What sawmill for me?

[idaho04]

I have been lurking on woodweb for a couple of months and just found out about this forum. I am thinking about getting a sawmill but can not figure out what's right for me. Have about 50 ac timber in No. Idaho, mostly cedar, pine, larch, fir, black cottonwood. So far I have 30x60 shop, will have house build, want to do all the interior wood and cabinetry myself, need to build barn, sheds, garage, etc. I am also amateur woodworker, into tables, chairs, outdoor furniture from cedar. I am not planning running portible sawmill operation as business, just sawing for myself. I like WM, Norwood, Timberking manual ones, electric would be nice. I do not want to spend more the 5 grand, but realize I need all the gadgets that go with it. I do not see many used ones for sale.

What do you recommend? How is Burg Bandsaw Mill from Oregon for $3,250?

[Jacar]

Welcome,

I am new myself.  If you are willing to listen to a 10 month novice, here goes.  We bought a Timberking 1220 this past January and have been very happy with it.  We bought the mill, drove to Kansas City(from Houston area), including hotels and food for right at $6000.  

We saw mostly for ourselves: woodworking, calf pens, wood sheds, etc.  Without even trying I have sold over $800 dollars worth of lumber so far.  That may not sound like much but it buys blades, oil and gas.  

I am sold on Timberking, like the 'mizer guys are sold on the orange machine.  8) The support at Timberking has been great.  

You will find out quick that a manual mill is manual.  The big logs(20" +) are hard to handle.  But it is hard to justify all the bells and whistles for what we are doing.  To me it is a thrill to lay a log on the mill and turn it into lumber.  I really admire the guys that do this for a living.

Good Luck

Jack

[idaho04]

I was looking at TK1220, What did you get with it, extension, how many blades, do I need sharpener, setter, other stuff? How was the first cut experience? My logs are tall but I woud cut to 16'. The logs hardly bigger than 12" diameter.  

[Bibbyman]

Welcome to the Forum idaho04,

We sawed on a manual Wood-Mizer LT40G18 since spring of 94 until last January.  It paid for itself many times over.

You'll figure out how to move heavy object.  Hopefully without hurting yourself or a bystander.   Wear safety-toe shoes and try not to work alone.  Keep kids, dogs and people that are not helping back away from the action.

We have 6 or more cant hooks within reach of the mill - a couple of small ones with short handles that were convenient to turn a small cants, a couple of standard size and even had one big one with a 6' handle that was custom made for those big and ugly logs.  

We always tried to use leverage and gravity to our advantage.  The mill was set up in an area where we used the slope to our advantage.  We made skidblocks the same level as the sawbed and could easily roll the logs onto the mill without using the ramps.

Now that we have the new Wood-Mizer LT40HD25E Super, we really appreciate the hydraulics and other features at the end of the day.

[Bro. Noble]

Welcome to the forum,

You might check sawmillexchange.com to get an idea of what mills sell for used and what's available.

One solution to turning big logs on a manual mill would be to build your shed so that you could put a chain hoist above the mill, preferably on a rail.  Use a hook on the chain to grab the log and turn it,  It works slick.

Good luck with whatever you get.

Noble

[Frank_Pender]

Welcome, Idaho4.   I run two Mobile Dimension Mill.   they are made in Troutdale, Oregon.  The first thing I would suggest is to consider the primary product you want to produce with your mill and for whom.  Is it yourself you want the lumber for, or to market for building construction.   For the area you are located I would most likely think you would saw building, dimensional lumber. You can pick up some fairly nice Mobile Dimension Mills for not much more that what you are shooting at.  In fact, I saw one in the farm newspaper called the Capital Press, last week for $6500, in the Vernonia, Oregon area.  As to the Burg Mill, I GAVE mine away a few years ago.  If you wish you can e-mail me directly if you wish to hear more about that mill.  Again, welcome.  Good fortune in your search for an adequate mill.

[Kevin]

My LT-15 is a nice little mill.
Very accurate and a pleasure to operate.
Service is second to none!

[idaho04]

That's what I hear about LT15. Where do I get used one for under 5K? Sawmillexchage does not have any.

[Tom]

Sawmills are like fishing boats.  Most folks don't sell them.  You will find an offshore big game fisher a lot quicker than you will find a Jon boat with a 9.5.  By the same token, you will find 20-50 horse mills a lot more frequently than the little push mills.  I guess folks hate to give them up.  

The links library here on this site is new but still has some places listed that sell mills.

I found out a guarded secret. :P ;D  If you want a used mill, go to the manufacturer and let him know.  If they can get one of their customers to sell their little mill then they can get them to buy a larger one.  Wood Mizer's biggest competitor is Wood Mizer used equipment.  Don't be afraid to ask.

[Kevin]

Here`s one link ...
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&catalogId=4006970&langId=-1&PHOTOS=on&KEYWORDS=sawmill

Art Linkgetter

[Jacar]

idaho04,

My TK 1220 came w/ the trailer package, but no extension.  They threw in 3 Ultra blades plus the one on the mill.  I believe you can add the 4' extension which will take you to 16' for $5-600.  

I have thought about getting it for cutting construction lumber, but so far I have really had no need for it.  I do believe it would be worth the cost if you used it enough.  I have the drip lubrication system,  hand crank,15hp Kohler, and manual toe boards(loading ramps).  I don't use the loading ramps much because we use a front end loader for laoding logs.

I know the 'mizer guys would argue the point, but when I was looking, I couldn't find a better package for the money.

Jack

[woodman]

  Tom's wright call WM and ask them when i was there this summer talked about a used sharpener to one of the guys two weeks later the phone rings and there somone there who will sell me his sharpener and setter. He was 76 and was sending his blads to WM to sharpin.

[ARKANSAWYER]

Idaho04
  Welcome.  I suggest that you call each manufacture and find the closest mill that you are interested in and go get a Demo.  See how the machine holds up and how it works in the real world.  You will be very unhappy if you save $1,200 and have to fight every time you have to use the mill.  Call WM in Oregon and they may know of some one who wants to upgrade and needs to sell a mill to "trade up".  
  I often go and saw at places that have a little bandmill under a tarp.  They tell me that it is to much work for the large jobs and large logs.  Will they sell? Nope might need it some day and it is paid for.  I think that they do not want wife to know what a blunder it was.
  Put an add in the state paper that you are wanting one and see if any one calls.
ARKANSAWYER