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LT 35 hyd vs LT40 hyd

Started by 69gp, October 28, 2012, 09:37:52 PM

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69gp

Hello all,

I am getting ready to purchase a Wood-Mizer saw in the near future and had a few questions. Just to clarify I want a hydraulic saw.

Is it worth spending the extra money on the 40 vs the 35?  I know that with the 40 you can saw a log 36" in diameter vs the 32" for the 35. My question here would be how many logs do you saw over 32"? Is it worth the extra $?

Also I know the lifting capacity of the arms is limited to about 4400 lbs so even if I had a 36" diameter white oak I probably could only lift about a 14' log. I do have the capability at my shop to place any size or weight log on the table but if I was out in the field I would not have that option.

I am in Massachusetts and most of what I will be cutting is red and white oak.

I will be cutting for myself and would look to do some work with the saw for hire.

I am leaning towards the 35 with the diesel option as even this is less expensive then the 40 with a gas engine.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Steve


POSTON WIDEHEAD

I have never had an LT 35 so I can't really give you an honest comparison.

I do have an LT 40 and I'm glad I didn't get anything less than the 40. In fact, I dream everyday of an LT 70.  :)
Good Luck 69gp......what ever you get from Wood-Mizer.....you will love it and their service.



 
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Okrafarmer

You don't just get an extra 4 inches at the maximum, you also get 4 inches more to fool around with. Any time you are at the maximum capacity of a machine, things start to get awkward. So if you have 4 more inches of capacity, you can basically have 4 more inches before things start to get awkward. That might be down around 24 or 28 inches rather than 32 or 36. I'm glad we have the LT-40. However, if you want to do the LT-35, and save some money, do it. You can always sell it and upgrade in a few years if you find it isn't enough.  ;)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Magicman

I have never had an instance where I wished that I had a smaller sawmill, but even with an LT40 SuperHydraulic, I have had instances where I wished that I had a larger one.

Any opinions that you get will be just that, opinions, but opinions based on experience.  Bottom line, it's your decision to live with.  You will not go wrong either way but you very well may be re-doing if you go smaller.  But that is just my opinion.   :)
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

thechknhwk

You can pass up a few logs for the extra $7000

69gp

thanks for the comments.

Guess what I am really looking for is what percentage of the logs you saw are over 32".

just an example: for every 100 logs cut are 10 over 32"?

I know its a catch 22 when it comes to this, buy a 35 should have got a 40, buy a 40 should of got a 50 and on and on

Steve

Okrafarmer

Buy what you can safely afford. One other consideration, is that you should be able to buy a nice, gently-used LT-40 for the price of a new LT-35.  :)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

paul case

Do you have a mill now?

I too would go used. Bodger has been trying to sell his mill on the forums for sale page( an LT40 hd g24) recently overhauled motor.


https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,61147.0.html

PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

giant splinter

I went through this same comparison last year when I upgraded from a brand x mill to the LT40HD ....... the LT35 has many things to offer including the price,when I was considering it the debarker was not an option on the LT35 at that time. The LT40HD has a better resale and possibly a higher demand for a slightly more productive mill, more blade options and attachments available at that time. Wood-Mizer is a great place to buy a mill and they will keep you up and running, I am very happy with the LT40HD.
roll with it

WoodenHead

I have an LT28 with the 18HP Lombardini diesel (same engine as the diesel LT35).  This engine has been excellent for me.  If I look at the sawing speed of the base model gas LT40HD, I would say I can almost keep up and use less fuel.  I was told by a Woodmizer rep that the hydraulic pump of the LT35 is the same as the one for the LT40HD (the super uses two pumps).  But there is a noticeable difference in the head of an LT35 and an LT40.  The LT40 has more available upgrades.  Take a look at both mills in action.
 
My mill has the same capacity as the LT35 (32").  With odd shaped logs and taper this means I can comfortably handle about a 24" dia log.  I'm primarily stationary and buy logs by the truckload.  I can specify log diameter to be 24" and under.  However, at times I have been desperate for logs and could only get loads of 30-36"+.  The extra 4 inches can make a big difference.

If you are new to sawing then you may not want to stick your neck out too far with a mill purchase.  I've seen a few low hour used LT40's offered for sale at around the $20,000 range.

DR_Buck

The LT-35 basically has the LT 15 head.   I do not think you can add a debarker or lubemizer.   I wouldn't own a mill without a debarker.   

On the 35 you also have to manually move the blade guide arm in and out.  I find having the powered blade guide arm to be a real time saver and allows adjusting the spacing even as you are sawing through a log and the diameter tapers up or down.

The 35 also does not offer the hydraulic 2 plane clamp.  Unless you've used one it would be hard to comprehend the value and usefullness of it.

To save money initially you can get the LT 40 without options like the debarker and lubemizer and add them when cash becomes available.   With the LT 35, you can get the log deck package and hydraulic loading arms  which are standard on the LT 40 and thats about it.

Bottom line, buy what you think you want and can afford.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

MReinemann

Was in the same boat as you last month.  Went with the 35 not the 40.  Mostly use it for myself.  So far I haven't come across a tree that was to big for the machine.  The 35hd is basically a lt28 head with a lt40 trailer package.  They hydraulics are the same as the 40hd.  I have the debarker option.  Where I live there are not to many trees left that would be to big for the machine mostly 40 year old forest that used to be farm land.  The blade guide is within your arms reach as you saw so it's easy to adjust while you move down the arm.  Just my 2cents.
-Matt   

francismilker

Just my two cents here...............but bigger isn't always better if you're the one writing the check to pay for it! ;D

Buy what you can comfortably afford and upgrade if business is good.  Just my opinion.
"whatsoever thy hands finds to do; do it with thy might" Ecc. 9:10

WM LT-10supergo, MF-271 w/FEL, Honda 500 Foreman, Husq 550, Stihl 026, and lots of baling wire!

MartyParsons

The LT35 is available with a Debarker.
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

giant splinter

Marty
I don't think the debarker was an option on the LT35H in the summer of 2011, if it in fact was then I stand corrected.
roll with it

DR_Buck

Quote from: MartyParsons on October 29, 2012, 06:11:48 PM
The LT35 is available with a Debarker.
Marty

Not listed on the Wood Mizer web site as an option.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

moandrich

If you go to the configurator it is listed on there.  On there anniversary sale page it is on sale for $995
woodmizer lt 40HD  2007
Kubota RTVX1100 2019
Kubota L3940   2009

Mooney


Not listed on the Wood Mizer web site as an option.
[/quote]

That will be fixed in 20 minutes  ;) Thanks for bringing it to our attention. It was released to production only a few months ago. Sometimes the website people are the last to know   ??

Mooney

Quote from: DR_Buck on October 29, 2012, 09:10:56 AM
The LT-35 basically has the LT 15 head.   I do not think you can add a debarker or lubemizer.   I wouldn't own a mill without a debarker.   

The 35 also does not offer the hydraulic 2 plane clamp.  Unless you've used one it would be hard to comprehend the value and usefullness of it.


Actually, the LT35HD has the same clamp as the LT40, with two-plane movement. A little while back, on a similar thread, I listed out the differences between the LT40 and the LT35HD:

"LT35HD features that are different from the LT40HD.
Manual water-lube engage, manual blade guide arm movement, manual blade engage, simpler blade tension unit, fewer options than the LT40 (no operator seat, Accuset2, Stationary Command, etc). Smaller max capacity."

Otherwise, the hydraulic functionality is the same. Hope that helps  :)

Mooney

Here's the new LT35 debarker. Smaller motor than the LT40 debarker, and the proximity to the log is adjusted by a lever on the operator's side. That spring gives it some tension and a bit of play to move around curves in the log.

Hope this helps!  :)


 

MReinemann


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