Thinking Upgrade: LT40 Super Or LT50?

[SawyerTed]

I am considering selling my mill and upgrading.  I can deal with the lead times on the new mills and am thinking the return on the used mill will ease the cost increases in a new mill. I have interested buyers in line. I am not soliciting buyers here. 

I've priced the LT 40 Super Hydraulic with the 39.5 diesel and I've priced the LT50 gas with 38 hp gas.  The price for the diesel 40 is more than the gas 50.  I'm leaning toward the LT 50 for the other features like the chain turner and hydraulic back stops. 

I don't feel comfortable with the price of the 50 diesel at north of $60k.  Afford isn't the problem but tying up my money here is.

I know the torque of the diesel is preferred but am I handicapping the LT 50 with the gas motor?

Will the diesel LT40 out perform the LT50 with gas?

[barbender]

Personally I can't see paying the money for a premium mill without the premium engine to match.

[Southside]

I went through that same exercise, and you saw where I ended up. 

If this mill may, in some way, be utilized with your other business then speed, operator comfort, and capacity can be considered. 

Of the two options you listed, I would go with the diesel 50. The backstops and chain turner will make a significant difference in throughput. 

[stavebuyer]

Diesel 50 with a roll your own stand-alone hydro pack and feed it with a live deck. 

[WV Sawmiller]

  He did not list the diesel 50 as an option. He asked Super 40 Diesel or LT50 gas.

[btulloh]

 He did not list the diesel 50 as an option. He asked Super 40 Diesel or LT50 gas.

True, but it's easy and fun for the rest of us to spend his money.  lol lol

[SawyerTed]

I resemble this comment... :D

[Magicman]

I have run this option up my flagpole many times, even a couple of weeks ago when the almost exact question was asked by Crossroads. 

My choice would be an LT40 Diesel SuperHydraulic Wide @~$55K.  ;D   I realize that my blade cost would increase for the great majority of my sawing......but I could not pass up the Wide opportunity.

[SawyerTed]

Magicman you and @Bruno of NH are two of a small group I was hoping would weigh in.

@Southside, I recall asking you the same question when I was at your place. Your reply here is 100% consistent!

Thank you

[Walnut Beast]

You better get comfortable with getting the 50 with the Diesel. Or you will be wishing you would have 😂

[SawyerTed]

I'm thinking 5 days of 1,400 bf would pay the difference in the LT50 gas and LT50 diesel.  

[Walnut Beast]

That's the right idea 💡. Thinking how it's going to work to justify 👍

[Southside]

Talk with @customsawyer I can picture your upgrade serving at your other place in a similar capacity as when he had one of his 70's up the road.  

[Stephen1]

I would buy 50wide with diesel and control station. I saw mostly urban ugly logs, the chain turner and hyrdraulic backstops and add some powered toe boards , they would vastly improve the handling of logs. 
I would have a mill with great resale because of the production sawing it could do. 
The only thing missing with the 40 is the chain turner and HY Back stops. 
I don't think you will ever regret a Diesel on a any sawmill. 

[Crossroads]

I've pretty much convinced myself to get the lt50 wide on order with the diesel as soon as the snow melts and I get back to making some money. 

[Bruno of NH]

When time comes it would be hard for me to pass up an Lt50 wide command control with the 38hp gas.
I know I'm the minority with the has engine.

[customsawyer]

I've never had a mill without a diesel. I started with LT40 SHD with Kubota diesel in 2002. I would have got a LT70 at that time but it hadn't come out yet. I always try to get the max out of any piece of equipment I get. I can't say how the gas performs. I will say that I have heard some with a gas engine wish they had gone diesel. Never heard anyone with a diesel say they wish they had went with a gas. Keep in mind the more productive a mill is the more help and support equipment you need to handle the increase production. Even with all of my equipment I have I don't get the production that a LT70 can produce most of the time. I don't have enough hired help nor do I really want them. I will say that it sure is nice to have it when I want it though.

[stavebuyer]

The proper support set up will get you more production than a diesel without it. 

If you are sawing for a living; the fixed cost of a band mill is among the smallest out lays you will have.

[YellowHammer]

I guess my answer is always the same....Get as Much as You Can.  I'm on my 3rd sawmill.  Every one I bought, I thought it would be enough, including the current LT-70 Wide Super.  Then I went bigger and badder, and never regretted it.

I don't even remember how much my Super 70 Wide cost, and whatever difference it was, has long been made up in increased production and decreased wear and tear on me.

So....without doubt, I would get the LT-50 with the biggest gas engine it has, if gas is what you want, over the LT-40 Super with diesel.  No doubt about it.

The chain turner allows me to do things with a log that a monkey couldn't do with a hot banana.  I even use it for a toe roller and log clamp.  It's very useful.

I much prefer the vertical backstops to the old style rotate up backstops, and they extend quite a bit taller, anyway.

Even with the double hydro pumps of the 50, it will be fast, much faster than the LT-40 Super, simply because the chain turner is faster than the claw turner.

A diesel is a diesel.  It's got grunt....and I like to use the grunt.  

[Unclefish]

Just my experience. 
Also not sure what these new woodmizers come with for diesel engine. If it has DEF. And is anything like what we are going through in the diesel school bus industry with Cummins 6.7L. Motors are great but the emissions side is a nightmare. Also right now with the times we are in good luck getting them fixed. We have  newer under warranty vehicles sitting at dealer waiting for emission parts for more than 3months. How do you expect to make money when it's broken down at dealer.  Alot of companies are going back to gasoline motors. US included. I have an older LT40 super hyd.with the Cat/Perkins love it. But if wanted to trade me for a brand new machine with emissions style diesel engine on it. I would walk away laughing at you.

[customsawyer]

From my understanding you don't get into DEF fluid until you are over 75 hp. The smaller engines will have to regen on the exhaust side but haven't heard any complaints out of that. I will say that I like both of my 2006 models not having it.

[Bruno of NH]

Ford built the new gas 7.3 Godzila because the oil fields in the north are going back to gas . 

[Stephen1]

From my understanding you don't get into DEF fluid until you are over 75 hp. The smaller engines will have to regen on the exhaust side but haven't heard any complaints out of that. I will say that I like both of my 2006 models not having it.

When I see 2006 model, as CS has. My thoughts are WOW! Look how many years you get run  a mill for what you paid. We also are the only ones we need to keep it running with lots of help from WM Tech support. Not like my forklft, or Truck or even propane bobcat. I need specialised help to keep them going . Then you get to sell it for a fair $$$. What other piece of equipment has such a small depreciation?

[Bruno of NH]

We have had cold weather 
-30 to -35 wind chill thats harder on starting then just the cold.
Put the key in the mill , hear the fuel pump prime , hit start and off the gas engine goes .

[customsawyer]

From my understanding you don't get into DEF fluid until you are over 75 hp. The smaller engines will have to regen on the exhaust side but haven't heard any complaints out of that. I will say that I like both of my 2006 models not having it.

When I see 2006 model, as CS has. My thoughts are WOW! Look how many years you get run  a mill for what you paid. We also are the only pnes we need to keep it running with lots og help from WM Tech support. Not like my forklft, or Truck or even propane bobcat. I need specialised help to keep them going . Then you get to sell it for a fair $$$. What other piece of equipment has such a small depreciation?

Keep in mind one of them has over 15000 hours of extremely hard labor. When Sparks was still with WM he came down and saw what I was doing with that mill. Most of the time when they needed a new gadget for a LT70 tested he would send me a test piece. I finally asked him why he always sent it to me. He said "If it will hold up to what you are doing than we don't have to worry about it".