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Any one here have experience with Turner mills?

Started by boatman, November 17, 2009, 02:53:25 PM

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boatman

I am researching Turner mills and have not found much info except a few discussions on tires as band wheels.  I prefer manual mills and simple is better.  I also like the option of having a mill custom made.  How are they for accuracy and consistency?

Do they maintain there value well?

shinnlinger

Hi,

I have the basic 20 ft ground model with a 13 horse Honda and a 10 ft extension.  It cuts 10x beams within a 16th of square (good enough for me)if I don't care and dead on if I clean the tracks and adjust the guides and need it to be dead on.  I have never broken a band due to the trailer tires and all the maintanace stuff you can get at NAPA.  Every thing is very basic and stout.  A good welder could fab the extensions with over the shelf angle iron.  The winch to crank it up is a basic boat winch, very easy to replace if needed and works fine.  I have spoken with the owner, Mark I think, and he is happy to sell you stuff, but readily tells you where to buy it without going through him.  I like that.

I have been extremely happy with it and what it can do.  It can do bigger with fussing , but it will handle mid 20's in diameter and with the extension I have sawn 26 footers (think it would do 27 and change if it had too)

I bought mine a few years old for $4000 and a new one would have been $600 more plus delivery.  If I were to sell it today, I would probably ask $4000 and take $3500, but I have no plans to sell it as it does every thing I need and it has  paid for itself several time over.  I like to use it.  It also pushes the sawdust out on the opposite side of where you operate it so your not trudging through sawdust.  The backstops and dogs are simple and effective.

I know they offer bigger and hydraulic bigger models if you need. 



Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

jason.weir

A Turner is the only bandmill that I've ever used.  Bill Turner is a super nice guy and very easy to deal with.

Remember there are no inaccurate mills just bad sawyers - any mill can make bad lumber with the right person running it and vice versa.

I like the rubber tires as well - their downfall is, if you don't religiously release the blade tension they will get out of round and vibrate badly - but you can crown them just like you would a vertical wood bandsaw - get them balanced by a local garage and they run perfect.

Turner mills are very simple - easy to work on and no custom impossible to get parts - with the right logs I've sawn 1000ft in a day by myself - not bad on a manual mill

Looks like the basic 13hp Honda mill is still around $5000 and I can't imagine a used one being worth less that $3500 no matter what the condition..

-J

shinnlinger

Jason,

Curious about your crown method.  I have never released my pressure, but that might explain my slight wobble also.  I bent my rim dropping it off my truck and it wobbled real good then, but it didn't seem to effect the cut as the guides still held the band.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

Toolman

I have the Turner Hydraulic Mill. I am very pleased with it's performance. I've it now for about a year and a half. I have about 400 hrs on the engine so far. Bill Turner is very easy to deal with. I had him build mine with a 4 ft. extension. I can cut up to a 20 ft. long. I've busted a few blades, maybe a dozen at the most. I can't attribute that to the rubber tires, mostly due to me pushing them hard. The tires do have a slight wobble, but it in no way interferes with the accuracy of the cut. I've cut slightly over 2000 bft/day one time with this mill. It was a perfect day! :) But sawing 1000-1500 bft/day is my average. The 24 hp Honda and 5 hp Honda hydraulic engines have been very reliable and trouble free. I can't really say I have any complaints about this mill. I would highly recommend this mill to anybody. Bill invited me to his farm and showed me his shop, let me" test drive" one of his mills . He was a pleasure to deal with. I've called him a few times over the past year with some technical questions. He is very helpful and does'nt try to sell you stuff. The mill is very well built and sturdy. You can't go wrong with purchase of a Turner.
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have" (Thomas Jefferson)

jason.weir

Quote from: shinnlinger on November 17, 2009, 05:07:41 PM
Jason,

Curious about your crown method.  I have never released my pressure, but that might explain my slight wobble also.  I bent my rim dropping it off my truck and it wobbled real good then, but it didn't seem to effect the cut as the guides still held the band.

Pretty straight forward - With the blade removed - I made a jig to hold a flap wheel grinder such that it would just take the high spot off the tire tread.   Then rotated the tire till the high spot was ground off, then reset the grinder.  I kept this up till the tire was round again.  Not crowning really as I was grinding the tire flat.  It made a huge difference in machine vibration - didn't really affect how it cut - like you said the guides keep the blade steady.  After that get the tires balanced by a good tire shop and you will be surprised how smooth it will run..

This is one area where I think Bill Turner could improve the mill - make some kind of quick tension release, it would also make blade changes quicker..

-J


Toolman

I agree Jason. I'd have to say that is probably my only complaint since you pointed that out.
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have" (Thomas Jefferson)

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