

   I'm with Bibby on this one, the debarker. The first mill I owned was an LT40 manual no debarker or setworks. The first upgrade I put on that mill was a debarker. I have always maintained my own blades and with the debarker gained considerable amount of sharp life,run time, compared to not having a debarker. 

    I've upgraded mills twice since then. Both having debarker and setworks. If you are looking for maximum production then both are worth the price.
Custom sawing full-time since 2000. 
WM LT70D62 Remote with Accuset
Sawing since 1995

Chuck White

Given a choice between setworks and a debarker, I'd take the debarker "hands down".

I have sawn logs that I would not have even thought about sawing, simply because my mill has a debarker!
I had a customer who had about 15,000 bf of hemlock logs and because of where they skidded them out of, they looked more like beech when they were stacked on the landing.
With the debarker, your blades will saw 4-5 times longer before you need to change them!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Banjo picker

I got a Cooks Ac 36 with thier set  works and debarker.... I use the setworks every now and then,,,  but I use the debarker on just about every log I saw... Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Tom Sawyer

Yes and Yes!  I use the debarker every cut the blade is going through bark, even when it looks clean and I use accuset on 99% of the logs that I cut.  It would be a hard choice if I could only have one, but I would pick the debarker. 

Tom

Magicman

Picking and choosing is tough if you have both, but after really thinking about it, Setworks would win out.  I use setworks on every cut.  The paying customer deserves accurate and consistent lumber.  I get repeat jobs because that's what I deliver.  Other sawyers have lost customers to me because without Setworks or equivalent, their lumber is not consistent.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

moonhill

I am curious, does the setworks only come into play once the cant is squared up and you are sawing through and through?  Or if you were cutting timber could you set it to calculate the 2 or 3 boards which come off first so you end up with the 8x8.  I am very happy with my "cheat sheet" set works, allowing for the 1/8" kerf, it is very accurate and I find I waste no time when it comes to making the cuts. 

I spend far more time getting the dirt off.  I choose the debarker a few years ago.  I don't use it on every log but when  a dirty load come in it is well worth it.  Debarker first. 

Tim
This is a test, please stand by...

Magicman

I use a "cheat sheet".  This allows me to know the "starting point" before I make any cut.  I can hit the desired cant size from the first three openings and then hit the bottom board on the fourth opening when sawing through.   When making multiple stack cants for 2X4's or 2X6's on the third opening, I can hit each cant size including the bottom one.

As I said previously, I use setworks on virtually every cut.  Debarker, of course, only when opening the log and sawing through bark.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Banjo picker

Quote from: moonhill on September 19, 2009, 04:32:22 AM
I am curious, does the setworks only come into play once the cant is squared up and you are sawing through and through?  Or if you were cutting timber could you set it to calculate the 2 or 3 boards which come off first so you end up with the 8x8.  I am very happy with my "cheat sheet" set works, allowing for the 1/8" kerf, it is very accurate and I find I waste no time when it comes to making the cuts. 

I spend far more time getting the dirt off.  I choose the debarker a few years ago.  I don't use it on every log but when  a dirty load come in it is well worth it.  Debarker first. 

Tim

Mine has about 5 settings for diff. boards then several for cants....it will cut boards down to the cant ....I must say I don't use that though....I just have not taken the time to figure it out... Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Bibbyman

Quote from: moonhill on September 19, 2009, 04:32:22 AM
I am curious, does the setworks only come into play once the cant is squared up and you are sawing through and through?  Or if you were cutting timber could you set it to calculate the 2 or 3 boards which come off first so you end up with the 8x8.  I am very happy with my "cheat sheet" set works, allowing for the 1/8" kerf, it is very accurate and I find I waste no time when it comes to making the cuts. 

Tim

We saw a lot of ties, beams, timbers and posts as well as diminution lumber.   

The way we do it is;

The Accuset is only used in the "manual" mode to open the first and second faces.  "AutoDown" and "Pattern" modes are used to saw up the rest of the log.

To saw out a cant, we'll level the log and making an opening face.  Then we will use the "AutoDown" mode to cut one or more flitches off that face.  We'll turn 90 and again use manual mode to open up that face and "AutoDown" to cut off one or more flitches.  Then we turn to the third face and use the "Pattern" mode to cut flitches or boards off that face.  The forth face is done the same.  If it's a big log, then it's just a matter of turning and using "Pattern" mode to saw the cant down to the required size.

We will occasionally saw a log "inside out".  That is start figuring from the center of the log to where we want to start sawing.  To do this we again level and position the log,  raise the blade to the center of the log and note that dimension.   We then raise the head half of what we want the finished thickness of the beam, or post using the "Manual" mode or we can use "AutoUp".  Once there,  we can see there are boards to be cut off.  We'll use the "AutoUp" mode (set for the board thickness) to raise the head until we are where we can make an open face.  Make the face cut and then use "AutoDown" to start making boards.  Once the first two adjacent faces are calculated and made, it's only a matter of using the "Pattern" mode to saw the other two.  Now you have a beam or post or whatever centered as close as possible.

To saw out dimension lumber, we do about the same but we'll saw the cant down to target width using the "Pattern" mode and then stand the squared out cant and clap it low and saw the rest "thru and thru" using, again "Pattern" mode.

smile_banjoman  It's worth the few minutes it takes to figure out.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Banjo picker

Yes Bibby ,,I know you are right...Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Magicman

Bibbyman's Accuset is almost like cheating when compared with my Setworks and cheatsheet..... :D  Many times though customers watch me and don't realize that I'm looking at the diameter of the log, intended cant size, plus the cheatsheet to determine at what height I open a face or start a cut.  I smile and they scratch their noggins..... :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

moonhill

So you use it through the whole process, I like it.  Computers are the thing I guess.  I, at times, dream of having a fancy machine to ease the pain.  I am getting older who knows?  I do love my long length ability.   Maybe two saws are in the forecast?

Tim 
This is a test, please stand by...

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