Anyone able to convince me to buy a Woodmizer LT10?

[gemniii]

I had been set on buying the low end Hud-Son from Harbor Freight at less than $2K (potentially $1.6K w/ coupons) last year. It met my needs and was a "name brand", however by the time I sorted out the comments that it was NOT "cheap chinese cra*" from the truth HF switched to a different mfg.

Now after seeing them in person I know I should have bought the Hud-Son at the HF discount price, but am falling towards the Woodmizer LT10 at $3K on sale.

Anybody else at this decision point?

I figure I need to cut up about 100 10' logs before the saw pays for itself (I'll need the lumber anyway) and I've got the logs, the tractor, etc.

Any advice from someone going thru a similar decision process?

 

[ridecaptain]

I purchased a new LT 10 in april and am very pleased with it.I have milled approx. 2500 board feet of Longleaf and Slash pine so far.I've built one shed 12 x 16 and am preparing to build a roof over the mill.I figure the mill paid for itself on the first shed,2x floorboards and 3/4"board and batton siding.These materials would cost $3000.00 if purchased at a lumberyard.Woodmizer speaks for itself with a 2 yr. warranty and a 30 day money back guarantee.I would highly recommend any of their products. I believe they sell the most bang for the buck.

 

[hamish]

You have been trying to make your mind up for quite some time now!!

I went with a Norwood ML26 back in April, after alot of searching and looking, i came down to getting a mill from a well known manufacturer (primarily for support and spares availability if needed), which led me to Woodmizer and Norwood here in Canada. The LT10 up here is for arguements sake 3k ,the LT 15 6k and the ML 26 4K. The LT15 was more money than I wanted to spend as I knew any purchase would end up involving alot on ancillary costs (the extra toys to go along with it). For 4K I got my ML 26 with a 13hp Honda, and some design specs that I saw as a benefit. What pushed me away from the LT10 was the engine choices, 7hp clone engine or a 10hp Briggs, that was my biggest deciding factor. Regardless of my choices and decisions.......................Get an LT10! It will be the most fun you have had since the days when you first met your current wife or girlfriend.................but you will always have the mill and it wont be a pain in your backside most of the time, just your lower back till you have a log deck and bring the rails up to a workable height!

Oh yeah why I bought mine.....................I quit smoking and wanted to get myself something as a reward...........the one thing I didn't have.......a mill and that was from Feb 2011 till April........and I wont' start smoking again cuz I gotta pay for this Mill! September 2011 it will be almost 1/2 paid for the original expenditure, so just a drop in the sand. Now I think about milling 24/7........my CSM is parked (but ready) spending time learning and trying new things to see what works best for me.............the number one thing I have learned thus far, take your time and understand why things happen, and number two if you dont sharpen your own bands refer to number 1 as the set is so messed up after sending them out to be resharped. Postal service/ups/fedex light box football!

 

[tomsteve]

i think you should go for at least an lt40. and even an lt70!!:jester:

 

[willbarryrec]

Do it!

:msp_biggrin:
:hmm3grin2orange:
And then PM me were you are in Va and maybe I can give you a hand moving logs around sometime!

 

[gemniii]

:msp_biggrin:
:hmm3grin2orange:
And then PM me were you are in Va and maybe I can give you a hand moving logs around sometime!

I'll either have the mill in NE Mississippi (about 300 acres of trees) or Vermont (about 30 acres of trees), I've only got about 3/4 acres in Virginia

tomsteve - I was also leaning to an LT28, but I'm growing and sawing for personal consumption, not profit. I retire tomorrow after 37 yrs w/ the Army as a soldier and civilian, hopefully my retiree pay will support me. I've already designated one 30x20 workshop as tractor/sawyer shed. In the back of my mind is to move the LT10 to Vermont for summer vacations and get an LT40 hydro for Mississippi. But SWMBO views (and rightfully so) $3k as OK and $27K as NO WAY.

hamish - Yes, I sits and thinks a long time, plus I don't really have the room for it in Virginia. The place I'm buying in Mississippi has 4 shops with about 5,000 to 6,000 sq ft, covered on concrete, with doors and electricity, and I'm wrangling to pick up a surrounding 73 acre parcel with about 25 acres of 15 to 20 year old pine that needs thinning. Most of my other lots are about a half hour away.
One of the forcing factors in my decision is being able to create narrow trails (to narrow for a truck, wide enough for my tractor (Kubota B7610, 5' wide)). And I want to be able to carry the mill on my 3pt pallet forks. The LT10 is at the limit of what I can carry. And MOST of my trees in Mississippi are under 24". If I carry it up to Vermont I'm going to have to do a bunch of CSM to get the cant size down. But I love the smell of 2stroke in the morning.

ridecaptain - Glad to here of your experience. The only bad thing I've heard about Woodmizer LT10's is along the lines "I wish I had bought one sooner", even though it was $4,000 when they introduced it.

Now - how many blades, and extensions?

 

[ridecaptain]

I purchased 1 extra bed extension,this allows me to cut 16'.and purchased 5 blades,the mill comes with 1. I am on my third blade now, Nails shortened the life of first 2,you may want to consider a metal detector. You also may want to consider a sharpener and a setter,check out (precision sharpener) I built my own setter and have been using a 4-1/2" grinder freehand to sharpenso far with fairly good results. I will either purchase a precision sharpener or build one in future,havn't decided yet.Watch the Youtube videos on precision sharpeners,very poorly narrated and boring,but very informative.

 

[hamish]

The number of bands and the number of extensions boils down to your ancillary equipment, you dont have a sharpener or setter so you will need more bands than a person that sharpens there own. Never rely on the supply chain unless your are an integral part of that chain, it sucks wanting to mill but have no bands as you are waiting for your sharpened one to come on the next truck, or begin milling and have a mishap and have to forgo a days-weeks milling waiting for bands. I sharpen/set my own bands (sharpening is an art in itself) and have currently 32 bands, 15 new in reserve, 10 set up for softwoods, 5 set up for hardwoods, and 2 training bands (see how many times I can sharpen them, try new things with etc..... Most days milling I use 5-7 bands, then onther days I use 4 in half an hour, and carry on with the other for the rest of the day. Then I have to sharpen the ones I have used at the end of the day or prior to my next days milling........So if I do not keep up with things but intend on milling for five continuous days I need min 30 bands, and a Murphy allowance. Bands are like bullets you can never have to many, and you never know when you are going to need them.

For bed extensions yes we all want to cut that mother of all trees and have a beam thats
14"x36'! In reality unless you have the means to move it your done. I stuck with a 16' bed that allows me to cut a lil over 12'. If you find that the LT10 is at near the Max for lifting on your tractor, long logs and hardwood will tax your equipment even more. Improvise, adapt and overcome, mechanical advantage is your friend, think outside of the box. I can load my mill faster with a piece of rope and a lil walk than I can with my over- engineered 2500lb warn winch set up.

 

[qbilder]

I bought this mill from a guy on ebay. It was a calculated risk, well thought through before pulling the trigger. It's based on a Linn design & utilizes Linn components. I have been happy as a two peckered puppy. Cuts very true & cut through the center of anything I can possibly handle without getting a large CSM. Does a FULL 30" cut. Still experimenting with different brands & styles of blades. Some cut slow but smooth while some are aggressive & fast. For $5G's it comes with axle & bed extension to mill 16' logs. The 16hp motor has only bogged once on me & that was milling through a twisty, burly hard maple. I welded on some RV jacks that I bought at HF for cheap, all four corners. Makes it EASY for me alone to remove and reinstall the axle. I only remove the axle to mill large, heavy logs. Had it for almost a year now & am really just getting started with it. It hasn't seen it's limits yet & that's not because I haven't tried. Hauled it from northern main Michigan down to southern New Mexico, cruising hundreds of miles at a time at 80mph+. Towed true & smooth.

 

[qweesdraw]

I bought a used LT 10 a few months ago 2k.
The briggs 7 hp seems a little under powered.
as far as bands-100 board FT and they are spent (of course conditions)
Use alot of water to cool your bands they will stay sharper.
If your a newbie to milling plan on dulling 3 bands quick (just because you gotta learn.)
bands are $18 each about $10 to resharp with shipping both ways.(3x and the bands are spent)
i would get 10 new-when they are dull ,order more-send in the others.(resharp PA?)
I give customer service@ woodmizer 5 stars!
Mark

 

[gemniii]

I bought a used LT 10 a few months ago 2k.
The briggs 7 hp seems a little under powered.
as far as bands-100 board FT and they are spent (of course conditions)
Use alot of water to cool your bands they will stay sharper.
If your a newbie to milling plan on dulling 3 bands quick (just because you gotta learn.)
bands are $18 each about $10 to resharp with shipping both ways.(3x and the bands are spent)
i would get 10 new-when they are dull ,order more-send in the others.(resharp PA?)
I give customer service@ woodmizer 5 stars!
Mark

100 board feet and the band is done? (I'm actually assuming you meant 100 square feet) So on one 24" log I can only go 8 feet and make 6 passes?
Thanks for the input.

 

[tomsteve]

congradulations on your retirement! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR OUR FREEDOM!!!!!! my son's an army soldier. got back from "the sand box: july 2nd.just finished his fisrt 6 years he signed up for and re upped for 6 more.

 

[qbilder]

You should be getting way more than 100bf/blade.

 

[SDB777]

You should be getting way more than 100bf/blade.

I'm getting far more then that.
But all I've been milling is Black Walnut, Osage Orange, and some ERC....



Woodmizer selling a 15 pack of blades. I got a box that size, and when dull I'll send my blades out to be sharpened 7 or 8 at a time. Local fella in Pottsville does them...so I'll keep him in business if I can get some blades dull.






Scott b

 

[willbarryrec]

I'll either have the mill in NE Mississippi (about 300 acres of trees) or Vermont (about 30 acres of trees), I've only got about 3/4 acres in Virginia

Oh well,got to go where the land and the trees are . I just have the sawdust itch real bad....

Now that I think about it I remember you posted about some land a while back.

All the best with your retirement and thank you for your service to our country!




(Oh and pics of the mill would be great sometime.)

 

[twoclones]

Now after seeing them in person I know I should have bought the Hud-Son at the HF discount price, but am falling towards the Woodmizer LT10 at $3K on sale.

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!

 

[qbilder]

I'm getting far more then that.
But all I've been milling is Black Walnut, Osage Orange, and some ERC....



Woodmizer selling a 15 pack of blades. I got a box that size, and when dull I'll send my blades out to be sharpened 7 or 8 at a time. Local fella in Pottsville does them...so I'll keep him in business if I can get some blades dull.






Scott b

Yeah, I cut mostly hard maple, usually burled &/or figured and often times dead & dry. I also cut burls of any type, cherry, oaks, walnut, ash, hickory, pecan, mulberry, etc. as it comes. The softest thing I cut would be aspen, and possibly standing dead pine. I'm running WM 7deg. blades right now (not my favorite) & the blade that's on now has thus far cut roughly 500bf of burled hard maple. Got some oak burl & dead dry fig to cut today & unless I hit a rock, i'm confident the blade will last all day.

I get my logs from up in the mountains here, above 9,000ft. elevation. The hardwoods are few & far between but basically mutated versions of the hardwoods in the Appalachians. They don't grow as fast or nearly as large, and are most often burled or dog legged with good curly figure. Finding straight, clean saw logs is almost impossible. We have one tree here that is a close match to box elder in every aspect except hardness. It only grows high on top of the mountains & is harder than sugar maple, likely the hardest wood in these forests that I have found thus far. Beautiful stuff when figured but hardest on the mill. I cut 300-400bf of it & the blade is done, begging for a swap out. Our version of cherry is also very, very hard like that, and very deep red. But if cutting fresh oak, which is either canyon or gambel oak, I cut all day long on a blade. If I were only getting 100bf/blade, i'd get a circle mill.

 

[gemniii]

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!

7' bed extensions are $295@

 

[TraditionalTool]

i came down to getting a mill from a well known manufacturer (primarily for support and spares availability if needed), which led me to Woodmizer and Norwood here in Canada.

I bought a used Norwood Lumbermate 2000 and I found Norwood to be less than stellar in the customer service and support arena. They seem more worried about going out of business then they are about taking care of existing customers, IMO.

Woodmizer, OTOH, is more than willing to help anyone, even those that do not own their mills.

This is not to say that Norwood doesn't have a decent product, I think they do...just that I'm not sure I could rely on them to supply parts in the event something breaks. Fortunately they are mostly common parts.

 

[hamish]

I bought a used Norwood Lumbermate 2000 and I found Norwood to be less than stellar in the customer service and support arena. They seem more worried about going out of business then they are about taking care of existing customers, IMO.

Woodmizer, OTOH, is more than willing to help anyone, even those that do not own their mills.

This is not to say that Norwood doesn't have a decent product, I think they do...just that I'm not sure I could rely on them to supply parts in the event something breaks. Fortunately they are mostly common parts.

I somewhat argee, so for parts they should be more than willing to deal with the new owner of the mill, so long as the ownership has been transfered (just a pre-cautionary act on there part to try and save another Morewood incident). I bought my Norwood ML26 new and a Norwood sharpener used, had one hell of a time trying to get a manual for my sharpener, Norwood finally co-operated and sent me a partial manual from the LM24 owners manual, when I asked "when people buy a brandnew sharpener from you do they not get a manual with it???...........well they couldn't find one on the computer...................kind of pisses me off when i read the manual and it says to refer to the section I don't have!
Regardless it is a good product, Woodmizer here in Canada is good to an extent but its really bad when I can buy Woodmizer blades from a re-seller cheaper than I can from woodmizer and no shipping!