woodchuck sawmill

Hey guys...
was looking through Craigslist the other day and i saw someone looking for an Allis model G. I have one my father and I bought a few years ago...got running with the intention of fixing up and using to run wagons around the farm...life and 8,000 other projects have gotten in the way and the G sits where we parked it last time we used it.
I called the guy just to see what he was looking to pay and if we might have something of interest...never thought about selling it...but when I thought about it...the poor tractor sits and waits for someone to pay attention to it.

When I talked to the guy...turns out he builds sawmills for a living, under the woodchuck brand. Small, homeowner bandsaws...24" capacity...might be interested in a trade...

I have always wanted a mill to use but have never been able to justify forking $$ for it...

So...just wondering if anyone has experience with these mills? They are built in the Utica, NY area.

We considered them along with several others when looking for a mill back in 2007. I found that at that time the best value was a Turner mill made by Bill Turner in Oxford NY. THe price is about the same now as it was then, $4500 for a mill that will take a 30" log 17' long and has a 10 HP Briggs engine vs the Woodchuck costing over $5k and having a 24" capacity and 13' length and a 7 HP engine on the base model. I would wonder if you'd be better off selling the tractor and buying another mill unless he is giving you a better deal than the general public. There may be other brands that are a better deal yet, I haven't done any comparison looking since 07, but since you are in NY I would think about the Turner. I have been very happy with ours and have sawed wood to build some buildings here and sold lumber totalling several times what we paid for it.
Zach

may i be the first!
how much wood could a woodchuck chuck,
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
he would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
and chuck as much as a woodchuck should
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Here is a link:
Zach
Turner Mills

Thanks for the response Zach,
Those turner mills do look nice...
I don't know if i would be $$ ahead to sell the G separate as we are going to negotiate from his cost (or somewhere near) rather than the retail...
They look like pretty hardy mills though pricey...
got the G for a steal though and he seems to really want one soon...not a ton of them for sale at a reasonable price around here...
i am interested to see where negotiations take us...I wasnt in the market to sell the G and have always wanted a mill but never wanted to pony up the $$ ... hoping it works out and if not...i am in the same place I was yesterday before I saw his add...

he offers several different engines from 7.5hp up to 16, on a 24" mill...what are your thoughts...what would be ideal...we would probably cut a fair amount of hardwood...oak...

thanks,

I started out with a 10 HP and last fall when it was getting tired I bought a 13 HP harbor freight engine to try out on it. It is just a matter of how fast you want to cut. I have maxed out the size on the 30" mill a few times but we have few trees here on the premises that are that big or bigger. The issue is not so much that the log overall is too big but most logs are not perfectly straight and you have to find a way to get the legs of the mill head past both sides at the same time all the way down the log. I would ask to run it before you commit to the deal and see what you think. It looks like it would be very easy for material to build up on the rails where the head rolls and anything there will throw your alignment and straightness of cut out of whack. Some of the pictures on the website show what looks like buildup of sawdust there. The Turner has pulley wheels that run on a 1/4" wide track and the C channel frame covers the tops of the wheels so that sawdust doesn't fall from the head directly on the wheels or the track. The other thing I would look at is the steel of the main beams. The Turner I have has 3x4x1/4" (if I remember right) angle iron for the lengthwise frame of the bed, if the 2x4 tubing is thinner I would be nervous of it. It is surprising how much hard a log lands on the mill when you turn it or roll it on and it can really do a number on lightly built frames from what I have read. You could also ask on forestryforum or woodweb sawing and drying forum to see if anyone has had personal experience with your mill.
Zach

my first mill had a gx390 the 13 hp honda it cant be beat for what you want thats the engine I would go for. no matter what mill you have the secret is to keep your blades sharp and set. and keep your logs clean.