bandmills - woodmizer lt15 - any thoughts ?

[Howie French]

I would really like to purchase a bandmill, hopefully sooner then later :)

I don't need the mill to be trailerable, I don't need high production.
I will just be milling logs for my own use.

I am currently considering something like wood-mizer lt15

Any thoughts/experience with these or similar mills ?

I would consider used, however, they are hard to locate.

http://www.woodmizer.com/en/sawmills/manual/LT15/index.aspx

Howie

[Jim Becker]

No question in my mind...it's a quality product if it's build as nice as their larger systems.

[Greg Cole]

Howie,
I have an uncle who has a Woodmizer... I think his takes logs up to 16' and 30" in diameter. I've seen the stacks of cherry, ash, maple, pine etc off his. They look like the machine does a decent job and they aren't too expensive.
The one thing uncle Gary regrets is not getting the hydraulic "turner" to turn the logs. He's been working in the woods his whole life and is a very stong man (ie uses chainsaws for hours daily etc)... if he complains about that I'll take his word for it.:D

Greg

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Woodmizer makes a good product and has excellent service. The thing I would worry about with a mill like the LT-15 is that it looks like a backbreaker....you would have to constantly bend over to offload boards and work on the log. And you will do more working on the log than you think - trimming, adjusting, looking for and digging out metal (get a decent metal detector), etc.

If you are going to put it in a fixed location and have provision for loading logs you might think of getting it off the ground. The hydraulic turner is a plus (I wish we had one on our LT-40) but if you're in no hurry with a little cant hook practice you will find you can handle a fairly sizeable log pretty easily as long as it's reasonably straight.

[Mike Cutler]

Nice machines. I've seen a few in operation.

In addition to the hydraulics mentioned, I would rethink your position on trailering. It's a lot easier to bring the machine to the log, than the log to the machine sometimes.;)

[Steve Clardy]

Yes. Quality products. Good customer service.

I had a LT-30 for ten years. Couldn't wear it out.

I earned a place in the Million Board Foot Club.

[Chuck Jones]

Sounds like we're all preaching to the choir here, but I'll add one more vote for Woodmizer. I've had my LT-40 for seven years and I can't think of many things I've bought that match it for quality and customer service.

I saw mostly for myself; and some for friends and neighbors. It's hard to keep them away. It seems everyone has a few logs they want sawed. Be prepared for that. If you don't want to do it, I recommend you hide the darned thing in the least visible place on your property and tell no one you have it.

That leads me to a more serious point. If you are only sawing occasionally for yourself I'd think the LT-15 would be fine. But I'm told that it's manual feed and very tiresome if you have to push the carriage through the logs all day long. That's the primary difference between it and the LT-40, etc. as far as I know. I do not have the hydraulic package on mine and that doesn't bother me in the least. I have a manual winch log turner that is optional on the LT-40 (don't know about the LT-15) and it is great for those giant cants that need more muscle than I'm willing the muster up. With a good cant hook an average log is no big deal to turn. I also have an optional "debarker" which was probably a good investment because it cleans a groove for the band and lets them stay sharp longer.