Feedback on Woodmizers

[Woodlotguy]

We are considering purchasing a Woodmizer LT40 Super Hydraulic SG36 with Set Works, Debarker etc.We are looking for feed back from owners or anyone who has worked with one as to their performance.

Company literature claims they will cut 3318 board feet in an 8 hour day, plus 27% more with the edger added. Realistic or pipe dream?

Woodlotguy. :-/

[Bud Man]

All the manufacturers can paint a pretty picture and speak of ideal scenarios, call and get referrals of customers and spend a day or two watching an operation. It's a crawl, then walk, and maybe for a few run thing. Gotta remember there selling and your buying, and some of what there selling is sizzle and hype, I think the bottom line is you gotta like the business and it's either in your blood or It's not and then It's up to how much steam you got.  

[Bibbyman]

Mary and I had an LT40HDG35 Super.  It was a 96 model so it didn’t have the faster hydraulics and or new clamping system.  We have saw 2500 bf of oak dimension lumber in less than 8 hours on a good day.  1500 bf of on many days where we had average or worse logs.  That’s with the two of us working the mill and edging on the mill.  

I’ve got a lot of confidence that a good sawyer with good logs can run that much on that mill in a day – but you’ll have to have help to just move that much lumber, slabs, logs, etc.  Any day we’ve sawn over 1000 bf of oak, we are tired little puppies.  Unless you have several people helping or other support equipment,  I’d think you’d be doing good to get half the advertised production as you’ll spend time moving logs, slabs, stacking lumber, etc.

Then,  I know one gentleman with an older LT40HDG24 that often saws 3,000 to 5,000 bf of common lumber a day.  He saws mobile and insists on having three men capable of hard work there to help.

We installed a new LT40HDE25-RA Super last January.  Mary has been running it and is well up on the learning curve but could still run faster.  The other day we ran 750 bf of grade red oak in 2-1/2 hours.  But sawing grade tends to run slower for us as we tend to stop and examine the log face and turn more often than we would if we were sawing common lumber.

The edge will really speed things up if you have a couple of people shoving it in and pulling it out.  If you have to stop sawing to edge,  then I don’t think you’ll gain that much in speed.  It will save a lot on band blades and be faster.

[woodman]

   I have an 1986 WM  and cut over 1000 bf a day with one helper, no hydraulics.

[ARKANSAWYER]

Woodlotguy,
 Have a lt40hdg25 and can saw 1200 to 1600 bdft a day all by my self with edging on the saw.  With the kids helping I can hit 2000 bdft a day and wear them out.  An edger could add another 300 bdft a day with some one to help me run it.  I have cut up to 2600 bdft a 7 hour day but had 2 good men helping me and most logs were 20 + inches.  Log size will make the most differance as it takes about as long to slab a 12 inch as a 24 inch but you will get over 4 times the lumber.  The Supers hydralics are faster and it would speed up my production time with helpers I could hit 3000 bdft a day with some good logs.
ARKANSAWYER

[Woodlotguy]

We went to a Forestry Expo in Prince George B.C. this week-end and had a chance to see the mill and edger in action. It seems to be all they claim it to be. I talked to several people who own them and all said they are great. Guess I've made my choice. Thanks for all the help.

Woodlotguy

[Tom]

Out of the double handful of mills with which you would have been happy, you have chosen the cream of the crop. I bought my LT40HG in 1990 and went over one million feet (on paper) in 1999.  Although it is in need of some rehabilitation, it still cuts wood accurately and has gotten me out of a bind many times lately.

You will learn to especially appreciate its ease of mobility and rigid frame.