First post. Preferred LT70 blades?

[Bigly]

Hello,
this is my first post, so thank you for having me.  I am upgrading from a 24hp manual (power feed/up&down) mill I've operated for almost ten years now.  It is too slow to have allowed my sawing to become a viable business, so I've mostly sawed for myself, and a few customers here and there.
But I figured it was about time to jump into the deep end, and the sale WM was running on the LT70 was the kick I needed. 
What I'm wondering about is what blades LT70 operators (or comparable mills) are running.  I like 4 degrees on the 24 horse and I'm just generally interested to hear your preferences.  I plan to be cutting mostly EWP, hemlock, tulip, and I've got a small pile of chestnut oak to get through right away.
best,
Bigly

[stavebuyer]

I liked the Turbo 7s 1.5" .055s. Softwoods you might prefer 10deg. Your mill has the HP to push a meatier blade to make full use of it.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I agree, I've been running 055 1-1/2 7/39.5 (7 turbo) for a a year now. I've sawn everything you mentioned except the chestnut oak with great results. And a lot of Red and White Oak and various other species. No issue with blade life. If you want to keep things simple and also stay with Woodmizer, this is the blade to use. The only thing I've had trouble with is Wide knotty spruce, but did OK if I just slow down and use strategies of Breaking down the log quickly and doing most of the sawing in narrow material.

Other blades I am trying, seven turbo carbide razor tips, those are 1 1/2 045, Did great in Cedar telephone poles. The seven turbos were fine but dulled a little quickly, The poles were metal free but had dirt in their cracks.

Also used a Kasco 7/40 055 1.5 Just one blade, cut great in mixed hardwoods.I think this place is probably very similar to seven turbo Woodmizer blade.

I resharpened the 7/40to 4/40 and tried this in medium diameter knotty spruce, did not do well, the 7 turbos did much better.

My mill is a 70super wide, uses 195 inch blades, 55hp.

[Bigly]

Thanks,

as far as I'm concerned the wide knotty spruce can stay in the customer's yard attached to one end of their hammock!  I've learned to say "no thank you" to a few things over the years... but I guess sometimes you do what you gotta do.

Is 1-1/2" the standard on the LT70?  Can you go up to a 2" blade, or is there no reason to do so?  I guess I found on the little mill that wider was better through knots & such.

I'm getting the super wide as well.  Getting excited & my back is feeling better already.

As you suggest I figure I'll use WM for blades.  I tried a few brands with the other mill but getting them sharpened became an issue.  I used Suffolk Saw but my understanding is they are no longer in operation?  RIP

[YellowHammer]

LT70 super wide head.  I've tried several bands, and have been happy with the .055 Turbos, 1.5" wide.  I cut about 28 species of hardwood, a little pine, and even in hickory it does fine.  

[Bigly]

Sounds like we have a consensus!  How often does that happen these days? Thank you for the replies all.

[Southside]

You can run a 2" band on a 70, but there is a lot to it and it's not something you can easily toss on a 1.5" band if you want to.

[Beavertooth]

Have run my LT70 for nearly 13 years and have used several different blades run only turbo 7's now. .55x1 1/2  They cut everything great for me. In my experience (not that I have cut every species log) anything that a 4 will cut well a turbo 7 will cut just as well and a lot faster. And it is a whole lot easier to run 1 blade profile. I have not run a 747 turbo but from what Woodmizer says they will cut everything great and fast. 

[Percy]

My 2003 LT70 that cuts pretty much softwoods only(Sitka Spruce..miserable, yellow Cedar and red cedar) loved the 13 degree woodmizer blades but they quit making them. I use 747's now. They cut fast but you have to push them harder than the 13's and Ive learned that upping the set to .030 from the stock set of around .025 makes for better performance thru those neck sized knots Sitka can have...