Lucas Mill ??

[BUNTA]

Am thinking of purchasing a Lucas mill but wanted to know if there was any other mills available in australia for around the same money ? i would consider bandsaw mills ....
but i dont know how they would go on iron bark.

[echnidna]

Peterson mill , made in oz.

Forget a bandsaw on ironbark

[BUNTA]

Thanks Echnidna

[Ianab]

The Peterson mills are made in NZ, but readily available in Aus too. Same general idea as the Lucas (I'm not getting into the who copied who debate :roll: ) The base models are similar cost and features to the Lucas, but the top end ones go up to fully automatic beasts (VERY COOL :cool: )

Those 2 mills are the best options to look at. The small bandsaw mills just dont handle the BIG logs and real hard stuff like the swingblades do. The bandsaws are designed more for the US situation where they think Oak is hard wood and 3 ft dia is a big log. For big and/or hard timber, one of the swingblades with it's carbide cutters is the best option. :2tsup:

Cheers

Ian

[West OZ Mark]

Hi Bunta,

I have been using a Lucas mill for a couple of years and other than been a great saw the service from Lucas in Victoria is second to none. Not sure about other mills but getting parts for my mill is very easy. Any mill you use will have ware and tear so been able to get on the phone and have a part within days is a big plus for me.

Good luck

[BUNTA]

I was told the same about the service !! cant wait :D

[johnnyroberts]

Had a lucas 6" for the last 8 years, absolute pleasure to use, good factory support, am able to service and repair myself, can put it in back of ute and take to site, can get 2nd hand ones for about 5 to 7k, am able to produce one slab per log by simply saving flitch (bottom of log that is left over after milling) on the following log turn the flitch over and mill, you end up with a nice slab any size you wish, no need for slabbing attachment.
I checked out the patterson recently at agriculture show, I thought it did everything a lucus will do but very large and bulky, could be harder to set up on your own. There was also a skill mill there, a smaller version of the lucus but it has an electrical motor, for the price, about 4k, well worth it.My lucus was about5 years old when I bought it 8 years ago and believe it or not I can pull start it in 3 pulls even after 3 or 4 months left out in the paddock with a tarp over it, never had a tool as impressive as this one.

[whitewood]

I bought a band saw mill from Perth. They cut Jarrah with it. Go on Westerfords web site and check them out.

[Lucas Mill Pty]

Dear Bunta,

Have you contacted us for your free DVD and information pack?

If not, please email me your details so I can get a free pack out to you.

Also remember we will be at the Henty Field Days, September 18/19 and 20th.

Or you are most welcome to call us to arrange a time to come for a visit and look round.

If you require any further information, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Matthew

[BUNTA]

have just e-mailed your site Matt ..cheers

[salty72]

I bought a band saw mill from Perth. They cut Jarrah with it. Go on Westerfords web site and check them out.

DO you have the wewb address for Westfords

[Nevyn]

Took a bit of searching but here it is

http://www.vianet.net.au/~jemal/home.htm

[BUNTA]

I ended up picking up a 2nd hand Lucas mill model 8/25 with a slabbing attatchment !!
gave it a light work out & all seems well.
spose i will have to start lining up a heap of trees now:rolleyes:.

[slabber]

what is an 8/25 ! have no heard of it , more info please:?

[DJ’s Timber]

I would say that he is saying that he got a 8" swingsaw with a 25HP motor

[slabber]

must be an older model, the new model is an 827:)

[DJ’s Timber]

must be an older model, the new model is an 827:)

Well he did say it was a secondhand unit.

Psst...the new model is actualy 8-30 (http://lucasmill.com/OurProducts/CircularSwingBladeMills/Model830/tabid/270/Default.aspx)

[Exador]

I ended up picking up a 2nd hand Lucas mill model 8/25 with a slabbing attatchment !!
gave it a light work out & all seems well.
spose i will have to start lining up a heap of trees now:rolleyes:.

Good for you, mate. Nice little unit. Do take the time to keep it properly adjusted, it makes all the difference in the world.

[salty72]

I ended up picking up a 2nd hand Lucas mill model 8/25 with a slabbing attatchment !!
gave it a light work out & all seems well.
spose i will have to start lining up a heap of trees now:rolleyes:.


what did you end up paying for the mill - If you don't mind me asking ...

[BUNTA]

Picked it up for $10,000 ....i was happy with that. & i cut a load of ironbark this weekend.

[salty72]

I missed out on a lucas mill made 04/2000, it was the 8-25 model that was for auction on eBay... I was out bid at $7,100 and tried to get back onto the web site but finger trouble saw me fall short at $7,600.. I was hoping to get it for under $7,500 but would have gone to $8K, (Oh well, thinking about it a 7yr old mill that had not been used in 2Yrs with 700 Hrs on the clock, might have been a little too much trouble for a newbee)

[BUNTA]

mine had about 330 hrs on it when i picked it up & its only a matter of pushing a button to make it start !! i figured that its only done 47hrs a year since new & when i priced a rebuild (just in case) for $800 i didnt even flinch at the 10k price as im saving 6k from a new machine !!
but it also came with a slabbing attachment .
& the after sale service (even if you are not the original buyer) is excellent !!

[Wild Dingo]

Cheepest Ive seen over here was one on ebay for $13000 starting figure... so far thats the cheepest price for one of these mills Ive seen everything else has been several thou dearer. :C

ah well... good on yer Bunta!! :2tsup:

[BUNTA]

I knew the bloke i bought it off Dingo so its probably why it was cheap.
have to cut some ironbark slabs for a bloke this weekend & will post some pics on tuesday. . . .

[matildasmate]

The Peterson mills are made in NZ, but readily available in Aus too. Same general idea as the Lucas (I'm not getting into the who copied who debate :roll: ) The base models are similar cost and features to the Lucas, but the top end ones go up to fully automatic beasts (VERY COOL :cool: )

Those 2 mills are the best options to look at. The small bandsaw mills just dont handle the BIG logs and real hard stuff like the swingblades do. The bandsaws are designed more for the US situation where they think Oak is hard wood and 3 ft dia is a big log. For big and/or hard timber, one of the swingblades with it's carbide cutters is the best option. :2tsup:

Cheers

Ian
Well I think these blokes seem to know what they are doin , don't exactly look like tooth pick's either and that 7' bar of Aggie's aint exactly for cutting 2" pole's , they also have Ebony over their , although an introduced specie's , happen's to be the hardest timber in the world and also a density of about 1400-1500kg's a cubic meter our densist timber in Australia is about 1200-1300kg's a cubic meter , some very hard one's but not as hard as ebony , desity and hardness are 2 different thing's .:D:D:D........... http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=47202

[BobL]

Well I think these blokes seem to know what they are doin , don't exactly look like tooth pick's either and that 7' bar of Aggie's aint exactly for cutting 2" pole's , they also have Ebony over their , although an introduced specie's ,http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=47202

I agree they know what they are doing but from I've seen I think that people like aggie are still pretty rare characters and that the vast majority of guys in NA are milling small softwood logs with small chainsaws or band mills/saws. The amount of ebony is relatively small and so is the amount of real hardwood. All their big trees are also mainly softwoods.