Norwood mill?

[Thomasjw4]

So, I am fairly new to the sawmill world,  and I am looking at ordering a norwood lm29 in the near future.   Does anyone here use that brand?  I read alot about woodmizer and ez boardwalk,  but nothing on the norwoods. 

I am in western Montana,  so basically no hardwoods here.  Lots of Ponderosa Pine, Doug Fir and Larch.  is there a blade that will be better suited for those species?  Norwoods come with Sabretooth brand blades.   

Thanks for any input. 

[Rob in WNY]

I have a 20 year old Norwood LM2000. It looks about the same size, GX390 Honda, same roller guides. I've heard some guys don't like the ceramic guides. Mine has a centrifugal clutch with the 13 hp motor it seems to work good.
I've needed a few parts from them, (clutch, track rollers, belts) and the prices are reasonable. The tech support guys are easy to talk to.
I'm a hobby sawyer and don't use alot of blades but I got my last box 10 degree from Cooks and they have been working good in spruce. I recall Norwoods blades were expensive.

Good luck

Rob

[arky217]

I have the Norwood LM29 mill.
It's a good mill, I like it, however it does have (in my opinion) a design flaw.
But the problem can be remedied without too much effort.

You can read about it in my post 'How I fixed my Norwood sawmill' at
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=111236.0

You might also be interested in reading my post 'My 12 sawmill mods' at
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=111503.0

Again, I think it's a good mill; I especially like the auto-locking sawhead feature.

Like any bandsaw mill that comes with the track in sections, however, you need
to have a solid substantial base to mount the track on.

[Thomasjw4]

I have the Norwood LM29 mill.
It's a good mill, I like it, however it does have (in my opinion) a design flaw.
But the problem can be remedied without too much effort.

You can read about it in my post 'How I fixed my Norwood sawmill' at
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=111236.0

You might also be interested in reading my post 'My 12 sawmill mods' at
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=111503.0

Again, I think it's a good mill; I especially like the auto-locking sawhead feature.

Like any bandsaw mill that comes with the track in sections, however, you need
to have a solid substantial base to mount the track on.

Thanks for the info Arky!
I am planning on keeping the mill stationary,  would you recommend getting the standa or would the adjusting bolts be adequate?  I am thinking of going with the 14 hp kohler and getting one extension.   that's pretty much all the add ons for now.

[wbrent]

I have the LM-29 as well. 14hp Kohler motor. Mine is stationary on packed gravel. In an ideal world concrete would be ideal. I have to adjust my mill to level several times a year, especially when seasons change and the ground moves. I have mine on the stands that you can get from Norwood. For me it puts it at the perfect height off the ground. They still rest on 3x8's running cross ways. I have only used the 7 degree blades from Norwood. Seem to work fine for me. My biggest complaint is : I think the whole track can be banged out of alignment a bit after slamming a heavy log down on it. I have noticed at times it is hard to push the carriage after landing a log on the mill. Seems to rebound back with a little persuasion. Im out east so cant comment on the wood you will be cutting but the eastern variety of those gum up blades easily if you dont use full throttle lubricant. Lots of opinions on that to investigate or try. 

[RangeSawing]

I have an HD36 and have a love hate relationship with it.... it was a pain to assemble and get all the parts from Norwood. Instructions were outdated in some parts etc. ordered in April, finally got all the parts in July. The power feed last parts arrived in October. Ceramic guides make lots of noise. To its credit, my sawmill has produced beautiful slabs, pulls nicely, and aside from the afore mentioned troubles it's been extremely fun. With that being said, I'm looking to buy a WM lt40 next. This all for what it's worth, my personal experience and not a bashing on Norwood.