Champion Econo13S or TImberland HM130

[fromrfarm]

OK yeah another "Help! What to buy" post.

So I am buying a sawmill YEA!!!!.. Wife thinks its cool and necessary WOOOHOOO!!!

Which one? UGH

My budget is limited to around 6k; all in.

I have narrowed it down to the Econo13 and the HM130. I have comparison info in an image in my album but can't figure out how to add it here :P

Engine	Log Capacity	Log Length	Blade	Plank Width Max	Recoil Starter?	Warranty	Band Wheels	Notes	Price
Econo13	13 HP Honda	36"	17'	156"	24"	Y	3 yr engine 2 yr parts	18"	$8,331.75
HM130	Kholer 14hp	30"	10'	144"	22"	Y	3 yr engine 2 yr parts	19"	$6,407.80

Econo13 Pluses
Wider capacity in board width
Wider capacity log size
Made in Canada
Local(enough) dealer

Woodland Pluses
Price
User reviews are seemly all positive ;)
Log capacity is pretty good at 30"

So why am I waffling? Price! and I read a few posts around the web(bad idea I know) that indicate the chinese manufacturing of the unit is lacking. Also read some reports of the log bed bending and twisting under a lot of use.

Price difference (width differences aside) is Woodland is $1, 923 cheaper!!(including blades, custom cover and one extension rail set).

So my question for everyone is really which one would you get and why? Also, the blade length seems to not be interchangeable with any other mills for both. Now granted I only checked woodmizer but am I mistaken?

Thank you in advance for reading and replying.

Happy New Year!

[ozarkgem]

Never heard of an Econo. If its Chinese personally I would not buy it. You said 6K was your budget. Looks like Woodland is it. I have never seen a Woodland but they get very good reviews and to me that is a HUGE plus.
   Let us know what you get. Sounds like your wife is a keeper.

[Kbeitz]

I could find very little about the Champion Portable Sawmill.
But it looks like a good mill. I think Woodland is better known.

[fishfighter]

Look at it this way. Which one will give you support after buying their mill. I own a Woodland 126 for two years. Very happy with it. Sure, it is not a high dollar mill, but it does fine. Replacement parts besides blades have only been a set of belts and one set of guild bearing. Don't know how many hours on it, but I'm sure I have about 500 if not more. ;D

I get about an avg of 500 BF of lumber per blade. At this point, I need to order more blades. I'm down to my last of 30. :( Going with that avg, I sawed up around 15,000 BF of lumber and still sawing. ;D

[Bruno of NH]

I seen the champion at the lumberman show in Vt this spring
Well built and cut good lumber it's made in Canada
Like the honda power

[sprucebunny]

I have a Champion ( Gilbert) mill. It's been great. Quebec City is a little too far away for me to seek help/service but they were helpful when I was shopping.

I had mine custom made with 2x6x3/16 base beams. Very stiff.

I use Woodmizer blades. They will make any length.

[Bucksaw]

I bought the SMG Champion Econo 13S. Extremely well made and designed. Made in Canada, Honda power. I am totally pleased. Spend the money. The other mill is a Canadian design and manufactured in China.

 

[bags]

I have a HM130 Mill. Its build on the heavy duty side and doesn't "shake" when going through a log. The engine has plenty of power for the size logs the mill can handle, and the blade height adjustment is fast and the lock is right there in the control.

Most of the shops I cut for last season wanted wide boards, so the mill had quite a few 1-2000 lbs logs banged around on the deck with no problems.



  

 

[fromrfarm]

Thank you all for the responses. Had a quote back from the Champion dealer and he was a great guy but price is way higher

1-Econo 13S 13hp Honda, recoil start, 21' 1/8" welded tube steel frame standard     $6995.00   
1-Box of 10 RF Swedish steel blades 156" + 1 matching on saw                               $  375.00
1-Freight charge, includes delivery to site, ready to saw                                             $  650.00
1-Subtotal                                                                                                                     $8020.00
1-N.S. 15% hst                                                                                                             $1203.00
1-Total                                                                                                                          $9223.00

Hate to not support local but when the price difference is now 2800 CAD ... decision is made for me.
Seems like everyone likes the Woodlands HM130. I guess I will let you know. Will get it in a month or so.

Thanks again

[ChugiakTinkerer]

I went through a very similar exercise before buying my HM130.  I think with any of the name brands you will get yourself a fine bandsaw mill.  The Woodland Mills folks have been wonderful to work with in resolving some minor shipping damage.  One of the latches for the cover arrived broken and the WM folks sent out a replacement right away.  I would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone considering a sawmill purchase.

By the way, if you update your profile to show the region you live in, folks will get a better idea of what to recommend.  I'll be sawing frozen spruce, so I picked up some 4 degree blades from Kasco.  Any 144" blade will work, so you'll want to shop around and find a source and a sharpening service.  Also don't forget to pick up a couple cant hooks.  If you're going the all-manual route you'll likely be needing a helper now and again and a second cant hook is essential.  These are tools that fall into the "buy once, cry once" category, so you may as well get yourself some Logrites.  See their ad on the left of the web page.

Best of luck on your milling journey.  And make sure the first thing you build with that custom-milled lumber is whatever your wife wants!   ;D

Edit to add: And welcome to the forum!

[fishfighter]

I'm a very big fan of Kasco 7 drg blades on my 126.

[fromrfarm]

Thanks again everyone. Updated my profile as well. If anyone is in the Bridgewater area with a Woodland I would love to come see it.

If it was not for all the other equipment I am needing to get I might go a bit more expensive but money is finite :P

[thecfarm]

fromrfarm,welcome to the forum.
What's the plan for the lumber?

[fromrfarm]

What's not the plan ;)

I do a reasonable amount of Timber Frame work. Also doing some repairs to some older barns.

[Klicker]

Welcome to the forum. Good to see another member from N. S

[GusHigh]

Just a note that I brushed through the specs on the HM-130 and I think it would be a closer comparison to the SMG Econo 14 model.  The Econo 13 you mention above looks to be quite a bit more mill than the HM130.
36"x17' log capacity, full rectangular tube frame etc.

I was on the Woodland website today and a 130 with a 6' track extension works out to close to the same price as the Canadian made SMG Econo 14 - the Econo might be a couple hundred bucks more but it comes asssembled - that's worth a few hundred dollars to me.

I'm not slagging the Woodland - just pointing out that there is an SMG model that's a closer comparison to the HM130 than the one you were interested in.

[jimbarry]

I picked up the Econo 13S last year from Mike Warner, dealer in Nova Scotia. Deck welded to the trailer, so its all-on-one. Great guy, excellent response time to questions. He even delivered the mill to me...which was a +10 hr round trip for him. Biggest log I've cut on it thus far is a 24" pine, no problems whatsoever. Its very well balanced. I wanted a 4 post design and this one met all the criteria for that, price and it being made in Canada. Couldn't be happier.

Now the wife says I should get a Nyle kiln. I did not pause to discuss that possibility with her, sent an email to Nyle right away  ;D