Just bought a LT-15 wide

[shelby78]

Long story short, I own a tree service and get some nice logs out of it. I had in the past a lumbermate 2000 that cut fantastic wood. Almost always looked like it was planed. I use a local guy that makes bands and he uses lennox. I believe he said they came as 10 and he sharpens to 8 or 9 (don't remember)

The lt15 wide is on sale now so that helped the decision.  They have one leaving Indy Monday and should be in Ontario Canada for wed next week. No waiting also helped the decision. I put my deposit down and it is mine.

My questions are on bands. Woodmizer bands aren't exactly cheap. The dealer salesman is recommending 9 degree bands. I did tell him I will max this mill all the time and I want a super smooth finish.

I will be cutting a lot of hardwood like Black Walnut, White oak, Hard maple, Honey locust. I do also get a lot of big pine/spruce. I understand I may need a different band for softwood but main concern is getting good bands for hardwood.

Keeping in mind I only have 25hp gas, and mainly only do live edge as wide as I can cut it (35.5 inches according to woodmizer) what band angle would you recommend. They also said I should go carbide but they are over $100 per band. I asked if they would cut 3 times as long vs the standard and they claimed it would be close.

I like buying in bulk but don't want to buy a box of 15 bands and not be happy with them. Thanks for any help.  As usual with almost anything I post I will show lots of pics when I get it and max it.

[Ljohnsaw]

 :P

[Tin Horse]

Congratulations on the new sawmill. Since your in Trenton you could check out Honig Industrial Equip. ( Simon) I've been buying there Ripper 37 . 1 1/4 x .042 x 7/8, 7°. They last and I cut everything from pine to white oak. Max. width on my machine is 29". Price is about $34.00 each. They also sell Ripper S. A little cheaper. 
I've been very happy with them but the price has gone up lately. I'm now trying Cooks Super Sharp. 8°. So far they're good.
I'm near the border so I pick up on Wellsley  Island Building Suppy. Even with exchange an tax they're cheaper at about $28.00 Canadian. I also bought they're Cat Claw sharpener and dual tooth setter. 
I often price around but this is the best I can find around here. ( Brockville area).

[Bruno of NH]

I have some WM 9° they cut oak well but not wide cuts
My mill will cut 30" wide I use 7° and 4°
They 4° have the smoothest finish

[SawyerTed]

Congratulations on the new mill.

Everybody has their preference on blades.  I have 25hp gas on my LT35.  I use 4 degree blades on everything.  One blade profile means all I have to do is keep up with which ones are dull and sharp.

As you know yard trees have lots of metal in them, I wouldn't go with carbide unless you are 100% sure there's no metal in a log.  

[Brad_bb]

I recommend 4 degree.  That's all I use on my LT15.  It doesn't have the power to run higher degree bands in hardwood.

Also, I say stick with the double hard bands and not carbide.  You WILL hit nails and metal and when you do, I'm sure you'd rather lose $22 band than a $100 band.  That is a more significant factor than anything.  You will hit a nail or fatigue a band (cracks)  before you ever get more life from a carbide tipped band.  Whenever a band travels around the drive wheels, it bends to go around the wheel, then unbends to cut.  This repeats over and over.  It's like bending a coat hanger back and forth until it finally breaks.  Same thing happens to bands.  Repeated bending and unbending will eventually work harden the band making it harder and more brittle and you will start getting cracks in the gullet.  At that point you should junk the band.  I rarely get to that point as I usually have a good metal strike first. I do resharpen my bands, but eventually I hit nails or whatever.

[shelby78]

Thanks for the quick insight guys. While I would rather just buy a full box of one, I think I may have to buy 2 different angles and do some testing. I will report back with details on what my mill seems to like.

[WV Sawmiller]

   When I bought mill which has the same engine you have, I bought 10, 7 & 4 degree doublehard WM bands and later got 2-3 turbo 7's. I use the 7 & 10 on poplar and the 4's for everything else. As I phase out my 7 & 10 degree blades, I use the WM resharp with auto-replace, I tell them replace with 4 degree. They will cut everything I cut but the 7 & 10s won't. 

   Good luck.