cheap bandsaw mill?

swindave · Mar 25, 2022

does anyone have any experience with the cheaper band sawmills?
I have a lot of ash trees dying, and was hoping to get something out of them,
besides firewood!

harbor freight and another company have one priced at around 2500 dollars,

now, I don't want to saw full time, just for a hobby, does anyone have any experience with a small mill?
or should I just forget about it?
thanks for any and all help!

jm. · Mar 25, 2022

O>K> You asked at 79 years of age I on my 4th wood-mizer. I have seen more money wasted on folks trying to build their own mill or buying those cheap mills. Firs off it is just too much work for the return with those lay on the ground mills. You can make more money working at something else and buy the lumber. Now I know you are going to say you have the dead ash so no cost. Fuel is not cheap and blades have to be replaced. IF you are sure you want to save a little more and buy a used better mill. Nothing on the market better than wood-mizer but lots of folks get by with Norwood and some others ,,just my experience

Fritz Maurer · Mar 25, 2022

I dont know a thing in the world about a wood mizer , except that they are a well known name. But I doubt that you can get much cheaper than $2500 and not have a piece of junk. Gonna have to decide how bad you want to do it . Location will play a part in whether you can make any money custom sawing (I know you said you didnt want to do that, but I wouldnt discount it at the outset) once in a while to help pay for the mill. Im new at it too, I initially wanted to saw for my own needs, but I got hooked up with a carpenter who can market the stuff, and were sawing little logs into cants for cabinet makers, or saw to their specs if they like. I had a lot of Osage orange, mulberry and cherry from the firewood guy this year, I just could not bear burning that stuff anymore. It was just scrap from his firewood business so I told him to cut the trees as long as possible and we buy the logs. But sometimes he needs something sawed so at times the wood is free. The point of this rather long story is maybe you can get an investor to help buy a decent mill, and work out some terms til its paid for.

T.R.K. · Mar 25, 2022

Dad bought one similar (but homemade) to those lay down units and it works well except that it is slow. Of course we mounted it on a trailer so it could be easier to transport and get it up higher to ease the back pains a bit (If that could be possible.)

Some drawbacks: 1. you have to turn the log 4 times. I think Woodmizer gets theirs squared in three turns.

2. You really need some way to handle the logs to the mill.

So far I have experimented with three different ways to cut a tapered log and none have been satisfactory, although the last way worked better than the others.

TimV · Mar 25, 2022

Been sawing with our family's wood-mizer since we bought it new in 1984, and it's still going strong. I have, however, had a fair amount of experience with some of the cheaper mills from helping various friends saw. The big things you're gaining with a better mill are fairly obvious--time and labor savings. Pushing a manual mill through logs, lifting green boards and slabs up to pile them, and moving large logs around by hand is WORK, and takes longer in the bargain. If you move your mill very often, the cheaper ones typically take longer to set up also, and will produce inferior lumber if not set up perfectly. Only you can decide whether the additional labor is worth the cost savings, but most people quickly find out their time and labor justify a higher level of automation and mechanization than the low-end mills provide.

Jo Bird · Mar 25, 2022

I to own a LT 40 HD, Wood-mizer sawmill. Not all people want to pay the cost of the hydraulic operated say mills and chose manual mills instead. As the old saying goes, you only get what you pay for. I'm not saying you should by the high priced saw. Rather as you indicated : " harbor freight and another company have one priced at around 2500 dollars " , now, IMHO, double that figure and the selection of quality rises to an acceptable level. My neighbor has a Linnlumber mill, other than having to man-handle the logs it's a great mill. They sell kit's in various stages to build one of their mills, I personal would by the completed kit, but not knowing your ability to assembly one it's your choice. Check them out if you are interested at the attached link: https://www.linnlumber.com/completecarriagekit.html
PS : I have NO affiliation to the company mentioned above...
Rather than buy a mill have you give a thought as to cutting the logs and hiring a portable mill to cut them into lumber ?

SVcummins · Mar 26, 2022

I wouldnt by anything from harbor freight that might eventually need a part or any service ever. There parts support Is worse than cnh and there is no one to talk to besides the pimple faced kid at the checkout counter . And I buy quite a bit from harbor freight but nothing that I cant throw over the counter and they hand me a new one

Geo-TH,In · Mar 26, 2022

I will add, JM doesn't look like he's 79.
He has aged gracefully!!!

Stephen Newell · Mar 26, 2022

The Harbor Freight saw has enough good reviews that I ordered one. I'm a member of a woodworking forum which quite a few members have bought the saw and works well for them.

Mike(NEOhio) · Mar 26, 2022

Don't wait too long. Ash starts to rot quickly on the stump.

teddy52food · Mar 26, 2022

I had a lt40H Woodmizer for almost 20 years & when I sold it I got back almost what I paid for it. The price of new ones keep going up so used ones are worth more too. If you contact Woodmizer they may have a trade in for sale. When you get your ash all done, you may sell it & get your money back. Get a good one with the hydraulics, you will be glad you did.

wilson ind · Mar 26, 2022

Neither Terre Haute or Bloomington Indiana clerks are Pimple faced. Must be a local thing for you.

RusselAZ · Mar 27, 2022

We were all pimple faced kids once.

caterpillar guy · Mar 27, 2022

If you have much to saw and want to get anything done get a round blade saw and for get about these band mills. After seeing how slow they are at dad's last year I would run not walk away from one.

cheap bandsaw mill?

swindave

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jm.

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Fritz Maurer

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T.R.K.

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TimV

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Jo Bird

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SVcummins

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Geo-TH,In

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Stephen Newell

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Mike(NEOhio)

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teddy52food

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wilson ind

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RusselAZ

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caterpillar guy

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