Good bye woodmizer hello Timberking

[tommer9]

A few weeks ago I was very close to ordering a Norwood HD36, but in another thread comments suggested a woodmizer might be more substantial for the money once fully hydraulic.

 

Last week I was very close to ordering a woodmizer, just hanging on to sort out the cash for it, and was offered an 11% discount if I order by this week coming.

 

Now I have discovered this discussion, and both timberking and logmaster seem to blow woodmizer out of the water. I realise this is an old thread, but if it's possible to import a logmaster for £21k, that's hands down cheaper than woodmizer, even after the discount.

 

The timberking and logmaster look fairly similar, but price wise the logmaster seems much cheaper, and from this discussion may run on a lot less fuel.

 

Anyway, anything is going to be quicker and easier than my Logosol M8 Alaskan combo, so I probably won't look back either way.

 

I can recommend Hudson too. I had one for some years, and it WAY outperformed woodmizers in EVERY aspect. They are overpriced hyped up mills IMO.

[OliB]

Sadly Logmaster are no longer in the business of making mills, though I would heartily recommend looking for a good second hand one. If you speak to Ed at Logmaster, he is happy to find you a good used Logmaster mill. The only issues I've had with mine relate to the engine (Kohler 38hp V-twin, which I wouldn't recommend) and it's been worked pretty hard.

 

Thanks,

 

I've emailed Logmaster, and discovered from my email account that I have set them an email months ago when looking into mills back then, but no response from the email listed on their website. Do have an alternative address

 

I've had quotes from TimbkerKing for 1600 and 2000 which look similar, except more hp in the head and a few extra hydraulics on the 1600, and no setworks on 1600. The 2000 is considerably more expensive than the Woodmizer Lt40 i've been quote for, but the 1600 a little cheaper.

 

I've emailed the polish company Big J suggested, Trak-Met, who respond very quickly and in perfect English, bust sadly even their mobile mills are 3-phase, which I don't have access to. The mills look awesome!

 

I've also found a used 1996 Woodmizer 5 hours away, but looks like a bag of nails, and at over £10k possibly not worth it. Don't need another machine that spends more time broken than working, and needs oiling every use.

 

Hudson look good, but don't have a CE approved mobile mill with hydraulics, and without being mobile or hydraulic the only benefit of a bandsaw over my Logosol M8 and alsakan mill combo is speed of each cut, and kerf.

 

The guy at TimkerKing UK has been very helpful, but for what I can stretch to, the 1600,I may be better off with a Lt40 with setworks, full hydraulics and the lapsider for the same price. He said that if woodmizer are prepared to offer such a good discount they must be desperate for a sale, which makes me think I may be better off with a woodmizer?

 

Have to make a deposit of 20% this week to access the Woodmizer offer if I'm going down that road. I've been talking to them for nearly a year now, so I'm going to have to bite the bullet and make a decision very soon.

 

Looks like my main options are Timberking 1600 or Woodmizer Lt40. Both the same price, but Woodmizer has more hydraulics, setworks and would include a lapsider and shingle maker, which I need. Main advantage of the TK 1600 over WM LT40 is the log loader can handle a heavier log. Unless Logmaster are contactable, their mills look awesome, and at £21k for a new one imported, and less for a used one, sounds like best value.

 

I'm not going to have the opportunity to invest this much in a mill again, since I'm building a new house, and by milling much of the timber I can save between £12k and £15k, which goes along way towards paying for it. I just want to make the right decision, and Woodmizer seem to have a very hardcore following, but equal measures of critics.

[OliB]

A newer used mill is an option, but every advert I contact has been sold!

[Big J]

I spoke to Herman at Logmaster today on the phone. They still do all the spares for their mills and they still build the manual LM1. Worth giving them a call to see what they can do.

[OliB]

Just spoke to Ed, couldn't get Herman. Logmaster are focusing on the LM1, but may recommence LM2's next year!

 

Ed says LM2's don't come up often, but may be able to find me a LM4 within the next 4 weeks, which has a 51hp Cat diesel sawhead! Bit more than I need!

[Big J]

You say that, but I'm on a 38hp Kohler V-twin and there are times where more power would be very handy. If you have reasonably consistently grained timber, you can almost push the band to dead stop without losing a flat cut. I am on a 2" band though, which is not standard.

[OliB]

By no means am i ruling out a used lm4,just commenting that 50hp CAT should set me well up.

 

My only concern is that Ed might not find me a used one within the next few weeks, and having passed up on the woodmizer offer I have no mill for the jobs that I need to do asap. If I could definitely source a used but nearly new lm2 or lm4 I would jump right on it at those prices. Seems very similar to timberking.

 

Under these circumstances other options as I see them would be TK 1600, WMlt40 or lt20. I honestly have no idea which direction to go.many have commented that woodmizer are overpriced, but with the good offer I have that is not the case. Their customer support is pretty obviously excellent so the only niggle would be claims that it doesn't same produce straight lumber, which Woodmizer clearly refute. But for the money is a timberking 1600 the equal to a lt40? I cant make the £8K difference between lt40 offer I have and a timberking 2000.

[Copford sawmill sussex]

Straight lumber is down to the set up, blades, operated and the timber any machine can cut straight and any machine can cut bad. If your set up is good you'll cut good. We cut 5' wide elm on a 2" blade and no wobble. Hopefully though your man can find you something soon 👍

[Big J]

Ah, but your 5ft wide cut with a 2" band is on your Woodmizer with a twin rail track system. Therein lies your sucess

[Copford sawmill sussex]

Agreed but if your blade and guides are aligned correctly you'll cut straight single or twinned