The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: sawdusty1 on March 21, 2014, 12:19:17 AM

Title: .042 or .045 thick blades for 18hp LT15
Post by: sawdusty1 on March 21, 2014, 12:19:17 AM
What is the best thickness to run on the LT15 with 18hp?  I am cutting mostly hardwood with some pine.
Title: Re: .042 or .045 thick blades for 18hp LT15
Post by: Small Slick on March 21, 2014, 12:43:27 AM
I wish I had your answer. I got my lt15 in early December in Wisconsin 2013. I purchased the 9 degree blades for hardwoods/frozen timbers. All I have ever cut has been frozen. I'm not sure how thick the blades are.

Does .003" make that big of a difference?

John
Title: Re: .042 or .045 thick blades for 18hp LT15
Post by: dgdrls on March 21, 2014, 06:21:01 AM
Good morning Sawdusty1,
Either will work fine,  its more important to get the right hook
angle (tooth degree),  lots of WM sawyers here speak highly of the 7 deg bands for hardwood.

Check the WM site for their band selection chart.
http://www.woodmizerblades.com/bladeTypes/doubleHard/doubleHard.aspx
DGDrls
Title: Re: .042 or .045 thick blades for 18hp LT15
Post by: pineywoods on March 21, 2014, 10:07:58 AM
My ole manual lt40 came with a 18 hp briggs. I used both .042 and .045. Can't tell any difference as far as sawing goes, but I found the .045 hold the set better over more sharpenings. I upgraded to 25 hp and now use .045 exclusively. 
Title: Re: .042 or .045 thick blades for 18hp LT15
Post by: sawdusty1 on March 22, 2014, 09:27:11 AM
Thanks for the info.  Somewhere I had read that the lower hp engines would have a hard time pulling the thicker blades.  Good to know since I have already bought 35 .045 blades.
Title: Re: .042 or .045 thick blades for 18hp LT15
Post by: 5quarter on March 23, 2014, 01:53:09 AM
x2 what piney said about holding the set. I can also saw the real wide cuts faster and straighter than with the .042" blades. .003" makes a difference.  I have been begging Cooks to buy a coil of .045" band stock but they won't do it. they discontinued them about a year ago.  ???