Getting closer to a mill new vs. used?????

[bikedude73]

I was looking at new mills only at first but is there any rule of thumb on used vs. new mills??  Just starting up I thought maybe it would be good to go used then work my way into a new one if it took off like I think it will.  Any input would be great..... :P

[TJB]

I say buy what you can afford to have sitting there collecting dust if things dont come together as fast as you hope.  I have borrowed money from the bank and bought a thing or two in the past and took a loss when I sold them because things didnt work out as fast as I wanted them to and I couldnt afford to just let it sit there while I made payments on it.
TJB

[James P.]

bikedude , I think it comes just down to your budget. if you have money to burn go new. If you don't then go used. Used could simply mean its sawed a few logs and then sat unused since or has sawed alot but has been well maintained. Pretty much what I would be looking for if you don't want to do a refurbishing.. most of them have hr meters. Find out what used models of the one your interested in have gone for and there condition. I would just be patient through the process so you get what you want. good luck with whatever you decide .

[Magicman]

I bought my mill used for about 2/3 of the cost of a new mill.  It depends on if you can find a used mill optioned to meet your needs.  There is little to go wrong with a mill, and nothing that can't be fixed.

All manufacturers of mills are eager to serve the needs of owners, no matter where the mill was bought.  They want all of their mills in the field to be running.....by someone.

This is one source for used mills that will give you an idea of relative prices of different mills:

http://www.sawmill-exchange.com/

[VictorH]

I also struggled on going new or used.  I could have new with payments but did not want that.  I took my time and eventually found a good deal on a used unit.  Glad I did.  It cuts lumber well and I got hydraulics which if I had bought new I would have passed on to keep the cost down.  So buying used let me get a mill with more options.  Oh BTW you will always want the stuff you did not get.   :D  Mine does not have a debarker or setworks.   My brother and I are making our own setworks for mine now    It's nice having a computer genius for  a brother.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Brucer]

When I went shopping for my first mill, I looked for used equipment. I found a few that were 7 or 8 years old, but with only 200-300 hours on them. Problem was, the owners expected to get big bucks based on the low hours -- the manufacturer's will tell you that age in years is a major factor in calculating value.

I did find one mill with only 100 hours that sounded pretty good. Then a friend who used to drive by the owner's house tipped me off. Those hours had been put on during the first year. After that the mill sat uncovered beside the highway for 7 years. Seven winters of road salt on the mill, and the engine hadn't been started once during that time. No for me :(.

On the other hand, the couple who picked up my 1-year-old mill when I upgraded got a deal. Maintained by the book, and I discounted the price to move it 'cause my next mill was sitting waiting for me to pick it up ;).

Used is great, but take your time and do your homework.

[Chuck White]

Check out "used" first.
You will/should be able to find a good used mill for 2/3 to 1/2 the cost of new.
Maybe even contact dealers, if they don't have a used one on their lot, they may know someone who has a used mill for sale.
That's how I got my mill!
Good luck to you!

[ladylake]

I'd try and find a low to medium hour used one with the most hydraulics and power you can afford unless your only cutting small logs.    Steve

[Larry]

I saw a Timberking B20 sell at auction Saturday for $6,500.  No loader, trailer package, or toeboards.  Standard hydraulics and 25 HP Kohler.  Excellent condition but it did have a lot of hours.  A buyer could have put it to work making money on Sunday...or spend another $4,000 to bring it up to just like new condition.  Compare that to what you would get buying a brand new manual mill.

[Magicman]

Maybe even contact dealers

Good point.  I did a quick search and found this:

http://www.woodmizer.com/us/usedsawmills/default.aspx

[pineywoods]

   :D  Mine does not have a debarker or setworks.   My brother and I are making our own setworks for mine now    It's nice having a computer genius for  a brother.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

Victor_H I would sure like to know all the details on that home made setworks. I'd like to do the same thing to a woodmizer lt40. I qualify as a computer geek, have plenty of parts....

[VictorH]

Pineywoods - my brother started a new thread about our setworks project.

[djoslin]

Check craigslist and ebay....bought mine off craigslist last summer, nice lt40hd with 12 hours on it. Like magicman I also purchased mine for 2/3 the cost of a new one.

new is nice but 12 hrs. old isn't bad.

Djoslin

[Magicman]

There are a couple of mills listed here in the "For Sale" Forum.

[Brucer]

The couple that bought my old mill found me through the local Wood-Mizer dealer. They had been checking out prices with him and just didn't have the budget for the mill they needed. Along comes me wanting to upgrade in a hurry, and the dealer sent them my way. He got to sell a new mill to me, and made someone else very happy.

Turning things around, I needed to buy a 6' extension in a hurry last summer. Dealer had just moved out his last one and the new shipment was delayed. But he had a customer who had a 6' extension and was waiting to sell it before upgrading to a 24' one. So the dealer put us in touch. The dealer makes one sale and has two happy customers.

Talk to the dealers. They may know about stuff that they themselves aren't selling. They will also have an idea how well it's been maintained, based on parts sales.