Another post by a new member.

[kkcomp]

Currently in Florida. Been working with wood most of my life but for several years was much better at making sawdust that anything else. Over the years I have gotten more patient, disciplined and also more daring with my builds. I am currently making yard decorations and furniture for fun and maybe someday I may sell things.
 
I am getting close to retirement and have 114 acres of woods in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains of mature trees (at least 40 years old). I have built several buildings on my own (a full house, a 36x36 2 story barn and several storage buildings) generally with very little help. I refuse to cut down trees for my retirement home to turn into firewood and am brave enough to try my hand at building a few log cabins and possibly do some timber framing as well. I don't own a sawmill yet but I have been shopping for years but always put it off for fear of it just becoming an expensive toy. Now I have a plan and a goal so I am seriously looking into mills. I have also developed a few spots of raw land into livable property including utilities and learned many lessons there as well. I guess you could say I have made a hobby of planning and learning for my retirement.
 
I will be spending the next several years of vacations getting the retirement spot ready and the hope is to do as much as possible before then so I have as few bills and must do's as possible when I tell the time clock to kiss my @$$. However, I think if a tree grew my entire life to support my retirement dream it deserves respect and proper use. I joined the forum because I want to learn as much as possible before I cut a single tree to be sure I honor and use them properly.

Now for the inevitable questions:
I am heavily leaning towards a Cooks MP32 with trailer, loader and turner. Other than price what competition is there to that model in terms of capabilities?

Obviously, there is no such thing as too much horsepower but when cutting a large variety of hard and softwoods some up to 30 inches how much is enough?

Everyone says or at one time thought their mill is the best. When buying your current mill what was the one or two things or features (other than cost) that made up your mind?

Are those features or items still important now that you are using the mill?
 

[Tom the Sawyer]

Comparable mills would likely be from Timberking and EZ Boardwalk.  I would contact each manufacturer and see if there is someone near you who might be willing to take on a helper for a day or so.  There will be things about each brand/model that you like, and that you don't like - ask a lot of questions.  The more exposure you get, the better your questions will be.  All three are reputable manufacturers, it'll come down to personal preference, or perhaps cost.

[Ljohnsaw]

Welcome and great plan!

Obviously, there is no such thing as too much horsepower but when cutting a large variety of hard and softwoods some up to 30 inches how much is enough?

I built my own mill so I cannot comment on the three listed - but I can comment on HP.  My mill can cut up to 42" and has successfully cut 34 or 36" pine so far.  I started with a 2.25hp treadmill motor, then 6.5 hp gas and settled on a 18hp twin B&S.  For a 30" cut, I'd want at least 20-24hp gas, perhaps a little less if diesel.

[fluidpowerpro]

I recently bought a new mill and did a fair amount of research before hand. 
I must say that I was really impressed with what I saw with Cooks saws. They look to be really heavy duty. They however cost more that I wanted to spend.
Was was also impressed with Timberking and Thomas.

I ended up buying one from Hud-Son. 
Not because I think they are the best. I think there are a lot of good ones out there to choose from.
Why:

• I already owned a smaller Hud-son and it has been reliable and did what it was built to do.
• The support from Hud-son has always been good.
• I found a local dealer that had the size I wanted, in stock. (unheard of these days)
• I wanted to build my own trailer with hydraulic functions. (log turners, backstops, dogs and loader) The dealer was the only one I could find that would sell me a saw head only, without track.

If you do consider Hud-son, I would stay with their Oscar series of saws. 

Yes, there is no substitute for HP. Often times manufacturers offer various HP engines for the same mill.
The lowest HP option should be adequate for personal use. If your going to cut wood to make money, you want to cut faster. The higher HP options will allow you to cut faster.

[justallan1]

I'm on my second bandmill and feel the biggest thing for me is width of cut. It turns out that not all trees are as straight as the look standing and it doesn't take much to use up what width you do have. Something else with wider tracks is you have more room for turning and positioning your logs safer.
Although my first mill gave me an idea of what I was doing, it just wasn't big enough for nothing and wasn't for me.
I've had my second mill for maybe five years now and really like it. It's an EZ Boardwalk Jr. and is solid iron. The folks that build them are great to work with and very honest people that treated me great. The mill will saw 30" logs and on softwood does great. On a big ash log I have to slow down a bit, but it'll do it.

[KenMac]

I know there are  few members on the forum who own MP-32's and, as far as I know, all are satisfied with the mill and support from Cook's. I'm happy with my AC36 even though it does have a few minor issues that I intend to "fix" when they get annoying enough. Overall it is very well made and strong.

[Old Greenhorn]

Welcome to the forum! If you fill out more of your profile info it helps us all remember your details going forward and you might get better answers. 
 The Cooks mills are very good machines. I don't think you can go wrong. You can find a lot of threads on the forum where they will come up I am sure, do a little searching about. Obviously (I think) you will be working alone or short handed so getting a full hydraulic mill will make your productivity higher and allow you to get a lot done. Yes, get the HP you can afford. Keep in mind that the width between the blade guides is important to know because most mills are advertised as handling a certain sized log, but that doesn't always mean the blades guides will open that far. Also the maximum depth of cut is something to consider. (I was doing 6x6's this past week and had a log I could get 6 out of but the drag back fence was in the way so I could not drop down to leave 12" on top of the last 6" cut. I had to cut the top one off, flip it to the side, then bring it back into the pack when I flipped the cant and cut them in half. A lot of manual humping around.)
 I have a little Oscar 328(manual) which would not fit your needs, but I have lately been running a WM LT50 Wide just down the road doing production work to order. Time is money there. So you might say I work at both ends of the spectrum. Being as I am newly learning that LT50 has me thinking about the differences between a homeowner and commercial mill a lot. Of course you can't compare them, but each has it's place. (You can make expensive mistakes really quickly on a fully hydraulic and very fast machine that can handle a 4,000# logs without blinking.)
 The one thing I would suggest is that whichever flavor you select, make sure you can get good support in your area which means replacement or spare parts coming in pretty quick and somebody that answers the phone and helps you when you have a tech question. Especially in the beginning you will need that. Once you learn the machine you will probably only call for tech support when you are in real trouble and that's when it matters, or so I have heard. ;D  :D
 There are two main parts to running a sawmill. The first is running the mill. The controls how they work and what you can do with them and what the limits are, the setup, any programming on the control, all the breakers and resets, the weak spots you need to be careful with, etc. It can be a lot to process. All mills are a bit different and it just takes some time to learn and it can be a lot to take in. The second part is HOW to mill a log, reading the log, picking your opening face, leveling the pith (if that is your approach, and it may not be on some logs), how to mill for grade verses yield, and all those other things. These two things combined take some time to learn so you need to plan for that and allow yourself learning and playing time without regard for your deadlines. Once you get those skills under control, you can really make some lumber. Being able to do all those things quickly will take a little more time.
 Oh and ALWAYS remember to put the toe boards down when you are not using them.  :D :D This is something I am still trying to get good at. Right now, that may not mean much to you, but later, after you mess up a few logs, you will think about this remark and nod your head knowingly. ;D 
 Very best of luck to you on this huge adventure. You are going to love it!

[fluidpowerpro]

Not sure if money is an issue, but one thing to consider is to spend less on the mill by getting something more manual, then put the money you save towards a tractor with a front end loader, or skid steer.
No matter what size mill you have, you need to get the logs out of the woods and to the mill. What you describe as having for property, it sure sounds like you need a tractor or something like that around.
The smaller manual mill is also better way to get your feet wet.

[kkcomp]

Welcome to the forum! If you fill out more of your profile info it helps us all remember your details going forward and you might get better answers.
The Cooks mills are very good machines. I don't think you can go wrong. You can find a lot of threads on the forum where they will come up I am sure, do a little searching about. Obviously (I think) you will be working alone or short handed so getting a full hydraulic mill will make your productivity higher and allow you to get a lot done. Yes, get the HP you can afford. Keep in mind that the width between the blade guides is important to know because most mills are advertised as handling a certain sized log, but that doesn't always mean the blades guides will open that far. Also the maximum depth of cut is something to consider. (I was doing 6x6's this past week and had a log I could get 6 out of but the drag back fence was in the way so I could not drop down to leave 12" on top of the last 6" cut. I had to cut the top one off, flip it to the side, then bring it back into the pack when I flipped the cant and cut them in half. A lot of manual humping around.)
I have a little Oscar 328(manual) which would not fit your needs, but I have lately been running a WM LT50 Wide just down the road doing production work to order. Time is money there. So you might say I work at both ends of the spectrum. Being as I am newly learning that LT50 has me thinking about the differences between a homeowner and commercial mill a lot. Of course you can't compare them, but each has it's place. (You can make expensive mistakes really quickly on a fully hydraulic and very fast machine that can handle a 4,000# logs without blinking.)
The one thing I would suggest is that whichever flavor you select, make sure you can get good support in your area which means replacement or spare parts coming in pretty quick and somebody that answers the phone and helps you when you have a tech question. Especially in the beginning you will need that. Once you learn the machine you will probably only call for tech support when you are in real trouble and that's when it matters, or so I have heard. ;D  :D
There are two main parts to running a sawmill. The first is running the mill. The controls how they work and what you can do with them and what the limits are, the setup, any programming on the control, all the breakers and resets, the weak spots you need to be careful with, etc. It can be a lot to process. All mills are a bit different and it just takes some time to learn and it can be a lot to take in. The second part is HOW to mill a log, reading the log, picking your opening face, leveling the pith (if that is your approach, and it may not be on some logs), how to mill for grade verses yield, and all those other things. These two things combined take some time to learn so you need to plan for that and allow yourself learning and playing time without regard for your deadlines. Once you get those skills under control, you can really make some lumber. Being able to do all those things quickly will take a little more time.
Oh and ALWAYS remember to put the toe boards down when you are not using them.  :D :D This is something I am still trying to get good at. Right now, that may not mean much to you, but later, after you mess up a few logs, you will think about this remark and nod your head knowingly. ;D
Very best of luck to you on this huge adventure. You are going to love it!

Thanks for the point about blade guides and depth of cut. Also depth of cut will matter as some of my cut sheet calls for 10x10 and 12x12 beams (if I did the math right). The land in Florida still has many trees that I intend to sacrifice for the sake of learning. Mostly scrub oaks but some nice SYP and Cypress that will eventually become part of the new place. 

[kkcomp]

Not sure if money is an issue, but one thing to consider is to spend less on the mill by getting something more manual, then put the money you save towards a tractor with a front end loader, or skid steer.
No matter what size mill you have, you need to get the logs out of the woods and to the mill. What you describe as having for property, it sure sounds like you need a tractor or something like that around.
The smaller manual mill is also better way to get your feet wet.

It would be nice if money wasn't an issue  That is part of taking so long to decide. I have learned that the right tool will cost more but makes the job easier and better and I would rather over buy than under buy twice. I have a Kubota B3300 for moving things around and have built a few log carts and been able to experiment with different wheels (solid rubber, pneumatic and even solid steel). As said in a prior post I will be mostly a one man show so any help the mill can give is quite welcome.

[Nebraska]

Welcome, if you are sawing 30 inch logs take a good hard look at an Ez Boardwalk 40 with a bed extension  or two.  For the price... 26 inch logs are enough with their jr, mill which is the model I have.. Set it up on a raised concrete slab so it's knee high or a little better. Save your back..You have hydraulics if your tractor is set up with a loader. (Add pallet forks and a grapple bucket when you can if you haven't already) I am by myself sawing and don't use my logrite as much as my tractor to turn and move logs when sawing. Good luck on your adventure.

[Old Greenhorn]

Welcome to the forum! If you fill out more of your profile info it helps us all remember your details going forward and you might get better answers.
The Cooks mills are very good machines. I don't think you can go wrong. You can find a lot of threads on the forum where they will come up I am sure, do a little searching about. Obviously (I think) you will be working alone or short handed so getting a full hydraulic mill will make your productivity higher and allow you to get a lot done. Yes, get the HP you can afford. Keep in mind that the width between the blade guides is important to know because most mills are advertised as handling a certain sized log, but that doesn't always mean the blades guides will open that far. Also the maximum depth of cut is something to consider. (I was doing 6x6's this past week and had a log I could get 6 out of but the drag back fence was in the way so I could not drop down to leave 12" on top of the last 6" cut. I had to cut the top one off, flip it to the side, then bring it back into the pack when I flipped the cant and cut them in half. A lot of manual humping around.)
I have a little Oscar 328(manual) which would not fit your needs, but I have lately been running a WM LT50 Wide just down the road doing production work to order. Time is money there. So you might say I work at both ends of the spectrum. Being as I am newly learning that LT50 has me thinking about the differences between a homeowner and commercial mill a lot. Of course you can't compare them, but each has it's place. (You can make expensive mistakes really quickly on a fully hydraulic and very fast machine that can handle a 4,000# logs without blinking.)
The one thing I would suggest is that whichever flavor you select, make sure you can get good support in your area which means replacement or spare parts coming in pretty quick and somebody that answers the phone and helps you when you have a tech question. Especially in the beginning you will need that. Once you learn the machine you will probably only call for tech support when you are in real trouble and that's when it matters, or so I have heard. ;D  :D
There are two main parts to running a sawmill. The first is running the mill. The controls how they work and what you can do with them and what the limits are, the setup, any programming on the control, all the breakers and resets, the weak spots you need to be careful with, etc. It can be a lot to process. All mills are a bit different and it just takes some time to learn and it can be a lot to take in. The second part is HOW to mill a log, reading the log, picking your opening face, leveling the pith (if that is your approach, and it may not be on some logs), how to mill for grade verses yield, and all those other things. These two things combined take some time to learn so you need to plan for that and allow yourself learning and playing time without regard for your deadlines. Once you get those skills under control, you can really make some lumber. Being able to do all those things quickly will take a little more time.
Oh and ALWAYS remember to put the toe boards down when you are not using them.  :D :D This is something I am still trying to get good at. Right now, that may not mean much to you, but later, after you mess up a few logs, you will think about this remark and nod your head knowingly. ;D
Very best of luck to you on this huge adventure. You are going to love it!

Thanks for the point about blade guides and depth of cut. Also depth of cut will matter as some of my cut sheet calls for 10x10 and 12x12 beams (if I did the math right). The land in Florida still has many trees that I intend to sacrifice for the sake of learning. Mostly scrub oaks but some nice SYP and Cypress that will eventually become part of the new place.

Just to make it clear using the example in my post because I don't want to confuse you or lead you astray. On almost any mill you should be able to make 10x10 or 12x12's without any issue at all assuming you are making them from a 18 to 20" diameter log or so. You would take off the 4 slabs and maybe a couple of jacket boards on each side to square up the cant to size and you are done. The depth of cuts would be minor and routine. But in my example I had made a 12x18" cant and had the 18" edge vertical (yeah, maybe I could have planned that better ;D). So I took the first 'pair' of 6x6 off the top with a 6" (plus kerf) depth of cut (leaving 12' on the bottom, then tried to drop down to do the next cut 6" above the bed but could not fit the top 12" between the top of the blade and the drag back hand. Had I thought that through better I would have flipped it with the 12" edge vertical and split that in half first THEN flipped them up with the 18" side vertical so that after the top cut I could remove the top two 6x6's and go down for the last cut. It's not the mill's fault and I didn't mean to imply that. There is a lot that goes into planning how to cut a log and I consider myself barely adequate at it. (read some of the other threads active right now discussing this very subject.)
 With sawing there is always more than 1 (or 3) ways to skin a cat. It's called "skill" and it only comes with time, mistakes, and thought. I am still trying to get a little bit of that for myself.

[Gere Flewelling]

kkcomp- I also have a MP-32 mill.  I have had if for 4 years now.  This is my first mill so it is pretty much all that I am used to operating.  Before I decided on the purchase I did a considerable amount of research, mostly on You-Tube and some in person with manufacturers in the New England area where I live.  I will say that Cook's have done an excellent job of promoting and explaining how they build their mills and why they do it that way.  I was especially impressed with their exclusive use of steel band wheels.  Not that I knew much about steel wheels.  It was there description of why they use them over belted wheels that convinced me I wanted a mill with steel wheels.  When I made the decision to order an MP-32, I studied over their many options and went with most of them.  Their power raise and lower as well as power feed have worked very well for me.  Though I have a good size tractor with FEL, I still prefer to use their log loading winch system and ramps as they will bring any log onto the mill smoothly and safely.  I ordered my mill to handle a 21' log and have sawn 20'-6' logs successfully.  I have made a few modifications to the mill to make it a little easier for me to operate by myself.  You can see them in the Cook's site in the Index.  
I agree other mills are equal in quality to Cook's mills and have features they don't offer.  I think you will be happy with your purchase if you should decide to go for an MP-32.  They have great customer service in my opinion.

[kelLOGg]

I've had my Cooks MP32 for 19 years and it is in as good mechanical shape as when I bought it. I have had the steel wheels re-crowned once and just this year replaced the engine. It could use a paint job to make it look prettier but it is not rusting so that is OK by me and it has the original tires. If I still took it on the road I would replace them. So, tires and paint are all that's needed and I'm not complaining about that.

20 years ago when I was looking at mills I would check for vibrations by resting my foot on the rail as the owner was sawing. Minimal vibration indicates to me good fabrication and Cooks aced it in that department.

[kkcomp]

Welcome to the forum! If you fill out more of your profile info it helps us all remember your details going forward and you might get better answers.
The Cooks mills are very good machines. I don't think you can go wrong. You can find a lot of threads on the forum where they will come up I am sure, do a little searching about. Obviously (I think) you will be working alone or short handed so getting a full hydraulic mill will make your productivity higher and allow you to get a lot done. Yes, get the HP you can afford. Keep in mind that the width between the blade guides is important to know because most mills are advertised as handling a certain sized log, but that doesn't always mean the blades guides will open that far. Also the maximum depth of cut is something to consider. (I was doing 6x6's this past week and had a log I could get 6 out of but the drag back fence was in the way so I could not drop down to leave 12" on top of the last 6" cut. I had to cut the top one off, flip it to the side, then bring it back into the pack when I flipped the cant and cut them in half. A lot of manual humping around.)
I have a little Oscar 328(manual) which would not fit your needs, but I have lately been running a WM LT50 Wide just down the road doing production work to order. Time is money there. So you might say I work at both ends of the spectrum. Being as I am newly learning that LT50 has me thinking about the differences between a homeowner and commercial mill a lot. Of course you can't compare them, but each has it's place. (You can make expensive mistakes really quickly on a fully hydraulic and very fast machine that can handle a 4,000# logs without blinking.)
The one thing I would suggest is that whichever flavor you select, make sure you can get good support in your area which means replacement or spare parts coming in pretty quick and somebody that answers the phone and helps you when you have a tech question. Especially in the beginning you will need that. Once you learn the machine you will probably only call for tech support when you are in real trouble and that's when it matters, or so I have heard. ;D  :D
There are two main parts to running a sawmill. The first is running the mill. The controls how they work and what you can do with them and what the limits are, the setup, any programming on the control, all the breakers and resets, the weak spots you need to be careful with, etc. It can be a lot to process. All mills are a bit different and it just takes some time to learn and it can be a lot to take in. The second part is HOW to mill a log, reading the log, picking your opening face, leveling the pith (if that is your approach, and it may not be on some logs), how to mill for grade verses yield, and all those other things. These two things combined take some time to learn so you need to plan for that and allow yourself learning and playing time without regard for your deadlines. Once you get those skills under control, you can really make some lumber. Being able to do all those things quickly will take a little more time.
Oh and ALWAYS remember to put the toe boards down when you are not using them.  :D :D This is something I am still trying to get good at. Right now, that may not mean much to you, but later, after you mess up a few logs, you will think about this remark and nod your head knowingly. ;D
Very best of luck to you on this huge adventure. You are going to love it!

Thanks for the point about blade guides and depth of cut. Also depth of cut will matter as some of my cut sheet calls for 10x10 and 12x12 beams (if I did the math right). The land in Florida still has many trees that I intend to sacrifice for the sake of learning. Mostly scrub oaks but some nice SYP and Cypress that will eventually become part of the new place.

Just to make it clear using the example in my post because I don't want to confuse you or lead you astray. On almost any mill you should be able to make 10x10 or 12x12's without any issue at all assuming you are making them from a 18 to 20" diameter log or so. You would take off the 4 slabs and maybe a couple of jacket boards on each side to square up the cant to size and you are done. The depth of cuts would be minor and routine. But in my example I had made a 12x18" cant and had the 18" edge vertical (yeah, maybe I could have planned that better ;D). So I took the first 'pair' of 6x6 off the top with a 6" (plus kerf) depth of cut (leaving 12' on the bottom, then tried to drop down to do the next cut 6" above the bed but could not fit the top 12" between the top of the blade and the drag back hand. Had I thought that through better I would have flipped it with the 12" edge vertical and split that in half first THEN flipped them up with the 18" side vertical so that after the top cut I could remove the top two 6x6's and go down for the last cut. It's not the mill's fault and I didn't mean to imply that. There is a lot that goes into planning how to cut a log and I consider myself barely adequate at it. (read some of the other threads active right now discussing this very subject.)
With sawing there is always more than 1 (or 3) ways to skin a cat. It's called "skill" and it only comes with time, mistakes, and thought. I am still trying to get a little bit of that for myself.

Thanks for the clarification. For some reason my mind has always been set on cuts from the top down and not even thinking about from the bottom up. I have a long way to go and help from others will be invaluable.