I had one, it worked well. It was slow. The videos show it in TOP cutting performance... which is not too bad, but when you hit a nail, it really tears up the chain. I built a storage shed with mine. Loved it. Wanted more time, and speed.
I moved up to a PETERSON 9" swing mill. My Peterson 9" was a custom made mill, from the early days of the company, when they made things more by hand. Today, they have a 6", 8" and 10". Kerf width is just over a 1/4 inch. This Soft pine, makes alot of sawdust in a day!
With the advancements in metallurgy, the band mills are IMHO the best deal out there, for the DIY guy, in USA. Less Kerf, and pretty good speed.
In band mills, go FULL hydraulic, which allows you to load the logs with hydraulic arms. AND turn the log, to optimum cutting approach. There is alot to learn about the stresses inside a log, as you take it apart.
N
Never used a chainsaw mill, but I own a Hud-Son Bandsaw mill. The chainsaw mills are okay for cutting a few beams but sawing up boards w/ a chainsaw's 1/2" kerf must makes a pile of sawdust and is sloooow.
Mine cost about $7,000 snd will saw a 30" x 16' 6" log.
I think the smaller manual mills start around $2600.
Nate, hitting a nail is also bad w/ my mill. It usually costs me an $8 sharpening fee or a new $25 dollar 160" bandsaw blade.
The kerf on the logosol is 1/4". It uses a thin ripping chain. Filed at around 80°. Pico Micro. Mine had a Stihl 066.
N
Any nails are destructive for mills. We had an old Bell Saw on our farm until about 10 years ago when my dad sold it. Pops rigged up an old flathead V8 Ford engine to power it. Later it went to hell and pop's used the PTO from one of our tractors. He fabricated some linkage to operate the tractor (acceleration and PTO) to where he could control it 20' away. My job was to stack many, many planks and fence post....
It was similar to this one except it was larger and we didn't use a belt to power it.
[flash width=640 height=480] http://www.youtube.com/v/vY6oxL5PE-s?version=3&hl=en_US [/flash]
