iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

newbie questions 1220TK or Boardwalk 40 or Boardwalk Jr

Started by DDobbs, July 16, 2012, 04:42:07 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DDobbs

is there anyone on the forum that has either of the saws?

I dont want to get in a yelling match which is best.

I would mostly be sawing for myself.

Both here at the house and the farm which is 100 miles away so needs to be able to make some road trips.

I live right in the middle of both companies near St.Louis.

the pros an cons of both would be great.

or do I need to look at  the 1400 TK

thanks
Dave
EZ Boardwalk 40
Ez Boradwalk Jr.sold 11/7/2015
Stihl 650 Stihl 290

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Hi DDOBBS......Well it's like this. I started out I was gonna saw for myself and no one else..... :D :D :D :D

Yep, the laugh was on me. Logs now coming in from customers, and I'm selling my own lumber as fast as I can saw it.

I started to buy the LT35.....I bought the LT40HDG28.....I'm sooooo glad I stepped it up a notch.

If you live in between both companies, I would take the time to visit each place. Both companies can give you hands on knowledge of what they have to offer. You'll be glad you made the visits, I believe.

Good-Luck.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Ga Mtn Man

You really should be comparing the TK 1400 to the LT15GO.

And to add to what POSTONLT40 said...If at all possible, you need to visit someone who has each mill and spend at least half a day running them.  Only you can decide which suites you best.  Both companies will give you names of the nearest owners and most sawmill owners love to  show off their mills. ;D
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

Magicman

First, Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Dave.   :)

Only you should actually make the decision and then only after putting your hands on both brands of sawmill.  Talking with the manufacturers and talking with sawmill owning sawyers are both good, but hands on is better.

Also, do not discount the idea of buying used.

Have fun with your search and keep us posted on your progress.   :)
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

Ga Mtn Man

Yes, plenty of good used mills out there.  Just be patient and the right one will come along.

Of course, there's nothing like the smell and feel of a shiny, new orange coral red mill... :)

Welcome to the Forestry Forum!
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Ga_Mtn_Man on July 16, 2012, 08:40:50 PM
Yes, plenty of good used mills out there.  Just be patient and the right one will come along.

Of course, there's nothing like the smell and feel of a shiny, new orange coral red mill... :)

Welcome to the Forestry Forum!


GMM,  you need to put on a "CORAL RED" clowns nose and join the circus.  :D :D :D
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

dgdrls


If your going to pull it back and forth regularly I would say LT-28,
It's built on the LT 40 chassis and has all the HD features including the fast/easy set-up with the Canti head.

DGDrls


DDobbs

Thanks for the Welcomes

thanks for all the replies. Trying to keep a open mind have a couple friends that have wood-mizers one of them has 3 last count.(so not fair)lol

I live near St.Louis but we are in Indiana most weekends in the summer racing.

So wood-mizer makes the most sense. Just dont want to make a deal then say wish I had looked at that one.

Good idea looking for a good used one. If I could find one with low hours.

Both WM an TK have some hot summer deals.

Dave
EZ Boardwalk 40
Ez Boradwalk Jr.sold 11/7/2015
Stihl 650 Stihl 290

Piston

Dave,
Welcome to the forum!  Is that you in your avatar pic?  Looks like fun  ;D

I have an LT15 (not the GO version) and am really happy with it (diesel).  However, I see no reason to buy the WM over the TK equivalent.  I have to admit I've never used the TK, however I don't see any advantage over either design.  (The LT15 isn't a true cantilever design anyways). 

I would say whichever one is easier to setup and make mobile would be a good determining factor.  To figure this out of course, you would have to move one around and set them both up.  I think both companies offer great quality and in the end it would just come down to which one feels better to you to operate, sort of like kubota vs. john deere. 

I'm just glad you didn't ask about a non sponsored mill, for "some" reason those are never recommended on here  :D

I would seriously consider a used LT40 if you can find a good deal on one.  If your going to buy new, this may be cost prohibitive however, I would sure love the hydraulics on my mill! 

Do you have a way to handle logs?  I found that a new LT15 and a nice used tractor with a grapple on the FEL was still less than the price of a new hydraulic mill.  Plus I use the tractor for a whole lot more than just milling. 

But since you asked about two specific mills, I don't think there is a clear cut answer, they're both excellent  and you can't go wrong!   ;)
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

ladylake

Quote from: dgdrls on July 16, 2012, 09:26:28 PM

If your going to pull it back and forth regularly I would say LT-28,
It's built on the LT 40 chassis and has all the HD features including the fast/easy set-up with the Canti head.

DGDrls



It takes me 10 minutes to set up my B20  , 15 minutes if I loaf.   Either of those mills should work fine.   A low hour used mill with more hydraulic might be best.    Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

medic

Welcome to the Forum.  Like several folks have mentioned get the names of some owners from both companies and spend some time actually operating the mills you're interested in.   Both are good mills, you just need to decide which one you enjoy working with the most. 
    I originally bought a 1220 and ran it for about 5 years.  It's a solid little mill that cut everything I was tough enough to roll on it with no  problem.  It does have a transport package available that's pretty quick and easy to install and uninstall.  You do have to take the wheels off to mill.  Standard package lets you cut up to a 12 foot log.  Additional bed sections are available but (if I remember correctly), you're not supposed to tow it with more than one extension attached (which gives you a log length of 18 feet I think).   All in all, a very good manual mill in my experience, but so is the LT15. 
    Since you mentioned the TK 1400, I'll give you some info on that since that's what I'm currently using.  ADVANTAGES OVER THE 1220:  Transport package is standard and you don't have to remove the transport package to mill.  Standard cut length is 21 feet (if it's longer than that, I don't want to tackle it anyway).  Electric winch to load logs and raise the manual chain log turner.  Manual chain log turner works well on small to medium size logs, not so much on the big'uns.  Log stops are manual but are all controlled from one location at the back of the mill, big improvement over the 1220's stops which all operated independently.  The winch and the basic hydraulics are real back and time savers which are important to me since I'm usually working alone. 
    The only problem with considering the 1400 is now you'll also have to look at the LT28 or 35 which are as different from an LT 15 as the 1400 is from a 1220.   Hmm.....that sounds like an S.A.T. question.  :)
Hope this helped instead of muddying the waters. 
Good luck
scott
Retired Paramedic, TimberKing 1400, Logrite cant hooks, old MacCullough chain saws.  Too many projects not enough hours in the day.

DDobbs

Quote from: Piston on July 17, 2012, 02:39:22 AM
Dave,
Welcome to the forum!  Is that you in your avatar pic?  Looks like fun

It's my car ,But my son drives yes it is fast an fun 850 horse 1350 lb rocket!

Thats why I dont have the money to buy a LT 40...........................lol

Great to hear from you owners that  have or have had the mills.
EZ Boardwalk 40
Ez Boradwalk Jr.sold 11/7/2015
Stihl 650 Stihl 290

thecfarm

DDobbs,I want to welcome you to the forum. Having a mill is great. Let us know on what you buy and show us some sawing pictures.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Chuck White

Welcome to the Forestry Forum DDobbs!

As mentioned in other posts, don't overlook used mills.

If you buy a used mill, you could likely save anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 over a new mill.

I know the decision is a tough one.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

grweldon

Welcome DDobbs!

I just purchased a TK 1400.  I can't say as I'm disappointed with the mill overall, but I am disappointed by the little details that weren't quite thought through.  I bought the mill without looking at one after putting my eyes on a Cooks MP-32.  If I had it to do all over again, I would have visited both the TimberKing facility AND the Wood-Mizer facility before making a decision between the three manufacturers.  I wouldn't even consider a mill without some sort of power log loading options.  That being said, although the winch system on the TK1400 works and I couldn't make the mill work without it, it is still marginal and has some issues.  I will be designing and fabricating a hydraulic log loader for it sometime in the future... Might even have to be powered with a separate engine, but even so, if done right, it will be one-hundred times better than the winch.

Just my opinion.  I wish I would have spent a few hundred dollars and some time driving before I purchased...
My three favorite documents: The Holy Bible, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

DDobbs

thanks grweldon thats why I am doing this hate 2nd thoughts
EZ Boardwalk 40
Ez Boradwalk Jr.sold 11/7/2015
Stihl 650 Stihl 290

Bandmill Bandit

Welcome aboard DDobbs

First off TK builds a good mill and wood mizer builds a good mill.

I am 56 and still in pretty good shape in spite of diabetes. actually in better shape since I bought my mill in 2007

I started out the "shopping" process in 2005 and took the advice of the wood mizer sales team to go and work with owners of the mills I was interested in. That is precisely what I did.
The first was and LT15. good mill. Too small for my needs.
Next was a DL double cut. Produced more saw dust than lumber, difficult for the off bearing and servicing and was just a general PIA.
Timber king 1200 was next. Cut good and reasonable productivity but a real PIA for off bearing as was the log loading/handling. Servicing was PIA.

LT 28 was next. Cut excellent, easy off bearing, easy blade changing, easy to service, best over all visibility, PIA for loading and handling logs as it was a manual mill.

Result
Purchased an LT40HDG28 Love the mill but its to small and I debated about that for 2 weeks before I bought.
I was only going to saw for my self too. YEA right!

Net result

LT40HDSG35 will be ordered before the end of July. The only option it wont have is the laser.

The top 3 reasons that make Woodmizer the top choice for me are 3) the ease of servicing the mill as compared to ALL the others that I worked with 2) the ease of OFF BEARING 1) over all operator visibility.

5 years later You couldn't give me another mill unless it came with a buyer to take it off my hands so I could buy a wood mizer.   
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

paul case

May I ''PLUG'' a little here.
EZ boardwalk is closer to you than either one of the mills you ask about.
As far as a manual mill goes they are as tough as any out there.
EZ boardwalk is a sponsor here.
I tried to wear a new EZ boardwalk model 40 out and it in turn wore me out.
They are usually cheaper to buy than either mill you mentioned.
A couple forumites have fixed them up to leave the axle in place for sawing , thus making them more portable, even though they go from transport to sawing in about 15 minutes anyway.
Wider throat, 36'' cut.
I got 77% of my money back when I sold my EZ model 40 after 3½ years.
PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

redbeard

CMS just posted a TK B 20 for sale might be in your price range. Tough mill with all the hydraulics and easy to maintain.
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

ladylake

 
The B20 was the best bang for the buck by far when I bought mine and it has proven it in around 8500 hours. EASY to maintain, my customers like off loading better than WM mills that used to saw thier lumber.  I just put out 11000 bf in 34 hours all 1 and 2" so it isn't slow. Easy to maintain again. Back too the OP, either mill should work good, I'd go by the best deal or get a used hyd mill.     Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

jander3

Welcome.  I narrowed down my choice to TK 1220 or Woodmizer LT 15.  Both excellent mills.  I purchase the TimberKing. My reason, I am tough on equipment and I thought the TK would hold up better.  I am very happy with the mill and TK service.  I think Woodmizer would be a comparable choice. 

Here is some info on my mill....

http://www.peelinglogs.blogspot.com/p/timberking-1220.html


grweldon

Actually, I was looking for a used B20 for quite a while and finally decided I couldn't wait any longer and bought the TK1400.  Turn out I could have waited, I've only got about 15 hours in sawing since the mill was delivered...
My three favorite documents: The Holy Bible, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

DDobbs

Now you have me looking at used ones what is
Your thoughts on a Mister Sawmill Model 26 with
Low hours
EZ Boardwalk 40
Ez Boradwalk Jr.sold 11/7/2015
Stihl 650 Stihl 290

DDobbs







Paul, I think I might take a road trip on monday or tuesday to see the EZ Boardwalk






Quote from: paul case on July 17, 2012, 08:52:30 PM
May I ''PLUG'' a little here.
EZ boardwalk is closer to you than either one of the mills you ask about.
As far as a manual mill goes they are as tough as any out there.
EZ boardwalk is a sponsor here.
I tried to wear a new EZ boardwalk model 40 out and it in turn wore me out.
They are usually cheaper to buy than either mill you mentioned.
A couple forumites have fixed them up to leave the axle in place for sawing , thus making them more portable, even though they go from transport to sawing in about 15 minutes anyway.
Wider throat, 36'' cut.
I got 77% of my money back when I sold my EZ model 40 after 3½ years.
PC
EZ Boardwalk 40
Ez Boradwalk Jr.sold 11/7/2015
Stihl 650 Stihl 290

paul case

Monday may be a great day to see Edward as he may have a demonstrator mill from the 4 state farm show for sale at a slight discount? Be sure to ask. I took him some logs to the show today and talked with Edward for a while. At any rate I am certian he can let you get a little hands on experience. PC
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Thank You Sponsors!