Woodland Mills HM126

[fuzzybear]

  My neighbor just purchased a new Woodland Mill. From what I've seen so far (just the crating and parts) it seems like it is a very thought out and sturdy mill for the money. I am very impressed that it only took 1 week to get here, that is no small task here in the north. It takes a week to get priority mail at the post office.
  Now he is no sawyer, and has picked my brain for the better part of the winter. I milled a bunch of logs for him last year so he could finish the roof on their log home. And I think he came down with a bad case of sawdust fever/wood bug.
  So This weekend I will be helping him set up the mill and teach him a few little pointers to help get him started. I was wondering if there are any other members here that have this mill and have any pointers/mods that they could pass on.
Thanks in advance
FB

[colinofthewoods]

  I won't go into a rant on Woodland mills -  but I hope you guys have better luck with your mill than the one I got,  the issues I had from the get go were:

1. The log back stop pockets were not welded on square to the log bunks. When you clamped a cant or was trying to edge a board it would be out of square.  There solution to this problem was to send me a drill bit , a tap and some set screws to realingn the back stop posts.  It keeps them straight for a week or two , then require re-adjusting.

2. Several of the threaded pieces were welded incorrectly , and required taping to fix.

3.  The crank that adjusts the height of the mill free wheels while milling , and even with the clamps tight will slightly change the cut.  I tightened the clamps more and they broke. Now I use a bungee cord to hold it in place.

4. The blade it is shipped with is not hardened,  as soon as you get the mill aligned it will be time to change ,  I think I got less than 100 bd/ft through clean wood.  I would take it off and start  with a proper band.  When you change bands you will have to realign the mill.

5.  The belts it comes with are only good for about 50 hours of milling, as stated by woodland. You might consider ordering a set as you will need them soon. I was able to get them cheaper from a parts store then offered on the woodland website.

6. The customer service is decent , and they will help you through your mill problems. They might even send you Montana bbq cover too !

7. The blade tensioning bolt broke - poor welding,   they sent a new quickly

8. I learned the hardway the importance of buying from a company that offers a money back guarantee.

[hamish]

No offence but who offers a money back guarantee?
I can see where you are coming from with some of your complaints but they are for the most part are miniscule, and are present with a new sawyer regardless of the mill bought.
Everything you mention is normal for a low cost manual mill, bolts are not welded, welds rarely affect threads, splatter does.

What band was the mill shipped with? All millband are hardened, some the teeth onlt and others the teeth and back, and many with a differencein the hardening of both the back and tooth.

[colinofthewoods]

No offence taken.

I do believe that woodmizer and timberking offer money back trial. Not sure who else.

Overheating during welding will shrink threads

It was the rep at woodlands that told me the band it was shipped with was not hardened and was installed for shipping purposes.  If I had know that I would have taken it off,  I was just passing on my findings to the new owner.

[hackberry jake]

No offence but who offers a money back guarantee?
I can see where you are coming from with some of your complaints but they are for the most part are miniscule, and are present with a new sawyer regardless of the mill bought.
Everything you mention is normal for a low cost manual mill, bolts are not welded, welds rarely affect threads, splatter does.

What band was the mill shipped with? All millband are hardened, some the teeth onlt and others the teeth and back, and many with a differencein the hardening of both the back and tooth.

.

I bought a "low cost manual mill" and haven't had one problem with it, granted it did cost more than the woodlands. And I'm pretty sure nobody hardens the body of the band. The band it was shipped with probably didn't have the teeth hardened. Another cost cutting measure over seas I'm sure.

[hamish]

Spend some quality time with your mill, she will tell you what she likes and what she doesn't.  Take into account what you are buying and the cost, be it a 50K cadillac or a 3k mill, yet most expect the same quality and service, albeight the 50K spent on the caddy will have more issues then your mill.
Nice thing with the HM126almost everything can be sourced or fabricated locally, I spent many an hour engineer analysing the product, its solid.  I bought a Norwood instead as at the time o my purchase Woodland was basically a nobody, I see some things on there new mills I would change but I also see some things on my own mill I would change.

[hackberry jake]

I'm sure there are a lot of people that the woodlands hm126 fits to a t. I wouldn't have been one of them. My mill uses 4" c-channel for the frame and 1/4" wall 2" square tubing for the back stops and I bent one of them where it attaches to the frame trying to turn a 30"+ cherry log. I'm sure some of the boys on here with tk2000s and wmlt70s would look at my mill like I look at the hm126. It's all about what fits your logs and your pocket book I suppose.

[barbender]

Out of square and poor quality welds should not happen at any price,IMHO.

[tomkat001]

Thanks for the input. I was very close to ordering a new Woodland mill but I think I'll wait and see what other replies come to this post.

[NMFP]

I do not own a woodland mills sawmill but, I feel they are being drug through the mud for some of the comments made earlier in this post.  They are a forum sponsor and I feel they are upstanding as a company and would stand behind their equipment.  I think talking with them to resolove issues goes further than bashing for equipment breakdowns that may or may not be their fault.

Remember, you get what you pay for does not always fit the bill but, if you want high end quality, there are lots of mills that cost 15000$ or more.  A lower priced product must be made for less so....In the end, it would be lesser of a mill.  Although, from other peoples comments, most people love them and have found quality and customer service to be excellent.

Just my 2 cents!!

[NeilB]

Hi colinofthewoods,

Josh and I are available 7 days a week at 1-855-476-6455 if you need anything for your mill. I would not recommend the use of a bungee cord for #3 below, but we can discuss further on the phone if you want to call us.

With regards to a return policy, you would need to contact the dealer you purchased the mill from since the transaction didn't go directly through us.

Thanks,
Neil Bramley
Woodland Mills

[barbender]

I hope my comments weren't construed as bashing, I mean them as a general principle, and not directly pointed at Woodland as I have never even seen one of their mills. They certainly seem ready to stand behind their product and I appreciate their support of the forum. I just don't agree with comments that you ahould expect bad quality because it is a lower cost mill. I think that if you compared the quality of a Woodmizer LT70 and LT10, the quality of construction is the same, even though they are separated in price by probably at least $50,000.

[fuzzybear]

I do not own a woodland mills sawmill but, I feel they are being drug through the mud for some of the comments made earlier in this post.  They are a forum sponsor and I feel they are upstanding as a company and would stand behind their equipment.

I have to agree,  I was looking for some tips and such for this mill and never wanted it to turn into this. But that seams to happen to EVERY mill built out there.    I know that there are those 1 in a 1000 pieces of equipment that are just plain a PITA. I know it is not every piece of equipment that is like that.
  I will give an unbiased report on this mill as we set it up and run it for the first time this weekend. Now as some of you know I am a fabricator, I build rather than buy. So I promise a fair shake and opinion of this mill. NeilB, if we have any questions I will give you a call. But I think it will go together without any problems.
FB

[colinofthewoods]

I also appreciate Woodlands, sponsoring the forum, and offering good customer service.

This thread started out as Mr.Fuzzybear asking about pointers or mods when assembling the mill. I passed on the info I had based on my personal experience with the mill.  If I knew some of these issues when assembling the mill it would have saved me a lot of time, and head scratching.    The only other modification I did was attaching a more accurate log rule and pointer.

Woodlands was aware of the issues I had with the mill , this goes back a few months now,  and I would assume the manufacturing errors would have been corrected by now.   

I hope you and your friend have a good time assembling the mill this weekend.  I would like to see pics of what you come up with as a base for the mill.

I do not think Woodlands should be drug through the mud,  but I also don't think I should have to keep secret any problems I have had with the mill just because they are sponsors.

[hunterbuild]

I'm using the HF mill which is very close to the woodland mill. I had to do some repairs, but fixed it myself..I did order one of all the moving parts as everything is all ways on back order so it takes forever to get them. It is cheap insurance. Woodland will not sell you parts for it. I also ordered 12 cooks blades. I am cutting some major lumber and love the saw. I'm almost done with the first job with it and it will be paid for.

[Ga Mtn Man]

I'm with you on this one colinofthewoods.  If we can't speak the truth in a factually accurate manner about our experiences with our mills, sponsor or not, then what's the point of having a board called "sawmills and milling".

[fuzzybear]

I'm with you on this one colinofthewoods.  If we can't speak the truth in a factually accurate manner about our experiences with our mills, sponsor or not, then what's the point of having a board called "sawmills and milling".

I also agree that we should be allowed to speak the truth about our experiences.  But as I stated before there will always be that 1-1000 that just should be junked and started over. This goes for EVERY manufacturer in the world. I am certain that I can find someone with a list of complaint about ANY piece of equipment ever manufactured. Does it mean they are all junk? No.
 
  colinofthewoods,   I'm sorry you got what I hope was, that 1 out of 1000.  I will not hold back either if it is junk.  There is 1 other Woodland Mill here in town and he has nothing but good to say about his mill. Unfortunately it is the start of mining season and he will not be out of the bush for at least 3 months, so we can not get any help or input from him. That is why I asked My family here for some help.
  Woodland Mills is not a high performance mill, and from what I've read from them, they do not market it as such. It is a basic mill, designed and marketed for the do it yourself crowd. To expect more from it than that is not fair to them. From what I have seen they have a product that is ideal for this application. My friend does not have the expectations of milling lumber for a living, rather this mill will pay for itself by finishing what they have started and built thus far. It gives them a basic tool to build their dream.
 
  I want to make it clear.....I do not work for Woodland Mills, I have never talked to them. But rather I want to give an unbiased report on this mill. In doing so I hope it will help not only Woodland Mills , But also help anyone thinking of buying their product.   I am looking at this as a basic mill and will judge it as such.
FB
 

[NeilB]

Thanks for your comments fuzzybear. With regards to tips/tweaks – and as you probably know already, a good organized work area is key! It's amazing how quickly lumber, sawdust and scab wood clutter your work area! Log loading is always something to consider, unless you have a tractor with forks, in which case it's easy. If not, I've had customers use engine hoists to move/swing logs or a staging ramp be built. Our testimonials page on the website has some cool pictures from other customers, may want to check their set ups out.

Mill related tips – water and laundry detergent work great for the lube tank. The Kohler engines like to have the choke on for starting, even when it's already warm sometimes. Blade guide set up is key (like any mill) and we have put together a video on our site that walks you through how to adjust it.

I've probably told you a lot of stuff you already know, but just give us a shout if you have any specific questions...

Thanks,
Neil Bramley
Woodland Mills

[ssgerken]

I own a HM126 and found the setup of the mill very straight forward. I set it up in about 2 hours by myself. If you are familiar with milling getting it adjusted should be pretty easy for you. If not watch the woodland mills videos on you tube. Neil and Josh are excellent to work with if you have any questions. If you have any questions just pm me. For what it's worth,
Steve

[nrp0450]

I also own the HM126 and have been very pleased with it and even more pleased with the customer service. I did have some of the same issues that Colin had. But Josh and Neil helped me with them very quickly.
1. The tap and set screw (and Loc-tite) to fix the out of square stops has kept mine square ever since I put them in.
2. I haven't had any problems with threaded pieces.
3. I also wondered about the free-wheeling height adjusting crank. But I checked it by marking with a permanent marker where the clamps meet the posts and even though the crank would spin sometimes (relieving tension in the cables) the head stayed put.
4. Yes, the blade that comes on it is garbage. It wouldn't cut straight and I kept tightening it to try and get it to cut straight and ended up snapping it. That is something that I think they should tell people in the manual.
5. I haven't gotten to 50 hours yet. But I'll just get belts from a auto parts store when they wear out.
6. Yes, top notch customer service. Although I haven't gotten a cover. hint hint
7. My tensioning bolt is holding up great.

[fuzzybear]

  Sorry this has taken so long. The summers are short here and every minute is counted for. 
  So...
  Sylvain and I are both stay at home dads with 3 kids each, we set this mill up with all the kids together and it only took 3 hours. So I have to figure that their claim of 2 hour set up time is accurate.
  It was a very straight forward set up. The only problems we had were very easy fixes. 
  Problem #1 was one of the back stops was out of alignment by about 1/8" forward. since the bunks are interchangeable we put it in a position that we knew he wasn't likely to use.
  Problem #2 was the screw for the dog had a large amount of splatter from the welding process, this would not allow it to move after a point, and would have stripped the threads. This again was an easy fix with a wire brush and running a die over the threads it worked fine.
   After everything was set up we put on a 14"x8' spruce log and made the opening cuts.  The machine cuts to within 1/32" of being square. Good enough for me. The boards came out as smooth as I would expect from a band mill.
   It was an experience for Sylvain. he has had many questions since putting the machine together. He learned to adjust the band tension through trial and error.
  Over all I give this machine a 9 out of ten.  A little more attention to the manufacturing/welding would have earned it a 10.  One thing I would like to see is a blade tension gauge. For a first time user it can be a little intimidating to try and find the correct blade tension on a machine like this.
  For a hobby mill this machine is worth the money. It will produce lumber that is very workable and will cost you far less than the box store lumber. Most if not all the replaceable parts we can get here in town, and that says a lot here in the north.  If you want a production machine this is not it.  This is a well designed, simple, manual, hobby mill.
FB

[hamish]

Great review Fuzzy!

[fuzzybear]

Great review Fuzzy!

Thank you. I try to call it as I see it.
FB

[Happycamper]

Would like to add my 2 cents about the mill. For several weeks I have been exploring small manual mills. There are many out there as we know. One of the contacts was Neil at Woodlands and he answered every question well and promptly which I appreciate. I leaned heavily towards that mill but decided not to buy for only one reason (parts), being in BC I could see waiting for parts to be able to use the mill again. Even if they were shipped promptly it still takes time and money. I feel strongly that there is good value there for the money knowing full well one would be buying a hobby mill. I wish them every success in business.
                                     Jim

[Andy White]

Good day from the frozen land of St. Joseph Mo.   I bought my HM126 in October 2012, and have checked and adjusted every part on this machine, and it does every thing it is supposed to do. All stops are perpendicular to the bunks , and all threads are clean and smooth. I have changed belts on it after about 35 logs. Neil has been really helpful and prompt with answers to all the questions I came up with, and has sent a new set of belts for me to try. I had that head adjuster handle moving during a cut, but did not affect the cut thickness at all. Just harder to set next cut on the scale. He and Josh talked with me by Email and traded ideas on a solution, and that problem is now solved This is a 'stand up' company that really does what they say on their website.Also they have extended the warranty to two years,and have a service package available with all bearings, guide blocks, and belts in a kit.Nice    Andy