The $1700 band saw

[hunterbuild]

Last summer I ordered the harbor freight ban saw. It was on sale and with it shipped to my door was less than $1700. I did have my doubts about getting it. It was back ordered several time and HP was good about contacting me to see if I still wanted it. I think it came about thanksgiving time. I was slow about getting it together even though it was very easy. Really only a couple of hours. After I put it together I knew the track just wasn't long enough, and they wanted to much for extensions and they would be on back order. So I decided to build new ones. the angle iron they had was an odd size so I could find it to extend what came with it. I lucked out and found some used 3X4 angle iron 22' long. Three of them for $225. They work perfectly. I can cut 19'+ and can add 10'ft more if needed. I can pick them up with my skid steer and move them in one piece. Today I fired her up. First I canted a 18' small oak I had cut 2 years ago. It gave me a 7"x8" cant. It cut good but ruff saw marks. then I cut some pine 16"to 18", 9'to 18'. It really likes the pine.Cut straight but still ruff saw marks. It is safe to say the blade it came with is crap. I have the two new blades Cooks sent me for free to try. I will put them on now the I have some experience. I know they will make the saw.I can't believe how fast it cut even with the crap blade,its only 7hp. I will test it next week on some 20" stuff. I will try to post some pic, they are in my gallery if it doesn't work.

  

  

 

[WDH]

Good job on the extension.

[jueston]

ozarkian(sp?) will be excited to see this, he has been looking for a cheap mill and was asking about a review of this mill i think...

i'm suprised to hear that that 7hp is doing so well, but life i full of suprises.

it sounds like you did a great job on that track extensions....

[Ozarkian]

 
IT WORKS!?!?
:P
But... But... it's from Harbor Freight... And everybody...  :P Yep, said it wouldn't!!!  You painted your Woodmizer green didn't you?  You tried to pass one off on us.  You little trickster you!  :

No, but on a serious note...  It looks like it is working well for ya!  You think it could take a bigger motor fairly easy, if one were to buy it and try to slap say.. a 13 or 14 hp in it  ???  That could be a cool way around the teeny tiny motor, and get a bit more oomph than the one they put in there.

How long approx would you say it takes per pass? A video on Youtube would be kinda cool.   ;D 

I think I am gonna go ahead and follow this topic, very interested to see how she lasts through the abuse.   

You are one of the very, I mean very, select few to post a review on this thing.  I am sure I am not the only one eager to learn more about it.  Thank you Hunterbuild!   

[hunterbuild]

HP has a 13hp that will bolt on for under $400 if I think I need more. The motor seems well built, it starts 1st or 2nd pull. I do have to do some tweaking, needs a couple of log dogs and odds and ends. I use a grizzly $2 scissor jack to level logs.

[shelbycharger400]

HARBOR FREIGHT...is a chinese knock off.
im curious as to what it is similar to

[hamish]

There was lots of rumour and another post about it being an Hudson, but many design points are different.  Regarldles for $1700 it works as well as any other.

[hunterbuild]

Most of the parts appears to be stock off the shelf stuff. The motor is the  China built Predator that  HF carries.

[swampbuggy]

I am by no means an expert but the HF mills looks very similar to the Woodland Mills one. Square and round tubes on the mill head frame, similar level adjustments, both made in china ( I think) , even looks as if the band wheel adjustment is the same. maybe they are just coping a good design.  ...just my observations. Swamp

[hunterbuild]

That is exactly what I think. The band adjustment and posts are the same.

[Dave VH]

sounds like a simple machine, and if it fits in the budget, Great!  Mine is simple, I'm happy for now.

I'm sure that you'll get your money out of it

[den]

It seems that everyone that owns one, likes them.
Those that never used one or even seen one say there junk.  ;D

[Magicman]

Maybe it is just me but if it is made in China it probably is a knockoff of one of our American made and developed sawmills.  I'll just stick with the FF Sponsors listed on the left.

[den]

Magicman I know what your saying, but if all you have is $1700, thats better then no sawmill.
For the price of the EZ Boardwalk Jr. (listed on the left), that's good value. But it's not $1700.
I remember being poor growing up. I will never forget those days and I'm glad for that.
Those days are coming again, soon !

[Magicman]

Oh, I fully understand poor.  I grew up in Red Lick, Ms.  ;D   I just hate Chinese knockoffs that have no factory support and questionable replacement parts.

[steve phillips]

howdy all
i believe you are right swamp buggy  they do look like a woodland mill. i went to hf and down loaded the manual . its close to the tee .

[ssgerken]

It is very similar to the woodland mills design, but they are not the same mill. The HF mill will only take a 22" log where the Woodland mills machine will take a 26" log. The woodland mills also has more of a "gas and go" throttle design. As ozarkian has stated before you can call woodland mills and talk to the person that designed the mill.  For what it's with.
Steve

[ssgerken]

The other difference I forgot to mention is the HF model has a 7 HP predator motor and the woodland mills has a 9.5 HP Kohler.  I just purchase the woodland mills mill and so far am happy with it.
steve

[Magicman]

Make note that on their website Woodlands Mill list their model HM126 as a "Hobby Sawmill".  Neither this sawmill nor any comparable sawmill from any manufacturer is intended for production work.

Sure, you can saw logs, make lumber, and even make a profit with it, but that does not make it a production sawmill intended for daily high output sawing.

[cypresskayaksllc]

I dont understand how they can make that mill and ship it over here and then sell it for 1700 bucks. Theres got to be a lot of man hours and parts to make that thing. I know the man hours are cheap but it still surprises me. Im curious how many they sell

[sparky]

My friend is the plastic injection molding business in MN. He needed to set up a joint venture in China to compete on the low tech products. He established a connection three years ago near Canton, China. At that time, the labor rate was 22 cents per hour! There were 50 to 100 people hanging out near the plant waiting for someone to get hurt, or fired, so they might get a job. That explains why some of their products are priced so cheap. He said there were already issues between the
"haves" and the "have nots" in that region.

Sparky

[hunterbuild]

They have gone up quite a bit. $2400 the last I checked. I need it for my own milling. not big production. Building a pole barn with it. It was all I could justify with wife and afford.

[isawlogs]

 That mill will have cost you less then the sawing of the barn had you contracted any sawyer to saw the wood for the pole barn, well I should not saye that not knowing the size of the pole barn :-\ I do know that it don't take a big pile of lumber sawed to make a 2000$ budget. 
  As far as I am concerned you did good, I hope the mill cuts to your liking 

[hunterbuild]

The pole barn will be around 28'x30', two and a half stories tall. So much for just milling my own stuff. A neighbor seen me sawing and want a few pine log milled and a friend of his has some walnut logs he wants cut. This was the first day I was cutting with it.

[isawlogs]

 Be nice toi have pics of the mill and of it making sawdust 

How is it working out ???