Sorry people, I know this topic has been done to death, but I am after some insight on my options.
I potentially want to upgrade from a chainsaw mill. It would appear I have four options. 1/ Lucas mill - comparatively expensive, proven, good resale, may have issues with small logs according to some posts I have read, productive, portable and I must say from a safety perspective, the blade retention method gives me grief, (yes I know they rarely are set free). 2/ Woodmizer, either LT10, LT15 or LT15 wide - cheaper, wider cut, not as good at producing dimensional timber, handles small logs better,possibly has trouble with our hardwoods, cheaper, less of a market second hand, (try finding a second hand Lucas!), can have blade wander issues, needs more leveling, (I have a laser level, so this probably isn't too big of a problem), narrower kerf although this is not a real issue as I will primarily be cutting timber for building, stockyards and other general construction, mainlt for myself I should add. 3/ GT26 Chinese ebay mill - looks similar to an LT10, has reputable engine (Kohler), cheaper still, possibly needing firmer ground and more leveling due to less rigid bed, questionable due to Chinese origin. 4/ Build my own bandmill - could build an absolutely kick azz mill that would be very rigid, bigger capacity than LT 15 wide etc for less than any of the other options, would be building mill rather than milling timber, I should add that I am a Boilermaker Welder and have both the expertise and the equipment to carry out this task, potentially poor resale value, limited time available.
I wonder if the availability of stellite or TCT bands has leveled the field somewhat as it relates to saw blade life? Productivity is not my first consideration as I am not really doing this commercially.
The Lucas is a very good tool, but I am unsure of whether the greater expense will be justified for my usage, (probably either a 6/14 or 6/18).
I know that the Lucas will handle bigger logs, but they are few and far between and I do have a very adequate Alaskan Mill and 3120 saw that will handle slabbing/primary ripping if need be.
I have a Toyota Huski and forks for handling logs and sawn timber.
Right about now, I wish that I had paid more attention at the last field day I attended.
I potentially want to upgrade from a chainsaw mill. It would appear I have four options. 1/ Lucas mill - comparatively expensive, proven, good resale, may have issues with small logs according to some posts I have read, productive, portable and I must say from a safety perspective, the blade retention method gives me grief, (yes I know they rarely are set free). 2/ Woodmizer, either LT10, LT15 or LT15 wide - cheaper, wider cut, not as good at producing dimensional timber, handles small logs better,possibly has trouble with our hardwoods, cheaper, less of a market second hand, (try finding a second hand Lucas!), can have blade wander issues, needs more leveling, (I have a laser level, so this probably isn't too big of a problem), narrower kerf although this is not a real issue as I will primarily be cutting timber for building, stockyards and other general construction, mainlt for myself I should add. 3/ GT26 Chinese ebay mill - looks similar to an LT10, has reputable engine (Kohler), cheaper still, possibly needing firmer ground and more leveling due to less rigid bed, questionable due to Chinese origin. 4/ Build my own bandmill - could build an absolutely kick azz mill that would be very rigid, bigger capacity than LT 15 wide etc for less than any of the other options, would be building mill rather than milling timber, I should add that I am a Boilermaker Welder and have both the expertise and the equipment to carry out this task, potentially poor resale value, limited time available.
I wonder if the availability of stellite or TCT bands has leveled the field somewhat as it relates to saw blade life? Productivity is not my first consideration as I am not really doing this commercially.
The Lucas is a very good tool, but I am unsure of whether the greater expense will be justified for my usage, (probably either a 6/14 or 6/18).
I know that the Lucas will handle bigger logs, but they are few and far between and I do have a very adequate Alaskan Mill and 3120 saw that will handle slabbing/primary ripping if need be.
I have a Toyota Huski and forks for handling logs and sawn timber.
Right about now, I wish that I had paid more attention at the last field day I attended.
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