Thinking of buyin a Woodmizer.

Taylortractornut · October 21, 2011, 09:10:57 PM

I have a friend that has a 90's Woodmizer. I forgot the number but its got a 20 foot track, power raise head, Hydraulic log turner and loader and bed. He has well cared for the mill which he set it up as a stationary mill. It was sent to the factory 4 years ago and reconditioned. He and I were talking about being busy and he couldnt sell his other business and was behind in the sawing. I was offered the mill, blades, and sharpener for 12,500 dollars. Im trying to balance it all out in my head to see if I could make a go at it. It may also come with a Savannah side loader off his truck that was reconditioned.

Right now most mills are set up as stationary around here and Ive heard alo get ithauled the savings are gont of folks with wood but no way to haul it and after they get transport arranged it often is cost prohibitive.

I had a friend that had a portable mill one time and did good at it but he drank it away. He offered a good service. He would bring the mill out and even fall and skid the logs with his tractor. He did well even doing it on the evenings and saturdays.

zopi · October 21, 2011, 10:15:20 PM

Sounds like a good price if the mill is sound...

If you have not sawn before...do not try to jump right i.to business...take the mill amd run around...scavenge a few logs, saw for yourself for a bit...the business will come...yes, if you saw, they will come...and from the wierdest places..

It is an addiction...if you saw one, you will saw thousands.

paul case · October 21, 2011, 10:59:00 PM

I have been thinking along these same lines.

PC

Taylortractornut · October 21, 2011, 11:52:46 PM

He stays busy with his mill, He has a ton of logs from the spring storms. Im looking at building CSM for ripping, I had talked about it with the owner of the WM. I have milled a good bit with the owner as his placeis o my way to and from work. Ive traded logs from the landfill for learning the milling trade. I also probably could get a good bit of sawing at work to. Im only scared off by the new baby comming in a few months.

Meadows Miller · October 22, 2011, 03:07:15 AM

Gday

Taylor sounds like it could be a goer as it sounds like a good and well taken care of mill with everything you need including a sharpener which will be handy with some of the logs you will be sawing Mate ;) ;D 8) Zopi Talor's got access to Plenty of Logs Mate

;) :D :D :D ;D 8)

Regards Chris

Chuck White · October 22, 2011, 07:27:19 AM

Buy a mill with a loader, turner and toe boards and 3/4 of the bull-work is gone.

I know I wouldn't be without the hydraulics and the debarker.

One of the former owners of my mill added the debarker.

Taylortractornut · October 22, 2011, 12:11:14 PM

Chris your righton the logs I took in 5 nicepines yesterday at work. I even got some blow downsfrom a storm on the property there. Im in on the fence moneywise, Wallace stays busy with is mill hes running out of energy running his cafe and the mill. He only mills in the evening and a few days per week.
Chris I got the bug really bad watching you and Tim mill that White oak the other day.

Chuck it has the loader turner and toeboards all hydraulic. Hes even willing to let me run the mill a few weeks in the evenings to learn the basics on sawing. Hes drowning in saw logs from the april storms and said they go with the mill. Im already set up with a skid steer andfew other machines.

Chuck White · October 22, 2011, 03:31:06 PM

Thats good that the seller has offered to let you have a couple of weeks of "hands-on".

You'll catch on quick.

Banjo picker · October 22, 2011, 08:22:41 PM

He does have a lot full of logs...mostly pine it looks like...and they need to be sawed asap...I am sure you will have some bluing in the lumber...but it won't hurt it structrually...If I didn't have a market for it, I think I would cut them into cants and sticker them...Tim

zopi · October 22, 2011, 08:26:07 PM

This sounds like a no brainer...pull the trigger.

There is alot of nuance to sawing, but it is not rocket surgery...you can produce good lumber pretty quick, amd if the seller is going to mentor you some...so much the better...

Taylortractornut · October 22, 2011, 10:16:39 PM

Tim you recon thered be any portable work available in this area, As for the pine I got the stickers . Wallace was asking about canting them for storage the other day.

Banjo picker · October 23, 2011, 08:16:14 PM

Taylor I think a fellow could pick up some portable work if he would get the word out....One of our members over around Fulton does some protable...wwsjr....I don't know if he comes up here much or not...There are several other mills here in the county...they are just mostly setting idle, but you never know when they will fire them up...Tim

Meadows Miller · October 23, 2011, 09:01:23 PM

Gday

I think Willy is planning on keeping the mill at home more often and just getting people to haul logs to him these days apart from a couple of good customers thats the way I took it when we where up there visiting him Tim ;)

Regards Chris

wwsjr · October 24, 2011, 08:08:52 AM

Guys, I do not plan to go mobile except for maybe one customer. I sawed 14,000 BF for him the only time I moved in the past year. I probably will not take any new sawing jobs except at home. I have about 75 ton of cypress, a couple of loads of SYP and several 5-6 logs jobs on the yard now.

I have turned down several jobs that wanted me to move, several in north Itawamba County probably near your location. I would be glad to give you referrals. I don't think anyone is sawing regularly anywhere in Itawamba County except me. I know about a couple of WM manual mills who saw part time. I have referred several small jobs to them.

Taylor, come down for a visit, Tim has my cell number or I will PM to you.

Willie

Taylortractornut · October 24, 2011, 07:45:08 PM

I talked to the banker and my payments would be around 250 to 300 a month. I figure if I can saw that per month. What I plan on doing is like I bought my excavator steam cleaner. Every penny they made went into payments and upkeep and fuel. Now theyre paid off.

I hope to only work part time evening and weekenstuff. I have a full time job now almost pure gravy lol.

zopi · October 24, 2011, 08:50:43 PM

Two to three hundred...at around a quarter a board foot, factoring in mill maintenance, should come up to two or three days of productive sawing a month...

WH_Conley · October 24, 2011, 08:54:30 PM

Hit it hard for 2-3 weeks and rathole the money, if things get slow, you are doing something else for a month, make the payment out of that. Same effect, just a little buffer.

Taylortractornut · October 24, 2011, 11:58:08 PM

I believe Ill pull the trigger worst thing I would have to do is sell the mill in a tight, actually I think I could pull this off lol. I couldnt get the log truck in the deal but the bed was offered. I found out one of the plants that we haul for the owners son just bought 144 acre farm. He is wanting some barn lumber and has some nice logs.

I just got an eyroll off the ole lady, she asked it it came with car seat lol

redbeard · October 25, 2011, 12:01:59 AM

My sawmill fever lasted two years she finally gave in.

pasbuild · October 25, 2011, 12:20:56 AM

This thread should have been titled I GOT ME A WOODMIZER ;)

Taylortractornut · November 05, 2011, 06:13:46 PM

Ive almost talked myself out of the mill. My workwill be slowing down bit and I didnt have enough comfort zone right now with income and the new baby on the way. Im about to pay off the skid steers so if I can do that Ill pull the trigger. THe owner wants to finish up his promised work atthe moment. I did mill with it several hours the other day and enjoyed it. I m learning alot working with him. Ive got a little better set up for handling the logs than he does. I have about 3800 pounds of aluminum to scrap so the loader may be paid off quiker than I thought. He says he stays about 5 loads behind sawing.

Larry · November 05, 2011, 08:51:02 PM

The what if's always made me a bit uncomfortable. I wished for maybe 5 or more years before buying my first mill in 94. I took the time to save up and pay cash. Now when I think back it was a mistake...should have borrowed some and got a hydraulic LT-40 instead of the manual mill.

paul case · November 05, 2011, 10:28:55 PM

Quote from: Larry on November 05, 2011, 08:51:02 PM
The what if's always made me a bit uncomfortable. I wished for maybe 5 or more years before buying my first mill in 94. I took the time to save up and pay cash. Now when I think back it was a mistake...should have borrowed some and got a hydraulic LT-40 instead of the manual mill.

Are we twins from another state? That is right where I am at. PC

customsawyer · November 06, 2011, 04:16:56 PM

If you are wanting to make a living with the mill then get one with hyd.

zopi · November 06, 2011, 05:59:37 PM

Dunno man...go for it...I get the nervy part about keeping the family fed...but if the current owner is backed up work, I would say you are onto a good thing.