Thread: 2015 Sawmill Shootout

Very nice stats, turbo saw was very low on production speed, low on recovery, and had miscuts. Peterson cut a bit faster but didn't recover as much from their logs.......
Lucas where a little bit slower (170bft/hr, so about 1/4 of a cube) but recovered a significant amount of extra timber compared to the other two and for about $11,000 less....


I love my Lucas

Interesting read, thanks for sharing.

The pics of some of the half milled logs makes me wonder if some millers really know what they're doing
Some great looking bandsaws though
Cheers for sharing this article Jaksam...MM

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

The pics of some of the half milled logs makes me wonder if some millers really know what they're doing

I think the pictures where taken while they where still cutting...

Did some more numbers on the result for swing mills....

Bang for your buck.... basically I worked out purchase price divided by bft/hr to give $'s per bft/hr....
Turbo saw - $40.49
Peterson WPF - $25.94
Peterson Jnr - $22.98
Lucas Mill - $18.05

Also looked closer at production overrun in relation to output, specifically for the Peterson WPF and the Lucas. The Peterson WPF ran at 988bft/hr at the shootout and the Lucas ran at 815bft/hr, this would look to be quite a large difference and may sway ones choice when looking at a mill based on these stats. BUT, when looking at the production rate in relation to production overrun (recovery) it means every 5 hours of running, the Lucas would produce the same as the Peterson due to increased recovery plus use less log and using a 26.5HP motor as compared to a 35 HP motor, would cost less to run for those 5 hours.


I love my Lucas

Hi Guys,

Just to respond...

I don't think we did very badly at all. I cut two boards with too much bark on it but at the end of the day we still cut 1.3 cube an hour out of VERY small logs.

1) The bandsaws had the help of an edger - not quite apples to apples there.
2) Yes the Peterson and Lucas guys got a much better production rate but judging their red faces a soaking shirts I could not imagine them doing that longer than an hour.

Here is a link to our facebook page showing the actual shoot out - you will see that we were not stressing (in fact just casually milling timber as you would normally). That was our objective in attending. Had we wanted to race we would have been doing the very same thing as Peterson guys did - entered the push mill rather than the automated system. You can flip and run down the log as fast as your body can give. We chose to show of our automated mill.

10 cube a day sawing (8 hour shift) 12" diameter logs 4ft long is bloody good going. Still standing at the end of it too!

Bang for your buck?? Others may look at that in a different light.

Footage...
https://youtu.be/2-q-oEeEBSg

Link to our facebook page with a write up on the shoot out...
https://www.facebook.com/Turbosawmill-1507538959457726/

Each to there own.

Cheers.
Jake.
TURBOSAWMILL