Hudson Sawyer

[JordanNC]

Was wondering what is the thoughts of the Hudson Sawyer sawmill

[SawyerTed]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

I don't have direct experience with the mill you are asking about.  A quick read of the specs tells me it is a hobby mill.  It would be fine to saw a few logs to support woodworking or crafts hobbies.  

7 hp will make boards out of logs but slower than higher horsepower.  Horsepower and torque determine cutting speed.  Don't expect a lot of production.

Of course at that price point, log handling, cant turning and clamping will be manual.  Support equipment will make all of that easier.

There are several folks here that use(d) manual mills to start businesses.  

[JordanNC]

Mostly I will be using the Mill to cut boards for my wood working but am also wanting to us the Mill to cut lap siding for my house.

[xlogger]

If the NC in your name is North Carolina starting tomorrow at the State fair grounds the farm show starts till Friday. Hudson is generally there for you to see it working.

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, JordanNC!

[Crusarius]

They are not a bad little mill. I visited the showroom in barneveld NY. I was able to run one and take a real close look at them and their operation.

Great starter mill. The only reason I did not buy one is because I wanted bigger capacity and more options that what I wanted to pay for through hud-son. I ended up building my own mill. Had a ton of fun doing it.

[JordanNC]

Yes I am in North Carolina. And I was thinking of showing up at the farm show on Friday. Hoping to see a few different sawmill down there.

[SawyerTed]

Jordan, if you are anywhere near Winston Salem/Germanton, you are welcome to come spend some time with me at the sawmill anytime.  You might find you can buy a lot air dried rough cut lumber cut to your specs for the cost of a starter mill.  A solar kiln might be a good investment instead of a sawmill.  You could purchase air dried lumber then kiln dry it.  Even if you have the logs, you may find hiring a sawyer a better use of your time.

I'll be sawing white oak, walnut and cherry the next couple of weeks.  Later on I'll be sawing pine (100 16' logs).  

PM me if you are interested.

[Mike W]

Hi Jordan NC

Long time reader here, short time poster, but thought I would drop a quick note on "MY" personal experience with Hudson.  Been researching mills (of every make and model out there) for over 8 months, including building my own from scratch.  Really liked the Oscar 336 by Hudson and was set on buying that mill.  after a few months dealing with the local distributor (out of Seattle) was very taxing at best, doesn't represent all distributors of course, just the dealer that was closest to my location.  The guy was hit and miss over several months in getting replies from him.  Wanted me to pay 50% or more down and when he could fill a container of mills would then make the order and have the units delivered to his location, (more then an 8 hour drive one way for me)  couldn't get him to quote delivery to my location.  In frustration, i contacted the corporate direct, 4 emails sent to them, not one single reply.  Called twice, second call netted me a promised return call by sales, which never occurred.  Through pressure by my long term better half, i purchased a WM LT15 Wide, sales and customer service second to none, mill on hand at local dealer and had it delivered to my site same day it was purchased.  Only had the mill operational since late last year, however its been a great unit thus far. milled several DF, white pine, poplar, birch, and buggy blue pine (for board and batten siding), just getting started, but plan for years of enjoyment from the new addition to our ranch / farm property.  Sorry for the lengthy reply, just wanted to point out that I was dead set on the Oscar 336, but the local sales rep and the lack of corporate response turned me off and I am not disappointed with WM performance / customer service one bit.

Mike

[Old Greenhorn]

I don't know why this thread didn't catch my eye earlier, sorry. I have an Oscar 328 made by Hud-son. I't a 10hp larger version of the one you are looking at, but basically the same design. I bought it because it was a great deal (used) and I really wanted to try my hand in the game for fun and to be able to build some 'stuff' from the trees that would otherwise go to rot or firewood.
 4 months after I got my mill running, I visited @nybhh and saw his LT15, big difference. He can make some nice lumber with that!
I fight to cut nice stuff on mine, and I can do that. But I still have a lot to learn, like different blades, woods, etc. The hobby mills are just that, and if you are expecting to turn out a ot of lumber to make a building, you can expect to spend some time doing it, a lot of time. Don't get me wrong, I am happy with my mill and what it does. I am not making money with it, I am having fun. The folks at Hud-son were very helpful and efficient when I called for replacement wear parts, but they are only a 2 hour drive from me. I think they handle 'locals' differently, maybe.
 What you want to look for is a strong, straight and solid rail system (Hud-son is a bit weak here, using 1-1/2 angle iron), decent HP, and a head frame that won't shake (twist) easy. These are the things I struggle with. Also a good, comprehensive operators manual and phone support. 
 If you are looking to have some fun, the Hud-son is a good starter machine, but you will have to become a good mill hand to make some production. The other thoughts presented about log handling etc are also very important. One reason I like having a ground mounted hud-son is that I just throw up some ramps and roll the log right on, by myself with a cant hook. So if you have a good dealer that can provide the support you need to get started, that is worth more than whose mill you bought. The rest comes down to what you really want to accomplish. Good Luck!

[SawyerTed]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum Mike W.

[Mike W]

Thank you Sawyer Ted,

been reading on this site since early last year, hundreds of threads and thousands of posts i am sure.  I feel i learned a tremendous amount of useful knowledge prior to setting my first log on the mill, er at least i feel i gained a great amount of "book smarts" from this great site before trashing my first log into fancy firewood.  i love my new mill and been having a great time making sawdust with it, and some really nice boards to boot.  The LT15 Wide seems to be a great running unit that makes great square and even cuts.  I look forward to continued learning here at the forum and at the mill site every chance i get, eventually I'll have enough dust made that I will be of some use providing my experiences to others whom are just getting started in this great way to spend some time outdoors.

thanks again for the welcome, you guys are all great on this site....

[SawyerTed]

It will take a while but things you've read will come rushing back when you actually see the situation first hand.  I experienced that earlier this week when dealing with stress in a log.  When I remembered what I read, I was able to contend with the stress and make usable lumber.  There are lots of those moments early on and they will help you make fancy boards and not fancy firewood.  Later the "ah ha" moments get further apart, but they still occur.

[Crusarius]

Sawyerted is so right. I did the same thing you are. started reading then built a mill and now am giving advice. Some good some bad. The great news is ppl on this set will set you straight and do it very nicely. 

I appreciate all the help I have received from everyone all the time. Can never say thankyou enough.