I'm a dreamer, not a sawyer, but I've been wanting to get into sawing on a part-time basis. I operated a WM LT-15 at the DFW Woodworker's show and it sliced wonderfully . . . through cedar. But most of what we have or I will have access to around here is white oak. Will the 18-HP LT-15 saw that too slowly for a part-time commercial operation? Would I have to step up to a bigger (read "more expensive") mill to saw oak on a regular basis?
The word commercial in your description makes me say yes.
What's your plan,trying to saw for extra money for years to come or just to pay for the mill? It's hard to make a living with a mill. I know some are doing it too help out on the money and they still have a day job. If it was easy I would be doing it. ;D
First of all I need to pay for the mill. I don't really intend to quit my day job (when I have one - I'm working contract right now). Eventually I'd like to see this as a second source of income. My original goal is to custom saw for others, with occasional sawing of logs I'll get from a couple of sources - a friend with a tree service here in Fort Worth, and a cousin who has some property that's pretty heavily timbered about 60 miles to the northwest. They're adding to the powerline easement on his place soon, and we're going to cut some of the better trees off of that section before they clear it. It's mostly post oak there, and I know they have a penchant for being hollow, so we'll see what we get.
Red Pill,
I think the 18hp is decent, but I remember talking with the WM rep out of Mo. a while back on cutting oak and hickory. He suggested going to the 25hp ($800.00 more) for that or the diesel (+$2655.00). I'm considering the diesel just for the non-tax fuel and the extra torque. Both have higher torque than the 18. I believe the 25 does use more fuel though.
DnD
I sawed alot of white oak with my LT15. It performed very well with the 9 degree hardwood blades but I was pushing it and me very hard to get 1,000 Bdft per day. I've since moved up to a Lt40 hydraulic and use the exact same blades but cut a lot more wood. The big difference is not how fast they can saw but how fast they can manipulate the logs. Since I have a 750 bdft kiln, I could fill it up in one day of sawing.
The LT 15 is a very nice manual mill, easy to use and gave good feel for the log while sawing as long as you are realistic about the bdft yield it produces
YH
I cut white oak with a 15hp lt-15...and cut threads in drill rod with a chinese lathe faster...lol
get the 25, it will be fine.
as others have mentioned it kinda depends on your output goals. that said i'm surprised to hear the negative feedback on an 18 hp bandsaw mill cutting oak. i've sawn a bit on my home built with a 16 hp and it saws just fine with wm 4 degree bands. of course i'm only sawing for the fun of it. :)
My LT15 with 15HP saws white oak just fine. But like Jeff said, if the word "commercial" or "custom sawing" comes into play, you need more mill and hydraulics or you will go broke, or your back will be broke. Or both.
Log handling and turning and handling and turning and handling and turning is what slows you down.
What WDH says,the fly in the ointment with the 15 is log handling,manual mill and commercial should not be spoken in the same breath.On my bandmill i'd as soon cut oak as pine and find little differance in cutting speed.Anyone outher than a hobby sawyer should do their back a favor and get hydraulic log handling.Opinionated old phart. Frank C.
The LT 15 w/ 18 HP will cut oak all day long.... My LT 15 had a 15 HP kohler and 1000 + bfd a day was never an issue.....
FWIW I have couple thousand BDF that a guy sawed of both red and white oak for me using an older trailer mounted LT -15 that had a 12 HP Briggs for power .
I don't think he broke any record but he did okay .Fact I carved out a few planks myself on that rig .You just didn't dare crowd it too much .
Gotta agree with Zopi, get the 25HP. White oak takes at least twice as much power as cedar. If your just dealing with small logs 15 hp would be OK, it's those 20" wide cuts that really will slow down a 15hp. Steve
was not really negative feedback on the smaller mills...but cutting white oak, of any size, I usually knit at least one sock during a cut.. lol
I missed the commercial thing somehow...if you plan to saw for $$$ you need hydraulics and a mobile mill, period. yes, you can make some money with a fifteen..dude up the road from me is sorta plugged in, and saws pretty much constantly with a little norwood on a trailer...and he wishes to god that he had hydraulics. whichever you get, rule of thumb with sawmills is just like race cars..more power is more better.
no issue in wide cuts w/ 15 HP... I maxed my LT15 numerous times with very large logs could not open the blade any wider !!! No issues cutting 20" wide Oak or any other species... As a matter of fact I could cut Oak faster than Pine !!
My 27hp Kohler was SLOW cutting WO much over 12", sure a 15 hp will cut wide WO or hard maple . Red oak cuts almost as easy as pine and straighter .Steve
my saw has less hp, but I think maybe a touch more throat and I cut a lot of oak. It's not effecient, but it will make me enough money hopefully to buy an lt40. I'm glad that I'm starting off slower with very small investment. Mistakes dont' cost as much this way.