The Perfect Mill advice please

[tommer9]

Scraggs, both the hudson range and the norwood range would address all your issues. My hudson is portable, and the length you can have is theoretically infinite- you just keep adding lengths of track. Mine is 21 foot long and will cope with 36" logs. I have been taking more and more custom from woodmizer owners due to inaccuracies from their mill. (usuallly the lt40s BTW).

[tomtrees]

Was told by a friend that used a trekkasaw a lot to get a couple of jacks if you buy one to stope bounce on the tracks.

[bella wood]

My choice would be a big serra,, very very expensive,,,

 

got a norwood and trekka saw ,, very little to go wrong using narrow band blades ,, wide blades = lots more head aches

[delabodge]

my woodmizer lt40 works just fine,,,no probs with bed, maybe Im just lucky,,,am about to build a new cover for it,,just for the head,,leaving the body to the elements,got a truckers tarp for that,,

yes set works would be nice,,but have to draw the line somewhere,,,agree with tommer,not the most accurate,,but got big 20" bench planer/thicknesser to sort out true sizes,,,,should I need...

[tomtrees]

Just Pmed you scraggs.

[bella wood]

tomtrees --

 

problem i found with trekkasaw wasnt up and down movement of the tracks , its the side to side movement that slows down the milling speed ,mine sometimes jumps into the cut and jams ,,

 

my trekkasaw saw head in in the workshop being fitted on a rolling carriage similar to lumbermate 2000 but with threaded rod to raise and lower power by hydraulic motor,, near fnnished just waiting on parts

[woodmad]

Its like asking what the perfect chainsaw is, there aint one cos you need 3 different ones to do every job..

 

You have to decide what your priorities are- is it portability/size of cut/log handling/efficiency/accruracy/set up time????????

 

What will be the bulk of your milling ?

 

Personally i use a Woodmizer (LT70 now) i have owned the 25,30 and 40

 

Woodmizers are very accurate if they are set up correctly. If the heads arent set up or the blades are not sharp then there are issues. 90% of cutting/accruacy problems are blade related.

 

I have not used other mills, but i have looked into them, and for my application the woodmizer is the best.

 

If i have to do big wood then i use a logosol and 880 to break it down.

 

To choose the right mill you need to narrow down your appliction. By the sounds of it you dont want a particularly mobile one if you want to be under cover on wet days, and probably one with one handed operation ()

[Rob D]

My pennys worth Stevie is :

 

 

• Go round looking and using mills with people before you buy anything as milling is not really an 'out of the box' thing.
  
• The two main choices are bandsaw or swingmill (circular saw Peterson or Lucas). They're both very different.
  
• What are you going to do with all the timber you produce? This is by far and wide the important question as it will determin what machine you want. Producing milled timber is easy compared to selling it (I've found anyways).
  
• There is no perfect mill that will do everything so I would say do a good few months of research before you take the plunge! Try and work with people who have them.
  

[twmarriott]

tomtrees --

 

problem i found with trekkasaw wasnt up and down movement of the tracks , its the side to side movement that slows down the milling speed ,mine sometimes jumps into the cut and jams ,,

 

my trekkasaw saw head in in the workshop being fitted on a rolling carriage similar to lumbermate 2000 but with threaded rod to raise and lower power by hydraulic motor,, near fnnished just waiting on parts

 

if and thats a big if, the trekka saw i used had worked there wouldn't be anything else onthe market.. it'd beat anything else hands down, but as you said they aren't up to it.

as i tend to slab 2-6" for air drying, usually in oak but occasionally ash, beech hornbeam or yew and usually large diameters and i need accuracy, i want a wide blade, you get too much biver with a narrow one however sharp. thats why stenner use em,

if you could build a trekka with bigger pullies, and stronger rails it'd be a handy thing, but i suspect not very portable....

i often wondered if i could pick up a 2nd hand trekka at sensible money i'd have a go...sadly both the trekka money and time have been illusive.

[bella wood]

As youll of seen when changing blades ,,, theres not alot to them, , proper bandwheels are the hard bit to get ,, and it looks like the makers have taken the number of the hydraulic motor,,