I posted a while back about getting a mill. I think I have pretty much decided to not get a stationary type mill, and go portable.
I have been looking at the Granberg, and seems as though that is the standard mill. I also seen the Logosol version, and was wondering if someone can recommend a portable mill.
In case you are unaware there are a number of things about standard alaskan mills that commercial websites will not tell you about. 99% of standard mill users live safely within these limitations but as they say, "once you have seen the city lights the hog farm looks pretty ordinary".
1) Standard mills use bar clamps that:
- use up excess valuable cutting length
- require the mill clamps to be dismantled to replace chain
- if you forget to tighten a clamp the chain can be toast
Mills that connect to the CS bar bolts are generally better all round.
2) If standard mills use a full length horizontal tube handles, these are almost always too low so sharpening the cutters from that side with a file is a PITA or sometimes not possible without lowering the bar away from the mill. Using a 12V grinder is often the way to go for these.
3) Standard mills constantly jam up against logs and almost as much energy is expended pulling the mill away from the log as pushing the mill. Essentially the inboard skids are not much good except when cutting boards from cants. Wheels on the inboard side of mills make a big difference and would be the first mod I would make on a standard mill.
4) Apart from bar clamps standard alaskans have nothing to stand on. So when the mill goes onto the ground the saw, bar and chain are very close to or in the dirt. The solution is feet.
There are more - but that will do for now.