Thread: Anyone able to convince me to buy a Woodmizer LT10?

Originally Posted by TraditionalTool

OUCH...did you buy it even with that condition?

That's a LOT of acres, hope it's got some decent weather...I hear MS is pretty darn humid...

Congrats on your new purchase, I'm sure you'll enjoy it when you get it. Wood is wood, humid or not...

Yea, we plan on buying it, it "surrounds" the house lot, there's plenty of deer on it. And it has 1200 ft of paved road frontage on the south end and 1200 ft of national forest frontage on the north end. Then there's another 140 acres adjacent to it, which could put me at the 640 acres I set as a goal

Originally Posted by gemniii

Oh well, that just leaves me my other 380 acres to piddle around on.

Just to correct my mistake, my wife, the real estate attorney, had given me the 380 acre figure. Actually it's only 280 acres, so now I've got much further to go to my square mile. She had "mis-added" and I had thought she had put in the 1/3 of some family land.

Originally Posted by gemniii

Just to correct my mistake, my wife, the real estate attorney, had given me the 380 acre figure. Actually it's only 280 acres, so now I've got much further to go to my square mile. She had "mis-added" and I had thought she had put in the 1/3 of some family land.

But STILL........280 acres! That's what I call land Baron! I'm praying for a 40

Originally Posted by thechknhwk

But STILL........280 acres! That's what I call land Baron! I'm praying for a 40

That's in Mississippi, and not counting about 1/3 of 200 acres of "family land".

Just keep your head in the skies, your nose to the grindstone and save every penny until the right bargain pops up.

I bought my first 73 acres in Vermont right after I got out of the Army (enlisted E4) in 1978 with what we had saved from unused leave. I became addicted. Most of the guys and gals I knew would buy trucks and cars when they got out, and we all know how they go up in value.

And it's not for me, it's for my children.

Originally Posted by gemniii

That's in Mississippi, and not counting about 1/3 of 200 acres of "family land".

Just keep your head in the skies, your nose to the grindstone and save every penny until the right bargain pops up.

I bought my first 73 acres in Vermont right after I got out of the Army (enlisted E4) in 1978 with what we had saved from unused leave. I became addicted. Most of the guys and gals I knew would buy trucks and cars when they got out, and we all know how they go up in value.

And it's not for me, it's for my children.

Well, real estate isn't exactly booming at the moment...few folks building.

Curious though gemnii, but how does a guy that has so much acreage end up being so cheap on the sawmill? I don't get it...

Originally Posted by twoclones

The LT-10 is probably a darned good machine BUT I don't think bed extensions are available for it and sooner or later you're going to want to mill something longer than 11'. I've had my LT-15 for about a year and have already been asked by 3 potential customers, one once needed for myself, to mill 16' boards.

All I need is to buy a bed extension. You'd need to buy a whole new system!

I think twoclones was suggesting similar, and I think you should consider it, gemnii...

Originally Posted by TraditionalTool

Well, real estate isn't exactly booming at the moment...few folks building.

Curious though gemnii, but how does a guy that has so much acreage end up being so cheap on the sawmill? I don't get it...


I think twoclones was suggesting similar, and I think you should consider it, gemnii...

I do not know how it works in the US or in individual states but acreage here per say, the value is solely dependant upon location, and regardless the prices both north and south are over-inflated.
Somewhat the same as Gemniii but in reverse, I bought 50 acres when I was 18 ( a year after joining the army, I joined the year prior at 17, circa 1992 when I bought the land). Only 50 acres, but prime hunting ground and just a nice lot. Cost me alot at that time, hell and alot in todays money, Whats is worth near nothing to anybody thats willing to buy it 20 years later, but as the cities move westward.........hopefully my son will have a retirement nest egg because of it.

Near where I grew up, a small town kept getting bigger, a local farmer that paid crap wages, had junk and was just hell to work for (not to mention the lunches were pitiful) sold half his farm 4 years ago, he became an instant millionaire, ruined the man, all in the name of supposid (sp??) progess.

Nothing wrong with an LT10, be it for good or as a stepping stone, if anybody wants to part there LT10 beside my ML26 and try em both out, lets have at er, the end of the day will tell all, sawdust is in our veins.

Originally Posted by hamish

I do not know how it works in the US or in individual states but acreage here per say, the value is solely dependant upon location, and regardless the prices both north and south are over-inflated.

Yep, works pretty much the same here in the lower 48...and certainly Mississippi is nothing like buying property in California, but there is some acreage when you get into the boonies and that is not as usable that is more reasonably priced in CA. I guess I just got a bit of humor how gemnii was dropping acreage numbers around like buzzwords, when at the same time interested in the bottom of the line sawmill that WoodMizer offers. Of course he mentioned some of it has been strip milled and it sounded like there is still a good amount that can be strip milled by a company, it is still a decent amount of acreage. I suspect all that glitters is not gold...

Originally Posted by hamish

Somewhat the same as Gemniii but in reverse, I bought 50 acres when I was 18 ( a year after joining the army, I joined the year prior at 17, circa 1992 when I bought the land). Only 50 acres, but prime hunting ground and just a nice lot. Cost me alot at that time, hell and alot in todays money, Whats is worth near nothing to anybody thats willing to buy it 20 years later, but as the cities move westward.........hopefully my son will have a retirement nest egg because of it.

I wasn't so wise to buy acreage, but was wise enough to buy my first house when I was about 23 years old...owned that for about 15 years, sold it at a low, and it seemed I didn't make out very well as I invested as much as profit I made on it after remodeling the backyard/pool. I took that money and bought a house in Silicon Valley, and luckily it has tripled in price over the past 15 years, where we have some of the most expensive property in the U.S. and it it still holding it's own. Life is a roller coaster, nobody wins without taking a risk...I remember buying my second house, more than twice what I paid for my first, I was scared...still am in some ways, but it's made me quite a bit of equity by going in debt.

About 5 years laterI bought a piece of lake property just shy of 2 acres that I plan to put my log home on. I own the property outright, and the logs and equipment are paid for. I have planned and continue to work at building this with as little debt as I can.

Originally Posted by hamish

Nothing wrong with an LT10, be it for good or as a stepping stone, if anybody wants to part there LT10 beside my ML26 and try em both out, lets have at er, the end of the day will tell all, sawdust is in our veins.

It's not that it's a bad mill, but it's the bottom of the line WoodMizer. With a lot of acreage I think it makes more sense to get a larger mill, with a more powerful engine. I have a 23HP engine on my Norwood, and I know there have already been times when I wish I had more power. The savings in time alone could be a huge advantage if your milling a lot of timber. Milling on some of the smaller mills can be painful, if you plan to do it a lot, stuff like auto-feed would be nice, and hydraulics is way nicer than wasting your back. But a tractor can do, certainly, it's just more difficult. I drool at those setup with the hydraulics that can turn the logs...that is some slick stuff...;-)

For what gemnii has said, I would think a WoodMizer LT28 should be a consideration for him, or some other stable type portable. The LT10 could be moved in a pickup, as the LT15 could as well. The LT15 has a larger motor option as I recall. The time spent milling can be cut way down with a larger engine, IMO. LT28 is a better towing unit, and LT40 adds hydraulics. There are other options also, don't limit yourself to only WoodMizer.

All that said, I always encourage folks to follow B.Allan Mackie, that is to go the owner-built route and not put yourself in debt, and there are various ways to do it. I am trying to build a 2nd place debt free. I wish I had of done it for my first. However, a sawmill is so valuable in doing this, it pays to invest more in it as you can cut timbers, dimensional lumber (2x4, 2x6, 2x8), flooring, decking, siding, interior even with simple board/batten. Don't cheap out on this tool, it can pay for itself over and over...

Originally Posted by TraditionalTool

Yep, works pretty much the same here in the lower 48...and certainly Mississippi is nothing like buying property in California, but there is some acreage when you get into the boonies and that is not as usable that is more reasonably priced in CA. I guess I just got a bit of humor how gemnii was dropping acreage numbers around like buzzwords, when at the same time interested in the bottom of the line sawmill that WoodMizer offers.
<snip>

It's not that it's a bad mill, but it's the bottom of the line WoodMizer. With a lot of acreage I think it makes more sense to get a larger mill, with a more powerful engine.<snip>

My MAIN purpose all along has been to retire and own a square mile that paid for itself. The primary reason I got into CSM and BSM is that I want to maintain deer plots, watering ponds and firing lanes. Which requires cutting of trees. Also, because of environmental concerns a lot of "clear cut timberland" leaves stands bordering streams. I could have planned to do what so many others in the area do, just cut the trees down to make food plots and lanes and let the trees rot.

I also want to limit access to ATV's at the widest. I've got one parcel where the 4WD crowd gets in, parties and makes the deepest ruts in the roads, which then makes them impassable to my tractor.
Thus my plan all along was a small prime mover (started wanting a skid-steer, got convinced to get a TLB) a small milling capability, and trucking it all down to where the wood was and cutting the lumber on site to build strucures on site. All the while maintaining trails a truck could not go down.

My plans (and I expect flames if I'm completely off) are:
Go in and cut the trees for trails, ponds and food plots
Carry the LT10 on the back of my tractor on a pallet, set up, cut the lumber
Build some nice deer stands, dry off sheds, etc.
Carry any excess lumber out.
All without making a larger trail than my Kubota B7610 (about 5' wide)

For my purposes I could not see the sense in attempting to drag (or yard) trees (almost all <24" DBH) up to half a mile to load them on a trailer to take them to a lumberyard.

And an extension is a great idea:

Originally Posted by gemniii

Well just to wrap up -
<snip>
Yesterday I bought the Woodmizer LT10, 10hp w/ 1 extension and 15 blades,<snip>

That's why I bought one.

Most of my compatriots in the retirement crowd are puttering around the house or the golf course. I proved to myself in the last two years I can still climb and cut trees.

Originally Posted by gemniii

For my purposes I could not see the sense in attempting to drag (or yard) trees (almost all <24" DBH) up to half a mile to load them on a trailer to take them to a lumberyard.

Wait until you tear down and setup that sawmill a few times, you might be giving a second thought to skidding the logs out and having the sawmill all setup to do the work. That is not like a portable mill in the sense that when you move it you will still need to setup and calibrate most likely. Maybe setting it up on a trailer will work. You'll need to be patient with that 10HP engine, for certain, if you have 24" DBH logs. Best of luck to 'ya!

Originally Posted by gemniii

For my purposes I could not see the sense in attempting to drag (or yard) trees (almost all <24" DBH) up to half a mile to load them on a trailer to take them to a lumberyard.

Why would you drag a log?? That's why they invented log arches! You have a 7610 that should be just fine ahead of a good arch, and i'd MUCH prefer to use an arch than keep setting up any mill.

If you do much milling at all, you are going to wish you spend a LITTLE more and got a much BETTER mill for bigger logs.

Rob

The LT10 is a near perfect set up for disassembling and taking it to the logs, two bolts per fame section, esily removeable head, one could re-assemble and be up and cutting in next to no time at all (bolt the rail sections to each other, level, mount mill head.......enjoy a cold drink).

Originally Posted by Sawyer Rob

Why would you drag a log?? That's why they invented log arches! You have a 7610 that should be just fine ahead of a good arch, and i'd MUCH prefer to use an arch than keep setting up any mill.

If you do much milling at all, you are going to wish you spend a LITTLE more and got a much BETTER mill for bigger logs.

Rob

I should have used the word transport, because to me even using a log arch or trailer I'm still dragging something behind me.
Most of my land is hilly, with the roads on the ridges and my lots seem to end in the valley. I want to build trails, food plots and watering ponds. Most of the water is downhill and the trails will be on the order of half a mile or more long, ending at the low spots.

Based on videos, web search, and talking to the Woodmizer sales when I got a hands on the LT10, setting up requires putting down a good level base (some 6x6's), putting down the rails, and putting the head unit on the frame. I plan on doing that about 10 times over the next couple of years. It did not look complicated or time-consuming.

I want to use most of the wood on site, for things from posts to sheds, and don't see the need to carry the trees a half mile out up hill, mill them, and carry them back in. I probably will use some form of log arch or yarding system around the site where I set up to mill the trees.

As far as

spend a LITTLE more and got a much BETTER mill for bigger logs

I've got a pair of 660's to make bigger logs into smaller logs. And your capitilization of "little" makes me wonder what you think "little" is. The on sale Woodmizer LT10 (10HP) came in at about $3.2K, is there something else NEW within 10% of that price, pretty much fully assembled, with warranty? 20%? Yet as light as the LT10? I thought the Norwood ML26 was up at about $4K.
One of my limiting factors, as I've mentioned, is weight, I'm shooting for a limit of around 500lbs. Larger mills weigh more.

Originally Posted by gemniii

Based on videos, web search, and talking to the Woodmizer sales when I got a hands on the LT10

There 'ya go! The answers are out there.

I'm sure you did your homework, and hopefully your mill works out great.

The LT10 will work for you, I'm sure of that. However, Rob has done a fair amount of milling, I believe more than me. Even I tried to offer similar advice. A little more mill goes a long way.

Originally Posted by gemniii

I want to use most of the wood on site, for things from posts to sheds, and don't see the need to carry the trees a half mile out up hill, mill them, and carry them back in. I probably will use some form of log arch or yarding system around the site where I set up to mill the trees.

Why not just setup once and get an area on your property setup for milling. Where you could have a deck, and mill them. If you really do plan to use the wood for sheds and/or buildings, some of the wood might need more processing. You might consider setting up one specific area, where you could have a deck with the logs to be milled, with the mill setup for easy access with the tractor, and where you can easily take that and stack itl A setup like that will greatly increase your productivity, IMO. You'll need to store the wood as you mill it, also, unless you leave it stacked around your property.

Originally Posted by gemniii

And your capitilization of "little" makes me wonder what you think "little" is.

I can't speak for Rob, but knowing now that you learned all about saw milling in about 2 days on the Internet, along with talking to WoodMizer sales, I feel like I wasn't giving you the benefit of the doubt. Your a sharp guy! The rest of us need to learn the honest way, by doing it. Please do post pics when you start felling and milling up your timber. I know I'm anxious to see!

Originally Posted by TraditionalTool

<snip>
Why not just setup once and get an area on your property setup for milling. Where you could have a deck, and mill them. If you really do plan to use the wood for sheds and/or buildings, some of the wood might need more processing. You might consider setting up one specific area, where you could have a deck with the logs to be milled, with the mill setup for easy access with the tractor, and where you can easily take that and stack itl A setup like that will greatly increase your productivity, IMO. You'll need to store the wood as you mill it, also, unless you leave it stacked around your property.
<snip>

Well

Why not just setup once

I plan on trying to be a 1 man operation building with "green" lumber. I'll have 1 trailer, 1 tractor, 1 truck, 1 mill.
Right now I've got 7 separate parcels in Mississippi, and I plan on getting more. Although I like seat time the process of:
transporting logs up the hills with my tractor
loading them onto my trailer
driving them somewhere
offloading
milling
loading the lumber
driving the lumber back to where it was grown
transporting the lumber down to the site
all involves a lot of transport time versus tree felling and milling. And also with all "transport time" I need to add in fuel at $X/gallon.

It seems simpler to drive the milling machine to the site and set up there. And remember, I do plan to set up about 10 times over the 7 properties and taking years for the whole process. This is not a "get this done by tomorrow". I'm just an old retired guy puttering around in his gardens, it'll be about 400 acres of gardens growing trees, but what the heck.

And I'm trying to keep the process extremely "low impact" on both the environment and my wallet. One site has gullies along a logging road that has some erosion over 6' deep, making these roads impassable. Another site the 4 wheeler trucks have started getting into and have made ditches three foot deep where they were just doing tire spinning.

In the back of my mind is the thought process to eventually have these multipurpose narrow trails leading down to a central spot where I can easily yard down selectively harvested trees. The clearcut process is ok for some monoculture stands of SYP but ruins the environment of a mixed hardwood forest.

As always I enjoy this discussion because you guys have helped me "refine" my plans.