Thread: Wanted - Lucas Mill

Heard of one just the other day, up here in qld, apparently its almost brand new done less than 50hrs from memory. I only heard through a third party, so don't have contact details, but if you're still interested I'll find out for ya

Many thanks mate, but I picked one up over the weekend...very happy!

I'm looking for one too- any contacts much appreciated

Asked the third party a few times - no contact details furnished - sorry

Originally Posted by dadiaction

I'm looking for one too- any contacts much appreciated

Just listed one on ebay

I'm also looking for a lucas mill. please contact me via email: [email protected] or mobile: +675-72098407. pick up anywhere in australia. thanks

Hey Ninjus

I chased a second hand Lucas for about 3 years: closest I got was 4 seconds on ebay.

It was a fortnightly / monthly trawl of ebay, gum tree etc. I chased personal leads from the Tweed in NSW to western Victoria.

Ultimately I purchased a demo Lucas Mill from a field day. Saved a significant amount in dollars and got a mill tuned and ready to be 'got to work'. A few weeks later the list price went up, which made the deal seem even better to the accountant (a CPA), and my chief financial adviser (wife).

I am fortunate to own 1600 acres of New England NSW. A few hundred acre of old time improved pasture for grazing, an equal amount of tiger or goat country, and the other half 'closed woodlands', native grassed forest.
I.E. > I have trees n timber 'up the woozar'. Wind and weather falls have provided enough timber to keep me busy this last year. Build a deck out front of the cabin, wall in sheds, provide set asides for planned stock yards and cabins for family and friends camping.

Having stalked the product, a Lucas Mill, for a fair amount of time, I can say it is every thing it is set out to be.

I have reviewed heaps of net stuff:

ye swing blades can get caught up doing big under cuts, so slip in a wedge, a twig or splinter of wood to stop the weight of milled wood clamping on the cutting blade? Durr ...

Most of the criticism seems, to me, to be a little off point.

Any issue or inquiry I have, I have directed toward the Lucas enterprise, family:
I have got direct telephone calls from old man Lucas, and we have explore, discussed issues, well beyond simple mill operations.
Service and support to a level, well ... almost un Australian:

No shoulder shrugging, no arguing semantics, rather I got what I believe was a genuine level of interest in what I was doing, wanted from the mill.
Got solutions, not more problems and blame as a user/operator.

As I said almost, un Australian?

In my own limited experience, the biggest issue in operations are with my 'user competence'.
I have learned heaps from every log milled, points on:
timber species, mill area set up, log stabilization, log / lumber maximization, shade and shelter set up (working too long n too hard, and vomiting is over rated), log sneging (chains, pulley and drag lines), forestry management, even habitat formation (in how I stack tailings).

Mate, for what is is worth, my suggestion is bite the bullet:

Buy the portable timber mill all others are measured by,
give an Aussie a job,
and make a few more jobs by putting your lumber into the local market.

Kind Regards

Woodrow Phathom

P.S, Speak to your accountant, get an accountant, work your business / milling plans past them. Again in my limited experience, what they cost will come from what they make you, be a fraction of.