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Logs to saw but can't saw em. Need switch.

Started by Banjo picker, December 29, 2017, 12:01:20 PM

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starmac

I didn't realize you had the oil and water kill switches. It is quite possible one of those is the culprit.

One one of my trucks the low water switch went bad, it would start and run a couple of seconds then die, I unplugged it and it would run then.
A couple of years later I had a hose go bad and had a service truck bring out 10 gallons of water, he only brought out 5, so I had t unplug it to get on back to their shop.
I have seen the oil pressure switches go bad on Honda motors a couple of times too, they would run if you unplug them also, I don't know how yours is set up though.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Banjo picker

JB the throttle is electronic.  The mill runs at an idle untill you flip a switch that sends power to a solenoid that opens the throttle. 

Peter that don't sound too bad for the temps you are having.  On another thread some of the members have said they were burning half a cord a day.  That would keep you busy.

Starmac the reason I have zoned in on the ignition switch is because one of the blades on the switch broke off with very little resistance.  That could very well mean it had been getting too hot, and even with the bypasss button pressed in when you let go of the switch the motor dies.  (You have to hold the bypass button in untill the oil pressure get high enough to get by the cut off point.)  If the by pass button  that controls the main tatletale switch was not working it would not crank at all even for just a few seconds.  If I am missing something somebody please straighten me out.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Meadows Miller

Gday Tim sorry to hear about the switch drama  if I was in Australia they are very common her  I have a couple of them in boxes. If its the ignition barrel which it sounds like we have bypassed (bush rigged ) them with toggle switch for axcilluary power and and a button for the starter

Regards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

starmac

Nope, it sounds like you are on the right track.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Banjo picker

Good to hear from you Chris,  I won't get caught like this again. ;) I'll have an extra also.  I am just not much of an electrician I guess.  Most things are easy to get usually with the internet and all, but that switch seems to be as rare as a white elephant on this side of the pond.  The temp. here is 12 degrees this morning, I wouldn't saw if it would crank. ;D Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Den-Den

You might try Tractor Supply, they have a few ignition switches.  Perhaps one of them would work for you.  Be aware that while ignition switches seem simple, they are not all the same.
You may think that you can or may think you can't; either way, you are right.

Banjo picker

Its been over two weeks since I ordered the switches from England and still nothing.  I ordered from two separate suppliers to give myself a better shot of getting it sooner.  Neither one supplied a tracking number, so I have no idea where they might be.  Out of frustration I started looking again this morning, and I call the Tradewinds company (different office) and this time a lady gave me a number of another Tradewinds office in Florida and the parts man there (Wayne) was very helpful.  He had the Lucas switch and I ordered it form him.  I'll probably have 3 show up at the same time.  I just wish I could have been directed to him the first time I got in touch with the company in December.  I have also had another customer bring in another load of logs while I wasn't there.  I think I know who it was but I'll have to call and see.  I got to get this mill running, and soon.  If anyone is running a Cooks with the Perkins that has the Tradewinds control board, the Miami Florida office is the one to call for help when you get in a bind, because Cooks don't stock those parts.  :(  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

starmac

What a train wreck for such a should be common part. You would think cooks would at least have a line on where to get them QUICK.
I guess you can look at the bright side, you now know where some parts are located.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

paul case

I think they could easily fix you up with a current production switch and a pigtail on it to get from what you have to the new switch. Cooks saw are smart enough to figure that out.

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

Banjo picker

I got one of the ones I ordered from England in this evening.  Only thing is; its going to be a nice balmy     6 degrees in the morning  :D I think someone forgot to tell the cold air this is Mississippi and it aint supposed to be here.  I have never tried to saw frozen logs before.  Don't really relish the idea either.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Hilltop366

Well the good news is the logs won't degrade much in the cold either!

Banjo picker

I put the switch on this morning after is warmed up a bit, bled it since I changed the fuel filter and after I hooked the dodge with two new batteries on it to the mill, she fired up and I ran it the rest of the day.  The sawing really wasn't that bad after I got all the wiring done. This was by far the coldest I have ever run it.  The customer has been pretty patience up till now so I am trying to get his logs sawed.   I am going to put a heavy tarp over the mill first thing in the morning and put a heater under it to help warm things up a bit before I start.  Supposed to be about 11 degrees in the morning.  Still got a good bit of snow on the froze ground.  It will be a real mess when it thaws. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.  :D  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Magicman

Hooray Tim !!!  I was hoping that you would be back sawing with that new switch.  I know that you breathed easier when everything clicked.   smiley_thumbsup smiley_thumbsup
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

Banjo picker

You got that right Lynn.  I run it pretty good today and got a good bit done.  The customer that had brought most of the logs show up and was please with the results, so that was good.  But its easy to cut pretty lumber when you got nice logs and his are for the most part.  I got another switch in today  :D  I still got one more coming; I was just about in a 9 line bind.  I am gona cut the old switch open when I get time and see what was going on inside of it.  Inquiring minds want to know.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

starmac

Well hopefully you now have a lifetime supply.
I would take a continuity tester and one of the new ones and make a diagram of what does what, so you could easily work around it with off the shelf parts if you ever needed to.
At the very least it would give you something else besides the new switches to put up to never be found again.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

paul case

The new one you installed may last forever, or as long as you can lay hands on that spare!

Glad you are up and running again.

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

Peter Drouin

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Darrel

1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

Banjo picker

Yes I got er going, and found out it will crank very well at about 11 degrees and to my surprise its not really that bad with enough clothing on.  The other switch came in from England today and I got them in a box in my closet with small mill parts.  So I have two spares.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

Darrel

You've got that right about wearing enough clothes.  I dress in multiple layers with insulated bibs and a warm work coat on the outside. Makes sawing at -20 F quite comfortable. January has been quite warm here. Got our first snow of the year today but still soft mud under it. Hopefully the mud will freeze this weekend and I can get back to sawing. Have my mill parked in a customers field mud bogg and can't even get to it without getting stuck to the axels.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

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