Debarker Options

[Mountain_d]

I have a 1995 LT40HD. I priced adding a debarker and it will be about $3000 (Can). I am currently removing most dirt with combination  draw knife, small shovel to remove loose bark and a battery chainsaw. I  read a few posts on fabricating starter motors etc, but I think I want to go with some type of hand held tool. Before the machine mounted debarkers came out, I think some people were using a debarker that was attached to a chainsaw (like the blades on a hand held planer I think). Anyone using this can share how it works, what it is called and know if still available? If anyone is using and other options, I would love to hear them. My wood tends to be fairly clean and by rotating the dirt to the blade exit side I don't feel I want to spend the 3k at this time.
Have a good day, everyone!
Mountain

[farmfromkansas]

You must be looking for the Log Wizard debarker.  It is like a cutterhead that mounts on a chainsaw.  A friend bought one to take off bark for some rustic porch posts.  Hear it takes a big chainsaw to run it, and you have to be very careful to not have a bad accident with one.  But my friend got by with it.

[Mountain_d]

I did a search in this form for log wizard and found some info. Some liked it and others not so much. Maybe a bark spade should be my next thing. I never worked one of those yet!
Mountain

[barbender]

My opinion is, use a spud or shovel to knock of what you can. I think the rest of those tools are a waste of time in this application. Stay simple or spring for the debarker.

[terrifictimbersllc]

At some point considering value of a mill and costs of upgrades, one gets into the situation that it might be better to sell the old mill and get different one. 

[Gere Flewelling]

I have a Hudson version of the wood wizard.  I bought it a few years ago when I purchased my band mill for debarking.  As it bolts to a chainsaw bar, it makes that chainsaw dedicated to that purpose.  I tried it on a Poulan 14" saw.  It worked pretty well but I got tired of constantly starting a chain saw every  time I saw a dirty section.  I tried it on a corded electric chainsaw, but the action of the debarker was too aggressive for the saw and was constantly making the chain come loose.  Finally the Poulan died as all Poulans do.  After that I took it off the saw and it sets in my toolbox.  Coarse bark tends to lead to rough operation with wood wizard.  I has potential to be dangerous especially with others around.  It probably would work great for wood sculpture projects.  It did seem to stay sharp considering the grit it was getting into.  The small saws seem to work alright with it as it doesn't seem to take a lot of power.  I use a battery powered Husqvarna chainsaw around my mill now to cut up slabs and find one saw to trip over more than enough.  I have a coarse wire brush that I use to clean off dirt as needed.  All said an done, They have their place and aren't very expensive.  Looks good setting in the tool box.

[47sawdust]

I don't have a debarker on my LT30. I do the same as you in regard to log rotation after the 1st cut.

For my purposes a wire brush and a bark spud work just fine.

Homemade spud ,leaf spring and pipe.

 

 

[Mountain_d]

Thanks for the suggestions. I never thought of a wire brush but can see how that would work well. I will try that and look at a bark spud. 
Mountain

[Magicman]

 

 
I have a Debarker on my sawmill but these item are always available and used.


 
And because brushes are wear items, I buy new ones by the dozens.

[Walnut Beast]

What and where specifically are you using so many steel brushes Magicman 

[Magicman]

Those were accumulated during a trip to my "Sand Box" job last year:  LINK

And:  LINK

[rooster 58]

A power washer works well

[Magicman]

But I saw portable and it is very seldom that the customer might have a power washer or that the logs are close enough to a water source. 

In 19 years of sawing it might have happened a couple of times but I do not recall any.

[kelLOGg]

I use a combination of 1) water from a hose, 2) wire and bristle brush, 3) spud and 4) long-handled scraper.

[kantuckid]

My debarker (unused to date so no experience) came from a Euro ebay seller. Theres a bunch of them beside the wizard on ebay.  It's well made and certainly doesn't need a big saw to run it by design. When I bought it I was thinking I'd build my current cabin with oak logs and didn't like the idea of hand peeling oak, even when small logs. 
It is a tool to keep away from ones body parts! 
A powered hand planer blade is hardly logical IMO to remove what matters on a saw logs bark surface? Like said very few saw jobs have pressure washers near by. One local guy tried for awhile to run one off hauled water but gave that up as a hassle. 
I keep a double bit axe at my mill and the log between me and the axe head! I more often use SS wire brushes at the mill-Lowe's has one of the cheaper versions-mine lays nearby as I saw given that the bigger logs get drug around in dirt.