Location of hydraulic controls

[WoodenHead]

If you had the choice where would your hydraulic control valves be?  I'm getting closer to adding hydraulics to my manual mill.  I can mount the valves where they are typically located, but is there a better place? Maybe the best place isn't even on the mill.  I thought I would ask and see if there are any opinions on this.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

You are probably your best advisor. 

What ever is comfortable to you. But I would put them where I have a clear view of what I am applying hydraulics to.

[Migal]

You could use quick coupler's and have many options IMO mine are located at the front of the mill and are stationary when I say front it is the back side of the blade LM 2

[hackberry jake]

Mine are towards the back of the blade as well. Thought about mounting them next to the turner but Was afraid of a stray log hitting them. You will want them away from danger.

[thecfarm]

Once you have run it for a while you will know the best spot.  :D

[WoodenHead]

I'm generally stationary, so I thought I would open up the possibilities a bit.  I find that the winch for the present manual log turner (where the hydraulic controls normally would be) is aggrivatingly low (i.e. an ergonomics issue).  The valves then would also be a bit too low for my liking.  Does anyone with a hydraulic mill find this annoying?  Or do you get used to it? 

[hackberry jake]

I made a bracket to mount mine on hat comes up to about my belly button. It put the valves at just the right spot. It's kinda like standing up and playing a video game. When I first got the system working I rolled the same cedar log around about a dozen times just because I thought it was fun  8) try doing that with a cant hook just for the fun of it.

[WoodenHead]

Good idea Hackberry.  I could easily raise things up a bit, but it conflicts with another goal of mine.  Since I work alone I typically move material off the mill from the operators side and over top of the tongue.  I have the wall of a building beside me as I move with the sawhead otherwise I would do things differently.  So the main avenue for removing slabs, flitches and boards is over the tongue (and the winch/area where the valves usually are).

I just finished watching a video of a TimberKing 2000 mill.  The swinging head gave me an idea...   

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

try doing that with a cant hook just for the fun of it.

Not to bad if you use a LOGRITE. 

[hackberry jake]

Poston, does that mean you are gunna sell off all of the parts from your hydraulic turned and buy more logrites? 8) ;D :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Poston, does that mean you are gunna sell off all of the parts from your hydraulic turned and buy more logrites?

say_what     NO

[hackberry jake]

:D