I bought a Belsaw m14 at an auction yesterday. Wasn't expecting to by a mill when I went but the price was good. Has roughly 30' of frame and track, pto driven with a 40" insert tooth blade. All wooden framed which is in real good shape. I have a couple questions. What size logs will this handle? Im mainly cutting hemlock and some pine. How much HP does it take to run? I have three tractors, farmall super m, farmall bn, and a Massey harris 30. Which would be my best bet for running it? I know the bn wouldnt do it but I use my farmall super m to move logs. I was hoping to use the massey. The previous owner used a little Allis Chalmers. He ran the mill for a couple years and had to sell it because of injury.
When F-B was in business, they usta publish a quarterly magazine and would run stories of people pulling their mill with a Super C Farm-a-little or something similar. The manual says my mill with a 46 inch blade (2 headblock/10 ft carriage will handle a 24 inch by 14 ft log; I've occasionally sawed 30 inch by 16 or 17 footers, but each time I've done it, I've sworn never again...............
My mill runs a 38 inch blade and I have a vintage cat power unit belted up to it..50 horsepower.
As for logs I have a lot of them 20 and 24 inches.
Its work for sure but can be done, you will get real good using a chainsaw to help you. I use a little 338xp husky
top handle. Very light and fits the job very nice.
You run 1 log throught that mill and you will forget all about any thing else you might have had for a hobby.
Good luck and post us some pics of the mill and tractors.
Regards Chris
Thanks for the fast replies. I will definitely post some pics as I go. Its all apart sitting on my trailer, oiled and covered up right now. I have a 20x50' pad that im going to put it on where a barn once stood. My goal is to get it set up by mid summer and a roof over it before the winter. It's going to be a learning experience. I had a woodmizer lt40 manual before that I owned as a partnership with a family member. I dont want to go into detail but I got the raw end of the deal. Im not looking to turn this into a production mill just want something to tinker with during spring breakup and when logging is slow. I do have a six cylinder power plant off of an IH combine. Has the clutch, pulleys and all but would have to make the mill belt drive. Plus I think it will hog gas!
48 pto hp will do this
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19561/100_1433_%28Custom%29.JPG)
Congrats Mark,There are volumes written here on Belsaws.You will be surprised how large a log you can whittle down with that 40" saw.Just be carefull turning and flopping down heavy logs/cants on your carriage,best to build the turners Belsaw reccomends.Unless the bits are real good I would start off with new ones and a freash hammering job. Frank C.
Quote from: captain_crunch on June 11, 2012, 01:18:02 AM
48 pto hp will do this
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19561/100_1433_%28Custom%29.JPG)
Dang, that's pretty; what kind of wood do it be? Looks like frasassas, but I've never seen one that big.
The man that originally owned it is going to help me fine tune it once I get the rough setup done. Blade has a new set of bits in it and came with a box of bits and the tool. He has the sharpener for it and a sawdust blower. I'll have to look it up and see what the turner looks like.