Questions about buying a used LT40 super.......

[Kajun]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and I'm about to be the owner of a band mill fairly soon. I have a few questions that I'm hoping some of you can help me with. I've decided on a used LT 40 super with a 47 HP diesel. The mill is 9 years old and has right at 1000 hours on it. As far as I know, the only options are the accuset 2, board return and 4 hydraulic side supports. The mill appears to have been kept outdoors with a cover over the engine as the orange paint is faded and the base metal has minor corrosion where the coating has failed (nothing significant). Are there any common problems that I should be aware of with a mill of this particular make / model? Are there any problem areas that I should focus on when inspecting the mill? What are your thoughts on the value of a mill of this age / condition? I would appreciate any insight you guys could share!

[WV Sawmiller]

   I'd suggest you contact the nearest WM dealer for your area and talk with them. If you have the Viin number they can give you any factory history on the mill including possible services performed on it. WM also has a service loop where they come service mills on site. They come every other year here where I am and they may have seen this mill before. I think they may even have a checklist of items to check.

    Here is an old similar thread you might review as a start. http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=55748.0

   Good luck.

[pineywoods]

Welcome Kajun, you have found a good place..Orange paint faded to a salmon pink is a woodmizer trademark. ;D Where did you find such a prize ? 1000 hrs ain't broke in good. Which diesel ? Lombardini, kubota, yanmar ? Not likely you will be able to wear out any of them. Same for the rest of the mil. Mostly breakdowns are more related to age, or abuse. There's a similar mill right down the road from me that has over 17000 hours on it,still sawing. Several members on here have cut over a million bd feet of lumber and still going strong. Touch base with woodmizer hq. Supply them with model and serial and they can give you a history of any parts shipped to that mill. Also have an "orange book" of used mill prices..
  I have a 95 lt40 manual with 8500 hours on it. I have rescued from the scrap pile and re-built a couple of lt40's, another one in the pipeline. 

[terrifictimbersllc]

Other options would be debarker, lube-mizer and auto clutch.

Is the cover just an engine cover or does it cover the entire sawing head?

[Brucer]

If the mill was maintained properly (following Wood-Mizer's recommended schedule) it should be in good shape at only 1000 hours. You should be able to get an estimate of the value of the mill from Wood-Mizer.

On my hydraulic LT40 with a gas engine, here are the maintenance items I had to deal with between 900 and 1100 hours:
- Replace alternator belt.
- Replace power feed potentiometer (simple fix).
- Replace battery (should have lasted longer).
- That and dry out brushes on blade guide motor (water leaked inside).
- Replace blade wheel belts (normal wear and tear).
- Replace velocity fuses on loader hydraulic cylinders (simple fix).
- Replace up-down switch (simple fix).

These were all easy fixes. All except the battery and the water in the blade guide motor were ordinary wear and tear.

The water apparently leaked into the blade guide motor through the joint between the body and the end plate of the motor. It got into the brushes and froze, causing the motor to seize up. I removed the motor, took it indoors, and (after it thawed) took off the end plate to dry it out. When I reassembled it I wrapped electrical tape around the joint that leaked. It's 12 years since that fix, the machine has been outdoors the whole time, and the problem has never recurred.

Depreciation on that mill will be more from age than the hours (which are relatively low). As long as it was well maintained and the owner doesn't have an unrealistic view of the mill's value, it should be a pretty good buy.

[Kajun]

Thanks for the info guys!

Pineywoods - It's got the 47 HP Yanmar diesel. 

Terrifictimbersllc - There was no cover on it when I saw the mill; however, it appeared as though they had a cover over the engine only. The saw head didn't look like it had been previously covered.

Thanks again for your responses fellers! I'm going to give WM a call tomorrow and see what they have to say.