Looking at new sawmill whats your oppinion?

ARKANSAWYER · August 03, 2011, 07:15:41 PM

Well on my LT40 in 16,600+ hours and pushing 3 million bdft I have changed two electric motors, 1 pump and probly 10 micro switches. I can buy the micro switches at Radio Shack for about $3 bucks. But today while it was a 110 degrees I am so glad my hydralics was not running the whole time. Just when I needed them they worked fine and the oil was not hot. Yes every few years I have to put in brushes but if you are going to run a sawmill you had better be good with a wrench or have deep pockets no matter what brand you buy.
Yes it is a different system and has both it's good side and problems but they all do. But for an excuse to not buy one I would just say I do not like orange paint.

Kansas · August 03, 2011, 07:49:26 PM

Quote from: ladylake on August 03, 2011, 05:41:57 PM
Quote from: Kansas on August 03, 2011, 04:18:17 PM
Does your sawdust discharge on the left side?

Yes it comes out the left side. Steve

That wouldn't work for us. We usually always have an offbearer. For safety reasons, no one is allowed anywhere near the discharge side of the mills.

forestry mick · August 03, 2011, 09:04:25 PM

well after alot of calling around I found tk2000 and tk1600 owners and one b20 and only one wm an lt40 super owner that have offered me the chance to come look at and run their mills!!! Cant wait for the weekend!!! gonna be alot of fun!

Hilltop366 · August 03, 2011, 09:08:22 PM

Some have added hydraulics to their manual mill.

Kansas · August 03, 2011, 09:10:48 PM

Be careful. Sawmill owners have been notorious for getting free help in exchange for watching their mill run.

pineywoods · August 03, 2011, 09:19:30 PM

Quote from: Hilltop366 on August 03, 2011, 09:08:22 PM
Some have added hydraulics to their manual mill.

not just once but 3 times

forestry mick · August 03, 2011, 09:45:06 PM

well 2 said i could run them only if i would bring a log or two to saw, fine by me! logs are no problem at any given time I have 10+ triaxle loads watin to go somewhere each one will get a pine and a white oak. the other 2 I found out they knew me when i was a kid!

forestry mick · August 08, 2011, 07:19:34 PM

well after a long weekend and dodging lots of rain I was able to run some mills. the lt40 super; well the guy at first clamied to be a wm dealer untill i got there then it changed to he worked for wm a long time ago! Anyhow the mill worked really well the eng was tired and smoked alot but it still worked well I must say i was impresed with wm log handling but i just cant get over how the head wiggled around when logs were loaded or turned. is that common or was this mill worn just like the eng??? next was the b20 tk I was not to impressed with it having just come from running the lt40 slow log turner well everything was just slow! After seeing that t didnt want to look at any other tk but well my wife said just go maby the newer ones are better, well she was right! the tk 2000 was fast powerful and smooth! I wish i could saw with them side by side!!! the setworks might take some learning. never looked at the 1600. well now i am really torn w-m or tk!!!

Dave Shepard · August 08, 2011, 07:47:05 PM

Don't worry about the head wiggle. There is a little bit of slack in the system that will allow the head to move when it is not in the cut, but once the band is pulling in the log, it will track true.

beenthere · August 08, 2011, 08:09:49 PM

Quotereally torn w-m or tk !!!

From what I've seen and read, both mills are good and will saw good, straight lumber from logs.
Neither will if allowed to get worn out, or out of adjustment, or when running dull bands.

So is up to the operator...IMO

ladylake · August 08, 2011, 09:01:08 PM

Quote from: forestry mick on August 08, 2011, 07:19:34 PM
well after a long weekend and dodging lots of rain I was able to run some mills. the lt40 super; well the guy at first clamied to be a wm dealer untill i got there then it changed to he worked for wm a long time ago! Anyhow the mill worked really well the eng was tired and smoked alot but it still worked well I must say i was impresed with wm log handling but i just cant get over how the head wiggled around when logs were loaded or turned. is that common or was this mill worn just like the eng??? next was the b20 tk I was not to impressed with it having just come from running the lt40 slow log turner well everything was just slow! After seeing that t didnt want to look at any other tk but well my wife said just go maby the newer ones are better, well she was right! the tk 2000 was fast powerful and smooth! I wish i could saw with them side by side!!! the setworks might take some learning. never looked at the 1600. well now i am really torn w-m or tk!!!

I'd have to disagree with the B20 haveing a slow log turner, maybe he had the engine at idle which would make all the hydraulics slow, I run mine a bit over half throttle and it will whip logs around faster than any WM claw turner and just as fast as my brothers TK2000. That and the WM electric over hyd is why I eneded up with a B20. The only thing kinda slow on the B20 is the up - down speed but even that has to be comparable with a WM which is also electric. With that said you aren't going to beat a TK2000 for the price, I'd think most of the competion with the same features would be at least $35000

forestry mick · August 08, 2011, 09:46:26 PM

one thing i find myself doing from time to time is cutting some big wide slabs for some local guys and some quater sawing and it seems the tk 2000 does a little better than the lt40 I should have measured but it did look like guide to guide was bigger on the tk

dmartin · August 08, 2011, 10:06:00 PM

Mick I have a B20 near Elysburg PA that you are welcome to run if you want to. I think the log turner is very fast.
There are some hemlock logs waiting to be cut and I am usually there on weekends. I am having trouble with the setworks right now but we don't need that working to mill some boards. Just let me know if you want to run it.

MartyParsons · August 08, 2011, 10:06:57 PM

Hello,
Did you ask who has the best service? Best shipping with UPS and Fed-Ex, anywhere in PA, VA, WV, NJ and some others next day no extra charge. I can have you blades, parts and even service if you need it. Most times next day. We have owner training twice a year here at our location in PA. We even did a training day in WV this spring to give back to the customers.
I have never even seen most of the other mills that are not orange, so I am bias? Where are they when we do 35 shows a year in my area? I see them on their web site and they claim to be better, stronger, heavier, # 1 by self proclaiming to be the best.
We can all argue evey point listed above. Does the color matter? I hear lots of stories about the others, you may have heard lots of stories about orange mills. I have worked on them, with them evey day since 2002. I enjoy every part of the customers and all that is involved in this business. I can take you to mill operations that are sawing high bd/ft per hour and can take you to mills that have not sawn a log since I delivered it.
Sure I would love to see you purchase a Orange mill. If you called me for help and purchased another color mill I would do my best to help you the same. The neat thing is you have a choice. Most of the mill manufactures support the FF and that is even better.
Thanks
Marty

ladylake · August 09, 2011, 05:55:21 AM

For the little service I've needed on my B20 TK has had excellent service and I'd be willing to bet that Cooks, Baker, Logmaster etc does too. Steve

ladylake · August 09, 2011, 06:04:34 AM

Quote from: forestry mick on August 08, 2011, 09:46:26 PM
one thing i find myself doing from time to time is cutting some big wide slabs for some local guys and some quater sawing and it seems the tk 2000 does a little better than the lt40 I should have measured but it did look like guide to guide was bigger on the tk

The TK has 32" between the guide rollers and 14" above the blade, one of the bigger openings on a mill with all the goodies for the price. Steve

red · August 09, 2011, 07:10:02 AM

and if you needed or wanted a tk rep at your site how long would that take

redbeard · August 09, 2011, 01:34:09 PM

TK has excellent service parts and blades are at my place in 2 or 3 days. Tech support is excellent they have always helped me through all my problems. Fast log turning and log loading is something that I do carefully you can tear up any mill slamming 3000 lb logs on your deck. B- 20 is a proven mill just like the LT40 both do the same thing. The new 2000 is a well desighned bandsaw mill.@@__

gator gar · August 09, 2011, 02:42:25 PM

At the very start of this post, I said I wasn't impressed with the TimberKing. I guess I should also say, that it was probably 10 years ago that I saw one, so I am sure that they have made some major improvements. I'm just partial to those Woodmizers.

forestry mick · August 09, 2011, 03:00:08 PM

They make changes and updates all the time thats why I am figuring on buying new but would not pass up a good deal on a used one if i came across one!

red · August 09, 2011, 03:37:13 PM

looking at new sawmill and looking for opinions but what are you sawing how many people support equip etc basics

ladylake · August 09, 2011, 03:50:30 PM

Quote from: redbeard on August 09, 2011, 01:34:09 PM
TK has excellent service parts and blades are at my place in 2 or 3 days. Tech support is excellent they have always helped me through all my problems. Fast log turning and log loading is something that I do carefully you can tear up any mill slamming 3000 lb logs on your deck. B- 20 is a proven mill just like the LT40 both do the same thing. The new 2000 is a well desighned bandsaw mill.@@__
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That's right , there a lot of good mills out there with good and bad points. No need to say one is superior to another when each person has his own opinion on what's better. Steve

forestry mick · August 09, 2011, 10:51:56 PM

Well I am in the logging biz I have all the log handling equip so suport equipment is not an issue 8) have an old edger that still works amazing It all kinda started as a hobby but has gotten big fast, the little boardwalk can not keep up! I am mostly a 1 man band for now till the wife has our 3rd in december. sawing everything from pallet cants, grade, and assorted softwood. the pallet shops will take unlimited lumber and cants grade goes to sevral shops. Pallet logs are everywhere for me most of them end up going for firewood because i simply can not saw enough fast enough for the demand i have turned sevral people away recently >:( I know it all sounds odd :

i guess if you boil it all down I just need a faster mill with all the log handling to make my life easier!!!

5quarter · August 10, 2011, 12:31:07 AM

Mick,

I think that more important than the brand of mill is the class of mill. All the top builders mentioned plus a few not mentioned (ie, Baker etc...) build very high quality machines. once you familiarize yourself with your new saw, whatever the brand, you will be amazed at how you ever produced lumber with a manual mill. what really matters is what class of saw best fits you're needs. I had a chance to run a Cooks AC-36 and was amazed speed and accuracy of that saw. it is a smooth and powerful machine and is built for high production. I have also ran an lt-40 super . it was a great saw, but not comparable to the AC-36. If I was going to buy one of them, it would be the lt-40, because with an offbearer, I could fully maximise the output of the saw and really get my moneys worth from it. by contrast, to maximise the output of the AC-36 really requires a 3 man crew; same for the lt-70 and maybe even the tk-2000. I don't ever anticipate cutting that much lumber on a daily basis. If you're a one man show with maybe some help here and there, you're probably better off with a mid production, full hydraulic saw like the mp-32, lt-40 or tk-1600. They are all comparable in production and all have great service and support. from there you can pick your mill like most guys pick their trucks...which one looks the coolest?

seriously, it sounds like you're in a great position and I'm sure that whichever you saw you wind up with will be just the right one for you...for now.

ARKANSAWYER · August 10, 2011, 08:43:56 AM

Pallet wood should only be a by product of sawing for more profitable products. I have seen to many people get into sawing pallet wood to only lose their busines. Pallet wood buyers are always looking for cheaper wood. The faster you can process the wood the lower your sawing cost. But your over head goes up in more money tied up to making boards faster. With a bigger mill you will have a cost of around $0.30 bdft for sawing and pallet wood paying $0.38 you will just run yourself into the ground. Forget over run. Pallet wood should just be a by product and not your meat and taters.