Old Stenner mill

[dudders]

This looks a solid old piece of kit, but what's it like to use?  I'm trying to imagine pushing the log through the saw, and back again, or is that powered?  And then keeping it steady as it rolls, and setting up for the next cut, and removing the cut piece, etc.  Looks like hard work to me.  Has anybody here used one?

 

Stenner Sawmill Forestry

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

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<p>Stenner VJA42 rack Sawmill. Owned since 1995, in full working order, can be seen working, still cuts like a dream...

 

[spuddog0507]

Looking at it i would say its a 60s 70s machine and the bed is push through manually but i think with a bit of thought it could be converted to hydraulic drive, i used to work on one in late 70s early 80s but it was a much bigger machine than this one, but that was driven bed from new, it looks a handy sized mill to me and if my memory serves me right the only thing that went wrong with ours was a electric motor burnt out ,but this one is diesel powered so i would think its ok, the seller says up n running and can demo, at £1500 i dont think its dear and if you could get the logs to put through it you would get your money back in little time, the last job i was involved in when i worked on the mill was cutting about 8500 6ft 6x3 posts and about 25.000 12ft rails for the fencing along the M55 from Preston to Blackpool,

[Graham w]

thats a lump of timber £322583.33 @ £14ft3 🤣

Edited May 14, 2021 by Graham w

[muttley9050]

Looks a nice saw and a bargain at that price. I saw one similar being used once and wasn't difficult to reset for next cut. Had some sort of a ratchet system. Not sure about this one though.
Will be easy to manually push if bed is set up well and in good condition

[Squaredy]

9 hours ago, dudders said:

This looks a solid old piece of kit, but what's it like to use?  I'm trying to imagine pushing the log through the saw, and back again, or is that powered?  And then keeping it steady as it rolls, and setting up for the next cut, and removing the cut piece, etc.  Looks like hard work to me.  Has anybody here used one?

 

Stenner Sawmill Forestry

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

---

<p>Stenner VJA42 rack Sawmill. Owned since 1995, in full working order, can be seen working, still cuts like a dream...

 

These old Stenner's often come up and are usually cheap.  For good reason.

 

1) Transport and installation will take a lot of time (if you have the right skills) and cost around £5,000 or even £10,000.  Or more if you have no three phase electricity.

 

2) Maintenance of a machine of this type that could have 100,000 hours of use could cost a fortune.

 

3) Blades will cost £200 each to buy and more to sharpen than a Woodmizer blade costs to buy.

 

4) Once installed no chance of moving or changing things around if plans develop.

 

Now that portable machines like Woodmizer are sub £10,000 I am afraid this Stenner is simply obsolete.

[muttley9050]

These old Stenner's often come up and are usually cheap.  For good reason.
 
1) Transport and installation will take a lot of time (if you have the right skills) and cost around £5,000 or even £10,000.  Or more if you have no three phase electricity.
 
2) Maintenance of a machine of this type that could have 100,000 hours of use could cost a fortune.
 
3) Blades will cost £200 each to buy and more to sharpen than a Woodmizer blade costs to buy.
 
4) Once installed no chance of moving or changing things around if plans develop.
 
Now that portable machines like Woodmizer are sub £10,000 I am afraid this Stenner is simply obsolete.

I don't see how that could cost so much to move and transport. Pretty sure I could do it for next to nothing.
I appreciate a Woodmizer would be a better choice but a decent Woodmizer is 10k plus. Pretty sure I could buy this for 1.5 k and have it running in my workshop for another grand. Its comes with an engine so no 3 phase required

[Squaredy]

45 minutes ago, muttley9050 said:

I don't see how that could cost so much to move and transport. Pretty sure I could do it for next to nothing.
I appreciate a Woodmizer would be a better choice but a decent Woodmizer is 10k plus. Pretty sure I could buy this for 1.5 k and have it running in my workshop for another grand. Its comes with an engine so no 3 phase required

Well of course it depends how you value your time, but dismantling is going to be a day for two people.  Assembly if you have the skills will likely take somewhere between a week and a month.

 

It is certain that it will have some faults and wear and possibly damage so getting it all working right will maybe take much time also and who knows what work will be needed?  A three phase diesel genny of that vintage could be a whole can of worms, and again could cost thousands on its own to get working right.

 

I will be buying a Woodmizer LT15 wide fairly soon and it is going to cost £7300 or thereabouts.   That will be completely new, with support and warranty, and minimal setup.  Nothing will be worn or broken.  Bit of a no-brainer if you ask me.  And I haven't even mentioned the fuel cost - how much diesel will the Stenner drink in a day?  More than a little petrol engine that a Woodmizer has that's for sure.  And from next year you will not even be allowed to use red diesel to run it.

 

This is why there are so many old Stenners like the one in the original post available and why they sell for so little.

[spuddog0507]

2 hours ago, muttley9050 said:

I don't see how that could cost so much to move and transport. Pretty sure I could do it for next to nothing.
I appreciate a Woodmizer would be a better choice but a decent Woodmizer is 10k plus. Pretty sure I could buy this for 1.5 k and have it running in my workshop for another grand. Its comes with an engine so no 3 phase required

I agree with you on this 5-10 k to move it ? these machines are very very capable machines of cutting good volumes of timber in a short time, i worked on one for 3 years, and look at the speed of a wood mizer compared to that saw ? race horse and donkey come to mind here, cost of blades well just look at them one is very industrial and the other a more hobby /homeowner blade,  A mate of mine has just installed a Laimet 120, he put the concrete slab down on the friday, went with 2 lads on the monday to start the dismantle all back in his yard and installed and cutting wood by friday, and thats a lot more complicated machine than the Stenner but his was a long way from £1500, If that was not far from me i would be thinking about that as it aint expensive and i am 100% sure i could make good money with that at the moment given the sawn timber shortage in the UK at present,

[muttley9050]

Well of course it depends how you value your time, but dismantling is going to be a day for two people.  Assembly if you have the skills will likely take somewhere between a week and a month.
 
It is certain that it will have some faults and wear and possibly damage so getting it all working right will maybe take much time also and who knows what work will be needed?  A three phase diesel genny of that vintage could be a whole can of worms, and again could cost thousands on its own to get working right.
 
I will be buying a Woodmizer LT15 wide fairly soon and it is going to cost £7300 or thereabouts.   That will be completely new, with support and warranty, and minimal setup.  Nothing will be worn or broken.  Bit of a no-brainer if you ask me.  And I haven't even mentioned the fuel cost - how much diesel will the Stenner drink in a day?  More than a little petrol engine that a Woodmizer has that's for sure.  And from next year you will not even be allowed to use red diesel to run it.
 
This is why there are so many old Stenners like the one in the original post available and why they sell for so little.

Your right in some ways but
I look at it differently.
I already have a lucas so not in the market but if I had the space and wanted something for hobby Milling I could justify this not a all singing Woodmizer.
Would take me a day to get it back to mine my dad would help. So no great cost.
Evenings when I fancied for a month or two to get it all set up and make or buy the bits required. I would enjoy this process so no bother. Not a fan of eastenders.
Is advertised as cutting like a dream and engine is working so isn't broken yet.
Looks like a cheap set up for the right person to me but I have been wrong before.
I do agree though. Commercially not viable. But many of the things i do with wood aren't really commercially viable either.

[Squaredy]

1 hour ago, muttley9050 said:

Your right in some ways but
I look at it differently.
I already have a lucas so not in the market but if I had the space and wanted something for hobby Milling I could justify this not a all singing Woodmizer.
Would take me a day to get it back to mine my dad would help. So no great cost.
Evenings when I fancied for a month or two to get it all set up and make or buy the bits required. I would enjoy this process so no bother. Not a fan of eastenders.
Is advertised as cutting like a dream and engine is working so isn't broken yet.
Looks like a cheap set up for the right person to me but I have been wrong before.
I do agree though. Commercially not viable. But many of the things i do with wood aren't really commercially viable either.

Fair enough, if you enjoy setting up old hefty machinery like this.   

 

I do very much like old hefty machinery, but I am also aware how expensive some of this kit is to work on.  If the main motor is past its best what would the cost of re-winding a 25HP three phase motor be?  Probably more than the cost of the entire mill. 

 

I am currently trying to get my large thicknesser working again.  So far it has cost me about £5000, and still no good.