What makes a good saw mill?

[thecfarm]

What makes a good saw mill? a good sawyer. Any mill can saw bad lumber. All have limitations. Well,most of ones the members have. Whatever we have we all use it the way it was meant to be used. Some may saw fast,some slow,some may saw long,some short,some bigger,some smaller,some may not need a cant dog or peavey to turn the log. But they can all make good lumber with a good sawyer or bad lumber with a bad sawyer. All will have problems some day. Some you may have to modify to fit your needs. But what ever you buy you will be happy with.

[JimFX]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum,    JimFX. 

Your budget dictates a smaller bandmill, but do not feel shackled to that.  There are many entry level sawmill owners here who do just fine sawing.  I really hate to use the term entry level, but that only describes the price range and the log handling limitations.  They produce high quality lumber the same as the highest priced units.  Just slower and more labor intensive.

That is what I kinda figured ... I was thinking used but for me that seemed kind a recipe for failure for the first saw. I thought I have to get some sawdust on my boots so I have some idea of what might be a good deal and what is just going to be a lot of work to fix up.

[JimFX]

As an aside, the guys who felled the tree had one nice cant hook ... he hooked it on the trunk and hung on it.
I would have fallen on my butt with my Norther Tool Version ... }: (
He had it hand made in Mexico

My point .... nothing like a good tool to do the job, hence my post here about what makes a good saw Mill.

[thecfarm]

If you would of added the n in northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company you would of seen it. Logrite on the left is a sponsor,you will need one.

[Magicman]

There is only one cant hook that can and it's a Logrite. 

The other cant hook can't.   :-\

[WDH]

If you get a mill, you must get a Logrite cant hook or two. 

[beenthere]

What makes a good saw mill? a good sawyer. Any mill can saw bad lumber. All have limitations. Well,most of ones the members have. Whatever we have we all use it the way it was meant to be used. Some may saw fast,some slow,some may saw long,some short,some bigger,some smaller,some may not need a cant dog or peavey to turn the log. But they can all make good lumber with a good sawyer or bad lumber with a bad sawyer. All will have problems some day. Some you may have to modify to fit your needs. But what ever you buy you will be happy with.

Those are wise words, IMO. Well said thecfarm

[moandrich]

Our last mill was a woodmizer lt30, with a little patience you can find these cheap.  Great mill with the same structure as there big brother.  I would buy another one in a second, I was sad to see ours go, our new mill is great and much faster but there is many things that can go wrong with it.