Single best purchase to aid your work?

[Daburner87]

I recently met with a local sawyer when buying some metal to make ramps to load my own logs onto the mill manually with a winch.  I thought I got a great deal, and he gave me one bit of advice.  He said the best purchase he's ever made was a forklift.  I had to roll five 20"+ diameter logs about 35 ft each today to get them into my staging area, and even though I have a 60" Logrite cant hook it was some pretty hard work and I'm no stranger to hard work, but now I'm contemplating a forklift purchase.  I knew I was signing up for some heavy manual labor getting into this hobby, but I don't wanna break my back in the process.   Anyone else using a forklift?

[Crossroads]

Skid steer with forks for me

[Southside]

Retired US currency printing press, got it off an auction site complete with tons of blank print stock, it was sold because it will only print $100 bills.  Helps with lots of things around the mill and the farm.   :D

[btulloh]

I don't have a forklift - yet, but I do have a tractor with forks, a grapple, several buckets. Whether you get a forklift, tractor, skid steer, or whatever, you'll be a lot better off. There's a lot of material handling before and after the actual sawing.  Any type of equipment you can add will make that easier and more efficient.  

A sawmill is a gateway drug.  It always leads to tractors, forklifts, edgers, conveyors, a saw shed, a drying shed, a kiln, a bigger shop, etc., etc.  But that's part of the fun!

Whether you choose to start with a forklift, a telehandler, a tractor, or a skid steer, you'll be happier and your back will thank you.

My name is Robert and it's been one day since my last sawmill related purchase. Welcome to Sawdust Anonymous.

[btulloh]

Another consideration is a log deck. A deck can be be built for little or no cost and improves throughput greatly. It doesn't have to be complicated or fancy to be functional. You can add a log deck right away while you're looking for a forklift or tractor. 



 

[Runningalucas]

As far as best purchase to aid my work, is a shirt pocket notepad, and a pencil; to do lists, and organization are top for me.  I could use my smart phone, but it doesn't do the same, I like to see the items scratched off, to give me a sense of accomplishment.

As far as hands on tools to get the job done, I'd say it's in the eyes of the beholder, and operation there of.  I've got some decent 'bought' equipment, but find the stuff I fabricate myself is far better on many fronts.   A great thread to check out is the 'daily fabrication thread'; lots of good diy ideas in there.

Edit to Add:  I would highly recommend a printing press like southside has; the only issue though now, it's got to print the bills real fast, as the cost of everything is going up, real fast lol

[Roundhouse]

Here is mine,



Yep, forklift. It's the most I've spent on any single piece of equipment including my sawmill. I had a skid steer before getting the sawmill and it handled nearly everything I needed it to given the size of logs I handle. Although some were at the upper limit and getting on and off mid-task was never easy or safe. I don't like taking those kind of chances and was on the lookout for a loader/forklift to match what I need with excess lifting capacity to spare. This off road forklift is just the ticket for me. Logs that would have had my skid steer up on its toes are no problem, in fact the Owatonna will carry two no problem, also it's fast enough on its feet that if the haul is short enough I'll just drive them to the mill and set them on the log deck.

[stavebuyer]

A decent loader with quick change bucket and forks. Gets logs to the mill and lumber, slabs, and dust away from it. You will never get much done without one.

[JoshNZ]

I don't know if it's my best tool or not (it probably is) but if mine broke down I wouldn't show up at the mill I'd spend the day(s) fixing it or replacing it.

I got mine for quite cheap, gets an easy job during the kiwifruit harvest working as the second machine in the loadout bay. Then gets punished for the rest of the season at the mill lifting things way too heavy for it xD.



 

[longtime lurker]

Someone here once wrote that a sawmill is a materials handling nightmare with a saw in the middle of it.

Truest words ever.

After a while you figure out you get paid for cutting wood, not rolling logs or carrying boards to piles or whatever. Machinery helps with that

[Raym]

Retired US currency printing press, got it off an auction site complete with tons of blank print stock, it was sold because it will only print $100 bills.  Helps with lots of things around the mill and the farm.   :D

You are going to get a visit today by guys in dark suits with sun glasses. :D
Many, many years ago (1979) I was in a trade school during high school. It was a printing trades school, or lithography. we had a guy put a 5 dollar bill in the camera, make some negatives and made a couple of prints all in fun. Well word got around even though he had no intentions of trying to spend any of them, he soon was visited by the (I believe FBI).

[Raym]

I would also say a skid steer with forks. I started with an old Case 480E that I paid 2500.00 for. The brakes didn't work and the steering was only 20% effective. I made due until I had the money saved to buy my current bobcat. I now cannot imagine doing life without it.

[ladylake]

 After my 2 skid loaders, the sharpener and setter  by far. Maybe more important as I do a lot of on the road sawing.   Steve

[jimbarry]

MTL skidsteer with forks and a grapple. Money well spent.



 

[Bruno of NH]

I would say skid steer but it's not the best set up for a mill operation. 
Small wheel loader would be ideal.

[Peter Drouin]

Get  lull and have reach.


 

 

[Resonator]

I would not be able to run my sawmill without my 4wd Kubota tractor. Quick attach forks for log loading and lumber stacking, loader bucket for sawdust clean up, and hitch on the back to move the mill around. Plus I can skid logs out of the woods, bush hog trails, and have fun with the snow blower in winter. ;D

[HemlockKing]

I would not be able to run my sawmill without my 4wd Kubota tractor. Quick attach forks for log loading and lumber stacking, loader bucket for sawdust clean up, and hitch on the back to move the mill around. Plus I can skid logs out of the woods, bush hog trails, and have fun with the snow blower in winter. ;D

As someone who recently got a tractor, I feel like a kid waiting on Christmas for the first snow fall so I can fire that thing up and plow the driveway, with a heated cab it will beat a atv or snowblower/shovels

[WV Sawmiller]

  Since I mostly saw mobile I am limited to what the customer has on hand. I did buy a used JD750 with a small FEL I use a lot around the house. It is undersized but what I could afford at the time.

   A leaf blower to blow the sawdust out of the mill has to be high on the list even though it is not a big ticket item.

[maple flats]

From the time I bought my first sawmill, back in 2003, I've handled logs in a few different ways. My first was a Logrite cant hook, which I still use, but far less. Then I got a 25 hp tractor with a FEL and I bought a set of clamp on forks. That was a huge improvement but still not good. It could only lift that way, maybe 500#. On heavier logs I slung them off the back ( closer to the tractor) edge of the FEL bucket. That way was difficult and hazardous for the tractor grill, but it likely lifted maybe 1100#. My next piece of equipment was a mini excavator. To lift with that I made a lifting bar , 4' long and I had a shackle (lift loop) at each end, which I attached 2 pair of log tongs to, one at each end.

That was a huge improvement, with the blade down and when I lifted in front of the blade I could lift about 2500#, but only about 6-7' in front of the blade. To load a log near that heavy I had to work the log up to beside the sawmill and at about 90 degrees off the track. Then I had to park the excavator at 45 degree to the sawmill, lift the log just off the corner of the front blade (for stability), swing the cab along with the boom and the log to parallel with the track and then out onto the log bunks. It was my best to date at that time, but it left a lot to be desired. I have since added a thumb to the excavator, big improvement and I recently converted the thumb to  a hydraulic thumb, my best yet.

[SawyerTed]

+ 1 on the sharpener and setter.

[goose63]

 

 

This works for me Ilike the heated gab when blowing snow in the winter just don't brake the doors at $485 a door don't ask I know

[Magicman]

Since I am 100% portable and depend upon the customer to provide the needed tractor, the most used items regarding log handling are:   Logrite Cant Hooks.  Two 48" for small logs and two 60" for larger logs.

[farmfromkansas]

Having a farm and a sawmill makes some overlap on equipment, find that my Case 60xt works well with the mill, as long as I don't get a monster log, and my 4020 JD tractor with loader and bale forks works well to bring logs up to the mill, not so good when loading the mill because the seat is so far to the rear it is hard to see with the hood in the way. Weight capacity is about the same. Have bigger tractors, but no loader, and the bigger the tractor, the farther back you sit.  Find that using the skidsteer to load manure is about twice as fast as using a tractor loader. And I don't pile so much dirt.

[charles mann]

Even though im still building my mill and not milling yet, i purchased a pair of M936A2 military 5tn wrecker/cranes to go get logs and when im able to start milling, be able to set the large logs on my mill.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=116575.0

When im able to become mobile with my wide cut mill, ill be able to use the crane to tow the mill, load logs and if need be, winch logs to the mill up to 270' away with the front winch.