Small mill for occasional use. Recomendations?

[youcallthatbig]

If you don't want to hire somebody like myself with 20 years of experience of milling to come and convert your timber, why don't you hire a mill from Ben Burgess in Norwich so you can evaluate whether a small band mill is the way to go over a chainsaw powered unit

[sandspider]

About £3500 plus VAT and UK delivery. That is on the basis that I can get 5 people to buy one of the basic mills. The haulage from Poland is around £2600 and it's obviously much more economical to put 5 mills on a wagon. Having seen or used a lot of small manual sawmills, there is a lot more steel in these than any other. It's standard with a 7.5kw three phase motor, but I can speak to them about a small petrol or diesel power plant if there is enough interest.

 

Cheers. To be fair, it does look like a lot of mill for that money. Probably more mill than I'll ever need, and too static. Interesting though...

[arboriculturist]

About £3500 plus VAT and UK delivery. That is on the basis that I can get 5 people to buy one of the basic mills. The haulage from Poland is around £2600 and it's obviously much more economical to put 5 mills on a wagon. Having seen or used a lot of small manual sawmills, there is a lot more steel in these than any other. It's standard with a 7.5kw three phase motor, but I can speak to them about a small petrol or diesel power plant if there is enough interest.

 

Like they say J - you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink.

 

I am in the very unfortunate position that I only have 1 phase. >1000 metres to a 3 phase location.

 

Digital converter, Diesel - what are your thoughts?

[arboriculturist]

For that size of mill, diesel might be prohibitively expensive. Petrol would be a better bet.

 

Sadly, with an electric mill it's not just a simple case of switching the electric motor for a petrol one - all the motors for head movement, hydrualics etc are electric and 380v. They need to do it to crack into the UK market, but it's a significant undertaking.

 

So its a phase converter or nothing. Do you know the total Kw requirement for the 600 and yours?

 

3rd option - used diesel generator. As you know they are available if tricky to source.

[arboriculturist]

I have a 50kva generator. It was going to be a new one, but a delivery delay meant I cancelled it and bought a very low hours used genset.

 

There are advantages with electric - it's extremely quiet and the torque is very impressive. The little mill has a 7.5kw main motor, which would need a 12-15kva genset (a guess).

 

Ah, sounds promising. Appears that there are plenty of Diesel 3 phase around 25-30 kva around 5k - so that's ideal.

 

So looking like genset 5K +vat

 

Mill 15K +vat

 

Carriage to uk and in UK to me?

 

Import duty etc ?

 

Installation 2K

 

What is carriage likely to be on your mill?

 

Do these figures appear consistent with reality ?

 

Thanks

[arboriculturist]

That's maybe a bit high on the genset cost. Mine wasn't quite that and it's 50kva.

 

Mill at £15k get's you fully hydraulic and wide cutting head, as well as some extra hydraulics/tools.

 

Dedicated transport would be required for a mill that size (might squeeze something else on) and would be about £2500. Was about £2000, but migrant issues in Calais build cost.

 

Installation cost was a tough higher for me as I put a £2800 concrete pad in.

 

You are very close to reality though. Pays off quickly enough though - in the next month I have the value of the mill and generator in orders waiting to be cut. Mostly softwood with a lorry load of elm thrown in for good measure.

 

As usual Jon - sound advice.

 

I have assets to liquidate, which will take me into the dry weather of 2016. However owning the hardware outright takes the pressure right off, which makes life so much easier.

 

Lead time for milling in my area is 2-3 weeks, at all the limited number of mills that exist locally. Demand seems steady and we get a decent quantity of saw-logs delivered with our roundwood, which will be a good starting point.

 

Just need to fathom out how to address training the staff.

Maybe just remunarate you substantially, to take a bus-man's holiday to this glorious part of England.

[arboriculturist]

It takes years to build up a customer base, but it does seem to keep growing and it's hard to keep up sometimes. We used to have quiet periods - now almost never. It's either steady or busy or very busy.

 

Haha! I'm not adverse to coming down to train folk - I'm English originally anyway, so have family and friends scattered about. Where abouts are you? I'd describe myself as a professional amateur sawmiller, which might put me in a good position to teach the uninitiated as I mostly taught myself.

 

The challenge of developing a business is what drives me, as with many who strive to succeed.

 

I see milling as another string to my bow, as it sits nicely within our current activities and further utilises the assets and labour availability already in place here.

 

Just jump in your Merc. Jon and keep heading South. Stop when you reach the pot of Gold -we're there.

 

I'll keep in touch about your latest Kiln - just PM me when time allows.

 

Like others on the Forum, I'm greatly looking forward to seeing the Videos and hearing if the TM is all you thought it would be.

 

Ooh and thanks again for all your valued advice, feedback, mentoring etc

[Lazurus]

The "Logster lite" has anyone any thoughts on this mill. Bear in mind it is for occasional personal use to convert timber for turning or rustic furniture and personal use, not for professional or profititable output..

 

 

S.

[njmusk]

The "Logster lite" has anyone any thoughts on this mill. Bear in mind it is for occasional personal use to convert timber for turning or rustic furniture and personal use, not for professional or profititable output..

 

 

S.

 

Certainly looks a good mill. My mate brought his Granberg small log mill over the other weekend for me to try. Fitted my 480cd on it and cut some oak and softwood with it, found with the weight of the saw the tip end would lift, so you would have to keep pressure on that end. But really enjoyed milling. Bought a 22" ripping chain from rob and cut another batch of oak last week. Like the ad says, perhaps the more substantial frame will stop the dipping. Now I have a heap of milled oak to find something to do with. Having seen the logster, I would probably go with that if I was to get one.

[njmusk]

The "Logster lite" has anyone any thoughts on this mill. Bear in mind it is for occasional personal use to convert timber for turning or rustic furniture and personal use, not for professional or profititable output..

 

 

S.

 

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