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Cooks Sawmill

Started by Herbettehunter, June 23, 2020, 08:14:46 AM

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Herbettehunter

I'm getting ready to upgrade to a fully hydraulic sawmill. I would appreciate any comments folks have as to what it's like to work with Cooks as a company. I read an awful lot of forums and posts, learning from all the folks out there who have been sawyers for short and long periods of time. I rarely start my own post but I would like good feedback on Cooks.

KenMac

I bought a Cook's AC36, sharpener, setter and band roller last May (2019). My experience was relatively good, but one thing that keeps me from being totally a Cook's fanboy happened the day I picked my mill up. There were others there the same day to pick up mills and the lone guy handling all of this did not have time to be very thorough in training and explaining how to operate the mill. I have figured most of it out by now, but that hangs in my craw. I just felt kinda like I was in their way after they took payment. I'm satisfied they are good people and I know their equipment is first class, but little things stay with me.
Cook's AC3667t, Cat Claw sharpener, Dual tooth setter, and Band Roller, Kubota B26 TLB, Takeuchi TB260C

WV Sawmiller

   Ken, Sorry you did not have a better start off with Cooks. I hear good things about them and they look like a solid mill.

   On my orientation Tyler, from the NC WM office, brought my mill up in January. It was about zero degrees F when he left and had warmed up to a balmy 5 degrees F by the time he got here. The lube tank was a solid block of ice in spite of the anti-freeze/window washer fluid he had added, the oil was very thick and the mill was reluctant to start and a backfire blew the spark arrestor 50' off into 6" deep snow (I found it when the snow melted). Tyler did a very good demo but what I found later was I just did not know the right questions to ask as it was the first time I had ever seen a bandmill in operation. The manual was good and the process is pretty intuitive and the folks here have been a great resource.

   Good luck. I hope you get lots more responses from actual Cooks owners and I'm betting they are very positive.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Herbettehunter

Thank you all so far for your feedback on Cooks. I'm not sure how the training is going to go for me because I live up in New Hampshire a few miles from the Canadian border. It's a long haul from here to Alabama. I was hoping that Cook's would be at the Paul Bunyan Expo in Ohio this fall but apparently they don't attend this event. I guess I'll have to make some arrangements for an orientation otherwise I'm going to be learning it from a manual and Hands-On which is not a bad thing. I totally get the point about spending a lot of money and expecting at least some customer service before you go out on your own. Not to make any excuses for Cooks but they sound like a much smaller company compared to Wood Mizer and Timber King. I actually like working with smaller but financially sound companies. Please keep the comments flowing as I'm getting ready to pull the trigger and just want a sense of who I am really dealing with. Again many thanks to all you Sawyers.

kelLOGg

Check this out, Cooks has a Canada store but it still ships from USA. Don't know anything about it.
Cooks Saw Canada
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

Magicman

My recommendation is always to actually put your hands on whatever sawmills that you are comparing, especially whatever is at the top of your list.  That is too many $$$ to do otherwise.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

RAYAR

Quote from: kelLOGg on June 23, 2020, 11:57:10 AM
Check this out, Cooks has a Canada store but it still ships from USA. Don't know anything about it.
Cooks Saw Canada
It appears to be just a web site. Everything on there directs you to Alabama. ???
mobile manual mill (custom build) (mods & additions on-going)
Custom built auto band sharpener (currently under mods)
Husqvarna 50, 61, 254XP (and others)
96 Polaris Sportsman 500
2006 Ranger 4X2 w/cap, manual trans (430,000 Km)

Gere Flewelling

I have a Cook's MP-32 I purchased in 2017.  They delivered it.  I have never been down there.  This is only sawmill I have ever operated.  I learned how to operate it successfully by watching their you-tube videos, reading the owners manual (lots of pictures) and on the job training.  I think I have a good handle on sawing now and haven't damaged too much to get to that point.  You won't regret purchasing one of their mills in my opinion.  It will be nice to have another one here in NH.
Old 🚒 Fireman and Snow Cat Repairman (retired)
Matthew 6:3-4

Bruno of NH

I'm in Springfield NH 
I don't own a Cooks but they look like a well built sawmill.
Heavy duty and have lot of nice options.
The chain turner and 2 clamps being some of them.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

esteadle

I have a Cooks cat claw sharpener and single tooth setter. I also buy all my saw bands from Cooks. 

I was not very happy with the setter when I bought it. It didn't work well. I spent a couple hours disassembling and re-assembling it. There is a way you have to torque bolts and put things together so that they "sit" well and parts mate the way they were designed. I don't torgue bolt 1 to full tightness and then torque bolt 2 to it's full tightness. I torque them evenly, and in a cross or random pattern like with wheels and drum heads. 

I did same thing with the Cat's Claw sharpener, which uses a high torque motor to turn a J belt that turns the grinder shaft. My J belts shredded within about 10 sharpenings, and after disassembling the shaft and checking the bearings I found a similar issue with the fastening. One bearing was torqued hard, first bolt, angling it with respect to the base plate, then the second bolt driven quickly, so that it was causing the bearing base to bend slightly (and putting it slightly higher relative to the other bearing), and the shaft being slightly askew, knocking the pulley off just enough to run up up toward the upper sheave, and rub the belt. I had to unbolt everything and re-tighten and re-align to keep the pulley straight. Took a couple of tests to get it right. And this is where I think the problem is... 

Assembly needs to be followed by inspection and quality control. I felt that was missing on my purchased items. It seemed to me someone new must have assembled it, and the old greybeards who know how things should "hum" when they run didn't get a chance to inspect my tools before they left the shop. Or maybe they were just in a hurry to finish that day. 

Anyway, good machines can be fixed, and these tools are in my operation and working for me now. They are good tools and well designed. I'd buy a mill from them new, if the price was right. But, I think I might ask to meet the owner or one of his sons or one of the leads on assembly and have them look the mill over with me while we run it thru some logs. I'd also plan to be on the phone with every little question for the first x days of warranty. You have to kind of demand the customer service from companies these days. 

Best of luck to you. 


KenMac

Cook's has several very good YouTube videos about the operation and features of their mills. Unless you want to come south to the Heart of Dixie that may be your best bet to get virtual experience. There may be a Cook's owner somewhere close to you. Cook's should be able to tell you of owners in your area. Owners are usually willing to show and demonstrate their equipment to prospective owners. Good luck on your adventure to find your mill.
Cook's AC3667t, Cat Claw sharpener, Dual tooth setter, and Band Roller, Kubota B26 TLB, Takeuchi TB260C

tacks Y

Can not help but.....what mill are you looking at?

farmfromkansas

I have an MP32 I bought used.  Get my bands and parts from Cooks.  Nice how they will have someone explain things over the phone, very helpful.  Is there another mill built as heavy as a Cooks?  Mine is an 05 model, and have bought very few repair parts. My plan was just to cut as much lumber as I might need for the rest of my life, then sell the mill, but think I will let my kids sell it. If none of them want it.  I enjoy cutting lumber, and building things.  The help at Cooks are good folks, and I enjoy talking to the gals. Cool accent.
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

Banjo picker

I bought an AC36 and all the sharpening equipment from them.  I had it delivered and Tim Cook was the one who brought it up here.  We had logs waiting and he gave us all the instruction we could ask for.  I imagine it would be pretty salty getting one shipped to NH.  Your belts and switches you can get from your local parts store as most are common.  I did burn out an ignition switch over the Christmas and New Years holiday once and that took some doing to get one.  I now have 2 spares.  The mill itself is pretty much bulletproof.  I have never put a log in front of it that it wouldn't lift.  Look in my gallery.  Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

tacks Y

Banjo, Nice mill. They have a lot of the same ideas as my Log-Master did.

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