one year

[Dave H.]

one year,well actually a little over. i figured i owed neil and the crew some feedback . ive never ran nor even been around a band mill. im a small time wood worker and started scroungeing wood from the firewood pile then moved up to a CSM. finally made the decision to get a bandmill.i feel i did a good amount of research and  came up with my perameters(  price being at the top,quality,ease of use.) i settled on the HM126. i feel i made the right choice.(i cant compare it to any other brand since i didnt do any hands on).this thing fit me to a tee(small time woodworker/hobbiest). from placing my order,to getting a couple missing parts(several bolts) to being able to try a new clamp,this company has been outstanding.
right out of the box(crate) it was fairlystraightforward to assemble(head was mostly complete).track took the longest but that was mostly leveling.missing a couple bolts/nut,bent ruler  "holder",but a phone call to woodland and those issues were quickly taken care of.it still really wasnt an issue as these parts are "off the shelf"parts and were quickly found in the garage.
this mill was easy to  learn on and cut great right from the get go(only had to adjust the throttle cable).changing the first blade  was worrysome but was easily done in under 10 minutes and went right back to cutting like a champ.
quick list of the good : easy to assemble,easy to learn on,very affordable,very easy to do maintenance on.

quick list of the less than good: new cam clamp doesnt work well on loose bark(but great on cants),drip system was a little tempermental,gas cap needed to be vented(ethanal gas issue on gasket)

IMHO none of those are deal breakers. ive recomended this mill to everyone that asked about it.
now the really good :this mill has paid for itself in less than 1 year! one small job led to another then another now im on the "plus" side.

biggest regret: not getting the track extention when i first bought it! lost a couple good jobs that needed 12ft boards.

future: track extention, trailer to make it mobile. now for some pics.
mill one year later


 

mill one year later



 

cutting sweat gum



 

big ol pine on deck



 

fruits of labor



 

first big pine ever cut on the mill.



 

big oak giving up its lumber



 

even carves pumpkins!



 
one of the very first logs,cherry.



 

virgin mill right after setup.



 

id like to give a big thanks to neil and the crew at woodland mills . Dave H.

[thecfarm]

Sounds good,looks like you had a good year.

[Magicman]

Appreciating and giving thanks for a good sawmill and sawmill year is a very nice gesture.  I like your pictures.   

[isawlogs]

 I like the simple works of it, nice lumber came off the mill.  8) 8)