In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Harbor Frieght sawmill

Discussion in 'The Sawyer Room' started by Marshel54, Sep 7, 2017.

  1. Marshel54

    Marshel54

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    Search results for: 'Saw mill'

    Not ready to pull the trigger yet, but was looking at it in their flyer with interest. Anyone have one of these? Any good at all?
    I am not looking at any real production, just a toy to play around with.
     
  2. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    There are videos on YouTube about them.

     
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  3. Boomstick

    Boomstick Banned

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    What other Mills have you considered?
    Mills are expensive! when you even think about being able to bandmill 2 k is an outrageously low price point.
    I think it really depends on expectations, needs and your experience.
    I would have bought it but most of what I mill is too big to pass the carrige over. And it's limited in length 8 or 9 feet?

    The only issue I'm aware of is...
    The track comes in two peices and bolts together, right in the center. Often causing a bump in the cut. There are several videos of the sawmill and this issue.
    This video makes me nauseous (Shakey) but has the issues and good info.

    For the price it's hard to beat. It is a woodlands hm126 clone. A clone with less features. Most major carrige parts are interchangeable with woodlands(maintenance bearings etc). Comes with a better (predator) motor but less hp.

    Imo finding a kid off Craigslist to zap the track together with his harbor freight welder is the only mod and real worry.
     
  4. yooperdave

    yooperdave

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    About 3-4 years ago, I almost pulled the trigger on a bandsaw mill. One of the brands I looked at and considered was this.
    I was considering the 126. The thing I liked about it was that many of the parts (bearings-belts) were supposedly readily available at auto parts stores.

    HM126 Portable Sawmill
     
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  5. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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  6. Jon_E

    Jon_E

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    I don't want to sound like a jerk but American Made does not always equal quality. I have had numerous opportunities to observe and use a Hud-Son mill and quite honestly, I would only own one if it were given to me. I am not bashing them, necessarily, just saying that their quality control is not up to my personal expectations.

    I have been "shopping" for a mill for several years now (shopping meaning, when I can scrape the funds together) and I will pull the trigger on a Woodland Mills HM126 or HM130. I looked at every major brand and many of the smaller ones - Wood-Mizer, Norwood, Woodland, EZ-Boardwalk, Harbor Freight, Thomas, Baker, etc. There's a few I forgot. Every manufacturer has their homeowner/DIY level mill and each has its quirks. I have not found a single Woodland Mills owner that has had anything negative to say about either their mill or the company that backs up the product 100%. Even in cases where the supplied bearings or belts have been less-than-quality, they send new ones, or the parts can be had off the shelf at NAPA or similar.

    Woodland Mills is a Canadian company and their mills, I believe, are made in China and shipped to their warehouses in Ontario and NY. Still, a very high quality product and a company that has a great reputation.

    Edit: I should add that I owned an early-generation Wood-Mizer LT30 manual mill for several years, I cut thousands of board feet of pine and hardwoods with it. If I had $30,000+ to spend on a new mill, I'd go back to WM.
     
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  7. Boomstick

    Boomstick Banned

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    I almost 100 percent agree.
    Hudson is over priced, it's not just quality but how they are built. You end up spending too much to get into a half decent mill with them.
    I think woodmizer is equivalent to Stihl. You pay for the name and quality. Just like there are chainsaws that will work just as good as a stihl, there are sawmills that will do the same and have good quality and be cheaper. In comparison you spend a few hundred more for a chainsaw but thousands if not tens of thousands more for a woodmizer.
     
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  8. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    Do you think the harbor freight would be better than the Hudson?
     
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  9. Boomstick

    Boomstick Banned

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    You are close enoughto Hudson, I'd pay them a visit to window shop.


    Than the freedom line..yes I think you would have to jump up to the hfe21 for a more even comparison which is 3k and at that price you would be better off getting a woodlands.
    The harbor freight has a quirk or two, and if you don't mind fixing it.....
    The freedom line looks janky...

    They all work, it's features capability and ease of use.
     
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  10. Kimberly

    Kimberly

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    It would be pretty neat to mill your own timber.
     
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  11. Marshel54

    Marshel54

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    Thanks for all the responds. I've been out of town for the last 1 1/2 weeks so I didn't get a chance to read them.
    Thanks for the link. They have a dealer that is located 20 miles from me.

    Thanks for the links.
     
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  12. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    Keep us updated.
     
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  13. Kimberly

    Kimberly

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    There are a lot of videos on YouTube about making mills. Here is one that a guy made from wood and uses a chainsaw attachment for a circular saw.

     
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  14. Kimberly

    Kimberly

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    The HF sawmill was listed in their current sale for $1799.99 or 1800 clams.
     
  15. Jack Straw

    Jack Straw

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    How much do 1800 clams cost?
     
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  16. Kimberly

    Kimberly

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    You will have to ask Fred about that. If Fred doesn't know, then ask Barney.
     
  17. JIMBETHYNAME

    JIMBETHYNAME

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    Buck three eighty five
     
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  18. Kimberly

    Kimberly

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    I think the exchange rate is 1:1; so 1800 clams is equal to 1800 one dollar Federal Reserve notes.
     
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  19. Spencer

    Spencer

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    WM world headquarters is close to where i live, and they have been great so far (so has the little LT15 mill). I would guess we have cut close to 4k bf with it building our cabin. While it was pricey, it has already paid for itself at least two times over with only one real issue (needle bearing crapped out, we never greased it, made a bushing to fit it that works better anyways).
     
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  20. J. Dirt

    J. Dirt

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    Glad he finally got that cigarette rolled :smoke:
     
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