Log deck, live or dead?

[Cruiser_79]

Within a few months I can move my mill to our 'new' farm, and finally place it under a nice cover/shed. I will have to make a new foundation for the mill, I was thinking of digging in a few 10'' azobe (ironwood) beams and place the mill on top of it. The mill doesn't have loader arms so I have to load the logs straight on the deck with my loader. On the new location I want to make a log deck so I don't have to get on the loader after every log or so. Besides that I prefer loading with the log grapple (don't ask why :D) , and changing the forks and grapple every log is a bit annoying. I could build a non driven log deck but I don't know or it is worth it, will it be better to invest in building a proper live deck? Because I sometimes have quite heavy logs I don't like it when those bad boys start rolling and slam my back stops... What are your thoughts in this case; 

1. build a set of loaderarms in combination with a 'dead' deck
2. build a dead deck with kind of stop and loader
3. build a live deck with or without stop and loader
4. stop crying and just load them by loader

I have plenty of electric power possibilities cause the mill runs on a 380 v generator, I have hydraulics on my mill but all the valves are already in use. 

[stavebuyer]

Stop N Loader. If you build arms on the mill that will lift a log off the ground; then they will have the "U" shape that will jolt the mill when loading from the deck. Dead deck is better than no deck but if you have a permanent set-up live deck is worth the time and money to install.

[moodnacreek]

With a fixed set up the sky is the limit. A deck with live chains is nice even with out a stop and load. When you are sawing, that is what you should be doing, not getting the tractor for another log.  You can watch sawmills running on you tube and get plenty of ideas there.

[tmbrcruiser]

I built a dead deck on slope, with stop and go feed arms. I'm very happy with the deck, logs don't take off, but move with a little nudge from my cant hook.

 

[SawyerTed]

A live deck with stop and load would be my choice.  There are plenty of decks around that with a bit of searching can be found for reasonable money. 

[handhewn]

My live deck saves a huge amount of work. Load the days logs and just push the lever when another log needed. I will get pictures today When I start sawing.

[Cruiser_79]

Found this on the internet, old pallet conveyors.





Looks solid, rated to 10 tons the guy says. They ask 1250 euro's per piece (1400 $). Probably I need 2 of these units cause I want to drive in between the stands to be able to lift solid beams of the bed. I don't have rollers on the mill so I can't roll heavy beams of the bed in longitudinal direction. I plan to build a dragback for boards, but I don't think its a good idea to drag 20'  10x10 beams of the bed with a 2 kW electric motor...

Maybe start with a sloped dead deck with stop and load, and in the end place these conveyors in front of them. Tmbrcruiser his deck looks really good. My mill is quite low to the ground so I could make a decent slope.