Rick C.

I've been researching mills for a while.Started out looking at used bandsaw mills,not much luck unless I'm willing to fork over 8k or better.Seems no one is selling the manual mills once they get them.In the northern catalog ther are acouple in the 5-7k range new and I figured it wouldn't be too hard to find something in that range used cheaper.As usual I figure wrong.I started looking at chainsaw mills and saw the logosolM7 & woodworker mills.I like the idea of getting the log high enough so I don't have old,fat,self crawling on the ground as with the Alaskan mills.The price seems reasonable and I could also use a bigger saw.
Does anyone here have an opinion or experience with this mill?Is the Huskey 385xp powerfull enough or should I upgrade?Does anyone know of another manufacturer of a similar mill?
It also never fails that after I buy something a better deal pops up or I find I made a big mistake.Any help is always appreciated.
Thanks,
Rick

Termite

The 385 is a good powerful saw but you need all the power you can get for a mill. A 120cc saw is ideal. I guess how much to be milled would be important.

Rick C.

Termite,
I have called logosol and asked about the 395xp upgrade because in their site they used the 395 for a shootout.The rep said they reccomend the 385 because of less vibration and smoother cut.The mill can be purchased w/o the saw and I'm checking on the 880,3120 and Jonsereds 2186.
Thanks,
Rick

Daren

Well here is my $.02. Logosol is a very good company, the M7 is a well designed piece of equipment...but at the end of the day it's still a chainsaw mill.
There has been much discussion of chainsaw mills here, I would like to have one with people with experience using them chime in (since I have none) with the pros and cons.
Off the top of my head, cons:

2 stroke powerplant that I don't care what anyone says is not made for this kind of work and it will shorten it's life IMO. Then a guy is out looking for another $700-$1000 chainsaw. My little 13 HP Honda has 1000's of hours on it (no hour meter) and still runs like the day I got it and I expect it to for several more years...if not $600 at the lawn mower shop next door.

Noisy, I would not want to hear a chainsaw run for hours on end.

Mixing gas/oil, keeping a 5 gallon bucket of bar oil too.

The last thing I can think of is the labor vs. bft in an hr/day. Logosols site said they broke the 200 bft hr mark at a shootout...that is with a 2 man team. Still pretty darn good for a chainsaw mill though. By myself on my cheapest of cheap little TA Schmid 400 bft an hour is not working very hard (2 logs 24" diameter X 8' long). The guys with "real sawmills" here can double my bft per hr easy.

Pros:

Obvious portability both in the field and storage when not in use.

Blade sharpening equipment is inexpensive compared to bandsaws, you can afford to do the chains yourself.

Slightly cheaper initial investment. Not as much as most would think once it all adds up. I spend $4500 on mine and so far the only thing other than gas/crankcase oil/bandblade sharpening I have spent was $4 for a new starter rope (that was enough for 2, bought a spare)

I would like to see others weigh in on the subject, add to what I said or correct me if you know better. Just about everyone I have ever talked to who "started" with a chainsaw mill either quit milling or upgraded to a bandmill. So a guy has to think about trade-in/resale on his chainsaw mill. Like I said Logosol is a good company and I would think a guy would do alright there.

Very limited part time use I think chainsaw mills have their place. A "weekend warrior" who has some timber and some time. Having said that the M7 with a powerhead is $3000...for round numbers if a guy can get a local sawyer with a bandmill to saw for $.30 bft that is 10,000 bft of lumber sawn by a pro and a guy doesn't have to fight that chainsaw mill. 10,000 bft is alot of work with a chainsaw mill, I would suspect ...and how many $100's will a guy have in gas/oil milling 10,000 bft...another $1000 ? My 4 stroke runs all day on $5 gas, and I can mill a big pile in a day even with my little manual mill.

For my money I would keep looking for a bandmill. They are out there. I think TexasTimbers sold one he had that was in real good shape for under $4000 (if I am wrong TT correct me) when he upgraded to a bigger WoodMizer.

__________________


http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/ ...Urban logging/tool sharpening

Julian the woodnut

Rick, I would heed Darens warning. Think of more than the initial investment, and look at the longterm issues. Patience is a must when hunting down a great deal, so hold off till the right one comes your way.

rocklobster

If you are going to take milling seriously, I wouldn't reccomend going with a chain saw mill. I buy most of my lumber in the classifieds but will occasionally mill a tree with a CSM. It's hard work and takes a lot of time to turn out much.

I am okay with it as I do only one or two trees a year at this point. However, I'm looking into finding a sawmill to do work for me since I have someone willing to give me some trees.

Despite Daren's lack of experience with them, his advice was very accurate as far as what I know.

Good luck.

Rob

Rodney Sinclair

Rick, I have the M7 mill for several years now and can tell you it will do everything Logosol says it will. And I use the Husky 385 with it. The saw is all you really need, I think. I got 4 bars I use with it. The 16", 20", 24" and 36". I'd say 90% of the time I use the 16" and most of the other 10% I use the 24". The 36" is used mostly for quartering logs for the 1220 TimberKing band mill I also have.

Darin hit on most of the things for you, but I'll add this. I'll turn 65 in Nov and I promise you either mill will do more than I want to anymore. And you better have a tractor of some sort to help.

The M7 with the 385 costs about half of the 1220 new. The M7 cuts 17' and the 1220 at that price cuts 12'. Another section of deck to cut 17' on the 1220 run around $800.

I don't remember what they said the M7 weight is but it's heavy enough you just don't run around in the woods with the thing. The truth here is the 1220 is easier to move and set up than the M7.

Chains and band blades are a whole story by themself. If you get a chainsaw mill, you will learn about sharpening chains. You gotta keep them sharp. Not just sharp but sharp sharp. You will also learn about bar and saw maint.

Bandblade sharpening is another story. All I'll say here is I do with a stone on a RAS. There is a thread on here from back a couple of months with some pic.

Other than that I'll say that when I got the bandmill, I kept the M7 chainsaw mill and still use it a good bit. To me, they are worth it.

Hope this helps
Rodney

Attached Images

 

Daren

Yea I thought that was pretty clever. 1" Stone

Thanks for chiming in Rodney, someone with personal experience not just me rambling on. So you would say you are using the M7 on smaller logs then ? And the bandmill for larger diameter ones. The reason I ask is when a guy is mill shopping he needs to take into account the kinda logs he has access to (size, hardwood/softwood)

__________________


http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/ ...Urban logging/tool sharpening

Rodney Sinclair

Daren, I can mill larger stuff on the M7 than on the 1220. On the TimberKing, about 30'' is max. And it has to be a stright log. That doesn't happen often. And I have milled Red Oak over 60" with that M7. Lot of work and double cuts but I got it done.

I kept the M7 for several reasons. First I didn't really need the money and it is a lot more fun to work with. And if I got the 1220 off somewhere else doing a job, I still got a mill at home. But I guess the biggest reason is most people think it's a joke and a toy. You just can't be a sawyer unless you got a bandmill. You know how it is.

And the saw! Well, I gotta have a big saw either way and the 385 does do the job.

Rodney

Attached Images

  

Daren

There is your answer Rick...2 sawmills

I don't want to give the impression I think chainsaw mills are toys, far from it. In the right circumstances they have thier place in the sawmill world. Around here though a bandmill is most practical for me (and some consider my mill a toy ) Sawing hardwood logs up to 36" diameter like mine will handle I just would not want to do with a chainsaw mill. The big ones, like in my avatar, I still have to resort to a chainsaw to bust it. To each his own for sure. This discussion is just the things to think about which ever way a guy goes.

Ease of use
Daily and long term upkeep
Intial investment and future expenses

__________________


http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/ ...Urban logging/tool sharpening

TexasTimbers

This discussion settles it for me; I'm keeping my sawmill and my CSM.

Actually I don't have a CSM, or you could say I am the CSM since I freehand everything. I pretty much only use the long bars to take crotch flitches out and also to quarter logs too large for the mill.

Rick I don't think I can add anything to what has been said. I have no experience with an actual CSM either. I've had a 4 stroke slabber "on the drawing board" for about 4 years. Have all the major components just need to carve the time out to fabricate the frame and throw the compnents together in some sort of logical manner. Maybe I'll get a round to it one of these years.

I'd keep looking for a used band mill. I want to say I sold mine for $4500 but can't remember that far back. They're out there in that range though, you just have to keep looking.....

__________________
.


.
Flame Box Elder

Rick C.

Thanks Guys,
I know exactly what I'm gonna do now.Wife!Bring me my drivers liscense I forgot my name again.Need a bigger chainsaw,chainsaw mill kills two birds with one stone,even though chains will differ.
Bandsaw mill a little higher initially but maint. and fuel/oil costs are lower and get bigger saw later.Oh,wait I still haven't busted this big cherry open yet,need bigger saw to cut it.Then again,4more days of swingin' this sledge hammer and I should get it and save the $1400.I don't need to be in a hurry,I have 3 log piles in the yard,1 pile in the pasture another at the sawyer.Problem is one pile was supposed to be done a month ago,my kiln is empty and the lumber stack is dwindling .
As usual there are many excellent points.the reason I ask here,I'll keep looking and try to keep the panic levels down.
If anyone wants a killer deal on a mill wait 'til after I buy one and many will go on sale cheap.
Thanks again guys,pros and cons are what I was lookin' for.
Still have a few months I gave myself to look.
Rick