Lead Times on New Saw Mills

[widetrackman]

Today paid for my WM LT35 HD and confirmed my delivery date of Jan 12 2021 that was ordered on Oct 31 2020, lead time 10 weeks. Guy at WM said if I ordered one today it would be 24 weeks . This is CRAZZZY. Do not know what lead times other brand of Mills have. Info for what its worth

[Maine Miller]

Winter is just setting in here, and since I don't have a saw shed built yet, it will be close to that before I can use mine again. :-\

[Southside]

Want to know the lead time on lumber or beef? It's everywhere. 

[Mfrost459]

I wanted to up date our mill this year but the lead time was too long. Needed to do it before year end for taxes. I checked in October too, and they couldn't deliver until late January. It would have been nice to have an LT50 under the Christmas tree. Guess we will have to wait. 

[SawyerTed]

Everything seems to take more lead time now.  I ordered some treated lumber in May.  It was delivered in September.  

[CHill8903]

Yes the Baker edger I ordered at Thanksgiving is scheduled for end of February/beginning of March, and Cooks was running close to the same lead time, so it seems to be across the board. 

[Larry]

I shopped a new TK-2000 a few months ago and I think they said 9 weeks lead time.

Might be a bonus for folks that already own a mill and thinking about an upgrade.  The guys at TK said the long lead times are keeping the prices of good used mills close to the price of a new one.  Wouldn't take much cash for me to upgrade, but I'm sorta attached to the old one.  I've made so many tweaks on it to improve production.

[trapper]

not just with sawmills postal service also  orderd a flashlight and company put it in the mail december 6  acording to tracking i should get it tomorrow.  This is from 2 states away.

[Walnut Beast]

Crazy it is. I don't know where all the money 💰 is coming from 😂. Machines are the same. When I locked in on one they were down to one. If I wouldn't have got something going on that one it would be March or later before dealer sees more. The factory even increased production 30%

[jcrumley]

A friend of mine ordered a  LX25 Saturday.  Woodmizer in Georiga told him it will be May before it gets here.  Funny thing is, there were several pallets of them sitting in the shop.  My buddy asked about them and the guy said they were waiting on pick up.  He said some people don't pick them up for months and one guy waited a year to come pick it up.  I guess some people make a rush decision and a couple of months later, they have changed their mind?  I have a feeling in a couple of years or less, there will be a glut of used mills for sale.

[Patrick NC]

People lose interest in things pretty fast. I just sawed some logs for a neighbor that has a new lt28 with 17 hours on it sitting in the barn. His son bought it a year ago and sawed a couple dozen logs with it. It's been sitting in his barn ever since. When I asked him why they weren't using it he just rolled his eyes and said that his son had been promising to saw those logs for 2 months and he got tired of waiting. He said his son thought a sawmill was a sure way to make a bunch of money until he realized how much work was involved. 

[Trackerbuddy]

A friend of mine ordered a  LX25 Saturday.  Woodmizer in Georiga told him it will be May before it gets here.  Funny thing is, there were several pallets of them sitting in the shop.  My buddy asked about them and the guy said they were waiting on pick up.  He said some people don't pick them up for months and one guy waited a year to come pick it up.  I guess some people make a rush decision and a couple of months later, they have changed their mind?  I have a feeling in a couple of years or less, there will be a glut of used mills for sale.

Maybe
Once a mill is paid for and set up in the barn there it sits.  There is no motivation to sell it unless the owner needs the space or money. Or the owner dies. So that glut may not show up for 20 or 30 years when we start dropping 

[Tom King]

A puppy buyer sent us a deposit check, paid $7.75 postage to send it two day priority on Dec. 12.  It got here on the 26th.

[Skip]

I just got a paper I subscribe to yesterday dated Dec 5.  >:( :

[Magicman]

The first time I sawed for a customer that had a sawmill I thought....what??  Since then it has happened several times, twice this year.  I have an upcoming job that the customer admitted up front that he had a sawmill but "didn't want to fool with the sawing".  OK by me.  ;D

[BandsawBen]

I work for the postal service full time as a rural mail carrier. We are and have been completely buried with parcels since last March when covid started. This Christmas has been the worst ive ever seen as far as parcel volume. We were told that they were hiring seasonal help for increased volume but, only one person was hired and she started dec 19.. a little too late. Our sorting and distribution center requested 200 additional personal for the holiday season 7 people applied and were hired. People will not work if you pay them to sit at home on unemployment. I to use the postal service for parcels but, less lately because who knows when it will show up, iam delivering parcels now with an expected dates of dec 9. Its just biting off more that we can chew. Bottom line with all my rantings is we dont have the personal to perform as expected as seen with many other companies.

[farmfromkansas]

Our mail used to go to Salina, then get distributed, they closed the operation in Salina, now it all goes to Wichita, and mail is sometimes way late.  Sent a check for insurance, they still haven't received it, has to have been sent a month ago. 

[dgdrls]

I cannot speak to lead time for a new mill,  I did order ceiling tiles and they are 2 weeks behind so far from the listed delivery date.

My mail service is fine, orders placed for items from Washington State came by the postal service in 3-days as scheduled.

D

[jay_d]

Can confirm. Spoke to them at wmga, 24 week wait.

12 weeks woodland mills

6 weeks at hudson for whats already built

[wesdor]

Not a mill order - I already have one.  

Called to order a brush mower for my tractor in September.  Dealer told me he couldn't get it until January.  I told him I would call back in January since I don't need it until April.  

Plan to call this week and hope I didn't make a mistake.

BTW - REMOVED BY ADMIN. NO ADVERTISING.

[mudfarmer]

Our mail used to go to Salina, then get distributed, they closed the operation in Salina, now it all goes to Wichita, and mail is sometimes way late.  Sent a check for insurance, they still haven't received it, has to have been sent a month ago.

Strange stuff they are doing. Here the local mail used to get sorted, well, locally. They even had different slots in the post office for local and non local mail. You put something in the mail to someone within 50 miles and they had it the next day no problem. Now it goes 150 miles away to some big sorting facility and it takes a hilarious amount of time. Someone towards the tippy top is making dumb decisions and it sure isn't @BandsawBen 
Seriously, the check is in the mail!! ;D

[Lyndaker]

I ordered a new DL timbertech swing blade in late September. Its on the way now and should be here sometime next week. They were unable to build the mill I ordered due the supply chains being broken and parts not available. So instead they built me the next size up mill with parts they had on hand for the same price. Thats what I call customer service. 
Everything seems difficult to get, takes longer, and is more expensive since the shut downs. 

[carter boy]

I ordered my lt40 w in June and it was an 8 week lead time then

[att_t_2d]

I ordered a Woodland Mills HM130MAX Woodlander last week and they said I should see it in early April.  

[farmfromkansas]

Insurance company finally got the check, and sent another bill for 10$ late fee.

[DixieReb31]

I ordered my LT35 from the Oakboro NC store back in November.  They told me 22-23 weeks😳.  Nothing to do but wait!

[Danno1]

I ordered mine from Pascal Metal from https://valleeforestryequipment.com/ back in October 2020.  I just got the call this week that my mill is ready for pickup!-)))

Can't wait to go pick it up and start sawing. 

Although here in Quebec, the weather is not quite ready for sawing in the winter, so might have to wait a bit to start cutting!

Got some nice logs ready to go, Pine, Maple and Spruce.  So no shortage of logs!!

[rustybill]

I ordered a LT15 from the NY distributor at the end of December. Looking at a shipment in early May. 

[woodman52]

A friend of mine is looking. A couple of days ago he said lead time for a Cooks was 45 weeks and WM was 30 weeks. He is looking harder at used now.

[YellowHammer]

I have sold 2 WM mills, an LT15 and an LT40 and both sold within days of advertising.  The LT15 sold for almost what I paid new, and the guy who bought my LT40 flipped it within a couple weeks for more than he paid me, and I charged him high orange book value.

My advice would be to to find a used WM mill, snatch it up, get to sawing, then 2 weeks before the new mill came in, put it up for sale and it will be be gone.  Guaranteed.  That way all the learning pains will be sold with the old mill, you won't lose much if any money and won't lose any time.

A buddy of mine told me that he recently sold his LT15 for more than he paid for it.  The WM mills can take much more use than they will see from the average consumer.  Most won't even wear out a set of blade guides or band wheel tires.  So the average used mill may be just barely broken in.

[Maine Miller]

I ordered my LT35 from the Oakboro NC store back in November.  They told me 22-23 weeks😳.  Nothing to do but wait!

I bought an LT35 in SC off Facebook Marketplace in September . Only had 34 hours. Looks like I got it just in time. Worth the 2200 mile round trip

[glrret]

I currently have a Norwood LM29 and have found over the past couple of years logs are getting heavier or the earth's gravitational pull is getting stronger, or maybe I'm just getting old. Either way I decided to purchase a hydraulic mill. When I stoke to WM HQ I was told there is a 38 week lead time, later that afternoon when I ordered an LT35 HD and paid a deposit at the local dealer, I was told the lead time will be approximately 54 weeks. Maybe the dealership is adding shipping and setup time alone with a little buffer. I'm hoping the WM plans to step up production in-light of the demand and I'll be happily surprised when they call this fall and say my mills is ready for pickup.  

  One can hope and dream can't he?

[DixieReb31]

I ordered my LT35 on November 19 of last year. Received a call from WM headquarters that it was built and was being shipped to the store I ordered from.  Have not received a call yet to come and get it but I expect to anytime. Hopefully today. This was 4 weeks sooner than I was originally told. I was told 23 weeks. 

[att_t_2d]

I ordered an HM130MAX from Woodland Mills on 1/5/2021.  At that time they estimated the shipping date as late March.  It arrived on 3/27/2021.

[Walnut Beast]

Look at the TK site. No deliveries till 2022. Prices keep going up with steel

[kevin5055]

Ordered an LT15 back on March 26th, 2021. I was told mid-November (33-34 weeks).  I hesitated and placed an order for an LX-55 a week prior which was mid-July (19 weeks).  At that time, the LT15s were end of August (I think it was 23 weeks), so my hesitation delayed my order by about 10 weeks.

[DixieReb31]

No long after I posted my last reply today I received "the call".  Picking my LT35HD up Monday! Yahoo! They told me 22-23 weeks back in November.  I count it took 20 to get here. 

[Southside]

It has nothing to do with WM "stepping up production". Like any business, mine included, that makes something it's impossible to hire help. Nobody wants to work. I was talking with WM today as I needed a few small things and checked on an extension order I have had for a while. Was told they hired several new employees just to build extensions but they simply can't get help. 

Add in chip shortages, material backorder from their suppliers and it's a mess. 

[DixieReb31]

Slowly but surly turning into a socialistic society.  Why work when the Uncle Sam will just mail you money?

[ohiowoodchuck]

I just put a deposit down this morning at woodmizer. They said it was a 26 week lead time. Now I just sit and wait. 

[Bruno of NH]

My friend ordered a lt50 2 days ago.
Woodmizer of Maine said 54 weeks.

[ohiowoodchuck]

My friend ordered a lt50 2 days ago.
Woodmizer of Maine said 54 weeks.

Ouch. that's a good while to wait. A guy I work with and have know for years. His dad owns a lumber yard and he is saying barring no natural disasters lumber won't be back to normal for about 18 months. 

[dgdrls]

54 weeks out would be a deal breaker for me on a tool,
heck, 26 weeks is a stretch

Does make you stop and think that staying home doing nothing
could pay more than a skilled trade.
I know it happened here in NY last year
and is likely continuing

D

[Magicman]

Yup, I'll just sell mine, take a year off, and then break out with a new LT40SH Wide.  But of course by then I would also have to re-establish my customer base.  :

[Southside]

Had a guy call the other day and kept asking me what it would take to sell my Super 70.  Kept telling him it wasn't for sale, and he would ask again.  Thought about telling him $1.5 MM and he could have the whole business, but like MM said - where do I go from there? 

[ohiowoodchuck]

54 weeks out would be a deal breaker for me on a tool,
heck, 26 weeks is a stretch

Does make you stop and think that staying home doing nothing
could pay more than a skilled trade.
I know it happened here in NY last year
and is likely continuing

D

That's the problem, like mentioned earlier in the thread. People are making more money sitting at home then what they was making at work. I would really like to have my mill sooner. I've been to a couple auctions and there going for new price or a little more then. I'll just wait. I've been using my buddies lt15 when I need wood. He doesn't mind but it's a pain to load logs, drive out there, unload, put on the mill and cut. I'm wanting to cut out a pole barn and a couple out buildings. Hopefully after this the only thing I'll have to purchase is the ground contact lumber. 

[Magicman]

Thought about telling him $1.5 MM and he could have the whole business,

I am being asked virtually every week.  I told a guy last week; $55K.  He said that he could buy a new one for that and I agreed, but it would take a year to get it.  ;D

[boonesyard]

I had a guy ask what it would take to sell my 50. I said it's not for sale. He offered me $4k more than I paid for it 3 years ago. I said that's a generous offer but it takes a year to get a new mill, it would cost me at least $50k. You come up with that difference and we're good-to-go. He said, so it's not for sale? That's what I said.  : 

[GAB]

All equipment is for sale.  Some of it is more reasonably priced.
Econ 101: Supply and Demand.
GAB

[dgdrls]

What are other bandmill builders quoting for time? 

I checked on line with a circle mill builder, they indicate 2 weeks to turn a mill

D

[DixieReb31]

I took possession of my LT 35 yesterday.  I was told 22-23 weeks back in November when I ordered it.  It took 20 weeks for it to arrive.  Cut up my first 5 logs today.  Haven't a clue as to what I'm doing yet, but I had a great time doing it.

[olcowhand]

What are other bandmill builders quoting for time?  

I checked on line with a circle mill builder, they indicate 2 weeks to turn a mill

D

I hope some of you are sitting down, because I also ordered a Bandmill. I placed an order on March 15th, and was told that the normal lead time is 26 weeks. I was able to move that up a little due to the fact that they had already placed an order for 3 different models to replace inventory. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'm expecting to pick it up 1st/ 2nd week of August. That's just shy of 21 weeks. I will reserve discussing the Manufacturer, due them not being a Sponsor here, and the fact that I lost my confidence in the integrity of the Dealer I'm engaged with.
Steve

[CardsFan84]

I figure this is a decent place to make my first post.  I ordered a LX25 on 3/3 and currently my completion date is 7/7.  I was told 18 weeks on the LX55 but if the 7/7 date holds it will be closer to 13 or 14 weeks.