newbies shopping for a hobby mill questions.

captain1971 · April 14, 2015, 07:06:51 AM

Hello everyone,
Well we are in the market to buy a hobby mill, and it appears that there are several company's that offer hobby mills. So we have lots of questions, and welcome any advice on the subject.
Of all the saw mill manufacturers there are a few that carry a sawmill that fits our budget, and requirements in a Hobby mill. Woodland, Hudson, and Timbery, all make a mill that fits my budget, and being that we are novice sawyers ( Meaning my Girlfriend and I ) we definitely want to start out with an entry level Mill. And yes all those 20 thousand dollar saws are really amazing with all the bells and whistles but unfortunately they are 17 thousand dollars out of our price range, which by the way is around $3000.00.
So.... moving on. I had first saw that Harbor freight has a mill on sale for 2000.00 but after she brought me back to my sences, We decided that thats a road we dont Want to travel. Now as far as the other 3 sawmill manufacturers, Woodland, Hudson, and Timbery they all make an affordable hobby mill and of course all the mill are made slightly different. I am pretty sure i will be purchasing a mill from one of these 3 manufacturers.
Im sure that there are quite a few people here that are familiar with these companies and the sawmills that they make. Any input and advise is appreciated.

Also we are leaning toward Timberys M100 mill because it looks very well built, and i think it will cut a longer log than the others. I know that we can buy an extra lenght of track but thats not in the budget.
Thanks Michelle & David

fishfighter · April 14, 2015, 07:28:51 AM

I have the Woodland 126 with the extra track. That and a box of 10 blades plus Shipping was around $3850. Happy with it so far.

You also will need some how to move and load logs. Keep that in mine.

What kind of trees you plan on milling?

thecfarm · April 14, 2015, 08:14:08 AM

captain1971,welcome to the forum. I have not really looked at any of your choices. I have seen them at a few shows,but never really picked the good and the bad apart.

Magicman · April 14, 2015, 08:16:16 AM

Hello captain1971 and also Michelle, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum. It's good to see that you are chasing your dream together. Adding your location to your profile will help with questions.

I have absolutely no knowledge about the sawmills in question, but I will point out the sponsors listed along the left side of the page. You will notice that Woodland is there. Click on each of them and see what they offer. I urge you to always consider their products and services before making a decision.

goose63 · April 14, 2015, 08:58:28 AM

Welcome to the F F you two sone to be happy sawyers I have the Woodland mill 126 and I'm very happy with it I can cut 16 foot put mine on a trailer

if you have any questions give me a shout good luck on the mill hunt

captain1971 · April 14, 2015, 09:05:59 AM

Quote from: fishfighter on April 14, 2015, 07:28:51 AM
I have the Woodland 126 with the extra track. That and a box of 10 blades plus Shipping was around $3850. Happy with it so far.

You also will need some how to move and load logs. Keep that in mine.

What kind of trees you plan on milling?

Fishfighter,
We will mostly be sawing pine, but I am sure we will be sawing hardwoods on occasion.

captain1971 · April 14, 2015, 09:15:21 AM

Quote from: Magicman on April 14, 2015, 08:16:16 AM
Hello captain1971 and also Michelle, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum. It's good to see that you are chasing your dream together. Adding your location to your profile will help with questions.

I have absolutely no knowledge about the sawmills in question, but I will point out the sponsors listed along the left side of the page. You will notice that Woodland is there. Click on each of them and see what they offer. I urge you to always consider their products and services before making a decision.

Hello Magicman,
We are currently living in Dalzell Sc.
We are considering the woodland mill, it looks very well built. On the other hand the Timbery mill is slightly less expensive and can cut a longer board 11 ft 8 in., and its only a 2 hour drive to pick one up so theres no shipping cost.
I used to live in Summit Ms. about 8 years ago.

captain1971 · April 14, 2015, 09:19:49 AM

Quote from: goose63 on April 14, 2015, 08:58:28 AM
Welcome to the F F you two sone to be happy sawyers I have the Woodland mill 126 and I'm very happy with it I can cut 16 foot put mine on a trailer

if you have any questions give me a shout good luck on the mill hunt

Hi Goose63!
Honestly i really like the WM126 and we are considering it.

Deese · April 14, 2015, 09:30:24 AM

Hey Captain1971, welcome to the forum.
I have a EZboardwalk Jr and have no complaints....
Might want to check it out...

highlandsaw · April 14, 2015, 11:17:03 AM

I have the Woodland HF 126 and really like it. I don't know anything about the other options you have.

Great service. When I first got it I had problems with the log dog and they promptly sent me a replacement.

Easy to assemble it if you read the directions. :D

The track it very heavy duty largest log I have cut was a 23" ash - which was very heavy. Took several of us to turn it but the saw cut it very well.

I have cut pine, ash, cherry and black walnut with it. No problems.

justallan1 · April 14, 2015, 01:01:37 PM

David, Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
I had a Hudson HFE-21 and it was a great little mill. It was the first bandsaw mill I had ever even seen, but was quite easy to learn how to use and do any adjustments needed.
I've sold it and bought a Easy Boardwalk Jr. and really like it so far.
To do over again I would buy either of them again.
Something to look at real closely is the width of your logs and take into consideration the sweep (or bend) in them. The biggest reason for selling the Hudson mill was that it just couldn't saw a very big log without a good bit of time with a chainsaw to make it fit. If all I had were 15" straight logs I would have kept it forever.
Something else to look into is the possibility of buying your mill without the tracks and building them yourself. I know for fact both of the companies that I've dealt with will do this. Hudson tracks would cost you probably $75.00 or less to build and I ordered my EZ Jr mill without tracks and brand new steel to build them myself would have cost me just under $300.00.
Good luck in your new adventure.

21incher · April 14, 2015, 07:06:16 PM

Welcome to the forum. I have the Hudson HFE-21 and am happy with it. At times I cut logs larger then the mill will handle but it is easy to trim them to fit with chainsaw ( I have squeezed some 24" ash and walnuts on it ). The largest cant you can cut is a little over 18 inches but it is perfect for me. I have no way to handle logs that are any larger and feel that it is well made plus it is made in the USA. I went to my local farm show where they allowed me try it out and I bought the demo unit with about 10 cuts on it saving a couple of dollars and shipping costs. The length of cut meant nothing to me as I built a trailer that allows me to cut 12'-6" and work at a comfortable height. I think any of the mills you mention would be a good choice, but don't forget to pick up a LogRite cant hook to make your life easier.

Ocklawahaboy · April 14, 2015, 07:15:52 PM

Don't max out every penny you have on the mill. You'll need a logrite cant hook, a good chainsaw, extra blades, etc. if you have a sawmill dealer nearby, take a drive and ask for a demo.

gfadvm · April 14, 2015, 08:36:39 PM

You might look into a used WoodMizer (LT10 or LT15). I got very lucky on Craigslist!
I think WoodMizer has a listing for used mills on their site.

Warped · April 14, 2015, 10:27:35 PM

Being 40 minutes from Hud-Son I went with the HFE-21. It's solid but seems to be a little less so than the others. The good is it's easy to roll a good size log onto the angle iron tracks if you have no way to load. I welded up another 8' of track and drilled them before assembly to cut up to 18.5'. As of now I simply repositioned my clamps and they hold fine for the 16 footers I've been cutting. Comes with two 6' tracks, you can place homemade track between them or just add it to the end. Before the extension I would just slide the longer logs down the track, but I'm also sawing 10-16" pin straight red pine.
Service has been good, broke a guide shoe and they replaced it no questions asked. The biggest hassle is leveling the track, I've had the saw head rock off a time or two.
Next plan is to mount 12-20 foot angle on an old bolt trailer so it can be taken into the woods with a four-wheeler, just pick the saw head off the permanent track and place it on the trailer track.
And trust me, if I can weld up some track anyone can........