I'm pondering selling my Mobile Dimension saw, as I'm not that interested in producing dimensional lumber. I AM interested in producing live edge slabs and quality quarter-sawn material, and the MDS can do the latter very well. What's really bothering me is future availability of parts for the MDS.
Up to this point, I've been slabbing with an Alaska Mill on a Husqvarna 3120 with a 5' bar. Pretty brutal in the summertime in western central Tennessee. Just caught wind of the Baker 72 band saw slabber; also interested in the Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber. I could keep the MDS to cut dimensional quarter-sawn, and slab with the Peterson. Any thoughts from the more experienced?
Thanks in advance,
DownHill Cutter
Have you thought about the new Woodmizer LX250, $25K 53" band mill, for stationary slabbing?
If you can afford it,I would keep the MD and buy one of the new slab specific mills.It seems everyone is building them now.
Thanks, TerrificTimbers and 47Sawdust. Excellent thoughts. I'll continue researching
DownHill Cutter- at 66 yrs of age, like you are, no way I would purchase anything w/o hydraulics. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am just coming off a LT15 Wide and the experience has been brutal on my bones. Mind you, we are are here on the west coast of Canada in a temperate rainforest and our trees grow BIG! Recent windstorm brought down some real giants! Yup, definitely get the hydraulics and may I suggest the Woodmizer Wide models from the LT40HD WIDE and up; I pick mine up in two weeks!! (opted for the larger EFI 38HP GAS too; 'watch out yo big o' cedars!- Mr Big and Wide is comin' to town')
Thanks, Woodman. Hydraulics sound almost like cheating. I appreciate your counsel. At our age, there's a lot to be said for trying to use brains, not brawn. Old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm. ;D
Please put up some photos of your new wood-slayer/slabber
Hydraulics aren't cheating, they are more like survival when doing big slabs. :D
If I were milling for anything more than a hobby, I would definitely get Hydraulics, Likely WM.
Quote from: Downhill Cutter on April 22, 2019, 03:22:12 PM
Hydraulics sound almost like cheating.
I read this quote on the dash of a stock car years ago. It read..."Win If You Can, Lose If You Must....but Always cheat" Not something Id wanna teach the young folk but.....us coffin dodgers can use all the help we can get.. ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Percy on April 22, 2019, 11:20:54 PM
Quote from: Downhill Cutter on April 22, 2019, 03:22:12 PM
Hydraulics sound almost like cheating.
I read this quote on the dash of a stock car years ago. It read..."Win If You Can, Lose If You Must....but Always cheat" Not something Id wanna teach the young folk but.....us coffin dodgers can use all the help we can get.. ;D ;D ;D
I used to race go karts and I guess cheating was pretty well accepted, because if anyone cared, I was under weight and over powered for the class I was in, but I always had a grin on my face and I rarely won. Back to the topic at hand, there's been some sound advice offered above, especially the hydraulics
I just picked up a Husqvarna 3120XP and he tells me it needs a piston & cylinder.
Where is a good place to get them?
I have a LT 40 with a manual deck. The manual log turner will turn large logs with ease. It would be OK with a helper but alone you really need hyds. You waste a lot of time walking around the mill. I do it for mostly a hobby, hyds would probably double what I could get done in a day so they would pay for themselves in a hurry if you are doing it for income. I don't know your budget but any of the wider bandsaws should do 90% of the logs you slab. If you get super huge logs you can still trim them with the saw.
Hydraulics will certainly help you to get from 66 to 75 and it ain't cheating. ;D