Hello All! I am considering buying a used S & W 125 sawmill. Anyone out there using this machine? Comments, pro and con are appreciated! Thanks!
Years ago I chased this company trying to see their wares and had a lot of trouble finding them beyond a phone call. Then they sold out to someone and after a flush of advertising they disappeared. I looked again now that you have asked and can't find hide nor hair of them.
If you are just looking for a mill and are a pretty good fabricator it might be ok. If you are looking for the backing of company for parts, etc., I'll be dogged if I know where they are.. :D
I had their video which showed their mill in operation. It was a pretty good set up, but it was pricey, at the time. I was thinking I saw an ad for that mill not too long ago.
Anyways, it worked with a 2" band and was a higher production mill. I believe it sat on a trailer bed, with a 5th wheel. Not as portable as some other mills.
You looking at a used one? If they'er not being made anymore, parts are an issue, like Tom said. But, you can use it to hammer the price down.
Tom, they are in Elba , Alabama. www.sawmillsandedgers.com Ph 866-897-3037 Scott
scottr,
Link does not appear to go anywhere.
Thanks
Ron
XYL-,
I see that the Saw Exchange has one for 14K with an edger. The 125 is designed for stationary use, and has to be moved with a flat bed semi and a crane. The track frame is about 30 ft long and is one piece. They had a rep at the Logging Conference about 2000, he was telling that this mill was good for 1000 to 1500 bfft/hr.
There was a member on the other web site that had one and was saying that it sawed extremely fast. The problem he had was that he could not keep help and it was very difficult to saw by yourself. The controls are set-up with the saw carriage sawing toward the sawyer. The way this mill is made with a squaring fence instead of log posts, would be very hard to edge on the mill.
If you are looking for a stationary mill that requires 3 phase power to operate and have support equipment, plus help, this would be a cheap mill to get started with. It would be equivalent to the WM LT300 in sawing speed. Since it is a fabricated mill welded together (not cast) the only thing that would not be off the shelf would be the band wheels, if you don't break them, they should run for years.
They had one here in by neck of the woods for about 15k that I was thinking about buying, but going toward 70 years it was out of the question. When you get up in years with health problems, a sawmill is something you don't need. I like to sit and watch somebody else do the sawing.
XYL,
If that mill is in N. C., it's one that I tried out on. Two of the most miserable days I've ever spent. Problem wasn't with the mill,was me . Thev mill is fast,cuts toward the operator,plus the stick is backward. Push it the mill comes forwardpullit it backs up. The problem I had,was one of vision,I couldn't see the blade at the other end, so I didn't know where I was starting the cut.
IMO,there isn't anything really wrong with the mill,I just couldn't saw with it like it was set up. The owners are good folks,have known them for several years.
Sackett,
If the mill was inside a building, would a Lazer marking the cut have solved your problem?
D,
I don't know,if it shined on the end next to the cab ,it might. With being terribly nearsighted,then macular degeneration in one eye,my depth perception is trrrible. Also,I just could not see the blade,so I never really knew what I was doing. You should have seen some of the lumber I messed up before I gave up.