iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

mobile dimensions

Started by cwk266, May 06, 2008, 12:22:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

cwk266

Hi all
Newbie to the forum as well as newbie to sawmilling.Does anyone have a mobile dimensions sawmill or know of a good used mill for sale?How does a mahoe mill compare to the mobile dimensions?I am in BC Canada.Any input or information for a first mill purchase would be great.Used mills seem to be hard to come by unless I am not looking in the right places.
Thanks

StorminN

Welcome to the forum, cwk266...

There are a few of us on here with Mobile Dimension mills. I don't know of any good used ones for sale right now, but you can always check sawmill exchange <dot> com, click on "1-2 man circular mills" and you should see some MD's.

I don't know anything about Mahoe mills, sorry. Lots of times the best place to find used mills for sale is to just start talking to your local sawyers and see if they know of one for sale... everything is for sale for a price...

-Norm.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

karl

welcome,
Might want to check sawmill exchange, seem to be a few MD's listed in your n'hood from time to time...
I know nothing about mahoe mills...
"I ask for wisdom and strength, Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself"  - from Ojibwa Prayer.

Ianab

I haven't run a Mahoe mill myself, but I've had a good look around one, and seen them run at demos several times. They certainly build up a good stack of boards over a day.

I would say the Minimax mill compares very well with the MD mills, simple concept, but a very effectve way to get dimensioned lumber out of those bigger logs.

The Peterson ASM is also in that same range and worth a look.

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

cwk266

Thanks for the replies.I have been watching the sawmill exchange.I have contacted the manufacturer maybe they will know ????
Thanks

DanG

Welcome to the Forum.  I have owned a MD 128 for several years now, and have never once regretted my choice.  I think the main thing you have to do, other than agressively searching, is to be patient.  I also think that if you are patient enough to wait until you can find a model 128 Hydrostatic mill, you will thank yourself in the future.  It may take a month or three to locate the right one, but there is plenty to be done in that time.  The MD is a fairly high-production unit as far as portable mills go, so you will need some support equipment, and an efficient work area to take advantage of its capabilities.  It will be a lot more fun getting to know your mill if you don't have to grapple with logs and lumber without the proper equipment.

Unless you have some pretty deep pockets, my opinion is that you're better off buying an older, used mill and saving some bucks back for support equipment.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

StorminN

I will second DanG's post... I bought an older MD Model 127, but I still wish I had held out and waited and bought a hydrostatic 128. Around here, I've seen some go for $8k to 10k for well-used ones on trailers, but even then, they are worth it.

-Norm.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

cwk266

you are right on the importance of having support equipment (it is always heavier than it looks)I already have the equipment ,just missing the mill.What is the difference between the 128 and the 127?When I find a mill are there any specific areas of the mill to look at as far as the condition its in or trouble spots to be aware of?

StorminN

Hi cwk266,

Using the larger single edger blade, the 127 will cut a 7"x12" in one pass, and the 128 will cut an 8"x12" in one pass. That's the difference in name. However, the biggest difference between 127's and 128's is that most 128's are hydrostatic drive (I think only the first year or so of 128's were not?), the hydro drive makes the mills faster and easier for maintenance. The 127's use a belt drive system that has a lot of belts and bearings to adjust and maintain.

As far as using the mills goes, on a 127, once you set the speed of the carriage and send it into a cut, there is no way to slow the carriage for big knots or if you hit some sort of problem... all you can do is make the carriage return to you. On the hydrostatic 128's, the hydro drive is used to move the saw carriage down the track and back, you hold the control lever in your hand... so at any time you can speed up, slow down, stop and reverse the carriage. It's really nice. The later mills are also built more sturdy, are more stable, etc. and can handle higher production speeds.

If I were in the market for an MD mill, I would look for a hydrostatic 128. Once I had a particular mill in mind, I would check it out in person and take a dial caliper with me. Measure the width of the angle iron that the mill carriage rolls on... the bigger angle iron should be within a couple of thousandths of 1.500". If it is worn, that gives you an idea of how much the mill has been used. Then measure the rollers themselves... they should be only a couple of thousandths difference from the track... if not, you can buy undersized rollers from MD made to fit worn tracks. The fit of these rollers and the tolerances of these bearings really make a difference in how the mill cuts. Small or thin boards are pretty forgiving, but if you try to cut 4"x12"s or bigger on a mill with loose tolerances, the lead of the main blade will wander and you will see how hard it is to cut.

Other than that, just take a look at the overall wear on the mill... how to the rest of the bearings look, how does the motor look, how does it run? Does the track look bent in any spots? Is everything straight? Make sure you can cut some wood with it, see how it runs, see if it cuts smoothly or struggles in the cut.

Now, having said all this... if you found a screaming deal on an older 127, you might think about buying that, too. There are some things to look for... is it electric start? Does it have electric lift for the mill? Does it have endstands? Are they rack-and-pinion endstands? Each one of these things helps immensely, and some are more important than others.

Just so you know, I run an old belt-drive 127 with electric start, electric lift, and rack-and-pinion endstands...

-Norm.

Happiness... is a sharp saw.

cwk266

Thanks for the info Norm.You mentioned that the later 128 is built sturdier any idea what model year the change was made?

StorminN

Hi cwk266,

There have been a number of improvements to both the track and carriage over the years, it's an ongoing process. I'm not sure on the dates of any of them. The carriages on the 128's I've seen are braced to the bottom right side of the track, where my early 127 carriage is not. The track itself has also been beefed up over the years... they added truss rods at some point (if I had to guess, I'd say in the early 80's), but the biggest change was they widened the whole track itself... I think that happened in the 2000's... the best way to find out would be to call the factory and talk to Ron or someone else there...

-Norm.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

Larry

Welcome cwk266. :)

How bout this one?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/grd/671614107.html

Trick of the trade...do a google search on craigslist.  For the MD my search term was "craigslist mobile dimension".  Google turned up the one I linked to plus some more.  Iffen ya buy it send me a finders fee...or better yet send one to the forum. :)
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

cwk266

Thanks larry good link waiting for a picture to be sent later today.I have been using google but was using only"mobile dimensions sawmill for sale" as a search term which was giving me different results.I will post the outcome
thanks

cwk266

It turned out to be a 127 and I think the advise about waiting for a 128 is probably idea.

cwk266

I have come across a used timberchamp mill supposedly made by the person who invented the mobile dimensions.Does anyone know how a timberchamp compares to a mobile dimensions?

Thank You Sponsors!