Mobile Sawmills - Forestry Journal

Mobile SawmillsSales of mobile sawmills have been on theincrease. Arwyn Morgan takes a look at whatyou can expect for your money.With the closure of so many smallcountry and estate mills, the relativelyrecent phenomenon of rapidsales of mobile sawmills has beendramatic. Doubtless, some of thishas been grant driven, especiallywhen one sees brand new millsstanding idly gathering dust andnot doing any work. But the last15 years have seen a rapid moveon the part of machinery makersto produce ever more capablemachines, many of which can producevery high quality sawn timber,as good as any produced by thelarge mills.At the risk of upsetting somemachinery makers, I will say hereand now that I do not believethere are any mobile mills currentlyon the market that are thebest at everything. Generally, all thelog breakdown mills on the marketcan do all types of milling, butonly really shine at certain aspectsof milling. Machines range fromsimple manual operation to highlyautomated units.The secret with any mill is wellmaintained, sharp blades. Theseblades are made to cut wood, notdirt and stone. Although the circulartungsten-tipped blades are tougherthan the wide and narrow bandsaws,it should be borne in mindthat no blade is bombproof. If youabuse them, you will never get anyproduction, and you would be wiserto sell your mill.Alaskan MillThe Alaskan Mill was originallydeveloped by Granberg over 30years ago, and it has proven itselfin all sorts of harsh environmentsworldwide. The basic frame clampsonto your chainsaw guide-bar. Thisthen regulates what depth of cutyou make, and is available with24-48” rails. The secret with thistype of mill is to use a chainsaw withplenty of power, ideally from thetop of the power range. As it seemsthat there are fewer and fewer largesaws knocking about, alaskanmill.co.uk is experimenting with highpower non-branded saws, whichare relatively low in cost.0800 0197551www.alaskanmill.co.ukJust SawsJust Saws is the main agent for theHud-Son Oscar range of narrowbandsaws and ancillary equipment.The Oscar range is well tried andtested, having been manufacturedin the US for over 10 years.The Oscar is currently available inthe UK in 4 different models – the18, 228, 30 and 36 – and capacityranges from 18” to 36”.The Oscar range are basic manualmills, easy to maintain anduse. Yet some of the larger modelshave powered rise and fall, andthe option of powered feed andprecutter/debarker. The range caneither work on the ground or bemounted, offering full mobility. OnThe Montana 90 with galvanised bed, from Marshalls, available in electric ordiesel, can handle logs up to 90mm in diameter.top of this there is a full no quibble2-year manufacturer’s warranty onthe mills.01428 661222www.justsaws.co.ukMarshall EngineeringMarshalls supplies the Germandesigned and made Serra range ofmobile and stationary mills. Serramakes a variety of saws utilisingwide bandsaw and narrow bandsawtechnology. Many of the mills havemodular construction, where variousfeatures can be added as andwhen needed. This feature allowspurchasers to customise the mill totheir need. These features includesawdust containers, debarkers,log loaders, toeboard clamps, logclamp turners, squaring arms androller drums.The largest bandsaw is the AfricaSL1660, a large capacity saw capableof milling logs up to 1.6m indiameter. The design was originallydeveloped from Serra’s experiencein Ghana, Nigeria and Angola.The Bavaria SL 110 and BavariaSL 130 have proven themselves inthe UK as good machines. They caneasily handle logs up to and over ametre in diameter. If you regularlysaw smaller sawlogs, the headrigcan utilise shorter sawblades, thussaving money on blade cost. TheBavaria is run by an electric motor,so when used in a mobile mode, itis driven by a generator.The next saw in the line-up isthe Montana 90, which is availablein either electrical or dieseldriven mode, with the added benefitof having a galvanised bed, thusoffering longevity. Although smallerthan the Bavaria, it can still handlelogs up to 90mm diameter. Allits functions are hydraulically operated,ensuring ease for the operatorand good production.The Filius model is quite differentto all the other models; much simpler,using manual operations and anarrow blade.(Left) The Hud-Son Oscar 30 (trailer version) from Just Saws. (Right) The Logosol timberjig, from Fuelwood, seen here cutting Douglas fir.Forestry Journal 1/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk23

The Duett is probably the onemachine which could radicallyimprove the production over one ofthe larger bandsaws. The Duett usestwo circular saws to edge waneyedged boards with considerablespeed. Although the Duett is fullymobile with a towing setup, it iselectrically driven.To complement the mills,Marshalls also offers a full range ofSerra generators and saw doctoringequipment.01892 770788 / 07836274164www.marshalllogging.co.ukLoglogicLoglogic is the maker of the BritishdesignedTrekkasaw and Autotrek.Although few manual Trekkasawsare made nowadays, the fully automatedversion, the Autotrek, is verypopular, as it can cut a 39” wideboard, and if need be can handlelogs up to 1.4m in diameter.The Autotrek sawhead is totallyhydraulically driven. This ensuresa high degree of safety as it shutsdown after each cut. Thus the bladedoesn’t unnecessarily cut air.Currently the Autotrek is the sawused by the British Army, and hasbeen made strong enough to beslung below a Chinook helicopterto be flown wherever needed. Itcan be ordered in various colourschemes – no doubt many saw thepink Autotrek at the APF show.The Autotrek utilises a 4” wideswage set or stellite-tipped bands.Due to the guide rail system used,the Autotrek has the unusual abilityto cut tapered specialist boards. Thesaws have proven themselves bothin regions of extreme heat in Africaand the cold regions of Russia.Loglogic is also the importer ofthe Peterson range of swing-bladesawmills from New Zealand. Thesesaws are the saws of choice forthe New Zealand military. They aremade of stainless steel and alloy,offering high corrosion resistance.They are basic manual mills, butwere initially designed for work inremote jungle locations.The benefit of this type of millis that the timber is square-edgeddirect off the mill, without doublehandling. The tungsten-tippedblade can take more punishmentthan the band-type blades, as itis a very simple matter to sharpenthe blade on the machine. They arevery efficient at cutting hard anddifficult timbers.The Peterson is available as the8” and 10” winch production frameand the all-terrain mill. The mills cancut standard 8x8 or 10x10 inch, butif you double-cut, these capabilitiesincrease to 8x16 or 10x20 inch, andthe length of cut is limited only bythe length of track that you have.01884 839999www.Loglogic.co.ukM Large Tree Services LtdM Large has had the agency forthe Lumbermate range of mills forthe past two years, and in that timehas sold close to a hundred mills,which in itself is quite some recommendation.The Lumbermate 2000 and theLumberlite 24 are manually operatednarrow bandsaws, generallydelivered in kit form, to be easilyassembled by their new owners.They are strongly built machines,the 2000 being the larger machine,capable of handling logs up to 31”diameter. The saw bed frame ismade up of galvanised steel rails.Lumbermate also offers a mobileengine-powered circular edger,which can greatly increase andspeed up production of squareedgedboards.028 903 42838 – www.mlarge.comArbor EaterArbor Eater are agents for thePezzolato range of bandsaws.Pezzolato has quite a lot of experiencein making bandsaws, havingyears ago made machines for theForestor company.The current range includes simplenarrow bladed manual machines,such as the Timber Queen S, throughto the hydraulic mills, the HD6, HD7and HD8. These saws offer a wholehost of hydraulic attachments whichcan ease the life of any sawyer andincrease production.01273 832009www.arboreaters.co.ukFuelwood LtdFuelwood are agents for theScandinavian Laimet range of sawmills.Although initially developedfor the rapid breakdown of coniferoussawlogs, nevertheless they haveproved popular in the tough eucalyptusmills in Australia.Available as the 100, 120 and130 models, the Laimet has variousfeatures which can make it a completesawmill. Basically the Laimetis a circular saw with a hydraulicallyoperated travelling bed, and awhole plethora of hydraulic attachmentsto ensure operator safetyand ease of operation. It is ideal forthe breakdown of small to mediumsized logs – indeed Willie Dobieoperates a Laimet as his breakdownsaw in his mill in Scotland (thenorthern branch of Fuelwood).Fuelwood are also agents forthe Lucas mill, an Australian-madecircular swing blade mill, capableof tackling huge logs. With it thesawyer has the option of producingquarter-sawn or tangential sawnwood, as the need arises withoutmoving the log. The basic mills havea 6- and 8- inch cut, which can bedoubled by double-cutting. Likewisethe larger version can be upgradedto increase its capacity further.Once again the Lucas is a basicmill, which doesn’t have much togo wrong, and can be relied uponto produce accurately dimensionedsawn timber.The Lucas, like other swing mills,can be fitted with a chainsaw slabbingkit to offer the sawyer theopportunity to cut wide boards.This option can come in a fully dedicatedslabber option which offersfaster milling, or as an attachmentto fit standard swing blades which,due to their reducing gearboxes,offer slower milling.To complement its range of mills,Fuelwood offer the Logosol range ofchainsaw mills.Logosol makes the M7 andWoodworker’s Mill, which are eitherdriven by a petrol chainsaw or electricpower. These two mills hold thelog securely via a dogging mechanismwhile the cutter is fixed toa travelling bed, easily travellingalong the log.Logosol’s Big Mill is a basic modulardesigned system which usesthe timberjig as its key module. Thetimberjig clamps on to the chainsawguide-bar. The basic kit can beupgraded to the full Big Mill Pro,which can handle log diameters ofup to 54”.01926 484673www.fuelwood.co.uk01361 840251www.logosol.co.ukSaws (UK) LtdSaws UK are agents for the Forestorrange of mills. Forestor as a brandis well known worldwide. Currentlythe machines are made in the CzechRepublic. Although the productrange has increased, from beingjust swing blade mills and narrowbladed bandsaws, to include larger(Left) The Alaskan Mill, available as unit only or with 5 rail sizes. (Right) Wood-Mizer LT70, for those who need higher production levels.24www.forestryjournal.co.ukForestry Journal 1/09

high production wider bladed mills,the parent company has ceased productionof its engine-powered trailerbandsaw.Yet at last year’s APF we saw howSaws UK has inventively made theCTR650GX mobile, by making certainalterations to it and mountingit on a trailer. The 650 is a narrowbladed manual mill capable of millinga log up to 640mm in diameterand is driven by a 4-stroke 20hpHonda engine.The Forestor Swivel 210 saw is acircular swing blade saw capable ofeasily handling a 1.4m diameter log.It is driven by an ever reliable Hondaengine and is capable of performing210mm cuts.01435 862229www.sawsuk.comWood-MizerMention narrow blade bandsaws,and the ubiquitous orange Wood-Mizer machines come to mind.They have championed narrowblade bandsaws as a means for efficientsawmilling, with less sawdustbeing produced. Wood-Mizer offersa whole range of mills suiting allbudgets and needs.The LT10 is an electrically-drivenmanual mill capable of milling alog up to 70cm diameter. The LT15is a mill of similar capacity, but is astronger build, partially manual andpartially automated. It has a poweredup and down and a hand-crankfeed system. It is available in diesel,petrol or electric powered versions.It is a mobile mill, but the ownerneeds to provide a trailer for it.The LT20 series has the traditionalWood-Mizer style bed andthe recognisable cantilevered sawhead,with a combination of manualand hydraulic functions. These sawshave proven themselves, with manyoperators starting on such machinesbefore upgrading later to the higherproduction models.The LT40 series is probably whathas made Wood-Mizer famous. Itcan be used either as a mobile or astationary mill, and has been used inall sorts of environments, with somemills in Eastern Europe in multipleshift operations clocking up tens ofthousands of hours. The LT40 hasa 90cm log diameter capacity andis available either as a basic millwhich incorporates certain electricalfunctions, or as a fully hydraulicpackage with an array of time- andwork-saving devices. These saws canbe driven by a whole host of powersources including turbo diesel, petroland electrical sources.The LT70 series might be consideredthe pinnacle of effective narrowblade technology – its overallconstruction is heavier and strongerthan the other models; it has fullycomputerised setworks plus otherbenefits – yet all this extra strengthcomes at a price, which is an increasein weight over the LT40. Hencesome mobile milling operators preferthe lighter model.Wood-Mizer has a continualdevelopment programme whichhas developed many accessories toimprove their mills’ production.01622 813201www.woodmizer.co.ukConsidering all the various types ofmobile mills available in the UK, itmight be interesting to speculatewhat other changes might happenin the future. Currently in Europe,North America and Australia thereare quite a few manufacturers thathave been slow to enter the UKmarket. It seems that CE certificationis holding many back. Likewisethere has been a movement to tryand use 2” wide blades on highproduction bandmills and resaws inthe US. This has been slow to gainmomentum, but all the main bladeThe Lumbermate 2000, a narrowbandsaw capable of handling logsup to 31” diameter, from M Large.manufacturers make a 2” blade. Onthe grapevine, a major saw makerhas developed a 2” wide vertical– or rather, slightly off-vertical mill– which utilises standard industrylog carriages. Another company hasdeveloped a rolling machine for narrowbandsaws. Will these productsreach the green shores of Blighty?Who knows?Now, back to my crystal ball.Happy milling! Arwyn MorganM. Large Tree Services LtdHakki Pilke FirewoodProcessorsThor LogsplittersNew LMS ForestryCranes & TrailersFarmi Forest Chippers& WinchesLumbermatePortable SawmillsGrabs & Rotators• Farmi Forest products available forimmediate dispatch• Extensive range of parts and machineryavailable for immediate dispatch orcollection• Experienced sales team• Network of dealers throughout the UK andIreland• Demos available on requestTel: ++44 (0) 28 90 342838(Monday-Friday 8.00am-5.00pm)www.mlarge.comsales@mlarge.comForestry Journal 1/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk25