MX 34 NORWOOD OWNERS

[muskoka guy]

Thinking of buying the Norwood mx 34 with the 23 hp motor as the base for our mill. We will be looking to expand the bed to cut 30 plus foot pine logs for log home building. We will add hydraulics at a later date. Any opinions good or bad on the product. We are leaning to the Norwood as we live in Muskoka Ontario and they have a warehouse outlet here. thanks

[hamish]

If you live in Huntsville you would be crazy not to.  I have an ML26 and love it, ended up getting a Norowwd by watching a friend of a friend with a old MKIII, that get used everyday of every month, as a manual mill they are very impressive.  I have run a MX34 manual and I did like the extra hp and capacity.

At the Sawexpo in Bancroft last year I had the chance to try out the MX34 with the hydraulics and watch it being used for a good hour, apart from saving some wear and tear on your body, nothing a good cant hook or manual toeboards cant handle, and I will add a cant hook would have been faster.

Its not a warehouse outlet, its the headquarters and might say birthplace.

[muskoka guy]

Thats good to know. We can drive to the Norwood store in about 25 minutes. Figure that is a plus for anything we might need for the mill in the future.

[WoodenHead]

Shelby78 (another FF member) was looking to sell his Norwood.  I'm not sure if he has the MX34 or an older Norwood (LM2000).  He might have some input in regards to the Norwood mills. 

Speaking of LM2000.  I saw one recently on Kijiji that had never been used.  (Kijiji is similar to Craigslist)

[WoodenHead]

I should have added that Shelby is from the Trenton/Bellville (Ontario) area.

[Macgyver]

I've got an MX-34, and have almost nothing but great things to say about it, and absolutely nothing but great things to say about the company.  As a mechanical design engineer, there are a few features I would have made differently, but all in all, it's a great reliable mill.  My biggest complaint that's just not possible to fix is that the throat is only about 8".  Other than that, I've cut some big (diameter) maple and oaks and the mill handles them just fine.  At the end of the day, it's still a manual mill, but aside from loading, rolling, and clamping logs, it cuts as quick as any comparable hydraulic mill.  The controls are adjustable in height, and there's not much vibration transferred to the operator, so I'm not shot after a day of milling 

My particular mill is the 23hp model.  I recently added a track extension (very easy to bolt on), and have made a few modifications of my own like log leveling rollers, trailer package, support jacks and a loading/turning winch.  It's a great mill to modify because there are so many options and available spots to bolt things on, and you can order the factory options as needed.  Feel free to PM me with any specific questions, or if you prefer I can send my email address.

[muskoka guy]

Thanks for the input woodenhead and mcgyver. I have been watching kijiji for months and have not hardly seen any mills on it. If shelby 78 is around, Id be interested to hear what he has and how much he is asking for the mill. I just did a search for Ontario for that model woodenhead and got no results for the search. Any idea which town it was listed. thanks.

[shelby78]

Shelby78 (another FF member) was looking to sell his Norwood.  I'm not sure if he has the MX34 or an older Norwood (LM2000).  He might have some input in regards to the Norwood mills. 

Speaking of LM2000.  I saw one recently on Kijiji that had never been used.  (Kijiji is similar to Craigslist)

Good memory...And thanks for the plug. Still have my mill and its a lumbermate 2000.. Wouldn't really deal it now unless I got real good money for it as for me to upgrade (Like I was going to ) it would cost me a extra $12000 min to do what I want and that's a little rich right now.

Add the fact I keep hearing about electrical problem's, cant read the display when sunny or cold, batterys going dead, original setworks electronics not supported, etc, etc, etc.... Makes me think I will stick with a manual mill that always works!

The one thing that bugged me about the mx34 (If the pictures are right) is it looks like they went to plastic for the band wheel covers. I like my stainless steel covers and prefer them over plastic. There are a lot of times I wish I had a larger throat like the 34 offers though.

[hamish]

MacGyver, The throat on the MX34 is much greater than 8", should be about 28" as I have had a few 16" cants on my ML26 and have pulled boards from it.

Shelby78 has a good point, the manual mill always works!

The change to the plastic bandwheel covers has a benefit, it doesn't have the tendency to dull a thrown band, and they do there job just the same.  Originally I wished mine had aluminum or stainless covers, but the added cost, just for the bling would mean little to me.

[shelby78]

MacGyver, The throat on the MX34 is much greater than 8", should be about 28" as I have had a few 16" cants on my ML26 and have pulled boards from it.

Shelby78 has a good point, the manual mill always works!

The change to the plastic bandwheel covers has a benefit, it doesn't have the tendency to dull a thrown band, and they do there job just the same.  Originally I wished mine had aluminum or stainless covers, but the added cost, just for the bling would mean little to me.

This is kinda a 2 edged sword..... It may not dull a thrown band but the band may do a little digging into the plastic. How many times before it wears thru? What about after a few years exposed to the elements and your milling in the extreme cold? Personally I believe like any company they did it to save money/make more... Also why the change from the nice wide stout bunks like my 2000 to the thin slab bunks? Those are the killing feature of the 34 to me after using my 2000..

I can see the thinner bunks making log turning easier as there is less resistance vs gravity friction, but I can also see them digging into a cant more easily as they are so much more narrow compared to the wide 2000 ones.. I have never ran a 34 so I don't know if my personal thoughts are valid or not?

[hamish]

Shelby78,

With respect to the log bunks, no real difference, as both are stout enough to get the job done, a co-worker has a 2000 and we have both used each others mills, and the bunks are a non issue.

The bandwheel covers, well I have thrown two bands, one to the front and one to the rear.  The band thrown to the front, a few scratches, no real damage.  The one thrown to the rear, can see daylight peeking through in one spot.  So gimme a couple more years to formulate a true opinion.

As for the cold, no problem at all, nor have been the "plastics" on my snowmobile or atv!

I have yet to see a Norwood from the MKIII to the Mx34 and the Portamill......that I didn't like overall, they all have there pros and cons.  After using the MKIII, LL24, LM2000, ML26, Portamill and a bit the MX34, I would like to take em all and toss them in a keg, shake em up and take all the things I like from each model and combine them, for my personal tastes.

The ergonomics on the newer models seem to revert back to the MK models, as do many other aspects.

With Norwood one can not go wrong.

[Macgyver]

I'll chime in on the blade covers because I had my concerns with them too.  The stainless is great and durable, but from what I've heard loud.  I'll admit I have no experience with them.  The plastic covers are nice and are quickly removed, but one good hit with a spinning blade, and it'll cut right through them.  They may be plastic, but replacing them is not cheap.  I would recommend lining the insides of the plastic covers with a sacrificial piece of really thin plywood like luan.

In response to Hamish on the throat issue.  The width of cut is 28", I certainly won't argue with you on that.  And the mill will still cut surprisingly fast even when using up that full width.  The throat of the mill (height above the blade) is very low...somewhere around 8" I believe.  This only really limits you if you're trying to get free-of-heart timbers or trying to quarter a large log.

[dboyt]

The sacrificial plywood is right on target.  You don't need to cover the whole inside of the blade guard, just a curved piece that goes over the part around the band wheel, maybe 4" wide.  That'll save weight.  Blade tracking changes as you change tension or put on a new blade, so you have to watch it pretty carefully.  If the wood is soft enough to be dented by the bunks, it is probably too rotted to be used for lumber.  The advantage (besides easier rolling) is that sawdust and bark don't accumulate on the bunks.  By all means go for the 23 hp.  That engine is well suited to the mill-- bulletproof!

By the way, Norwood will soon be releasing specs on the new HD36 mill, which will replace the MX34.  Other than larger log capacity (36"), I don't have any info.

[muskoka guy]

Thanks for the input everyone. Norwood was the only site that lists there prices on their mills. Dont know why the others dont. Seeing how the factory is so close to us, I think we will be leaning toward the Norwood at this point. Still will keep looking for a good used one but there doesnt seem to be many around this area.

[Slingshot]

    Just want to mention that the blade wheel covers on the LM Mark4 and 2000
are not stainless steel. They are 1/8 inch thick aluminum. Softer than steel so they
don't do much damage to a blade like steel would. I have owned both--great mills.



____________________
Charles---

[swampbuggy]

I have a 2010 model with the 16hp motor. I like it, use it and abuse it! I am sure the 23hp model is superior and I will probably upgrade in the future. I have a 4 ft. extension and am mobile and I like this mill. I am not concerned about the blade covers however I did make a chute for the sawdust that makes less of a mess. I am sure you will enjoy milling on a MX34. Hydraulics would be nice, but then so would a FEL, neither of which I have ;D  Dan