WM vs. Norwood vs Hud-Son vs. ? (Looking for a NEW MILL!)

[Engineer]

Well I said a few years back that I probably would not own another mill.  I think I lied.  :-\

I am going to try to build a garage/wood shop with rough-sawn lumber over the next year or so, and I think I would like to invest in a new mill to cut the lumber for the garage.  I also expect to cut some of my own trees and "found" logs for woodworking projects.  More than likely I won't need to cut anything over 16 feet long, or too big in diameter.  If I get something bigger than a mill's capacity, I will quarter it with a chainsaw.  So, what I am looking for is in the category of "personal/hobbyist" mill.  Models I have looked at include WoodMizer LT15, Norwood LM29 and MN26, Hudson Oscar 328.  The only one I have been able to see in person (and operate) is the WM LT15.  I am in the $4500 to $6500 range, do not need a trailer package or any kind of hydraulics/electronics.  Like to cut at least a 24" diameter log.  Off-the-shelf parts are a big plus, as are "standard" blades.  I also want to stick to new or very lightly used bandmills.

So can any of you offer your opinions on these mills and give me an idea of similar mills with similar capabilities?  I always thought I wanted another Wood-Mizer, and almost bought a LT-15 a few months ago, but I would like to get peoples' opinions on a few other manufacturers and see if there's a better option.

[rwepinetree]

look at the timber king mills also they are well bult I think

[hackberry jake]

Ez boardwalk jr. Falls into the same class. Nobody can say which one is "better". Its the old chevy vs ford  debate...

[dgdrls]

Good afternoon,

Looking quickly I see a new LT-15 is priced at $7295
In your price range you can get a dandy mill
with some upgrades and still be under your max budget.

Here is a thread to refer to  https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,78860.0.html?PHPSESSID=f82cfc776a3621f65a7eb9d6dea53ebc

DGDrls

[woodworker9]

I was recently in the market for a sawmill, and I checked the craigslist ads for about 4 months straight using searchtempest in a 750 mile radius from my house.

I frequently saw ads for LT15's in your price range.  I ended up getting the exact mill I wanted, an LT40 hydraulic with debarker and accuset, for having just a little bit of patience for around $15K less than new cost, and my mill only has 190 hours on it.

There are a lot of used mills out there with break-in usage only on them, and you can save a few thousand bucks easy.

[Kingcha]

I bought a new Lt15 electric 2 years ago and I am very happy with it.   I am very glad I went electric.    What ever mill you get consider going electric.   No smell, very little noise and less maintenance.

Matt

[Magicman]

I wish you the best in your sawmill search.  You will know it when you see it.   

[AnthonyW]

I have been able to touch and feel both the Oscar 328 and LT10. In my opinion, the LT10 was stronger, sturdier, and better built than the Oscar. Should I say, the LT10 had a more commercial grade feel and the Oscar had a more home owner feel.

[DR Buck]

I went orange 11 years ago because of the follow on service and reputation.    I agree, it's the Ford / Chevy issue.    If it was me, I'd go Ford.    I've always like orange.  ;D

[Okrafarmer]

I can't speak to the Hudson, but the LT-15 has a great reputation, and has a great company backing it. The Norwood is also a very good mill for the personal sawyer. My cousin has had one for around 15 years and loves it.

[Okrafarmer]

There are a lot of used mills out there with break-in usage only on them, and you can save a few thousand bucks easy.

I second that. Since you are within budget, get one that is slightly used, low hours. . . . unless you just have to have that "new mill smell."

[cutterboy]

I can only speak for Norwood as it is the only mill I have run. My LM2000 is in it's 14th year and still cutting straight and true.

[Chuck White]

Hey Engineer, good to see you back on here, it's been a while!

Good luck on your hunt for a mill.

Don't overlook USED, lots of times there are very good deals out there!

[thecfarm]

Kingcha is right about the electric part. I don't use mine much. Only when a building project jumps up. I have been lucky that I have not had carb problems with mine. I might of gone the electric route if I would have find this place before I brought mine.

[bandmiller2]

Engineer, why don't you build one, you've used a bandmill and know what you like and don't like. I would give serious consideration to an electric mill, probably 7 1/2 hp would do anything you wanted. Frank C.

[dboyt]

In your price range, not needing a trailer package gives you lots of options.  Norwood has been a great company to work with, and I'm pleased with the performance of my mill (HD36).  Contacting any of the companies mentioned would probably get you a list of customers in your area.  You'll probably get some offers from FF members, as well (you're welcome to come to southwest Missouri & make some sawdust with my mill).  There's just no substitute for getting out there and seeing a mill run in person.

[opticsguy]

I purchased a new Timberking 1220 mill a few years ago and certainly a wonderful machine and would highly recommend this machine. The only problems with the machine so far are only the mistakes I make. Will cut up to 29" diameter and one extra rail will get you out past 18 feet.

Certainly my best purchase in many years. 

Did I mention highly recommended?

[thecfarm]

JohnM and me checked out Norwood at a expo almost 2 years ago. What impressed me was the options. The all manual mill would be a certain price,but if you added all the options to it over a period of years,all the options would not cost you anymore than if you brought them all at once.

[Engineer]

Engineer, why don't you build one, you've used a bandmill and know what you like and don't like. I would give serious consideration to an electric mill, probably 7 1/2 hp would do anything you wanted. Frank C.

Definitely want something "off-the-shelf".  I'm no fabricator, and for sure don't have the time to build something.  I also may transport the mill occasionally so electric is out.

I'm going to contact manufacturers, as I'd like to see some of the other brands in action.  You can only get so much from brochures, websites and YouTube.

[reswire]

look at the timber king mills also they are well bult I think

I've seen the 1220 up close, and it is a very impressive mill.  Nothing small about it, very robust machine for the price!

[arlostone]

hey engineer vt. craigslist ,in heavy equipment,has a 4 year old norwood mx 34?never used with twenty blades and trailer setup,asking 8k in island pond.its a haul but looks nice.

[4x4American]

Woodmizer has that new LT15 Wide out, I believe it can saw up to a 36" log they claim.

Hud-Son's are an affordable unit.  My friend has an Oscar and is happy with it.

Norwood's are good units too.

[Theo]

the answer is in your budget

[Dave Shepard]

I bought a TK 2000 diesel not too long ago and have not been impressed with it's accuracy.  The mill is all there, but if you're meticulous....

Woodmizer has that new LT15 Wide out, I believe it can saw up to a 36" log they claim.

Hud-Son's are an affordable unit.  My friend has an Oscar and is happy with it.

Norwood's are good units too.

If your TK2000 won't cut accurate lumber, then there is a problem not inherent to the mill.

[Okrafarmer]

/quote]

Dave, no mill can cut good lumber without a good operator, but it is definitely true that it is easier for any operator to get good results with a good mill.

[dboyt]

Every mill is different (sometimes, even the same manufacturer & model).  If the mill isn't cutting accurately, it is up to the sawyer to figure out the reason.  Most will be dead accurate if set up correctly, though this is easier with some mills than with others.  I figure running a sawmill is about 50% understanding the wood, and 65% being a good mechanic.  Norwood was good choice for me because the solid frame and carriage meant less time spent tweaking the mill, the option to assemble it myself saved a good amount of money, and I can add hydraulics later.

[Magicman]

about 50% understanding the wood, and 65% being a good mechanic

:P  :D

[milkie62]

I do not have a mill yet but after seeing and talking to alot of sales reps at Boonville fair,the Norwood seems to be the one for me.The thing that sells me is that to upgrade a Norwood does not cost extra money in the long run. I can upgrade to hydraulics down the road if I want and only pay the difference from the price of the std mill to the hydro mill,not some inflated price.

[dboyt]

Be sure to opt for the biggest engine, especially if you may be adding hydraulics in the future.  The 23 hp B&S Vanguard has been very reliable for me.  Give some thought to support equipment (tractor, trailer, truck, chain saws, cant hooks, etc.).  The Norwood folks are great to deal with!

[Okrafarmer]

The Norwood, I do believe, is one of those mills that caters best to people who are mediocre mechanics. By that, I mean, they are able to do mechanical work, but it doesn't come first nature to them. Like me.

[sandsawmill14]

cant go wrong with hudson for cheap manual mills i have a 228 that i have had for years sawed lots of logs with it but a hard day to get 1200 bdft out of cut rr ties for bout a year and half one time. We bought a b20 timberking and got it set up and sawing last week i cut about 8500 bdft cypress with it and love  8) i sure hope i never have to go back manual

[thecfarm]

sandsawmill14,welcome to the forum. Sounds like you just brought the timberking? Good luck with it.  ;D

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, sandsawmill14.   8)

[glassman_48]

Engineer,
I share the other guys opinions about looking around for a good lightly used mill.  Many will purchase a mill for a chosen project, then will sell it.  We have quite a few in Michigan.   Good luck,,,,,,Ed

[sandsawmill14]

thanks for the welcome  yes we just bought the timberking. The cypress was first weeks sawing 44 hr work week.

[dboyt]

Sandsawmill, welcome!  The bigger the log, the more you'll appreciate hydraulics.  Looking forward to seeing some photos.

[gimpy]

For me, I looked at a lot of mills. I think for many, it is just a ford/chevy kind of choice.

But I have to say, when you talk to owners, the one thing I noticed was the opinion of support and backing by the manufacturer by owners. I personally choose Wood-Mizer. Just my Chevy I guess. I was ready to buy a new rig but found a lot bigger (and better for production and ease of use) low hour rig on craigslist at a price that was thousands cheaper than the smaller new unit I was going to buy.

Then I towed the rig up to the dealer (400 miles round trip) to have them look it over and teach me how to operate it. That is when I was convinced I bought into the right company.

My suggestion is to keep looking on craigslist and used mill sites. Just because of your budget. You can get a lot of bang for your bucks buying a low hour used unit.

[wetdog]

I purchased a new LT15 two years ago and give it back to WM due to some defects. I wound up buying a used LT40. If I were shopping again for one of those size mills, I would be sure to look at the Timberking 1220 in person as it seems to me to be the better one.

[prittgers]

I saw a post (no pun here, really!)  WM has a 'black Friday" sale.  Maybe they really mean Orange Friday?

http://www.woodmizer.com/us/blackfriday2014.aspx

I have had an lt15 and 2 LT40's .  Most of the big names out there are pretty good.  For me, I want a Mizer

[sandsawmill14]

Sandsawmill, welcome!  The bigger the log, the more you'll appreciate hydraulics.  Looking forward to seeing some photos.

thanks dboyt  I will try to get some pics up in a few days if I can figure out how.  I'm a little better around a sawmill than a computer :D but im workin on it :P

[Engineer]

So I figured I'd unearth this thread since I started it.  Still haven't bought a mill but I got a bit of a surprise (and that may be an understatement) last week. 

Bit of a backstory:  my boys have been involved with Scouting for years (oldest is 23, youngest is 10) and we have faithfully attended every summer camp, every spring and fall camporee, etc.  This fall, the District camporee is a "lumberjack" theme - they are looking for experts who can volunteer their time to demonstrate chainsaw operation, chainsaw carving, portable sawmills, and the Paul Smith's College competition team is supposed to be there to demo their lumberjack skills.

So my wife, finding out about this, says to me, "Are you gonna get a new sawmill?", and I was at a loss for words as I had been figuring out how to discuss this with her for some months (it's a big expense, after all) and she says "the Scout thing would be a good excuse to justify buying a new mill, right?" - say WHAT?  You want me to drop five to seven grand on a new mill just to show it off to a bunch of Boy Scouts?  Never mind all the other good reasons for owning a new mill.  But all I could say was, "Honey if you think I should get a new mill then I will start shopping again". 

I think I have narrowed it down to either a Norwood LM29 or WoodMizer LT-15, neither of which will have a trailer.  Is there any specific characteristics of either mill that give it a distinct advantage over the other?  If I was in the market for a larger mill I would definitely go with the Wood-Mizer brand but the race is too close to call on these two models.  I will be sawing small logs, 12-16" diameter, sometimes short logs 4-6' long, and mostly 4/4, 5/4 and 6/4 lumber.  The occasional 4x4 or 6x6 beam.  Nothing over 12' long.  Obviously I will have to transport it at least once, to cut boards for the Scout camp. 

[Ox]

Geez!  That's good news right there!
I have zero experience with either of these mills but I have heard good things about both of them.  If it were me, I'd look to see which one would have the closest and easiest parts supply, dealer network, etc. 
If you need a part, is it 2 days away or a week away?
If there was a dealer an hour's drive away from me I would go with that one.
P.S.  I'm afraid there's no hope for you.  You're going to be joining the ranks of sawyers.  It's a funny, strange place.   

[beenthere]

And Engineer... did you see the "for sale" ad that just came up?

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,83392.0.html

[Dave Shepard]

That mill is supposedly sold. Being picked up today.

I can't give you any unbiased advice. I'm a WM fan.

[Verticaltrx]

I was down to the LM29 vs the LT15, went with the LT15 for a number of reasons.

-bed looked sturdier

-positive lock on the saw head height (if you notice in the Norwood videos the saw head sometimes drops a tiny bit when they engage the blade). The indexing wheel on the LT15 is really quick for sawing 1-2" stock once you get the hang of it.

-more feed options, you can push it, crank it (for the wide cuts) or add power feed

-larger standard engine, the new LT15's come with a 19hp Kohler

-company support, WM has so much info out there to help the sawyer, truly a top notch company. You can tell that a ton of engineering went into these mills to make them easy and efficient to operate.

All that being said, I think the Norwood's are a quality mill as well. I'm sure I would have been quite happy with one, just a few small differences led me to WM, as well as the $6995 spring promo they were offering on the LT15's.

[Engineer]

Geez!  That's good news right there!
I have zero experience with either of these mills but I have heard good things about both of them.  If it were me, I'd look to see which one would have the closest and easiest parts supply, dealer network, etc. 
If you need a part, is it 2 days away or a week away?
If there was a dealer an hour's drive away from me I would go with that one.
P.S.  I'm afraid there's no hope for you.  You're going to be joining the ranks of sawyers.  It's a funny, strange place.   

Ox, I'm long past the point of hope.  Many of the long-time members here know I'm a former Logosol M7 owner and Wood-Mizer LT-30 owner and have been mill-less for several years now.   I have plenty of experience with Wood-Mizer and their New York dealership, they're great people.  My dilemma is that both mills appear to have very similar capabilities but I don't know diddly-squat about the Norwood mills other than browsing their website and watching YouTube videos.  I don't think I'd regret purchasing either one but I want to make sure.

I wouldn't hesitate buying a used mill if I were able to get a good look at it.  That's how I bought my first and second sawmills, used.  The Wood-Mizer needed a LOT of work and WM New York did right by me.  Unfortunately I've been looking for quite a while and nothing that appealed to me has been available relatively close by.

I am going to call Norwood, since I can't make it to their open house this year, and see if I can find a nearby owner that will demo their mill for me.  I've passed up at least three opportunities to see their mills in action at the Northeast Forest Products Expo, and am kicking myself for not looking at all of my options.

[Ox]

I thought you might have had a mill after "remembering" old posts.  Problem is my memory is inherently poor.  Figured I'd play it safe anyways. 
At least you're checking out other options as far as mill shopping.  That's tough to do after owning a certain brand and liking it.  I find myself being loyal if something performs as I expect.

[samandothers]

I look forward to hearing which way you go.  Good for you helping and being involved with Scouts!  I enjoyed the time with my son doing scout stuff.  He learned a lot of great things as did I!

[ex-Engineer Wannabe]

Please check your Inbox for a PM, Jon.

[ForestGump]

Im in the market for a mill as well, ive seen a local operator struggle to dial in his WM and after he did the cutting I helped my buddy stack his lumber and there was a terrible wave in many of the boards: going from 4/4 - 6/4 in the same 16' board. Is this normal?
Woodmizer seems like a more "brand name" purchase but I was not impressed after seeing the results...Im considering these same two mills as mentioned earlier Lt15 and the Lm29. I want something on a trailer that is extremely quick to start milling- no tweaking and measuring, just a solid bed/blade mount that is always reliable.

[ForestGump]

Also- what kind of mills can acomadate a slabber and are there any entry level mills that can cut on both passes? (without having to walk head back before cutting again)

[Magicman]

Im in the market for a mill as well, ive seen a local operator struggle to dial in his WM and after he did the cutting I helped my buddy stack his lumber and there was a terrible wave in many of the boards: going from 4/4 - 6/4 in the same 16' board. Is this normal?

Quick answer.....NO.  If that "local operator's" WM was properly "dialed in", it would saw true.

No offense intended, but some folks are not mechanically inclined enough to own, adjust, or operate any brand sawmill. 

[Magicman]

are there any entry level mills that can cut on both passes?

I do not know of anything less than a full blown commercial sawmill that uses a blade with teeth on both sides that would saw on the "return trip". 

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I have to agree with Lynn. I have operated an lt 15 since 2010. It has impressed me again and again. Its a simple machine that accomplishes a great task. Most problems I have encountered have been due to operator error! ;D I am biased as a WM owner, but am very satisfied, Brian

[4x4American]

Sooooo, Engineer, did ya get a mill??   ;D

[dboyt]

I've got Norwood's HD36, but was also impressed with the LM29 for the price.  I've talked with quite a number of LM29 owners and never heard mention of problem with the head moving.  In fact, not having to lock down the head for each cut is one less thing the sawyer has to do when using it.  The clamping procedure is simple and, as long as the mill is well supported, it takes a lot of abuse.  I also liked that you could determine what options you want (track extensions, toe boards, etc.  Only parts I've needed have been blades, and they arrived so quickly that it was much easier to order them and have them delivered than it would have been to drive to a dealer and pick them up.

[Engineer]

Sooooo, Engineer, did ya get a mill??   ;D

No, not yet.  Am working on finding out as much information as I can now on the EZ Boardwalk mills.  At the rate I am going it will probably be a spring purchase.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

It's spring! Did you ever get a mill?  ???

[Percy]

But all I could say was, "Honey if you think I should get a new mill then I will start shopping again". 

You should write a book for all the guys who want mills but have a hard time with the significant others... The quote I took from your post is classic.  ;D ;D

[Engineer]

Did you ever get a mill?

Nope.  Finances never panned out.  Probably won't be this year either.