saw for chainsaw milling

[dfkrug]

HF is about the least money you can spend, but I don't think it would be fair to expect it to be any where near in the same category of even a LT10, let alone something far superior, like a used Lumbermate 2000...

The least expensive small bandsaw sawmill out there, from a "brand name" is going to cost about $5K. The HF is about $2200, and maybe half that if you import them from China yourself. Huge difference, and I have no doubt that the HF is the lowest quality. I do think that $5K is a lot to justify for most folks.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The least expensive small bandsaw sawmill out there, from a "brand name" is going to cost about $5K. The HF is about $2200, and maybe half that if you import them from China yourself. Huge difference, and I have no doubt that the HF is the lowest quality. I do think that $5K is a lot to justify for most folks.

First of all, I suggested that a person buy a good used manual BSM, from a reputable company, they can be bought for around $3,500.00.

AND, what about resale??? 5K new, and sell a little milled lumber and when you tire of it, it has fairly easy RESALE. A CSM is hard to sell and still has all the other negatives I already stated above.

And, I can easily mill out anything I want from veneer,

To beams,

all day long on a couple gallons of gas and change the oil once a year, using water to lube the blade.

My Lumbermate 2000 has paid for itself MANY times over, I could give it away and I'd still be FAR ahead of the money game!!

Penciled out, it's a no brainer!

SR

 

[Gale Hawkins]

First of all, I suggested that a person buy a good used manual BSM, from a reputable company, they can be bought for around $3,500.00.

AND, what about resale??? 5K new, and sell a little milled lumber and when you tire of it, it has fairly easy RESALE. A CSM is hard to sell and still has all the other negatives I already stated above.

And, I can easily mill out anything I want from veneer,

To beams,

all day long on a couple gallons of gas and change the oil once a year, using water to lube the blade.

My Lumbermate 2000 has paid for itself MANY times over, I could give it away and I'd still be FAR ahead of the money game!!

Penciled out, it's a no brainer!

SR

Do you store it inside when not in use or is it just new like?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

OR, could those picts be older picts??? lol

Here it is today, well not today, as I didn't go out and take a pict. of it today... lol

SR

 

[dougtrr2]

I had some trees I wanted to get milled into cabinet lumber. I considered several options and finally just hired a portable sawmill to come to my place. I had 11 logs of walnut and oak. The man showed up at 7:00 am and was done by 2:30. I wound up with well over 1,200 board feet of lumber and the bill was $700. In my opinion, unless you have a long term continuing need for milling capability it makes more sense to just hire the guy that is already set up. After watching some videos on chainsaw milling I find it hard to justify the amount of time and effort it takes vs bandsaw milling.

Doug in SW IA

 

[dfkrug]

I considered several options and finally just hired a portable sawmill to come to my place. I had 11 logs of walnut and oak. The man showed up at 7:00 am and was done by 2:30. I wound up with well over 1,200 board feet of lumber and the bill was $700.

Sounds like a good deal.

A few years ago, a neighbor here hired out some milling to a guy who brought in a WoodMizer LT45 (with hydraulic loader) who spent 2 days milling one large douglas fir log. The result was a bunch of 2x lumber and some slabs. The bill was $1800. Not such a good deal.

No question, bandsaw mills are nice, but the OP wants to do chainsaw milling, probably cuz it costs so much less for the tools.

Finding a used bandsaw sawmill for a good price is great, esp if you can find a good one for only $3500. I have a friend who watched CraigsList for more than a year before landing a Lucas Mill, which is a circular-saw sawmill that has an option to use a chainsaw for slabbing. This type of mill (a "swing" mill) is most popular for making lumber, rather than slabs. He paid $7500.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I did a little CSM years ago when we first started building our house. A big old Stihl powered the rig.
I thought about a BSM for a while but decided I did not need or want to run a mill.
I have since then hired a friend with a Woodmizer, to come down when I need lumber sawn. I tailed and stickered the boards as they came off the mill
Worked out to about $.38/bf.

 

[crazyal]

Has anyone tried one of the Alaskan chiansaw mills that allows you to cut at an angle (vs flat to the end grain)? I'm often cutting bowl blanks to turn on a lathe and there's a huge difference when "noodling" vs cutting cutting perpendicular to the end grain? Even cutting at a 45 degree angle is much faster.

 

[dfkrug]

Has anyone tried one of the Alaskan chiansaw mills that allows you to cut at an angle (vs flat to the end grain)?

Can't you just tilt the frame up a bit for the first cut? Some folks only buy the part of the chainsaw mill that mounts to your saw, then use lumber or even an old ladder for the support frame. 45-degrees is a big angle, but doable.

 

[terryknight]

I am late to this party.... This may not be helpful anymore

I have never used a band saw mill. I have done quite a bit of chainsaw milling. When I started I was using a ported Stihl 044 with a 32" bar and ripping chain. ripping chain is no different than any other chain except the top plate is filed to 5* instead of the normal 30* or so. I spent roughly $400 on a 32" Alaskan mill set up and 3 chains. I didn't take me long to upgrade to a Stihl 660 and a 36" bar. The oiler on it has not let me down milling. I also bought 3 more chains and the 36" rails for the Alaskan mill. With the 36" setup i can mill 32-33". I had no trouble selling the 32" setup to someone else who wanted to go bigger on his mill from a 24" set up. As long as the chains are sharp and you don't hit any metal it is not particularly difficult running a mill, granted some woods cedar and pine slab easier than walnut or oak. I use a ladder to do the first cut and then the top of the log from there.

I am not interested in making lumber, I do not often use the slabs I mill. I use the 660 for firewood and the occasional tree job, so I would own it anyway. I enjoy running chainsaws, I am 35 and do not find it heavy or hard to move around. I like that I can throw a drill, some 2x4s a ladder, the mill and saw in the bed of my truck and go just about anywhere and slab wood. I have sold a couple thousand dollars worth of slabs, that has more than paid for the equipment and gas. I also enjoy the work

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment