Peterson dedicated slabber

[Craig D Peltier]

Anyone know the cost on a new Peterson dedicated slabber giant or there normal sized one? Seems like a big mystery on the internet, I have requested there price sheet and a quote... Still waiting.
i understand it has options but I'm not sure of the basic price or with options etc.

Or how about a lucas dedicated slabber?

i know of a Peterson slabber that also comes with and 8 inch dimensional mill from Peterson for $19500 that's the only baseline I have. It's used.

thanks

[Larry Edgerton]

Google "Turbosaw" The Peterson saw was developed by Peterson and then stolen by investors, the Turbosaw is the next generation developed by Peterson. Very cool!

Lucas is sold by Baileys in California. I have had good service from Baileys although I have no experience with the Lucas saw.

I too would like a slabber.

Larry

[Craig D Peltier]

Peterson still hasn't got back to me on prices. All I need to make my decision between bandsaw mill and a Peterson or lucas is the price of a Peterson. Just called UK but there closes. Only 815 am here.

Any opinions on band sawmill slabber verse a lucas or Peterson? I. Know the Peterson and lucas are transportable. The bandsaw I would have built wouldn't be, doesn't need to be. Bandsaw would have 36 inch wheels and a 2 inch blade and 25 hp electric start motor. 60 inch throat. Typical swans have 1.5 inch blade and smaller wheels. I'm trying to prevent diving with the thinner blade.

[Craig D Peltier]

Hi Larry, I'm pretty sure turbo sawmill is only a swing blade, didn't see anything for slabbing from them.


Google "Turbosaw" The Peterson saw was developed by Peterson and then stolen by investors, the Turbosaw is the next generation developed by Peterson. Very cool!

Lucas is sold by Baileys in California. I have had good service from Baileys although I have no experience with the Lucas saw.

I too would like a slabber.

Larry

[Bill Orbine]

Not sure if there's a difference between slabber and bandsaw sawmill. However, I noted that Wood Mizer is now making WIDE bandsaw mills. An LT15 wide cutting 36" wide foe under $9,000 to start. Perhaps this is worthy investigating.

[Mark Bolton]

There was a really impressive custom built slabber over on wood web a while back. I googled it up and it was made by a guy named Brian Lorentzen. May be worth a look.

[Craig D Peltier]

36 inch is tiny for trees around here. Plus you buy a 36 it can only cut a slab like 32 ish normally. There's tons of those around here. I want 60 or so.


Not sure if there's a difference between slabber and bandsaw sawmill. However, I noted that Wood Mizer is now making WIDE bandsaw mills. An LT15 wide cutting 36" wide foe under $9,000 to start. Perhaps this is worthy investigating.

[Craig D Peltier]

There was a really impressive custom built slabber over on wood web a while back. I googled it up and it was made by a guy named Brian Lorentzen. May be worth a look.
That thing is like a circle cutter on steroids!

[Larry Edgerton]

I was looking into making one out of a harvester and chain driven by my tractor. I still may go that route. You would have a rough cut but who cares?

Larry

[Bradley Gray]

Check here: http://sawmillexchange.com/view_products/169/

[Craig D Peltier]

Thanks, prices weren't bad. I have heard the oscars aren't built very strong. I can have a 60 built with auto feed, electric start, auto up and down for 17k. 36 inch wheels.
thanks


Check here: http://sawmillexchange.com/view_products/169/

[Jim Andrew]

Why not do a thread on forestryforum.com? Those guys deal with mills every day. The mill you are describing sounds underpowered with a 25 hp engine. I have a 25hp Kohler on my little mp32 cooks mill, and it seems about right for 19" wheels and 1 1/4" wide blade. My neighbors got a Timberking 1600, it will cut a max of 36" log, and also has the 25hp Kohler engine. Nothing against the engine, many run thousands of hours on a bandmill.

[Bill Orbine]

36 inch is tiny for trees around here. Plus you buy a 36 it can only cut a slab like 32 ish normally. There's tons of those around here. I want 60 or so.

Suddenly I feel very small:o Some how I got the 36" burned in my head when in fact you mentioned wheel sizes to be 36". You did mention 60" throat in you original post. My apologies.

[Scott T Smith]

Craig, I own a dedicated slabber with a7' bar, a Peterson WPF mill, and a Baker 3638d band mill. Each one has its specific purpose.

If you can describe what you want to do, I will be glad to share my knowledge.

scott

[Craig D Peltier]

Craig, I own a dedicated slabber with a7' bar, a Peterson WPF mill, and a Baker 3638d band mill. Each one has its specific purpose.

If you can describe what you want to do, I will be glad to share my knowledge.

scott

Hi Scott, I sell slabs. Most trees are 36 and up , up to 20'. I usually have them delivered to where I'm going to mill them. 95 percent is hardwood. Domestics. I have been around a few band mills and one alaskan for a lot of large logs. Tuesday I get to see a lucas cutting a 50x16 foot maple of mine. It's time to buy a mill, can't decide between dedicated Peterson or lucas slabber with maybe the swing saws as well for occasional dimensional work. Or a bandsaw mill without hydraulics for slabbing only. I would think dimensional might be a pain in a large throat band mill?

[Scott T Smith]

Craig, if I were in your shoes my first choice would be a manual band mill (as long as you had log handling equipment on site). If cost were not an object, the Woodmizer 1000 would be my first choice. It is fairly pricey (60K) and requires a dedicated site on a concrete slab, but it's a hydraulic mill with a wide throat (67") and excellent production capacity. On a more economical scale, the Hud-son Oscar 52 is a budget priced manual bandmill that can make a 48" wide cut. You can get into a new one with reasonable HP and track extensions suitable for 20' logs for under 20K.

A swing blade mill coupled with slabber attachment from either Lucas or Peterson is also an option. This would allow you to make dimensional lumber as well as operate a slabber. There are three drawbacks to the Lucas/Peterson slabbers, and those are 1) size of the kerf (3/8" for the slabber versus 1/16" for the Hud-son), 2) time it takes to switch between the two heads, and 3) and operating cost. The narrow kerf band mill will cost much less per bd. ft to operate versus the chain slabber. Typically in a 48" diameter log due to kerf losses you will net one slab more with the band mill as compared with the chain slabber. If you mill a lot of slabs, that loss of profit will add up. Additionally, large slabber chains can run $150.00, and if you hit metal you may trash the chain. Chains cost a lot more to sharpen than bands too (a band that size will run around $40 bucks and cost 7 bucks to sharpen)

Lucas and Peterson both make great sawmills, but Lucas's US HQ is near you in northern California (Left Coast Supplies). They have a great reputation for support, and the principle's have been working with/on Lucas mills for many years.

If you don't have log handling equipment, then your only choice will be a Lucas or Peterson system, as they will allow you to set the mill up "around the log". With the Hud-son, you will have to place the log on the mill (which sits flat on the ground), and we both know that it's not practical to move a 36"+ log with a cant hook!

You are correct that milling standard dimensional lumber is a pain in a manual band mill that is optimized for slabbing large logs.

One thing that we occasionally do on some of our large logs is to mill a combination of dimensional lumber plus slabs from a log. Having the combination of dedicated slabber and swing blade mill on the same track makes that easy to accomplish (but more costly due to the fact that two complete sawmill carriage assemblies and engines are required). It also allows us to mill both leg stock as well as tops from the same log and offer them as a matched package.

If you can keep the bulk of your logs under 48" wide, you can mill them on the Hud-son and sub the larger ones out to a local operation with a slabber. In time as revenues allow you can consider either adding a dedicated slabber to your operation for the larger logs or upgrading to the WM1000.

[Craig D Peltier]

Thanks scott, a lot of good info. I do have a 7800lb capacity forklift that runs good on crushed asphalt and hard ground.
A lot of good info, thanks. Yes wm1000 would be a nice saw down the line, for now under or at 20k is okay. I can get one built with 60 throat band mill for under 20k. They also offer a 48 for 10k plus adding upgrades, auto feed, longer track electric start larger engine, might be around 15.

Thanks



Craig, if I were in your shoes my first choice would be a manual band mill (as long as you had log handling equipment on site). If cost were not an object, the Woodmizer 1000 would be my first choice. It is fairly pricey (60K) and requires a dedicated site on a concrete slab, but it's a hydraulic mill with a wide throat (67") and excellent production capacity. On a more economical scale, the Hud-son Oscar 52 is a budget priced manual bandmill that can make a 48" wide cut. You can get into a new one with reasonable HP and track extensions suitable for 20' logs for under 20K.

A swing blade mill coupled with slabber attachment from either Lucas or Peterson is also an option. This would allow you to make dimensional lumber as well as operate a slabber. There are three drawbacks to the Lucas/Peterson slabbers, and those are 1) size of the kerf (3/8" for the slabber versus 1/16" for the Hud-son), 2) time it takes to switch between the two heads, and 3) and operating cost. The narrow kerf band mill will cost much less per bd. ft to operate versus the chain slabber. Typically in a 48" diameter log due to kerf losses you will net one slab more with the band mill as compared with the chain slabber. If you mill a lot of slabs, that loss of profit will add up. Additionally, large slabber chains can run $150.00, and if you hit metal you may trash the chain. Chains cost a lot more to sharpen than bands too (a band that size will run around $40 bucks and cost 7 bucks to sharpen)

Lucas and Peterson both make great sawmills, but Lucas's US HQ is near you in northern California (Left Coast Supplies). They have a great reputation for support, and the principle's have been working with/on Lucas mills for many years.

If you don't have log handling equipment, then your only choice will be a Lucas or Peterson system, as they will allow you to set the mill up "around the log". With the Hud-son, you will have to place the log on the mill (which sits flat on the ground), and we both know that it's not practical to move a 36"+ log with a cant hook!

You are correct that milling standard dimensional lumber is a pain in a manual band mill that is optimized for slabbing large logs.

One thing that we occasionally do on some of our large logs is to mill a combination of dimensional lumber plus slabs from a log. Having the combination of dedicated slabber and swing blade mill on the same track makes that easy to accomplish (but more costly due to the fact that two complete sawmill carriage assemblies and engines are required). It also allows us to mill both leg stock as well as tops from the same log and offer them as a matched package.

If you can keep the bulk of your logs under 48" wide, you can mill them on the Hud-son and sub the larger ones out to a local operation with a slabber. In time as revenues allow you can consider either adding a dedicated slabber to your operation for the larger logs or upgrading to the WM1000.

[Gregg Grande]

Howdy Craig,
I see this thread is a little dated but, if you're interested in talking about, or even seeing a demonstration of the models we have to suit your purposes, please give us a call.
Regards
Gregg
Gregg Grande
Left Coast Supplies LLC
1615B South Main Street Willits, CA 95490
888-995-7307 Ph 707-602-0141 Fax707-602-0134 Cell 707-354-3212
E-Mail gregg@leftcoastsupplies.com (gregg@leftcoastsupplies.com) www.leftcoastsupplies.com (http://www.leftcoastsupplies.com/)