The Forestry Forum

Interested in folks who have experience with the LX250.  Really the only bad thing I've heard about it is that the blade wheel size leaves you with a tradeoff - when you're really using the width capacity you can use a 0.055 for the smoothest cut and expect blades to break prematurely, or use a thinner blade and accept some wavy cuts.  And you're limited to narrower blades based on the housing/roller design and lower HP motor.

A lot - though not all - of the other superwides have similar wheel diameters, so I would imagine have similar issues, and would be curious about actual experiences there, as well.


Thanks.

 Any mill running a .50 or .55 blade around 19" wheels is going to have short blade life. But if you are able to sell those wide slabs your getting, the blade cost should be negligible. I'd rather go through more blades than fix wavy cuts.

 For what it's worth, I've found that running .055" blades rob more power, and gives flatter cuts, than going from 1.25" to 1.5" wide blades of the same thickness. 1.5x55 gives you the benefit of both, if you can run them.

I use 1 1/2 by .055 blades on 26" wheels and only get 2 or 3 sharpenings before stress cracks form and the blade starts moving in and out on the guides. Hopefully, I notice this before it breaks.

Sounds like you are sawing until they are dull before pulling them.  The back thrust stress on dull blades is a blade killer regardless of the thickness or width. 

There is a difference between not sharp and dull.

I think part of the problem with .055" blades is they tend to keep cutting straight when they're dull. So I keep on sawing😬

I could see that.  

The wider the blade guides are apart and/or the duller the blade, the more deflection is exerted on the blade creating more stretching on the back of the blade.