debarker question

[jmouton]

so how often do you guys use your debarker,,,10 percent 90 percent,,,,  we hardly come across straight logs to mill on our 40 wide head,  we havent used it about 4 hrs out of 1100 on the mill,,,i am thinking about just taking it off and being done with it ,,,plus it get in the way sometimes trying to mill max width and carving up big logs on the mill with a chainsaw when the head gets stuck on the log,,,so whats everyone think

[SawyerTed]

I use my debarker 90% of the time when there's bark on that side.  

There's a very noticeable decrease in the blade sharp time when I don't. My guess is 50% or more decrease in sharp time.  

[caveman]

We use ours just about every time the blade is entering bark.

[WV Sawmiller]

  I only use mine on logs over about 6" in diameter. I'd use it on ones smaller than that if it would reach them.

[oldgraysawyer]

If the log has bark I use it. Even sand-dirt or a small stone trapped in the bark reduces the sharp edge especially on a blade that I've used for a couple of hours and can quickly lead to bad results making an overall cost a little higher somewhere in your process, longer cut time, wavy cuts, cut lines in your product, extra fuel to get through the logs, etc. My debarker can't reach the smaller stuff like WV Sawmiller but I don't have my own sharpener.....yet, and I'd rather take an extra minute and get more board feet before sending off my blades to get re-sharpened.

[Southside]

I removed the one on my 35 as it did restrict the width at times, it was pretty much an immediate observation that band life decreased significantly and it went back on after that.  

[Bruno of NH]

2019 lt 40 wide
3,400 hrs have hardly used it
Has never worked right 
The swing pin breaks all the time
I have been thinking of removing mine as well

[Magicman]

Put me in the "always" camp, so 100% of the face openings.  If there is bark, the debarker is engaged.  Clean log or not.

[Chuck White]

When I had my sawmill, I engaged the debarker whenever the blade was entering bark!

[Stephen1]

I saw mainly urban salvage big ugly logs and use my debarker all the time. I also have upgraded to the 1/2" wheel and removed the yoke so that it swings out for those wide logs and out of the way when changing the blade. I can swing my debarker 360.  I didn't really remove the yoke, it broke and they sent the replacement under warranty. I like it without so I never reinstalled . I just have to pay attention to how many times the electric wiring cord is wrapped around..

[Bruno of NH]

My yoke is off 

[terrifictimbersllc]

Always unless it's not working which seems to be 10% of the time.

[whittle1]

Don't know if this is allowed per forum rules, but any of you in the never use group that want to sell it I would be interested. 
Please let me know if this needs moved or deleted.

[YellowHammer]

Me too, if the cut is into bark, the debarker is spinning. 

[beenthere]

Don't know if this is allowed per forum rules, but any of you in the never use group that want to sell it I would be interested.
Please let me know if this needs moved or deleted.

Solve that question about knowing and put up a wanted ad with the right wording. Then no worries. 

Here:
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=4193.0

[Foragefarmer]

Only time I might not is on a nasty eastern red cedar log since it will hang up. Or when I forget and that sometimes has been a good not so good reminder of why I use it.

[Peter Drouin]

I'm 100% on all cuts,

[TimW]

I only use mine on logs over about 6" in diameter. I'd use it on ones smaller than that if it would reach them.

Cutting twigs again, Howard?

[Mr. Buck]

So I ordered a LT35 a couple of months ago. The salesperson is also a field tech and he did not want to sell me the debarker for the 35. He told me that it was underpowered and blew fuses constantly.  He said it was not a problem on the 40, 50 or 70 models. He owns an LT35 himself as well. 

Have y'all experienced this?  I'm a bit nervous about running without a debarker.  I'm worried that my blade costs might be a lot higher than they need to be. I'd love to hear what you think! 

[SawyerTed]

The debarker or breaker were not problems on the LT35 I had for 4 years.  It worked well.   

The usable sharp time on the blades is noticeably greater when using the debarker.  

[Gary Davis]

only when there is bark

[Old Greenhorn]

We had the same breaker problem on our LT50, Called WM and talked to their techs, also talked it through with others here and some WM techs in person. Although users report this problem often, WM denies they have ever heard of it (just like the breaking swing pins on the debarker and the dropping head issue). I finally realized I had to be my own troubleshooter, doped it out and wound up changing the direction of rotation on the motor and flipping the blade. Used to pop that breaker 4-10 times  day, since the change I trip it about once every 25 hours of cut time. It's all about how that blade approaches the log in relation to the debarker pivot point.
Perhaps your tech friend has not figured that out yet. As to the 'underpowered" comment I can't say.

[TimW]

My LT40 wide's debarker only trips the CBs when I am cutting into extra thick SYP bark.  But these thick barked logs are over 30 inch diameter.  I have learned not to hog it into thick bark.

I really like to saw logs when the bark is starting to fall off by itself.  Even then sometimes, the log looks unclean, so I run the debarker then too.

[Mr. Buck]

Very interesting. Thanks, guys! 

[Southside]

If you need any convincing try sawing a clean log at dusk without the debarker, the sparks will look like the 4th of July with all the embedded dirt and sand.