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[iluvhomeproject]

Help everyone, caought the sawmilling bug last fall when a storm downed a huge silver maple in my front yard. Not wanting to just burn it I'in a woodpile, I purchased a Farmboss chainsaw and a small Alaskan sawmill, and away I went. After several morning of using 'this setup, the energy, time and quality of the cuts, along with the abuse of the new chainsaw, I decided I needed a portable sawmill. That's where I am today.  I found this forum and was hesitant to join, but I read through about 8 hours worth of topics and really liked how everyone here is so helpful with anyone that post an issue or ask for advise.
  Where am I now? Most of the branches and debris have been chipped using my BCS rear tractor with the attached BIO 100 wood chipper. I'm strongly looking at the Hud-son Sawyer, which I realize is a hobby mill. I want an American made mill if possible, but funds are limited, so this is very appealing. I know there are better, bigger, more expensive mills available, but I'm not sure how long the bug will last once I start all the tugging and lifting. Also, after this is cleaned up, I own 35 acres, probably 25 of them woodland, a few walnut and oak but a lot of soft woods  I have an old Ford NAA with a boom that I plan using to cart the logs around.
  My location is Monterey, Kentucky. Just wanted to say hello and get any feedback I haven't already read on the forum about the HUD-son Sawyer.

[marcnaz]

Welcome! Sounds like you have the acreage and trees to get plenty of use out of a small mill. No matter what the use of the lumber, its definitely better than simply burning it! I did a lot of research on the small mills myself and decided that you really can't go wrong with just about any of them, and no matter which you choose, there are likely folks on the forum who have one and will help with any issues or questions!

[luap]

welcome to the forum. I can't help you with your mill decision but there are lot's of helpful people here who have been where you are now.

[hacknchop]

Welcome to the forum ,there are quite a number of different sawmills available and the forum seems to be a good place to get some quality advice on sawmills. You are the only one though who knows what your budget is and what your expectations are, so remember that the advice you get is good but doesn't always apply to your situation. Anyway you asked about Hudson and I have one that I've been sawing with for a long time and I have no regrets about it, the service is good and the parts are available , it is simple to set up and easy to run .I have an Oscar 30 and I have it set up to cut 28 ft material you maybe don't need that long a bed but I made my living cutting square timbers for homes and bridges as well as a lot of custom dimensions for barns and other buildings,anyway welcome and I wish you well in your endeavors. 

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, iluvhomeproject!

[garyfg]

welcome

[thecfarm]

Welcome to the forum.
No sense in spending $40,000 to saw $10,000 worth of lumber. ;)  Get yourself a Logrite cantdog or pevey,sponsor on the left. Nice people,made in the USA. I have a Thomas,made here in Maine. Support is great,only called them once in more than 15 years. :D Mine mill sits more than I use it. But I knew that's how it would be.

[DDW_OR]

Observations of a New Sawyer in Sawmills and Milling

and the search tool button, just above the advertisement

[Sixacresand]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.  Good luck with your mill choice.

[Woodpecker52]

Lots of good mills being made today and cheaper than a zero turn. Never been a better time to buy a good quality mill.  Lots of good companies and check out woodmizer they make a good product.

[BandsawBen]

Hi I started with a hud-son Oscar 30. I put a winch on it for height adjustment and extended the trailer with a 10 ft extension and added two more log dogs I built.  It was a manual mill but with a helper (my wife) I could really stack up some lumber. I would cut two logs on the bed at the same time. while I was sawing one the wife was preparing the other for the next cut. Bought that mill new in 2006 and just sold it last last year.  I got almost what I paid for it after cutting so much lumber with it.  I only have a few complaints and that's has to do with the difficulty of the wheel alignment. The company stood behind the mill and was always there when I needed parts.  I used a hobby mill like a high production mill, not only did it hold up it acceled. I bought the mill to mill lumber for our first house once I started sawing  I couldn't stop. 

[thecfarm]

BandsawBen,nice handle! Welcome to the forum. Quite a feat to build a house with a manual mill and takes A LOT of time. My hat is off to you. How did you get the logs out of the woods?

[BandsawBen]

I just updated my profile, sorry Iam better with mechanical things than computers. Back then I friended a wood cutter who traded a log for log.  So really I cut enough lumber for two houses

[iluvhomeproject]

Hello again everyone. Anyone have a
Timbery sawmill? I'm still not ready to pull the trigger on the HUD-son Sawyer. I love the price but don't like the aluminum frame or the Chinese motor. Timbery seems to have a nice entry level in the 100 line that would be equilivent or better if I have to upgrade to the Homesteader line from Hud-Son. You get the metal frame and a briggs motor for 1000 more, which puts me at the price of the Timbery 100 after they've put it on sale. Timbery looks like a thicker frame. A 9 horse motor vs the 7 HP on the HUD-son. But there's very little info on the Timbery, except for the few YouTube videos.

[Dana Stanley]

I looked at the Sawyer but got woodland mills hm126

[Crossroads]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new mill. When I bought my first mill, my wife made the comment on our way home. "This won't be the last mill you buy". I looked at her like she was crazy, but it turns out that she was right. You have to start somewhere and it sounds like you're off to a good start!

[iluvhomeproject]

I have reviewed the Wood Mills. They look like a great mill. I am trying to stay with an American made mill. I know Woodmizer are great, but get pretty pricey for my first mill. That's why I have an interest in the Timbery. Decent motor, more rigorous frame, and American made. I did try to call for more info but got a voicemail. I think I read somewhere else that they were slow to respond. Also have read that the parent company is the same group that owns Woodmizer.

[Old Greenhorn]

I have an Oscar 28, very similar design, just larger. It has the vanguard engine (10HP). I like the company, only 3 hours drive from me. They answer the phone, provide good support, and ship parts the same day ordered. There are two things I do not care for on my mill that would make we want to upgrade if I ever started doing this seriously. 1) The engine is a bit small for hardwoods. Power is very important in driving the blade and maintaining a consistent blade and cutting speed. Still I can work with this, I am just slower. The second and bigger issue is the bed rails. Hud-son uses angle iron for the rails, and these wobble when the saw gets loaded so I continue to try to find ways to make it more stable and solid. It is very annoying to me. Overall, it's a great hobby machine. If I could solve the rail problems, and I expect to eventually, life will get a lot better.
 Good luck in your  search.

[iluvhomeproject]

Well, the bug has been cured. After going back and forth on a sawmill, I ended up going with my initial choice. I bought the Hud-son Sawyer with the Chinese engine. Cost played a huge part in my decision, but I believe it will serve me well. I only drove thirty miles to the HUD-son dealer, who had an unassembled Sawyer in stock. Like all my major purchases, I researched it too death. The simplilicity and off the shelve parts as well as a local shop also factored in. Gonna be working on the assembly for the next couple of days. I'm excited!