logosol

[snowman]

  Stumbled onto a logosol site last night, it's a chainsaw mill. I always blew these off as toys but this things kind of impressive and cheap too, $2500.00 for mill, $3500.00 with powerhead. Anyone know about these things?

[Burlkraft]

I saw one demo'ed at a woodturning symposium once. It looked like an easier more productive alternitive to an Alaskan mill. Still alot of labor tho......If you are doing a small volume of logs it may be just what you are looking for.

[jpgreen]

Snowman,

Check out:  www.woodbug.com

I built a shop and house addition with this mill, and use a Husky 3120 (the biggest) power head with it.  Someone before mentioined that you can't cut doug fir with a chainsaw, but he's never used this set up.  I've cut a ton of doug fir up to 32" in diameter.  And the mill cuts lumber dead on square.  If it doesn't it's operator error.

I've cut as much as 800 BF in one day, but it is a workout. It leaves very smooth lumber, you won't beleive it's a chainsaw.  The inventor has developed a sharpening technique that uses a modified Oregon file jig to sharpen the chain from the outside in, and I've gotton as much as 800 BF of pine between sharpenings. Easily 500' of doug fir. You sharpen a new chain to his specs, right out of the box.

I can mill 19' 8" log- 19" wide x as big as you can support wide cant, and kerf is 1/4". Cuts on the 1", or 1/2". The modified bar locks down into a lower track and cannot wander.  I love this mill so much, I'm keeping it because I can still pack it into an area I couldn't get a woodmizer.  Another cool thing is you can dog down a sprung log and cut the tention out.  When people see how accurate my lumber is with this mill they can't beleive it.  Dead nuts on.

[TinMan]

I have one in my garage. I just sold it so I can buy  a Peterson. If I didnt need the money I would have kept it for sure. Extremely high quality piece of equipment for what it is. If your looking to produce alot of lumber you may want to look elsewhere. Granted with the right setup (Husky 3120,5 or more sharp chains and a grinder would help) you will definitly turn out some lumber in a day. Not having used a small bandsaw before , i would say you might come close to their production levels with some help and the right situation. They put out some real nice lumber as well. Not a bad way to get into cuttin logs.

Tracy

[snowman]

 Thanks for the input guys. Im really leaning this direction. The blade stuff with band saws seems kinda complex, I just wanna make some lumber not spend my time learning to be a sawyer and a blade sharpener . The swing saws look great but going in debt on a sawmill to save money on lumber seems like an oxymoron. Im still mulling it over though.

[jpgreen]

Just options to think on.

My chainsaw mill has paid for it self many times over.  It cuts awsome lumber, and one guy can take it to the log.

I can cut all day with about 2 gallons of fuel with the Husky 3120.  I've had the same 4-5 chains for 3 years.  I can sharpen them myself, on the saw in about 15 minutes that locks your angle in with a jig.  I've never ever had to sharpen over 1 time in a day, and if your logs are clean you edge goes a long way.  It has power plenty for any west coast log species.

You can get parts anywhere for the Husky.  The frames and dogs don't wear out, unless you were to drive over them..  ;D

For one guy this mill is hard to beat.  For a production business, it's to slow. If you need to cut lots of small 4/4 material from big logs, the 1/4" kerf is a lot, and logs over 30" need to be whittled down a to get in the frame.

I've cut  it all for my building and cabinetry and have gone to a production mill becaause everybody wants me to mill for them. You can use the Husky for other tasks.

I paid about $1200 for 2- 10' frames an exstention and the saw carridge, sharpener, modified bar, the complete setup, then about $800 bucks for the new Husky 3120 power head shipped to N. California.  Both have gone up.

I've also had sales men from the band mill compaines tell me you can't run chainsaw heads for milling very long because they burn up.  Again not so if you know what you're doing.

The Husky has to operate under a load, cutting without winding out by using a dull chain, or trying to push a dull chain at high rpms through a log.  If you have a sharp chain, cut wide open but with the right load, the saw runs at the proper temp., cuts like gangbusters and will last and last.  My 3120 runs as the day I bought it.  It's a beast of a saw for sure..  :D

[TinMan]

Well said....