Is it worth the extra money for simple set and the debarker?
Yes! Although the debarker really takes some getting used to...
Yes, IMO. I have a '97 LT40 Super, which has an older version of Setworks that is similar to the current setworks. It gave up the ghost, and I miss it. It mainly increased production for me in two way. First, not having to do any figuring or resetting of the quarter scale when the head is at a random position. Say you take a cut at 17 7/16" to open a face on a log. Say you then want to take a 5/4 flitch. So, do you try to figure 17 7/16- 1 3/8, or o you loosen a screw and reset your quarter scale? With the setworks, you just turn it on, hit the 5/4 preset, and hit the head down function. The setworks takes care of the rest, which brings me to the second way it saves me time (especially on a Super mill with the fast head movements). As your gigging back, it's really nice to just hit the down lever once you clear the log. The setworks drops the head at full speed, and then applies electronic braking when it gets close to the target (which you can't do in manual). So it can land on the mark, much faster than you can. Not only does doing it manually distract you from other things, it costs you time when you miss by 1/16" and your bumping the head up and down trying to get on the money. A debarker is also well worth it. All bark has grit in it, even if it doesn't look dirty. Getting the debarker on a new mill is a small part of the total cost, but if you put it off until later, it will seem like a lot then.
When I was beginning to saw, I didn't use the debarker very well. I was getting 150 board feet or less of lumber from a blade. As I've gotten better operating the sawmill, the debarker can sometimes help me double the production between blade changes. Occasionally I can get 400 plus board feet from a blade. I get more from Turbo 7s than 4 degree blades.
The simple set is the most useful once the cant has been made or when plain sawing then edging. It speeds me up and eliminates all the bumping up and down. When the simple set is used with the quarter scale, it decreases the number of trim cuts necessary to produce uniform lumber.
So yes both are worth the cost to increase production.
ABSOLUTELY!! 8)
I started out with a manual mill that had neither. Any type of computer setworks is worth it's weight in gold!!
You upgrading to orange Bruno?
Everything we cut on my mill at your place on Sunday was done with 2 blades, running the debarker. And that second blade was still cutting fine when we quit.
I meant everything on my mill, obviously.
On the power feed do you have to hold the rocker switch forward to make it move.
Meaning can you let go of it and do something else for a second while it still go forward or back.
Can the beeping be shut off on the debarker or unhooked
Worth every penny. Speed and accuracy along with longer blade life.
Yes on Simple set you just flip the forward joystick or drum switch to the forward position and turn the speed on the pot to where you want it. She will go until you tell it to stop. Coming back you just have to hold onto the direction switch into the back position.
Which model are you looking at?
Wire cutters make all kinds of annoying noises a thing of the past. ;D
Debarker is well worth the money. I have accuset on my LT40 which is a time saver. My power feed you don't have to hold it once engaged it will travel to end of mill a rheostat determines how fast it travels. Why would you want to disable the beeper on the debarker its a safety feature that lets everyone around the mill know that it on, only comes on when mill head is moving.
Quote from: Revival Sawmill on October 08, 2018, 05:03:32 PM
Yes! Although the debarker really takes some getting used to...
The debarker is literally one button. You could pick your nose as easily as using the WM debarker :D
My dog can't handle the debarker alarm
But, If you get a bigger mill you can be ½ way down the log before the thing hits the log. ;D
Lx 150 if I can sell my mill
The 35.5 width of cut with the other options for the money.
I don't go portable
I might have an operator till I get my knees fixed
I'm working on some new treatments to help with the knee pain
I dont want to handle anything wider than 35.5
That's wide enough for my markets
I have an idea for a log turner
Quote from: Bruno of NH on October 08, 2018, 07:57:13 PM
My dog can't handle the debarker alarm
Thing about that beeper, like mentioned earlier, let's you know it's spinning. I cut my beeper wires early on and then one day for some reason, I stopped the head movement with the rehostat and walked in front of the head to remove a big shard of wood that had gotten lodged in the debarker. I grabbed the shard and the debarker blade grabbed my glove and ripped it off my hand quicker than Peter Drouins cutting speed. It hurt and I bled profusely. Put a flashing light in
Place of the beeper to keep Fido happy. 😳😳
I seen all that orange at the sawing project
I can't get it out of my head😁
The first used LT40 super I went to look at had the beeper wires cut. I asked why and the owner said he didn't like the noise. Then he showed me a nasty scar on the back of his left arm and admitted that cutting the wires to the debarker beeper was a very bad idea. Your dog will get used to it.
mh
Bruno:
You said something about having "Orange Envy", but I never, never imagined it was that serious.
Gerald
I always wanted a debarker, over the years my customers learned to keep their logs clean. Debarker never happened.
I quickly learned to figure the next cut before finishing the last one. Don't have..
I lost no time trading in my first manual lt40 for the hydraulic version as soon as it came out.
Just my 2 cents
Quote from: 4x4American on October 08, 2018, 07:51:30 PM
Quote from: Revival Sawmill on October 08, 2018, 05:03:32 PM
Yes! Although the debarker really takes some getting used to...
The debarker is literally one button. You could pick your nose as easily as using the WM debarker :D
One more thing to keep up with... is it making contact? Is it spinning? Did it snag on something? Did you get the head high enough for the blade to clear the cant but not the debarker on your way back to the front of the mill, and it torqued the alignment??? Not all of us were born with an innate ability to pick our noses either! 😋
One of my debarker alarm wires got ripped off, possibly by an offbearer, and I caught the running blade under my left arm. Shredded my shirt and left a heck of a nasty cut on my rib cage, and that was just a glancing blow.
Why would one put there hand in front of a running blade?????????????
I cut mine 2 min after I got the mill. It only runs when you have the mill cutting wood. Why would one want to walk around while cutting to move something?
I stop the mill to move or cut something in the way.
I think that Wood-Mizer has been installing a flashing light instead of a beeper on the debarkers! My friends LT35HD has a flashing light!
On my mill, I cut the red wire and installed a micro toggle switch there, when I have anyone new around the mill I, unknown to the offbearer turn the switch ON! Once anyone has had a few days working the mill, I turn the switch OFF if they complain! Very few people know the switch is there!
In my case my wireless remote needed a new speed pot, so I was running the mill from the console. When sawing with the wireless, there is a big red e stop button that kills everything but the engine. I would normally hit that button anytime I went near the mill. I was sawing 47' logs, so I had little room to work, and I had to trim the butt of the log. The debarker runs whenever the feed lever is in forward, so the blade was not running when this happened. You cannot hear the debarker running, or see the blade spinning easily in bright sunlight. The wire was fixed immediately.
Yes, the new debarkers use a flasher instead of the beeper. I only had one client who objected to the beeper. I guess WM engineers decided that the flashing light was more effective.
Simple Set with the sliding scale was very effective. My new WideHead with Accuset2 is getting more impressive each time I use it. It has taken me a while to adjust to it, but it has proven to be very accurate and a great time saver.
Quote from: Peter Drouin on October 09, 2018, 06:29:36 AMI stop the mill to move or cut something in the way.
I do too But in this case as with Dave, I used the rehostat to stop the head movement.
Bruno, what's wrong with your Thomas mill? Doesn't that handle 36" wide trees? I just called WoodMizer and they told me the LX150 uses 1¼ inch blades which means you'd probably have trouble getting flat cuts in wide slabs. I wouldn't want to run a slabbing business with 1¼ blades, or tracks that bolt together.
If you need to upgrade, why not the Thomas 4420? That monster is 44" wide, uses 2" wide blades and is only $11,500 with their No-Flex track. If I'm reading their website correctly, it has a 44" wide cut! And they are right next door to you.
Haven't got bit yet. My debarker horn stopped working I should probably inquire about the flashing light. I almost always eye that debarker blade with suspicion when walking around to check the lubemizer flow or for something else. :-\ :-\ :-\
Skipper11a
The Thomas is a great mill
It will handle 36" logs but only cuts around 30"
The lx150 cuts 35.5"
The power up/down on the Thomas has no set works
I would like set works and a debarker.
And power feed and return
I like the noflex track
I don't think Woodmizer would put out a track that would bend
The lt 15 wide has been out a while
The lx150 bunks are set up to load with forks.
Anyone had any issues with the bolt together woodmizer tracks ?
I think my lumber would be more accurate with the Woodmizer.
I cut 75% of my slabs now with 1"1/4 bands
Ripper 37 in a 7°
Quote from: Bruno of NH on October 08, 2018, 08:19:27 PM
I seen all that orange at the sawing project
I can't get it out of my head😁
I feel your pain! You will be on the orange side soon! I can see it in my crystal ball! thumbs-up
Bruno, If the 1¼ bands work in slabbing your wood, then stick with them. I brought it up because they're not the best for slabbing the extremely hard woods that I have here, many of which are standing dead.
It sounds like the LX150 is the perfect saw for you, especially with your knee problems. And it would satisfy that Orange bug that bit you last week!
Can the simple set be applied to an older model mill? How much does it cost?
Quote from: Bruno of NH on October 08, 2018, 04:53:17 PM
Is it worth the extra money for simple set and the debarker?
Yes on the debarker, and add a few more to get Accuset.
Quote from: k and g on October 11, 2018, 09:39:16 PM
Can the simple set be applied to an older model mill? How much does it cost?
My mill is a 1997 LT30.That is as an old a mill the SS can be installed on.I just finished the install on my mill.I had to install a new up/down motor as well.It was a tight fit.The new SS came wired backwards so up/down was reversed,but a call to Indy solved the problem.
My math skills are pretty good but with the SS I can give that part of my brain a little rest and perhaps use it for something else ....memory loss,maybe.