PROS and CONS of the LT40 Woodmizer

[@kurtsmith4657]

Woodmizer makes a good sawmill but so does cooks, timberking, and baker. I'll always prefer fully hydraulic, fully supported, steel sawmills over a cantilevered head that needs to be set up 1/16in high on the unsupported side of the head. Get profficient at troubleshooting electric issues and keeping your sawmill out of the weather will minimize electrical issues. Also, not a fan of 1.25in blades for production cutting but obviously there a cost savings on the smaller blades vs 1.5 or 2in blades. Additionally I can't say having the dust chute on the operators side was a stellar design move either.

[@johanneslaxell6641]

I have been thinking cooks production pack, maybe Timberking or Woodmizer LX450. Never undrstood the idea of one pole design. Every thing feels sturdier when there are double "tracks". But on the other hand: the probability that I go all electric is significant. If I have to go somewhere to saw where there is not enough of electricity (doubt it) I can hire a generator. I don't think that I really need the combustion engine, it's nice just to put the plug into the socket instead of fueling and stuff...

[@anooseholay]

I had a four post heavy mill and I can tell you from experience the Woodmizer design is worlds beyond it. It used to take 45 minutes to an hour to set up the four post so it would saw straight and it’s 15 minutes tops with the WM and we’re making sawdust. I wasn’t a fan of the cantilevered head before we bought one and now I’d never go back to a four poster. I do agree 100% with the electric over hydraulic design. I’m still not a fan of that. Too many motors and too many brushes to worry about.

[@kurtsmith4657]

@@anooseholay Without a doubt a wodmizer sets up 3x quicker than a 4 post. Here's a few issues we have had running woodmizer lt10, lt15, lt40's. Bunks loosen and need to be releveled. Constant electrical troubleshooting if you leave your machine out in FL weather. The first 6in-1ft of Southern yellow boards are a cull/waste bc the blade doesn't track correctly until it gets into the cut. High hour machines need to have the rails ground and bearings resized bc of the single post design. Meanwhile I see plenty of several thousand hour TK, Cooks, Baker than can be much more easily rebuilt. 1.125 blades are not ideal for cutting big timber. I have seen operators be unable to get true boards when sawing 18-20in wide hardwood or SYP boards, the boards would always be heavy on the supported side and a hair light on the cantilevered side. All that being said, woodmizer makes a very good machine and their customer service is great.

[@Comp670]

The electric over hyd is an issue but a good fix is adding a aux battery to the system.. That way the pump always has good power and you have way less down time. I make a battery box that hangs from the frame and is out of the way. Works great.

[@masunshine2970]

You go girl. Very proud of you to do what you do. I was a farm girl and could lift 100 lb. Bags of feed when men were grunting. Gotta love it.

[@hatchwoodproducts3029]

To bypass the power strip on your mill (remote option with the plastic link chain ) all you need to do is remove the power strip then run a welding cable from your battery threw the plastic links to the hydraulic pump solenoid. With this setup you can run the hydraulics whenever you want.

[@anooseholay]

This is a must do for any Woodmizer owner! I also can’t recommended enough the stationary command control because walking through sawdust is dumb

[@greenbudkelly2820]

There are a few advantages to electric over hydraulic. You don’t need the engine running to move the head. That’s particularly helpful with an engine problem. Hydraulic performance is consistent and not dependent on engine rpm. Hydraulic usage doesn’t impact cutting power available at the moment. Less expensive. But generally, live hydraulics are better.

[@Graybeard_]

My LT40 is a 2014 manual with the exception of the SimpleSet computer for blade height adjustment, so I don't have the issue with electric over hydraulic. I have a front end loader and backhoe to move the logs as needed. I turn the logs with a pv just fine and almost never use the winch for turning. I like my mill a lot and think it is just the right size for me as a solo sawyer. The biggest log I've milled was a 16' pine that was 42" on the small end. I had to do a bit of whittling before it would fit inside the throat. My biggest complaint is the manual jack stands. Worst design ever and gets me grumpy every time I have to set up the mill.

[@sailme2day]

Great equipment video !!! Any future buyer would appreciate the pros and cons of this model , patient with video details . I am not a sawyer . On the water line , consider a second outer tube ( clear or not) . The tube over tube , "shield " can then take the travel beating , while keeping the lube line remains safe. 2nd can the water tube line length be shortened , just a little ? One thing I have done over the years is to encourage friends , designers , etc. , new owners of anything ... to "adapt" any part of the equipment to be a better piece of equipment. Safer , faster , lower wear and tear , reduced maintenance , etc. A little more detail on the con part with the hydraulic travel , I would have enjoyed . Manufactures will never think of everything during designs. And small "fixes" can be amazing for , any number of reasons. Consider a full maintenance video series on each of your yard equipment, the whys , why nots , seasonal - suggestions ( like frozen logs take more attention ) . I really enjoy the transparency and quality of your video work and the honest family values. What a wonderful relief your whole family brings , in a world full of uncertainty . Your mom must have lungs like an opera singer , selling and taking orders over the phone everyday . haha. You whole team is a very cool , funny and my goodness , hard working group. Any suggestions are not criticism. Happy to hear the dozer is back in operation !!!!! I appreciate how every tool , in your yard, has many uses , that pay for themselves. Keep having fun .

[@patrickshull4462]

Yes the power pickup strip is a weak link. But with very occasional adjustment to the bronze contact block and very lite sanding of the copper strip once a month you should not be having many problems let alone replacing them.. Not to minimize your problem, but I've owned 5 mills in the past 34 years and I've never replaced a contact strip. Possibly the bronze block is in too close and grinding the copper strip or too loose and it keeps arcing . I would talk to Martie because whatever it is you should not have to replace that strip for at least 4-5k hrs. Water line problem: I noticed your line runs under the blade guides. My line comes in over the top and plugs into the block above and to the right of the roller. I have the high performance guides but I thought they used the same system. Good luck and be safe.

[@taftamick54]

Nice! Picking up an LT40 tomorrow at Carolina Woodmizer... Been waiting a year for it...

[@2ndGenerationSawyer]

When did you order your mill thanks

[@johncote8061]

Just placed a deposit on an LT40 Wide and was told 60 week wait time.

[@franciss.3298]

We have an older LT40 fully manual mill. I can see much of it is similar to your mill. In 2011 we had about 2 1/4 miles of gas pipeline through our property and had a lot of revenue to upgrade the mill. My stubborn uncle 81 yrs old at the time refused to make the change and still saws with the old mill for his enjoyment mostly.

[@edsmith4414]

I bought an LT40 in 1991. No hydraulics on it, and never saw the need for them. Sawed over a million feet on it in 30 years. A debarker WOULD be one thing I'd put on it if I could but mine doesn't have enough alternator power to run one.

[@petersnelling9047]

Nice video. You could fit the lubricant line with braided hose like brake lines or aircraft pressure lines. Probably overkill but you would need to run it through the sawblade to damage it…

[@ROCKINWHEELERS]

Hello young ladies. I'm a Disable Senior citizen. I would to submit a request to see your youngest Brother in your videos as he is working. He surely reminds me of my youth, working along side my POPS IN THE 60'S until POPS' PASSED AWAY ON DEC, 17 1973. WE DID A LOT OF LAND CLEARING, BACK FILLING, MASONRY, PLUMBING, CARPENTRY- ROUGH & FINISH, ELECTRICAL, AND I SHOULD HAVE JUST SAID ALL PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION. MOST OF ALL I WAS A CURIOS YOUNG MAN GROWING UP. I JUST HAD TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING IF I. CAN. THANK YOU ALL FOR EVEN READING MY REQUEST. I WAS ALSO SHOWING MY ROSIE / wife of 48years YOUR YOUNGEST SIBLING.

[@TheOldJarhead]

On your ground bar, those burn marks are due to not stopping the mill head before using the hydraulics. If you let the mill head stop moving and then operate the hydraulics with it stationary it won't cause the burn marks on the bar ;)

[@davidnicholson9749]

I started with a Wood Mizer LT27 back in 2003 and upgraded in 2010 to a LT40HD. The first recommendation I have for the operators is to WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THE BLADES. I have never had a problem with the Contract Strip, but then I never operate the Hydraulics while the Saw Head is in motion. I also never had a problem with the Water Cord after I secured it to the Idle Side Blade Guide with a wire tie. I would keep the factory hose rather than substitute something complex. I did have the small Micro Switch Assembly for the Hydraulic Lever inside the Hydraulic Control Box that turns on the Pump when one of the control levers is moved fail at about 700 hours. A simple repair.

[@coldspring624]

The manual engagement is not dependent on electronics....I like that

[@craigmouldey2339]

I liked the guage that tells you what is going on with the blade. So, at the end of the day it is a big band saw with some great perks and a few draw backs.

[@cmennare]

This was made on my birthday, thank you.

[@bladewiper]

Very interesting. Very well done. I would think the debarker would be a great feature.

[@kennymysak2079]

Another amazing job explaining everything about the sawmill. Hope your feeling better soon. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. Keep up the great videos

[@matthewhofer9210]

Yes i agree with fully hydrolic, the electric part in fed up of, uses allota battery power in winter cold conditions.

[@courtneyroy782]

Ouch...those poor girls! Get them some gloves! I'll never forget my trainer who said, "The blade only knows how to do one thing...cut". Thanks for the video! (Lafayette, LA)

[@wirehyperspace]

should use a stainless steal break line for water line - and wont even wear out like brake line on car - that is why people up grade to better lines - their is nickel copper too - but what ever think would be best

[@jimbenton7191]

Great video, thanks. You answered many questions that I’m sure many people would ask. It’s a big leap from that machine to the LT70. Honestly, small businesses struggle with justification for more expensive options. There are so many needs that consume any available funds. In my opinion, and I’ve been doing this sawmill thing for over 40 years, the dollars spent on items that make money never disappoint you. That investment will add to the available funds faster than anything, since it is after all the major producer on the property. One pointer for consideration, I would suggest changing the product used in the LubeMizer tank to an actual ‘lubricant’. Water has no lubricating characteristics. It is an effective coolant, but it doesn’t lubricate. An easy example is to consider the chainsaw. (Which bar oil is too thick). Would you consider running your chain as tight as you run your bandsaw strain and feed it as hard as you can while keeping it very tight? During this exercise, would you run water in the bar oil tank? What would happen? I would suggest a very thin hydraulic oil or there are some biodegradable products. Some folks are scared of the cost, but it is well worth it. Either will improve performance over water. How would that chainsaw perform with water in the bar oil tank? Constantly adjusting chain tension and worn bars and poor performance right! That’s impacting your bands now with water in the tank.

[@anooseholay]

I ran a mix of off road diesel fuel and atf for years and it was okay but when we bought our Woodmizer we switched to water and Dawn dish washing soap and it’s been the best blade lubricant/cleaner we’ve ever used. We saw almost 100% softwood and a huge portion of that is white pine which is famous for its pitch. Soap and water works incredibly well. I highly recommend the lube mizer as well.

[@michaelohalloran7381]

I have an LT-40 also and agree with your observations. I have the Yanmar diesel and don’t think I would ever leave diesel-it is really a beast, but a $7K upgrade! Agree about the Lubemizer!!! That hose setup is bad and I’m always pinching it. Working around the pump inside is incredibly tight and frustrating. I also have the remote workstation that you have and like it a lot as it keeps you away from noise and the action going on around the blade. My saw is not a Super-I think yours is? I’d be interested in how much faster it is. My hydraulics are pretty slow. Also would like to have a log turner that goes both ways, but guess I’d have to get an LT-50/70 to have that. I saw you changing the blade. I was told to initially tighten the pressure to 1000psi and engage the blade for a second or two. At that reduced pressure, it allows the blade to “seat” in the proper position. Then you crank up the pressure. Really enjoy your videos.

[@gabrielaston3374]

Lt-50 also has the log chain turner

[@Rob89139]

Great information for anyone looking to purchase a sawmill. Woodmizer would be wise to spend some time with you and hear your thoughts on their product and offer suggestions or take away ideas to improve their product

[@russclewley6945]

I just ordered my LT 35 in March. I am planning on using it in my retirement.

[@brennerheavy]

That copper power strip is a known problem with the woodmizers. I was talking to a Sawyer who had a small outfit, and he was down five weeks waiting on a part to fix it last year.

[@cwssmart2931]

Sure enjoy your videos! It is nice seeing family ran business. Would like a introduction to your family that are in your videos.

[@brucemillar3015]

You guys are awesome.

[@deniscarter6613]

Thank you for video on pros and cons

[@MassSawmiller]

The contact strip looks like that because you are using the hydraulics when the head is still moving. I had that problem when I first started running mine, but now have 1140 hours with no issues once I learned what was causing it.

[@lars277]

Nathan at 'Out of the Woods' just got his new LT70. Pretty fancy. Don't know about the long haul though.

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

People who don't mince words get the respect. You have my respect..

[@philliphague1108]

great video emerald good to see samanrha and jade

[@billyshumate853]

Nice video. Don't really care about the electric over hydraulic. Other than that it seems like a great mill. Take care and get feeling better and have a blessed day and I'll see you on your next vidja.

[@Wrenchen-with-Darren]

Agreed, it seems, when you upgrade, you also get a few more defects caused by the upgraded items. Just the way things work.

[@stephencoster9532]

Hiya, thank you for a wonderful video. I've never even seen a sawmill, but feel I could recognise most parts after your series of excellent videos. Is the bark cutter a pro or a con? You and your families stay safe, even the Wierd One, I was him once! Steve...

[@leesass3602]

It looks like a few 90 degree angle pieces at whatever size hose you are using would work, like what is used for water filtration systems would get that water hose out of the way and end your troubles in that regard

[@olddodger7178]

Your contact strip for the hydraulics is not clean. You should be using about a 100 grit sandpaper to clear off the oxidation. Wrap the sandpaper around a small block of 3/4 inch plywood. Also check to make sure that the spring loaded block is making good contact with the strip.

[@fredericrike5974]

Loved it! It was everything and then some of the knowledge about the product as a user. FR

[@dmhipkins]

I hope you are feeling better rapidly.

[@d.t.4523]

Keep warm, and get well soon! 👍

[@greggrondin3034]

Got to love a lady with dirt under her fingernails!! Great video!

[@dancox5572]

Very cool. Thank you for sharing.

[@bcoolson]

Happy Thanksgiving to the whole crew.

[@zenahague5861]

j love how you girls work together

[@stevenlipka6632]

You could add a battery, put it in the hydraulic box and hook it up to the pump then put a trickle charger on it to keep it charged 👍

[@jeffery19677]

Why don't you consider replacing the water line with copper tube except for the last couple of inches that "theoretically" might come in contact with the boards or the blade? You could run it tight against the frame all the way around and attach it to the mill body with r-type cable clamps.

[@robertlarimore3257]

Thank you

[@markhowes126]

Spend the money you save on a good sawmill shed. That saves chasing green rust in years to come.

[@wirehyperspace]

be nice to have a vacuum and fan to keep everything cold so dont start fires with all the dust on hot parts and engine

[@Muotaman9958]

Thanks Girls for the Video Just a friendly Tip / reminder; Use ALLWAYS Mechanic Glows when your changing blades and even working with the Sawmill. I can speak out of experiences😏 Thanks

[@jamesrichardson5162]

Hello I am James Richardson now you have run both wood mizer 40 And Wood mizer 70 Witch is easiest to run

[@aubiejazz]

What do you mean by "electric over hydraulic."? Thanks for all your videos!

[@donaldmckie5960]

Thanks for the informative video. You have made comments about upgrading to the lt 70. That would be awesome. Question is which motor would u choose? A diesel or possibly electric ? Looks like for your application electric would be a game changer. Just my thoughts. Keep up the great vids

[@stanziolkowski5455]

The water supply tube is in the wrong place . Obviously hanging below it’s gonna get whacked . I have mine up and it crosses over on top straight to the fitting . The fitting is a bit too short for a good clamp to hold it there . One day I need to try and find a better fitting .

[@ancient_gamerr]

What’s the pros and cons of using an eletrical motor on the mill instead of a petrol engine?

[@christopherhaugen6847]

Love your channel

[@jerrypedersen8251]

I own a LT 28 and I wear gloves changing blades. That array of teeth can be nasty.

[@realbourbonniere15]

Great video. I'm trying to figure out what is the rotation direction of the debarker. Can you confirm that it is mounted and is rotating so that the chips are projected away from the operator?

[@bykini]

In Europe they often use machines with up to 10 vertical blades (frame saw), so they can mill 6 or 8 boards - and a cantral beam - out of a lumber in one single pass. Why do you prefer this horizontal bandsaw technique for just one slice at a time? What is the benefit?

[@farmerbob728]

Thank you..very informative

[@TheOldJarhead]

Hate seeing people change bands without gloves! Two rules on my mill is band changes are done by one person only (prevents injury) and always wear gloves when handling the band! I've seen people get cut on them and it can be nasty. Be careful!

[@markharwell8793]

Perhaps putting a larger tube around your water tube would fix your pinching problem on the LT40?

[@superbear617]

I am not sure what "electric over hydraulic" means...could you explain what you mean by that ?? Thanks for another interesting video!

[@haroldchoate7497]

ditto, what does electric over hydraulic mean? Are there solenoid valves that control the application or removal of hydraulic pressure? Good video, I wish you would wear gloves. I’m an old man an wear them constantly when I’m doing woodwork.

[@markee063]

Electronic over hyd means a "board or computer component tells the actual hydraulic valve how much to open. Prone to issues, I suppose. I bet they're expensive fixes.

[@haroldchoate7497]

I used proportional hydraulic valves to do flow control in industry. The best ones were also used for fire control on Navy ships. You are correct, any improvement would be very difficult and expensive. The ones I used were especially vunerable to dirty hydraulic fluid. We couldn’t have enough filters in the system to totally protect them.

[@willwallacetree]

On mobile Wood Mizer machines the hydraulic valve chest is completely conventional and manually operated, but the pump (or dual pumps) is 12 volt and only runs when required. There's a microswitch to energise the pump solenoids that is linked to the movements of the valve chest. You could have high flow constant hydraulics powered by the engine, but there'd be a big weight penalty and all sorts of hose spaghetti to deal with.

[@markhowes126]

Electric over hydraulic is why I ordered a timberking not a woodmizer. Timberkings are direct hydraulics.. Was afraid electronics would be a pain if exposed to weather. Love your videos.

[@MartyG1957]

I'm sure there is a reason, but I'm just too ignorant to know it, but why don't you wear gloves when changing those big ol' blades? I don't wear them when changing blades on my woodshop bandsaw either, but those little blades are a lot easier to work with. I just got my Travel Mug and it's very cool. Thanks

[@kenashton32]

In your con, electric over hydraulic, can you explain? Some functions electric and some hydraulic??

[@georgeshotrodbarn2113]

The LT40 is a mill for somebody that's wonted a LT70 but could not afford it. it's still a good mill

[@cdawg9149]

I want one

[@oby-1607]

Best PRO of this sawmill is it is made in the USA and not some sweat shop overseas.

[@johnvelas70]

My cure-all for everything from sniffles to broken ribs: 1 clove garlic, 1 Tbsn horseradish, 1 cup buttermilk.

[@lumbercapitallogyard]

Mine is very similar, garlic, turmeric, vinegar!

[@AlmostItalianBrothers]

I didn’t have service when I just sent a comment so I hope I don’t look like an idiot if they end up sending. This is the best way to end a day. Thank you for the video and hope you feel better soon Em. Are you guys actually getting the LT70??? That would be so cool and the board ft per hour on that mill is insane!

[@lumbercapitallogyard]

It’s a plan for the future, but not for a while!

[@lumbercapitallogyard]

Are you still getting a mill?

[@AlmostItalianBrothers]

@@lumbercapitallogyard That’s great can’t wait!

[@AlmostItalianBrothers]

@@lumbercapitallogyard Heck yeah we put the order in April and the build date is 4/22/22. So around 5 months left. They said there would be a good chance the build date is sooner because they can’t get there gas engines back in stock. We got a diesel because everything we own is diesel pretty much do it wouldn’t make sense if it were gas. Also it has more power and Diesel engines last a lot longer.

[@AlmostItalianBrothers]

Diesel also smells way better.

[@yoseflaurent3376]

Thank you for this interesting and objective review. A major problem with Woodmizer is that they have way too many different models and by itself that is a suspicious way of going to market such and endless line of sawmills, each differing from the next only by very small details in the specs, like a few hps of engine power, or inches of cut, the presence or absence of some desirable option, however small be it. So, it seems like they would like to crowd the whole market with so many different machines that they would be sure to have one to match your exact needs and exigencies. But in turn, this betrays the fact that they not really be sure what the best working design or technology is, like electric vs hydraulic, or single post carriage vs dual or 4-post, since they offer so many. So, in the end, I rather see it all as a snare and from so many different models, I prefer not having to choose, so I turn away and shop elsewhere with other sawmills'manufacturers.

[@jimbenton7191]

I’ve made my living in industrial lumber mills for over 42 years. Wood mixer machines stand out to me as the best sawmill for an independent operator. Nothing is perfect, but I believe they have done the best job of providing a product for this market. They offer so many different models in an attempt to have a machine for any budget and/or price point. To each his own, but in my opinion they are the best option. If I were to purchase a small sawmill, it would be a Woodmizer. No, I am not compensated for saying this either. I am simply stating my own opinion based on sawmilling for a lifetime.

[@yoseflaurent3376]

@@jimbenton7191 Thank you for your insight, you have got a point, that is a way of looking at it and I am content if they make a lot of happy customers satisfied with their products and service. I do not want to drive customers away from them. They have a lot of employees and certainly worked long and hard to build their business.

[@dougkakegamic6930]

Mines not too shabby

[@scottsasser7607]

Okay I knew your channel I've been watching you for a couple months but I did go back and see all the ones you guys not all of them but most of them now how many years have you been there and why you're not inside a building be much warmer you can put all your stuff inside if you had one big building one side of the building do you sell your cotton the middle sort and stack and then open up the side of the building when you customers come in and you can just unload it from outside well they can unload from outside just my opinion

[@AR15231]

The saws travel is powered by an electric motor, what goes wrong, are there drive wheels that wear out?

[@craigsudman4556]

Hi Emerald great video, thumbs up. If you want to sell that mill please let me know. Thanks.

[@carlvanvleed5637]

Gauge 😊

[@joshward7896]

Hows about that wonky log turner that wants to throw the log over the knees instead of turning it. You'd think Wmiser wood be able to figure that one out.

[@joshmiller8663]

Electric over hydraulic is a terrible idea. we have it on some equipment where I work it completely bites.

[@robertalexander6637]

You girls are doing a great job but you need to wear Riggers gloves handling blades and timber . I am a builder retired run a sawmill and i find splinters and cuts are not fun trying to do a job . I see you wear hearing protection which is good . Get some gloves you will work better and not have old hands before your time. Cheers

[@whatthefunction9140]

Live your normal voice. You should look into narrating historical fiction books

[@graves3919]

Gage is a plum

[@grimreaperalphax1247]

Nice video,but yea,electric over hydraulic is sadly needed on this type of sawmills for one specific reason and that is to keep the cost of manufacturing down. LT40 is entry level sawmill,so you get exactly what you paying for,good little mill with few drawbacks. LT70 is much,much serious machine but they cost almost 80k and LT40 starting at 10k lol,so yea,it's a big difference. Still LT40 is very good machine and you can do a lot of stuff on it.

[@flybywire5866]

Quite dirty. I think i sawdust 😏😋

[@d.t.4523]

That must have been a pigment of your imagination! 👍😎

[@boogboog8097]

Algorithm sawdust

[@mobyhunr]

LT70 Is faster

[@stanziolkowski5455]

And handling even a dull blade with no gloves is just plain dumb . Maybe do something different before you hurt yourselves ?

[@scottsherwood8555]

Watching you guys change out that saw blade with your bare hands makes me cringe!! Get yourselves some leather gloves so you can work safely vs ripping your hands apart with all of those sharp teeth!!

[@bluenetmarketing]

Diesel engines are VERY expensive to repair. You'll also go home covered in soot and smelling of diesel fuel. Stick with gasoline engines.