Circular VS Band

[Gus]

Is there anyone here that had a Circular mill and went to a Band mill? If so, are you happy with that decision?

 Reasons , if you will.

Apreciate the time,
Gus

[woodbeard]

Gus, that is a very polite way of opening a can o' worms ;)
Can't comment much, cause I've only had a chainsaw mill

[Gus]

Woodbeard,

If I opened a can of worms . . . so be it. I am trying to make an objective decision of which I know nothing about. Hopin' I'll get some ojective help.

I'd like to hear about your  chainsaw mill also.

Thanks, Gus

[oakiemac]

Gus,
This topic was brought up about 4 months ago. Search the archives and you'll find a lengthy discussion.

[DanG]

Yep, this subject has been a popular one, but there is more discussion about which bandmill, or which circle mill is favored than about which type.
I have a Mobile Dimension circular mill that I really like. As the name implies, it is designed to cut dimension lumber. It does that very well, with great accuracy and speed. It offers a lot of flexibility, as it can be trailer mounted, like mine, or set up on the ground. Of course, the trailer gives greater portability, but limits the size log it will handle, because of the width. The ground set-up lets you cut any size log.
Well, there I go bragging about MY mill again. :

The decision really boils down to what you will expect of your mill.  The chainsaw mill is the least expensive way to get into milling, unless you build your own. Next is the manual bandsaw, which can be had for as little as $4000 new. That would be for a very basic model. From there, you pretty much get what you are willing to pay for. The automated, diesel powered big bandmills can run $40,000 or more.
The bandmills really shine at cutting lots of wide boards, but with some manipulation of the log will cut lots of dimension lumber, too

The swingblade circular mills are getting popular, too. The guys that have them seem really fired up about them. They're too much work for an old faht like me, though, and when the automated ones come out they'll probably be a bit pricey.

All in all, I don't think anybody here regrets purchasing the type of mill they have. There may be a few that would switch brands if given the opportunity, though.

[Gus]

DanG,
Thanks for the tip. I'll look in the archives. I did a search but maybe didn't use the correct words. I'll keep looking.
Thanks, Gus

[woodbeard]

  Gus, I hope you didn't take that the wrong way, we're all about worms here, I just meant that you opened the can well.
  My chainsaw mill is mostly a project in itself. It's great for cutting up thick slabs and logs I can't otherwise pull out of the woods, but if I want 1" boards, or a bunch of dimension stock, I haul the logs to my friend who has a woodmizer.
  Somewhere down the road, I would really like to get a Peterson. After studying all the other options, that is the one that really suits my needs ( or wants  :D ) For me, If I want wide, natural edge boards, I usually want them thick too, so I have the chainsaw mill for that. The swingblade mill's ability to cut and edge boards without moving things around really appeals to me, and I like the efficiency of a circular blade.
 Ideally, I would have one of Tom's inventions which cut, stack and dry the lumber before the tree is even planted :D

[Gus]

Been trying to find something in the archives. I'm too dumb to do this methinks.

Anyone remember what the specific topic was?
Thanks, Gus

[Minnesota_boy]

Hi Gus,
I had an old circle sawmill and went to a bandsaw.  My reasons went something like:

1. Safety.  I stood way too close to that spinning blade.  I could lose my footing and fall.

2. Safety.  People wanted to bring logs on trailers with no way to unload them.  Someday soimebody would get crushed by a log.

3. Convienence.  I could take a bandsaw to the customer's site, saw there leaving them with the slabs, sawdust and the lumber only needed to be handled once.  I never needed to haul out slabs and there was much less sawdust to deal with.

4. Profit.  By sawing at the customers site and stacking the lumber as I sawed, i got the lumber stacked properly and could charge for this service.  I saved them the hauling of the logs and the lumber and the job was complete when I left.

5. Profit.  I couldn't run my circle sawmill without some crew and they all wanted paid, plus there was insurance on them and workman's compensation and unemployment and social security to come from somewhere.  If I saw by myself, I choose where the money oges out to.

6. Convience.  I could choose what days I worked and how long those days would be.  If I hired a crew, they wanted a steady paycheck, straight hours and a full day.

[woodchip]

I have only owned band saws.Being a one man operation ,it sets up fast ,easy to operate being a hydralic mill and is economical to operate.I normally can cut 1000bf.a day. Good luck with what you decide.

[woodhaven]

I ain't touching this !!!!!      Well maby just a little.

You all ain't going to believe this but I do occasionally go off in a daydream looking at my mill and think off throwing a couple of pulleys on it and wrapping a band around them. It really wouldn't be that hard. I could use the carriage, tracks and everything just as is. I wonder how wide a band I would use? I would think 2", 4", 6", what the heck I'm dreaming again.
Dangerous Stuff !

[Gus]

Minnesota Boy,
Thanks for the input. That is what I was looking for. From the stand point of owning my own logging business I can certainly understand those point, some of them from the heart. When you get the government involved in logging it gets messy. :
Am I to take from your answer that there was little or nothing positive about your circular mill or is it just that the negatives outway the positives severely?

Woodhaven,
It says next to every post you send down the pike," circular diehard". Give me some reasons why you are dead set on owning a circular mill. I can use all the help I can get!

I gotta tell you guys. At the heart of this inquiry is the observation that amongst bandmill owners is alot of talk about bands. Dull bands, broken bands, loose bands and bands that are too tight. Now I know that the majority on this forum probably have band saws so that could very well be the reason for it; could be nothing more than that and maybe isn't.
But I gotta tell ya' I was totally set on a band mill. It just depended on which one. Now, after reading posts here and a couple other places I'm not so sure what I want now! :-/

Thanks for your continueing input, Gus

[smwwoody]

woodhaven

You just described the mill that I built.  it is a vertical 1 1/2" Band.  the log rides on a carrage and the band stays put.

as for band vs. circle

it all depends on what you want to do with it  

Circle mill:

Very fast
more waste going out the pipe
takes a few people to run them
not real portable
I feel that they have a cheeper blade and sharpening cost
I like mine much better for squareing large cants and rr ties


Band mill:

SLOW
less waste
most cane be run by one man
can be real portable
high band cost
i only saw my high grade high dollar logs on my band mill
logs MUST be clean

Just my 2 cents

Woody

[Minnesota_boy]

Good points, Woodhaven.  Saved me a bunch of thinking and typing.  My circle saw was much faster, but not that much faster in bd-ft per man hour.  If help was cheap and available, I'd probably still have my circle saw.  By the time I put up with the hassles of help showing up late if they came at all, i figure I make way more with the band mill.  It does cost more to run the bands, unless I figure in the down time when I take the circle blade in to have it hammered and swadged.  It normally would take about a week to get my blade back, and 80 miles of driving.  I guess I'm glad I only have a bandsaw now.  It cuts slower, but more accurately than I ever could with the circle saw and I can saw way longer logs with it too.

[woodhaven]

Sounds like you named a lot of the reasons. When it comes to nails and small metal junk I usually don't know I even hit something until I see a shinney spot in a board. I built mine so I gotta think its the best. I have never used a band mill but from the sound of all the problems they have I will just keep what I have.
Of course if I built a band mill it would be the best to. Ha Ha
 Every once in a while I will sharpen the teeth but other than that don't put anything on the carriage unless you want a board out of it.
The only thing that ticks me off is these guys can buy a new blade for $25.00 my blade is almost $3,000.00 but my blade will last a life time I hope. I have probably cut through things that would have torn a small band mill all to pieces. All I do is insert a few new $1.00 teeth and keep on going.

I cut a big old Walnut yard tree one time and the boards looked like they were metal flaked it was so full of nails. When I told my saw what he had done he just looked at me and ask you got any more.

[Gus]

Ok Guys,
Your clearing some things up for me. ??? The way I see it we are comparing mules and horses instead of just horses or comparing only mules to one another. They'll both plow the field. . . just different styles.
Carry on fella's. Gotta go unload feed for the little lady.

Thanks again,
Gus

[Percy]

 On another front, I read about a thing that squirts water at a gazzillion psi that will cut steel like warm cheese. If a guy made a unit like that for cutting wood, he'd have somthing, probably kerfless that wouldnt need sharpening, AND would cut the bullets,insulators,railroad spikes, rocks(big Rocks), hybernating saskwatches, and nails :D :D

[Fla._Deadheader]

   Gus, have ya read all the threads about the swing blade mills???  Do ya understand how they work???  You are correct that this is more of a Band mill forum, but, if you know for sure, what type product you are going to produce, You may want to investigate the swingers a little more.
  Price is comparable to a low end Bandmill. Blades are Carbide tipped, so, if ya screw one up, replace it with a spare and have the damaged one re-tipped. That is the cheapest blade that I can see.
  I have owned a 54" Circle mill and now have a Band mill. I am currently fixin to build a swinger. It will cut dirty logs, if need be. It will cut up to 18" wide boards and cants, and can be operated by one or more people. Most use up to 27 HP engines, so, fuel cost is not an issue.

[Gus]

Fla._
Yes, I been following the thread about swingers thats going on right now and have gathered a good bit of info in other places on them. Trouble is I'd like to buy used and I've yet to see a used swinger for under $6500.  :'(
I'll be real honest with ya'! I'm a real cheap skate! I've never payed that much for anything other than a skidder or a piece of real estate! Thats just me. Not to say I won't end up doing it this time, but it won't be without a good deal of studying and waiting. I am if anything . . . a patient man. He who spends money in a hurry loses. Thats just me.
I did, in fact, pull 2x6's from behind a Lucas a couple of months ago. I gotta say I was impressed.
I do apreciate all the input from everyone.
Thanks gus

[oakiemac]

SDsaw,

Check out "Band saw versus Circular" it was started by me on 3/14/03.

[Jeff]

You are correct that this is more of a Band mill forum

Wrong! It just has more bandmill members. There is as much expertise here for circle mills as there is for band mills.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Ran a circle mill for a spell.  Me and 6 men and 2 CAT 933's sawed out around 20,000 bdft a day or about 5 to 6 tractor trailer loads.   We would send out 2 trailer loads of chips and one of rr ties, one of grade, and one of pallet and low grade.  I would check the teeth at breaks and sharpen at lunch and at the end of shift.   From time to time would throw one as was proof in the roof and the broken glass of my AC/heated cab.  I did not have the computers that Jeff does.  I believe the blades were around $5,200 and I did ruin one but we had several in stock for some reason. ???
  My band cost is some where around 1 to 1.5 cents per bdft so in a given day it is about the same as my fuel cost.  I can change my band quicker the I could sharpen the circle blade.  I have a small PTO circle milll that I am going to set some day just for grins.  I have to get the blade re-done and set some pads for it.
  What you are going to saw or produce will better determin what you are going to need in way of a mill.  I personaly would like to have a LT80, Peterson with slabber, scragg, and my circle mill set up so I could handle any request and do any log that came in.  But that is just me.
ARKANSAWYER

[Frank_Pender]

Gus, I did research for 3 years before I purchase my first mill.  I determined first, that I wanted to saw primarely dimensional lumber.  I then  searched for the mill I felt did the best job for what I wanted to produce.  I have ended with tgwo Mobile Dimension mills.  I am very happy with my choices.  The best of luck in your search and decision.

[woodhaven]

SDSaw,
Here is my Baby Girl. Aint she pretty?

[Tom]

Good picture, Woodhaven.