iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Happy Thanksgiving .... and a question about LT35/LT40Super

Started by landscraper, November 24, 2016, 07:59:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

landscraper

Happy Thanksiving to all, hope you are able to enjoy it the way you wish.  I have so much to give thanks for, and the older I get the more I reflect on it.


As I contemplate an upgrade, i have a question for anyone who has personally run both an LT35 and a LT40 Super, especially with the 47hp or 51hp motors.  Hunz I think made the switch a while back, maybe there are others.   Log for log, same sharp blades, how much difference in cut speed in hardwoods?  One person familiar with both told me nearly 50% faster.  WM claimed Bft ratings suggest less of a difference.  I watch videos and see some LT40's that seem to really snort through the cut, and some that poke along about the same speed as my LT35.  I'm mostly sawing red oak/white oak from 14" to 32" with 4 degree blades on my 35 now, would the extra HP allow me to switch to 7's and would that blade cut any faster?

I know the Super hydraulics will speed up the log handling part of the operation, and that would be a plus too.
Firewood is energy independence on a personal scale.

GDinMaine

I have not ran the LT-35, but I would hazard to guess that the cut speed is very similar to the LT-40 Super IF the engine hp is the same on both mills. However. If one has a higher hp engine it could cut faster than the other. Comparing the engines alone will not give an accurate picture. One of the major differences of the 40 Super is the hydraulic functions are faster and the up-down, forward-reverse motors as well. In general many components of the 40 Super are heavier duty to put up with heavier use. I looked at the two mills side-by-side and after doing so I had no doubt that for my use I wanted the 40 Super.
I am not saying the 35 is a bad mill. It is a great mill that was designed for a different pace of use.
It's the going that counts not the distance!

WM LT-40HD-D42

landscraper

Thanks GDS, I may not have asked my question clearly, what I am trying to figure out is how much faster a 47hp 40super will cut than a 23.5hp LT35 in the same log.  I'm sure that as you say that if engines were equal they would cut at a similar speed, but the engine hp are much different between the two.
Firewood is energy independence on a personal scale.

Ohio_Bill

In my opinion.  With the LT35 gas the engine is the limiting factor and with the super diesel the blade is the limiting factor. I have not owned a LT35 but did have a LT40 with a 25 hp. I now have a LT 40 super with a 42 hp diesel. When cutting smaller logs speed of hydraulics and head travel makes a big difference in how long it takes to process a log.
Bill
USAF Veteran  C141 Loadmaster
LT 40 HDD42-RA   , Allis Chalmers I 500 Forklift , Allis Chalmers 840 Loader , International 4300 , Zetor 6245 Tractor – Loader ,Bob Cat 763 , Riehl Steel Edger

logs2lumber

I agree with ohio bill  i use to have a lt40 with the kolher gas engine and when i got the super with the 51hp made a world of difference especially in really wide cuts. It also sped up cutting smaller logs. you also have to make sure you get the correct hook angle for what your sawing that to make a big difference. Myself i will not own another gas engine i love my diesel plus everything i own is diesel so one big fuel tank fills everything up.

paul case

I dont know about the LT35, but I do know about the LT40SH. Hydraulics are 2x as fast. Our 2 mills both are on electric. One is 25 hp and the other is 15. The 25 will cut some faster than the 15. I think the same results will show on the 2 engines that you mention.

But those hydraulics on the super made me put a bigger pump outfit on the old mill. Now I look at a new LT40 hd video and wonder if their hydraulics are even working(mine are much faster).

Happy thanksgiving to you all.
I am thankful to God that I live in a country that has access to the Forestry Forum.
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

Dave Shepard

I don't have experience with the 35, but I have run a 40 with the 24 hp Onan, so as far as cut speed I can make a comparison. There is a huge difference between the 24 and the 51 CAT on my Super. Below is my Super cutting 16.5 inch white pine with 10 degree blades. With Turbo's, I could go even faster.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMTxUwF-YY
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

landscraper

Dave, I saw that clip while doing research.  That was one of the "snort through the cut" videos"!  All you need is a remote control off-bearer to keep up with that saw.  I cut some logs this morning and ran the stopwatch a couple times, in a 14" wide cut in red oak with a fresh 4 degree blade I was cutting about 12-14 feet per minute. 

Thanks to all for the feedback to my question.  Grist for the mill...
Firewood is energy independence on a personal scale.

Dave Shepard

Clean hardwoods cut like pine. I can fly through red oak or cherry if it's not knotty.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

hunz

I would say your source who mentioned a 50% increase in cutting speed is accurate, if we're talking hardwoods. In pine maybe 25% faster although I've never timed it. I sawed nearly 3500bd/ft in a day with my lt35, granted it was white pine, 15-22" straight logs, with a 15 ton excavator setting them on my mill. Other than that it was just me and the customer all day. There is no way we could have sawed 7,000' that day, even with extra labor. When I sawed some larger white oaks(32"diam)with my lt-35, those 20" wide cuts we're sloooowww, although it's not lightning fast with a big diesel either. The 2x speed hydraulics are a big plus!

I'm still a huge fan of the lt-35 because of its simplicity, and ability to keep me wore out at the end of the day. It's really a personal preference. They both have ups and downs.
Dream as if you'll saw forever; saw as if you'll die today.



2006 Woodmizer LT40D51RA, Husqvarna 372xp, Takeuchi TL140

seaview


Luke_Eames

I run a LT-40 with the Kolher 25hp engine.  It has always cut good but switching blades made a huge difference in cutting speed.  I run the .055 Turbo 7s and I can push them hard keeping a clean cut.  I can hear the engine bog down on the butt end and though large knots, but I can still cut quickly.  The biggest downfall I have is the slower hydraulics and the manual log clam.  When you're grade sawing and you flip that log around a few times to get the best cuts, that slower hydraulic time adds up fast.   
Wood Mizer LT-70 Super Wide
Wood Mizer EG200
Cat IT18

Bluejay27

It's really log dependent how big a gain you get, but if you can push the motor to where it's really working and get a straight cut, the diesel will easily saw faster. If like spruce it wants to wander regardless, then your biggest gains are in the hydraulics and head speed.

And they are definitely twice as fast, it's just a 2nd hydraulic pump and larger hoses. Plus the TEFC 3/4hp motors are a big step up from the 1/2hp ones, so raising the head doesn't feel like a chore. And you get a little more flexibility with the auto clutch and board return.

This is my impression switching between an LT40G28 and LT40D42 super.

And a useful way to look at mill speed is to actually track your cut rate. It works out just from a sawing standpoint to 1800 bdft/hr if a 12" cut goes at 0.5ft/sec. So you only really spend about 20% of your time in the cut. Some of the biggest gains come from a good helper, which is my job while my brother saws.

And from that perspective, an LT40HDG28 doing 200-250 bdft/hr feels like a 70% of the time job, whereas our LT70 Super could take 120% of me if I had it to give and gets 350-400 bdft/hr. And please note, these are portable sawing rates with only cant hooks and farm jacks for assistance. (And sorry, the LT40 super was until recently just our stationary occasional use saw, so I don't have sawing rates specific to it).
'98 Wood-Mizer LT40HDD42 Super, '08 LT40HDG28, '15 LT70HDD55-RW, '93 Clark GPX25 Forklift, '99 Ford F550

landscraper

Thanks to all for the replies.  I put a lot of stock in the opinions of people who run the equipment, not to say that the WM folks aren't knowledgeable too, but nothing beats the straight skinny from a guy who has run the saw day in and day out and knows what it will do.

I'll make my decision about the LT40 Super within the next few days, and your opinions will definitely be considered as part of that, so thanks for sharing your expertise. 

Firewood is energy independence on a personal scale.

ladylake

 For around $3000 more I'd be looking at a LT50 with a chain turner and vertical log stops.  Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Thank You Sponsors!